Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

'How is this possible?! I clearly saw Tokimitsu block him—so why is he here?!'

Rin Itoshi's pupils shrank in disbelief.

Yet, he still made the most correct decision in the moment, stepping in to block Shinichi's path before he could advance further.

"I've told you before, haven't I? Our little genius brother didn't inherit the same sharp mind as his big brother," Shinichi taunted as he planted his foot on the ball, feinting left with an explosive burst before immediately reversing direction.

His lightning-fast directional change was so seamless it completely threw off Rin's balance.

Rin stood frozen like a post, his elite technical skills barely allowing him to remain upright and avoid further humiliation.

"See? That was way too easy." As Shinichi passed by Rin, whose face was a mix of shock and frustration, he spoke in a low, cutting tone. "That perfect football where you observe and counter every move is a privilege of true geniuses. Your abilities are nowhere near enough to replicate it. Yet, you cling to this imitation style you cobbled together from others as if it's some kind of treasure…"

"That's so typical of mediocrity—always drawn to the brilliance of those more gifted, forever chasing the footsteps of geniuses, and…" Shinichi paused, letting the words sink in, "always one step behind."

"Damn it!" Rin's composure finally snapped under Shinichi's taunts.

Like a rabid dog, he lunged at Shinichi, his mouth practically foaming with rage.

Yet Shinichi, almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head, easily sidestepped.

Rin crashed to the ground, a picture of frustration and defeat.

"I'm not some pawn of Sae Itoshi! Damn it… damn it! I'll kill you! Sae Itoshi… Kanzaki Shinichi… you two bastards ruined my life and shattered my very existence… I'll kill you both, no matter what!"

Shinichi is right, Rin thought bitterly, his mind swirling.

'I've always sought answers from others, which is why I've been bound by their shadows. Revenge, Sae, Kanzaki… None of them should be the reason I play football.'

'That's right. I've been too naive! Brother once told me to stop using him as an excuse for playing football. Now, I finally understand those words. The first opponent I need to defeat… the one I need to crush… is myself!'

"And then, Kanzaki Shinichi... I'll start with you. I'll take you down!" Rin pushed himself off the ground, charging forward during the brief moment Shinichi was blocked by Tanaka.

His eyes blazed with murderous intent, and his tongue hung out unconsciously as he lunged straight for the ball at Shinichi's feet.

"Oh? Tongue's out now? That's not very hygienic," Shinichi remarked nonchalantly, effortlessly evading Rin's relentless attempts to steal the ball.

The ball rolled back and forth under Shinichi's control, appearing dangerously close to being intercepted.

Yet, at every crucial moment, it slipped just out of Rin's reach, as if teasing his growing desperation.

"And it's also incredibly rude. A wild dog sticking out its tongue? Let me teach you the rules of my kingdom," Shinichi said with a smirk.

Suddenly, he spun around, turning his back to Rin, and with a deft flick of his foot, sent the ball sliding through Rin's legs.

?!

In his feral, hyper-focused state, Rin's reflexes were astonishingly quick.

He immediately snapped his legs shut to block the nutmeg attempt.

However, the ball unexpectedly curved slightly mid-flight—a subtle change that went unnoticed.

As a result, instead of being stopped by Rin's quick reaction, the ball grazed his knees and bounced back toward Shinichi.

With his legs locked together, Rin was unable to give chase, helplessly watching as Shinichi regained control of the ball and effortlessly moved away.

"Rule number one... If I don't give it to you, you can't take it. Now, let's move on to rule number two."

To everyone's shock, Shinichi, already half a step past Rin, suddenly stepped back toward him.

Rin's stance left him with no way to apply pressure, and under normal circumstances, even a player like Hiori would have considered Rin completely beaten in this position.

Yet Shinichi deliberately returned.

"Such a jerk…" That was the immediate thought running through everyone's mind.

Shinichi's move wasn't about outplaying Rin anymore—it was pure humiliation.

"Cruel... but efficient," someone muttered next, as the ethos of Blue Lock revealed itself in the crowd's reaction.

In Blue Lock, the strong were expected to utterly humiliate the weak.

Some chose words after victory to taunt their opponents, but Shinichi? He used the game itself to crush them.

From a certain perspective, many in Blue Lock found his approach even more refined.

Shinichi, already half a step past Rin, suddenly flicked the ball back through Rin's legs just as Rin was adjusting his footing.

Then, with a quick retreat, Shinichi returned to stand in front of Rin, shifting his weight, lowering his shoulder slightly, and lifting his foot as though he were preparing to break to the right…

At that moment, Rin's deeply ingrained instincts screamed that something was wrong.

However, his body reacted before his mind could catch up, forcing him to commit.

All he could do was watch helplessly as the ground seemed to rise closer and closer to his face.

Feigning a move to the right, Shinichi hooked the ball in the opposite direction.

Rin, already shifting his weight to match Shinichi's feint, was caught off-balance.

Then Shinichi flicked the ball up with his left foot, sending it in a graceful arc over Rin's head.

The quick sequence of directional changes, capped with the rainbow flick, crushed Rin's remaining defiance.

"Rule number two," Shinichi said coldly, dribbling forward with an expressionless face. "I don't tolerate mad dogs baring their teeth at me. Consider this your judgment—accept it gratefully."

In one fluid motion, Shinichi passed the ball to Hiori to avoid Tanaka's sliding tackle.

He then sprinted toward the goal, with the flustered Tokimitsu scrambling to block his path. However, Hiori, keeping his eyes on Shinichi, executed a swift pass—not to Shinichi, but to Kurona.

"Oh, thank you, thank you." Even Blue Lock's goalkeeper had been drawn to Shinichi's presence, leaving Kurona with an open goal.

There was no way he could miss.

Swish!

2–0 → 3–0

The satisfying sound of the ball hitting the net signaled yet another change in the scoreboard.

Even Kurona's excitement was evident as he jogged over to high-five Shinichi. "Amazing. You completely pulled them away. I owe you one."

"No need," Shinichi replied with a shake of his head. "As the ace, I'm also the biggest decoy. I've never entirely agreed with Ego's theories, particularly the idea that midfielders are useless if they don't score. I believe the influence of a midfielder on the game is immense."

"Scoring goals is merely a byproduct of my good performance. The true medal that represents a player's ability is victory. No matter how many goals you score, it's meaningless because being the world's best belongs only to those who keep winning."

"I appreciate how calm your judgment on the field always is, Hiori. But next time, if you don't pass the ball to me, you're dead."

"Oh~ Weren't you just talking all high and mighty about how it's all about winning?" Hiori grinned mischievously, poking Shinichi's shoulder. "And weren't you the one who just imitated that 'eyelash freak' on the other side, controlling the flow of the game and steering everything to that last outcome?"

That just means our synergy isn't good enough yet, Shinichi thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.

'I was the decoy, but the real bait was Kurona. That was a step beyond your thinking. And the fake shot that turned into a pass toward the left side of the goal? That was yet another step ahead.'

'You're two steps behind, Hiori.'

Shinichi sighed inwardly, his gaze shifting to the furious Rin, who was shouting in frustration.

Despite Hiori's significant improvement and his recent ability to emulate Rin's control of the game, his overall skill was beginning to lag behind Shinichi's ever-increasing capabilities.

"Should I try seeking out Itoshi Sae next?" Shinichi muttered to himself.

"What did you just say, Shinichi?" Hiori asked, tilting his head.

"Hm? Nothing. You must've imagined it," Shinichi replied with a faint smile.

-----------------

Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead?

Go to my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass