[18] Oppression and Despair

'Damn it. Is that guy even human? I couldn't even catch a glimpse of his back. If he had started training for football from a young age, what would he be like now?'

Nishioka bit his lip hard, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. A prodigy hailed as Aomori's Messi, he had never experienced such a crushing sense of inferiority, such an undeniable disparity in talent.

If someone truly emerges victorious from this Blue Lock and becomes the world's number one striker, that person won't be me. It'll be Kanzaki Shinichi, this freakishly gifted 'monster.'

This was the painful yet undeniable truth Nishioka realized after his brief confrontation with Shinichi.

For the first time, he felt like a frog at the bottom of a well, glimpsing a vast world he could barely comprehend.

But with that broadened perspective came an overwhelming sense of his own insignificance.

The light of Nishioka's dreams was on the verge of being swallowed whole by the monster known as Kanzaki Shinichi.

"No, I can't think like this! It's just speed, nothing else. Messi's individual abilities aren't necessarily the best among top-tier players, but he proved himself to the world through sheer effort and determination." On the brink of despair, Nishioka clung desperately to his dream, trying to convince himself.

"What's wrong? You're shaking like crazy," Hiori remarked, his tone calm but cutting. "Guess seeing him made you lose your composure, huh? He's like a monster—enough to make anyone tremble."

"So, is that why you're scared enough to bow down and play watchdog for him?" Nishioka snapped, his reaction unusually volatile as he roared at Hiori, clearly stung by the comment.

"You're the kind of guy who can give up so easily because you don't have any dreams! You decided there's no way to become the world's number one striker with him around, so you just threw away your pride as a striker and started groveling. But I'm not like you—I'm Aomori's Messi!"

...

After a brief silence, Hiori looked at Nishioka with a puzzled expression.

His calm, understated words shattered all of Nishioka's pride and destroyed the last remnants of his psychological defenses.

"Afraid? Why would I be afraid? Isn't it exciting to see that football can be played like that? If anything, my only fear is that I won't be able to keep up with him and witness the moment Shinichi changes the world."

No… that's not how it's supposed to be… Nishioka thought, his mind spinning. This guy… he doesn't have the pride of a striker, but… it's not what I imagined.

'This lunatic… he's something entirely different from me. He's a true 'madman.'

'Then… what about me? If I've already started to feel 'that kind of emotion,' what does that make me?!'

"Hiori? What's going on?" Shinichi called out, noticing the tension between Hiori and Nishioka and stepping in to intervene.

He didn't want things to escalate, not because he doubted his own ability—after all, he could easily take on 11 opponents in football.

But when it came to fighting, with his overwhelming physical stats, his only concern was whether he'd accidentally hurt someone too badly.

"Shinichi!" Nishioka's voice, low and raspy, caught Shinichi's attention. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred and desperation.

'This guy… he's the one who destroyed everything I had—my dreams, my confidence. If I can't defeat him here, I'll rot away in the dirt.'

"Kanzaki Shinichi, I will crush you!"

"Oh? Things are starting to get interesting," Shinichi said, amused by the sudden intensity.

He turned to Hiori and added with mock exasperation, "By the way, Hiori, why are you using my name to stir up hatred? Look at how mad you've made him!"

Even Hiori, who had once been shaken by Shinichi's overwhelming presence, couldn't help but recall some unpleasant memories.

He didn't want to speak to this walking embodiment of raw talent.

When Nishioka exploded in anger, Hiori could already guess what was happening—he had experienced something similar in the hallway himself.

If you can't endure it, you'll be utterly crushed. That's just how Shinichi was. Even if this time it was unintentional, his actions carried the same undeniable dominance.

"Kanzaki Shinichi!"

"Alright, alright, stop yelling," Shinichi said, waving dismissively. "Geez, you don't look like the type for this kind of outburst. But hey, this is Blue Lock. I guess anyone remotely decent-looking goes nuts sooner or later."

Thinking back to characters like Kira and Rin's moments of rage in the original story, Shinichi couldn't help but feel a chill.

He worried for a moment whether he might end up like them someday.

Now that he looked closer, Nishioka reminded him of Barou from before.

Had his meaning in playing football been utterly destroyed?

If so, this could be his last stand.

