Chapter 167: Crushing Dominance
“If this is all the strength they’ve got right now, then this match is going to be unbelievably boring.”
“Sigh… the greater the expectations, the deeper the disappointment.”
“I just had an intense showdown with Tōya, and now the next match turns into a punching bag session? Who can stand that?”
“I can only hope their limits might at least surprise me a little.”
“Or maybe they’ve got some hidden abilities~”
Team A in possession. Seishiro Nagi kicks off from center!
Right after the kickoff, Nagi obediently sends the ball to Ryūma, who is already surging forward.
As Ryūma receives the pass, he spots Hyōma Chigiri charging at him. The corner of his lips lifts into a smile.
“Do your best, okay? Try to slow me down~”
“Huh?! You—”
Chigiri didn’t even get to finish before Ryūma suddenly accelerated toward the left.
Chigiri reacted instantly, shifting over to intercept—but it was pointless.
The moment Chigiri moved, Ryūma instantly changed motions, tapping the ball with his heel.
Chigiri couldn’t even understand why Ryūma shifted the moment he took that step.
After bypassing Chigiri, Ryūma immediately ran into Aoshi Tokimitsu cutting him off.
“Y-you… you can’t pass!”
“Out of the way, anxiety freak.”
Without slowing even slightly, Ryūma rammed straight into Tokimitsu.
A heavy thud echoed. Tokimitsu hit the ground all at once, while Ryūma only lost a bit of momentum—his balance wasn’t even affected.
“Sorry… I couldn’t stop him!”
Tokimitsu shouted in guilt. Looking up, he saw Kenyu Yukimiya stepping in next, blocking Ryūma’s path.
“Heh, you’d better give it everything you’ve got to stop me, Mr. Male Model~”
“I will, Mr. Heterochromia.”
“Haha, it’s been a long time since someone noticed my heterochromia.”
“And me—hasn't been this long since someone called me ‘male model.’”
“So this is what they call… handsome guy synergy?”
Barely after they exchanged words, Ryūma abruptly stopped. It was their first real confrontation, so being cautious was only natural.
Ryūma kept his eyes locked on Yukimiya as he slowly dragged the ball left with his right foot. Then, in a burst of speed, he feinted a push to the right.
Yukimiya reacted instantly, shifting right at the same moment—
—but Ryūma let his right foot pass over the ball entirely, leaving it rolling left. He then flicked it further left with the outside of his left foot.
But Yukimiya wasn’t going to fall behind so easily. He instantly hit full speed and lunged to intercept.
Unfortunately, inside Ryūma’s “Slow-Motion World,” Yukimiya’s speed couldn’t have looked more ordinary.
As Yukimiya stepped in, Ryūma shifted again and popped the ball through his legs with a sharp heel touch.
Yukimiya had no time to withdraw his step. The ball slipped through his legs, and Ryūma swept around him in the opposite direction.
What’s going on? No matter what I do, he’s already predicting it?
Every time I try to intercept, he instantly alters his movement—and with dribbling so precise that even if I react, I can’t stop him.
So this is the ‘No.1,’ huh…
While Yukimiya fell into that realization, Ryūma was already nearing Team C’s defensive third.
(Hmph. Tabito Karasu cutting across from the right? You’re being way too obvious.)
(Probably trying to cover for Eita Otoya sneaking in from the dark. One bright, one hidden—not a bad tactic.)
(Too bad for you, Otoya’s movements are crystal clear in my Slow-Motion World.)
Ryūma didn’t slow even slightly—he accelerated further, sprinting straight toward Team C’s goal.
Karasu finally reached him.
“Come on, Ryūma!”
“Hah. A rival who never changes can’t excite me anymore.”
As he approached Karasu, Ryūma suddenly cut left.
Karasu ignored the taunt, laser-focused on Ryūma’s movement. The moment Ryūma shifted, he followed.
Ryūma leaned forward, swung his right foot past the ball, guiding it up with a touch from his right foot and then flicking it skyward with his left.
A perfect Rainbow Flick—the ball popped over Karasu’s head just as he lunged left to intercept.
“I told you—we’re not on the same level.”
“Wh-what?! A Rainbow Flick here?!”
Even if you slip past me… the real stopper is Otoya!
But imagination is sweet—reality is cruel.
As the ball rose, Ryūma leapt forward and trapped it midair on his instep.
His trapping wasn’t monstrous, but this much was no problem.
And the reason was simple: avoid Eita Otoya’s supposedly stealthy sliding tackle.
The shock in Otoya’s eyes was clear—he had attacked from Ryūma’s blind spot.
Why?! Isn’t that his weakness?
There’s no way he fixed that in just a few matches!
This kind of visual weakness isn’t something you overcome just with practice…
Of course, Otoya couldn’t understand. Who would imagine his fast, hidden movements looked like slow-motion to Ryūma?
After landing, Ryūma didn’t give Team C’s five defenders any chance to regroup. He unleashed a devastating shot, blasting the ball toward the goal.
【BOOM!!】
Blue Lock’s keeper dove again—and missed again.
GOAL!! Team A 1:1 Team C
“This can’t seriously be your full power, right?”
“Well, can’t blame you. Not everyone’s a Kudo Tōya. How boring.”
“Hurry up and restart, will you? I want to finish this match already. I’d rather have another intense showdown with Tōya than this punching bag session.”
Ryūma turned and walked back to his half. Not one player from Team C spoke.
Because they finally understood Ryūma’s overwhelming strength. Just now, all five of them had been completely overpowered by him alone.
They didn’t even have room to fight back.
In that moment, the same thought crossed every one of their minds:
If Ryūma alone can crush the five of us… do we even have a chance of winning this match?
Author's Note
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