Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

"I... I'm... so weak..." Rin stood frozen, disbelief written all over his face as he repeated those words over and over.

"All these years... what have I been doing? My life was ruined by that man, and now... even in a place like this, someone stronger than me shows up... When will I finally be able to pull that bastard down from his pedestal?"

"Damn it! Damn it! Defeating you... Only by defeating you can I prove my reason for existence. I have to win, I must win, and claim a spot in the U-20 team to compete on the world stage... For that, I will crush you... Kanzaki Shinichi!"

"Uh... uh, Rin-san? We're already two goals behind. Should we discuss some kind of strategy... or something?" At the kickoff, Tokimitsu asked cautiously, his voice trembling.

Rin shot him a cold, sidelong glance. "Give me the ball, then run forward and keep up with me—no matter what. That's all."

"Y-Yes! Got it!" Tokimitsu shouted fearfully, then turned to Tanaka and muttered quietly, "He... he's mad, isn't he?"

"Mad? More like absolutely furious." Tanaka wiped the sweat from his forehead.

That last goal—just watching from the sidelines, he hadn't been able to react in time.

Shinichi's speed was overwhelming.

And yet, Rin had still made the most precise decision in the moment.

His failure wasn't due to his own mistakes; it was because the opponent was a complete monster!

"It's no use. Even after just a short time, I can tell Rin is the strongest among us. If we want to win, we have no choice but to rely on him." Stretching his limbs, Tanaka moved to stand beside Rin. "So, let's follow the orders of our ace and give it everything we've got."

Beep!

The whistle blew, and Rin surged forward with the ball.

However, to his surprise, it wasn't Shinichi defending him.

"Get out of my way, small fry! Send Kanzaki Shinichi over here!" Rin's lower lashes trembled in anger as he growled at Hiori.

Yet, Hiori simply shook his head calmly. "I'm afraid not. After being so easily taken down by our King, your value has dropped. Now, even someone like me can handle you."

"If you're looking to die, I'll gladly oblige." Provoked again and again, Rin's taut nerves finally snapped.

He charged forward with the ball, ignoring everything else.

Alongside him, moving in sync, was Tanaka. "Let's go, ace."

"I don't need anyone else to deal with a small fry like him!" Rin's pride completely overpowered his logic.

He ignored both Tanaka, who had positioned himself for support, and Tokimitsu, who had used his physicality to secure an advantageous spot.

Instead, Rin chose to take on Hiori solo.

Thud!

A heavy collision echoed across the field as Hiori tumbled to the ground.

However, Rin, still standing, wore a sour expression. Strangely, it was Hiori—despite his undignified fall—who smiled brightly. "Wow~ You're amazing! I was actually planning to stop you completely, but I ended up getting knocked over instead."

"Oh, and one more thing," Hiori added, grinning up at Rin from the ground. "Even a small fry's pride deserves respect. After all, we've all been striving to rise higher. Watch out, or one day, you might not even get to play the villain."

Foul: Red Team's No. 1, Rin Itoshi.

The broadcast announcement declared the victor of the recent collision.

Shinichi jogged over and helped Hiori up. "Nice job, Hiori."

"No, the one who's really impressive is Rin. He noticed my intentions midway through the play but refused to pass because his pride wouldn't allow it after being provoked." Hiori, remaining clear-headed, shook his head with a wry smile.

"Besides, he also adapted accordingly. That last play was actually a close call. It could've gone either way—foul or no foul. I just got lucky this time."

"With that in mind, this move won't work again next time. Rin Itoshi… he's truly strong…" Hiori said, though his gaze unconsciously shifted toward Shinichi.

'But you, Shinichi, who easily crushed Rin… just how strong are you now? And how far behind have I fallen compared to you?'

Suppressing these thoughts deep within himself, Hiori kicked off the ball and passed it to Kurona. "Let's go. Score another goal."

"Okay, okay." Kurona dribbled forward confidently. "I'm in perfect form right now."

"Stop right there, side character!" Rin unexpectedly stepped in front of Kurona, who was startled.

Instinctively, Kurona came to a halt, put some distance between them, and passed the ball back to Hiori.

However, Tanaka intercepted the pass with a well-timed slide.

Damn it, Hiori thought, analyzing the situation.

'Kurona doesn't have the same synergy with Shinichi.'

'His passes can't keep up with Shinichi's speed.'

'This orbital theory of ours is actually one-sided.'

'As a satellite, Kurona can only link up with me.'

'Only I, acting as the planet, can properly connect with Shinichi, the star.'

'Rin saw through this.'

'Instead of guarding me, the pivot, he pressured Kurona directly and had his teammate cut off the passing lane between Kurona and me.'

'That's how they executed this steal!'

Gritting his teeth, Hiori sprinted back to defend, just as he was about to block Tanaka, the ball was suddenly passed sideways.

"I'll make up for my mistake!" Kurona positioned himself in front of Rin, who had received the ball.

But Rin didn't even spare him a glance, firing off another pass without hesitation.

On the right wing, Tokimitsu scrambled to receive the ball.

Standing in his way, however, was Shinichi.

"What? Why would he deliberately pass to the player being marked by Shinichi?" Even Hiori was momentarily baffled, unsure whether to fall back and defend or prepare to position himself for a counterattack.

That brief moment of hesitation was all Rin needed.

He accelerated past Kurona, charging forward with fiery determination.

His sharp, angry eyes locked onto Tokimitsu.

'Give me the ball, or I'll crush you!'

Tokimitsu could practically feel the threat emanating from Rin's glare.

"I... I get it now... I really have to give it my all. Ugh... I really am just cannon fodder, aren't I?" In the instant he saw Rin's run, Tokimitsu fully understood his intent.

As the ball approached and Shinichi closed in to challenge, Tokimitsu turned his back to shield the ball from Shinichi's reach, using his body as a barrier.

Bracing himself, he managed to return the ball to Rin with a precise back pass.

"So that's it... He calculated it perfectly. Tokimitsu's physical strength is something neither Kurona nor I can overcome. Therefore, as long as the play nears the goal, the one defending that muscle monster will inevitably be Shinichi."

"And then, by using Tokimitsu as a decoy, he ensures that a single Tokimitsu can't stop a player without the ball like Shinichi. Excessive actions against an off-ball player would result in a foul. Back then, even Team V needed two players working together just to barely contain Shinichi."

"But if Tokimitsu collides physically with Shinichi while he's actively moving forward to receive the ball, Tokimitsu can fully leverage his physicality without holding back. This kind of loophole might not last long, but Rin only needs it to work for a few seconds!"

"In just that brief moment, he saw through the connection between Kurona and me, then maximized his teammates' abilities. This guy... he's controlling the entire field!"

Emerald flames burned fiercely in Rin's eyes as his focus locked onto the incoming ball. "I will... score. I will crush you all!"

"Is that what you think, Rin Itoshi?"

The chillingly indifferent voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, sent shivers down Rin's spine.

The blazing fire in his eyes seemed to be extinguished in an instant, as if robbed of oxygen.

Shinichi leapt into the air and intercepted the ball mid-flight.

His imposing shadow fell over Rin's face, engulfing him entirely.

For a fleeting moment, Shinichi's commanding figure felt as though it pinned Rin's very spirit to the ground, leaving him breathless.

"Did you really think this borrowed sense of self could defeat me?"

"How adorably naive, you stupid tsundere brother-con."

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