With that thought, Shinichi shrugged nonchalantly and turned away, pretending to be indifferent.

No one noticed, however, that as Shinichi turned, he raised a hand to cover his face.

Hidden behind his long fingers was a wild grin and eyes glinting with madness.

'Even if I didn't do this on purpose, completely breaking him should rack up some nice system points… No, even without the system's rewards, I want to crush every enemy bold enough to resist me.'

'It's about time I started stacking the corpses of defeated opponents as the foundation of my throne.'

...

"Hiori, make sure to keep the small fry off me in a bit, alright?"

"Oh... uh, what?"

"I've been curious to see how it feels to go up against the absolute budget version of Messi," Shinichi said, turning his head to flash Hiori a dazzling smile—one that left no room for refusal.

Hiori thought for a moment, then simply nodded in agreement without saying anything.

Once everything was set, Shinichi turned back around, towering over Nishioka with a condescending gaze. "You still had a sliver of hope, but since you insist on throwing it away..."

"I'll crush what little scrap of pride you have left into dust, 'Little Messi.'"

But Nishioka was already beyond caring about Shinichi's taunts.

His eyes were hollow yet intensely focused.

At that moment, his mind held only one thought:

'Defeat Shinichi. No matter how, I must defeat him. Prove my worth and potential. Otherwise, the dream I've been fighting for—to become the world's best striker—will be meaningless.'

Unable to wait even a moment longer, despite his teammate preparing to pass the ball, Nishioka forcefully intercepted it.

Ignoring Hiori entirely, he charged straight at Shinichi with the ball. Hiori, remembering Shinichi's instructions, didn't interfere.

"On the attack, the defender is always at a disadvantage," Hiori thought, watching Nishioka's reckless advance. "That's why rules like offside exist to limit offense. But Nishioka, at your level, you can't break through Shinichi. He'll handle this."

Finally, Shinichi stood face-to-face with Nishioka for the first time.

Nishioka's high-frequency touches shifted Shinichi's balance repeatedly, exploiting every small gap in the ironclad defense in front of him.

"I can't stop you, so what?" Nishioka said calmly. "I'm a forward. As long as I keep attacking, as long as my dribbling remains a weapon, I still have value! And if it weren't for your teamwork, none of you would be able to stop me. I am—"

Shinichi interrupted with a question that cut like a blade: "Are you happy being called Messi?"

"What?"

"Getting excited over being someone's cheap imitation, making that your dream—don't make me laugh," Shinichi sneered. "If chasing someone else's shadow could make you the world's best, then that title wouldn't mean a thing. 'Aomori's Messi'? That's not a badge of honor; it's worthless garbage dragging you down."

'Shut up! You don't know anything about me!'

Nishioka screamed internally, but no words came out. By the time he realized it, Shinichi had been blocking him for 30 seconds.

'It didn't make sense. The defense looked weak and full of holes. It seemed like a wall that could be pushed over with the lightest touch. Yet Shinichi stood there, unyielding.'

'Why won't you move? Why do you have to block the path to my dream?!'

'Kanzaki Shinichi!'

Nishioka took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore Shinichi's taunts.

He dribbled furiously, unleashing an array of dazzling moves in an attempt to break through.

But no matter how he tried, Shinichi remained unmoved, his deep black eyes betraying no emotion, no weakness, no intention.

'Damn it! Stop scaring yourself! I can win—right here, right now!'

'Get out of my way, Shinichi! My dreams will not be decided by you!'

Bang!

Nishioka saw his chance and surged forward through a fleeting opening.

But just as he thought he'd broken through, Shinichi swept his leg out in a low kick.

The ball flew out of bounds, and Nishioka's legs were caught, sending him tumbling sideways onto the ground.

The loudspeaker announced Shinichi's foul, but Nishioka didn't care.

He didn't even register the pain coursing through his body.

All he could do was stare blankly at Shinichi.

"Still a little too slow," Shinichi muttered, standing motionless as his vacant eyes bore into Nishioka.

Despite the foul, the corners of his mouth twisted upward in a sinister smile.

"I see now. I think I understand…" Shinichi said, his tone eerily calm. "Next time, I'll stop you for sure."

'Kanzaki Shinichi, you monster... just how far do you want to push me into despair before you're satisfied...?'

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