Chapter 87: Only by Shattering One's Body Can Rebirth Be Achieved

"Kira has displayed excellent defensive abilities! He successfully intercepted Kenyu! What do you think of Kira's defense this time, Mr. Natsuki?"

"That wasn't a reasonable defensive choice... because he was positioned to the side of the opponent, which is not advantageous for an interception. And if the interception attempt fails, it would lead to being out of position. However, Kira managed to do it, indicating that he has great confidence in his defensive abilities and can disrupt the opponent's dribbling with incredible precision... remarkable... But this level of defense is very physically demanding. It seems that the U-20 coach wants Kira to shine on the defensive end, which contradicts their initial formation. I'm looking forward to his performance in the following plays."

Meanwhile, on the field, after Kira completed the interception, Oliver successfully received the ball.

"Excellent defense, Kira. I can't help but feel inferior."

Oliver said with a smile, then he made a powerful long pass aimed at someone who had already crossed the halfway line.

"Now, it's your turn to prove yourself, the other prodigy."

His target was none other than Sae!

"Defend! You mediocre bunch!"

Tabito shouted loudly.

Although it was only a moment, the members of the Blue lock reacted with the fastest speed, quickly regrouping to counter the U-20 team. They exerted several times more effort than in the original story to deal with the U-20 team.

At this moment, Sae had just received a long pass from Oliver, and Hyoma had already arrived at his defensive position in time!

In this match, they served as the full-backs on both sides, compensating for each other. When Meguru pressed forward to participate in the attack, Hyoma would appropriately fall back to maintain a balance between offense and defense, preventing the opponent's counterattacks.

Sae, who had just touched the ball, didn't hesitate for even half a second. He made an instant judgment and smoothly controlled and passed the ball, directly delivering it to another forward of the U-20 team.

"Such speed! Excellent judgment! It's no wonder Sae, the midfield prodigy who has already shone on the international stage, is hailed as such!"

As the commentator exclaimed, the audience at the stadium joined in chanting "Sae."

Pass, pass, pass! The ball was passed back and forth among the U-20 players and eventually returned to Sae's feet.

At this very moment, Sae had entered the vicinity of the penalty area.

"Don't even think about scoring!"

Ikki immediately intercepted Sae, and not only that, Hyoma quickly caught up from behind to provide support, silently positioning himself behind Sae.

"Great defense!"

Yoichi couldn't help but praise.

However, at this moment, there was no change in expression on Sae's face.

His gaze seemed fixed on Ikki in front of him, yet it wasn't.

Sae slightly tilted his head and made an instant judgment. Before being double-teamed by Hyoma and Ikki, he used his extremely exquisite footwork to kick the ball out.

"Watch your performance."

Sae said softly.

The ball descended with a high arc, landing in an unoccupied area.

"Did he make a mistake? It seems the prodigy is nothing special."

Tabito stepped forward to prepare to stop the ball, but he heard Yoichi's shout from a distance.

"That's not a mistake, it's a pass!"

"A pass? To whom?"

Tabito was puzzled.

Then another voice sounded beside him.

"To me."

"What?!"

Before Tabito could react, a figure as swift as lightning passed by his side.

Kira Ryosuke.

"How is that possible? Wasn't that guy just in the backfield?!"

Tabito exclaimed involuntarily.

Not only Tabito, but the commentators and the audience reacted the same way.

All their attention had been focused on Sae just moments ago, completely overlooking Kira's presence and failing to notice that he had already made a lightning-fast sprint to the front.

"But he might not be able to gain possession of the ball. The Blue lock player has already occupied a favorable position!"

Tabito was closer to the ball at this moment, and he moved forward to approach it first. However, in terms of speed, he was at an absolute disadvantage and had no way to stop Kira.

He extended his arm, wanting to block Kira and secure his position. This was Tabito's proud skill, using different hand movements to restrict opposing players.

However, Tabito picked the wrong target.

He placed his hand horizontally at Kira's side and exerted force to try to keep him behind.

But in the moment of contact, he realized something was wrong.

It felt as if he was trying to push a mountain.

Kira remained motionless, while Tabito himself nearly lost his balance.

Tabito's rhythm became chaotic, and Kira successfully passed by him, heading straight towards the goal.

Only Gagamaru Gin was left in front of the goal.

Although he didn't have much experience as a goalkeeper, Gin could be called a natural goalkeeper prodigy. His outstanding body flexibility allowed him to make saves with movements beyond imagination.

'Left or right? It should be the center. I remember mostly relies on high-speed straight shots.'

Gin quickly thought and made such a judgment. He had spent some time as teammates with Kira during the first round of selections, so he had some understanding of him.

Meanwhile, Kira had already taken the shot, and the ball was flying towards the goal!

"It's not as fast as I imagined. I can save it!"

Gin made his judgment and took a step forward, preparing to intercept the shot.

But just as he was about to touch the ball, it deviated in front of him and grazed past his fingertips!

A knuckleball!

Thunder Swarm!

Like a crescent moon, the football drew an almost impossible arc in the air and went directly into the net, scoring a goal!

1-0!

In that instant, the entire stadium fell into silence.

In the next instant, a resounding cheer erupted, like a tidal wave.

The spectators were in a lively discussion, while a middle-aged man took out a notebook and wrote down Kira's name.

"Interesting fellow."

"Fukuda, don't stand up, sit down and watch the game! The people behind will scold you later!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

Fukuda Tatsuya, the man in question, smiled apologetically.

"What... What? Kira just scored an unbelievable goal... amazing!"

The commentator couldn't help but praise.

"Of course, it wouldn't have been possible without Sae's brilliant assist! he accurately sensed Kira's position!"

"No, it's Kira... he's incredible..."

After Kira scored the goal, Shuto, the former key forward of the U-20 team, had to admit his admiration.

He knew that he wouldn't have been able to score such a goal.

"As a forward, your abilities are passable. I finally see a somewhat decent forward."

Beside Kira, Sae spoke in a calm tone, his face devoid of any expression, let alone the joy brought by the team's goal.

Although it sounded very arrogant, Sae's words were the highest praise he could give to others.

"Somewhat decent? Well, let me tell you, your passing wasn't ideal. You could have passed it even farther, so I wouldn't have needed any physical contact with the opponent. There's still room for improvement in your passing. It seems you underestimated me with that last ball."

Kira smiled and looked directly into Sae's eyes.

Shuto, standing aside, dared not speak. He felt that the atmosphere between Kira and Sae seemed tense.

Sae looked at Kira, seemingly contemplating something. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded.

"I understand. Since you put it that way, I want to see just how far your limits go. Don't turn into Icarus."

"I'll return that statement to you as well," Kira replied.

"Then I hope you don't disappoint me," Sae said, without saying much more, and turned away, leaving the area.

Over in the Blue lock team, those who hadn't faced Kira before couldn't help but marvel at his strength.

Not only his terrifying speed and ability to seize opportunities, but also the elusive curved shots that few could easily accomplish.

To be able to react instantly in front of the goal and execute such a shot, Kira was indeed a monster.

And it seemed that monsters were not in short supply, as Sae was also one of them.

He seemed to create incredible passes without needing any time to think. It was as if he knew Kira's position with utmost clarity.

At this moment, Yoichi felt a bit puzzled. He didn't understand how Sae had managed to do what he just did.

Because he had been observing Sae's movements, and he hadn't even looked directly at Kira's position.

Although Yoichi also possessed the keen spatial awareness to know the positions of everyone on the field, it all depended on what he "could see" himself.

But Sae didn't even cast his gaze on Kira, yet he still grasped his opponent's position perfectly.

How is this achieved?

If I can grasp this point, perhaps I can stand on the same platform as them!

I must think... think!

Yoichi absentmindedly stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"What are you doing?"

At that moment, Rin's voice snapped Yoichi back to reality.

"Don't think about anything else."

Rin surveyed the surroundings, able to clearly hear the cheers of the people around.

"After ninety minutes, I'm going to turn the cheers in this stadium into cries of despair."

His gaze was unparalleled in its determination.

Rin possessed the strongest desire to win on the entire field.

"Originally, the U-20 team was a formidable team that relied on its strong defensive abilities to execute counterattacks. But Sae and Kira have made it even stronger."

In the defensive position, Ikki was also rapidly contemplating the situation on the field.

"Oliver as the absolute defensive core, Kira can further enhance their defensive capabilities and participate in counterattacks with his speed. It can be said that they possess a terrifying ability to transition between offense and defense. As for Sae, he serves as the midfield core, connecting the front and back lines. He is their engine. On one hand, we must find a way to break through the absolute defense line formed by Kira and Oliver. On the other hand, we must sever the connection between Sae and Kira."

Ikki's expression grew serious. Kira's strength alone was already terrifying to the extreme, and now with the presence of Sae, the terror surrounding Kira would be further amplified.

...

"It's terrifying... Mr. Ego, you should never have agreed to let Kira join the U-20 team. He's simply on a completely different level!"

On the coach's bench, Anri anxiously spoke to Ego.

"Kira was supposed to be our strongest weapon, but now he has become the opponent's ace! How can we win?"

"Don't worry, Anri," Ego replied, pushing up his glasses. There was no trace of anxiety on his face.

Precisely because it's Kira, there is an opportunity to see things that are not normally visible. Muscles stiffen, thinking stops, and these pressures in an official match can affect the players' performance. The only way to relieve this burden is through improvisation."

"Huh? Mr. Ego, are you not going to give them any tactics? No instructions?"

"I've already said what needed to be said. Just stay quiet and watch them, our egoists."

Ego lifted his head and cast his gaze onto the field.

Tremendous pressure can crush a person. If that's the case, it means they were only capable of this much. But if they can face this pressure and transform it into motivation, then they can undergo a rebirth.

He squinted slightly, his gaze filled with profound meaning.

"And I believe that they can do it now."