"One more goal!" Ohkawa roared in excitement after scoring. The first half had been suffocating for him, but in the final minutes, he had finally broken through.
Niko was equally thrilled. Even he hadn't expected his long pass to be quite that precise; it was a pleasant, albeit unexpected, surprise.
"RRRRAAAAGH!"
The rest of Team Y was in a frenzy. This was their first goal since the Blue Lock tournament began—a moment that would be carved into Team Y's history, short as it might be. More importantly, it gave them something they lacked: hope. They realized they actually had what it took to score.
On the other side, Team Z stood in a daze. The goal had happened so fast that only a few of them truly understood the sequence. However, there was a silver lining—it served as a cold wake-up call. Winning easily and moving on was officially off the table.
Kira fell into deep thought. He knew the core of the opposition was Niko. Should he personally neutralize him? As a center-forward, Kira needed to focus on the attack; he couldn't afford to be constantly distracted by Niko's movements.
Should I let Isagi mark him?
It was a solid plan. In the original story, it was Isagi's "eyes" that eventually sniffed out Team Y's core and led to their defeat. If he assigned Isagi to shadow Niko now, it would surely be effective, allowing Kira to focus entirely on the offensive.
"Niko Ikki..."
Just as Kira was finalizing his strategy, Isagi appeared by his side.
"Kira, I figured it out. The heart of Team Y isn't Ohkawa, the guy who just scored. It's that kid with the long bangs..."
"Oh?" Kira acted surprised. Is Isagi finally awakening? "Have you thought of a way to stop him?"
"I'll mark him," Isagi said with absolute conviction. "You keep your mind on the attack, Kira. With me on him, their counter-attacks won't stand a chance!"
When did he... Kira was genuinely taken aback by Isagi's transformation.
Ever since Isagi missed that first sitter, he had been obsessively analyzing the flow of the game. He was actually the first Team Z player to notice Ohkawa's subtle positional shift. Fueled by guilt toward Kira, Isagi's observation had sharpened until he realized Niko wasn't just a defensive anchor—he was the signal fire for every counter-attack.
Kira looked at Isagi's confident face and nodded. "Do it."
A few minutes later, the match resumed. With only minutes left in the first half, Team Z tried to organize an attack, but Team Y was riding a wave of adrenaline and successfully held them off.
Beep!
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the first half. The teams headed to the locker rooms with the score locked at 1-1.
Gulp, gulp...
Kira downed his water. The intensity of Blue Lock was no joke; anyone with poor stamina wouldn't last a week. He noticed Igarashi and the other defenders looked relatively fresh—they had spent most of the half watching the game from a distance.
"Listen up," Isagi began as the team rested. "Their game is entirely built on the counter-attack. In the second half, our backline needs to be on high alert the second they win the ball."
"Specifically, watch Ohkawa's runs. Every pass they make is going to be looking for him..."
The members of Team Z stared at Isagi in surprise. They weren't used to him taking charge or dictating tactics. Isagi noticed the awkward silence, but he also noticed that everyone's eyes immediately shifted to the person standing behind him.
Pat...
A hand landed on Isagi's shoulder. It was Kira.
"Isagi is right," Kira said, reinforcing the message. "They might not have an individual powerhouse like Barou, but their defense is a unit, and Ohkawa's finishing is dangerous. I'm counting on the defense in the second half."
"You got it, Kira!"
"Leave it to us!"
"They won't get another inch," Gagamaru added seriously.
The defenders voiced their agreement instantly. Isagi realized then just how unshakable Kira's authority was in Room Z. If Kira hadn't stepped in to back him up, the others likely wouldn't have taken his advice to heart.
Is it really okay to rely on Kira this much? Isagi asked himself. I came here to become the best striker, not to hide in someone's shadow. But... he's so good, and his personality is so supportive. It's only natural we follow him, right?
Argh, whatever... let's just win this first!
While Kira discussed the plan with the others, he stole a glance at Isagi. He was mentally cheering. Yes, Isagi! Grow, you beautiful sprout! Get stronger so I can harvest your attributes!
Central Pitch
Beep! The second half begins.
Team Y's strategy remained unchanged: the "One-Kill" counter-attack. Team Z held possession but struggled to penetrate the fortress. Kira was patient, choosing not to use his attribute cards just yet, waiting for the game to shift.
Fifteen minutes into the second half.
Kunigami received a pass from Isagi near the box and unleashed a long-range blast. The keeper made a desperate save, tipping it wide.
Corner kick!
Bachira skipped over to the corner flag, his big eyes scanning the box. Hehe... found you! With a playful grin and a short run-up, he whipped the ball into the box.
The cross was incredibly low and tight to the goal. The target was the flexible genius, Gagamaru, who had snuck into the crowd. Bachira had timed it perfectly for him.
But as Gagamaru leaped for the header, the unexpected happened. The Team Y keeper abandoned his line, charging out aggressively and punching the ball away with a fist.
Gagamaru missed the connection. The ball spiraled out of the box, landing right at the feet of Niko Ikki.
It was a pre-meditated play. The keeper and Niko were in perfect sync; the keeper had intentionally punched the ball toward Niko to trigger a transition. Since it was a corner, almost all of Team Z was pushed up. The counter-attack was on.
"Dammit!"
"The keeper actually came out!"
"Get back! If Ohkawa gets the ball, we're dead!"
Panic flared in Team Z. Far down the field, Ohkawa was already poised to sprint. But just as the entire stadium expected Niko to trap the ball and launch the long pass...
A figure appeared in front of Niko.
It was Isagi Yoichi.
"The heart of Team Y... it's you, isn't it?"
Isagi killed the ball with his chest, his voice dripping with newfound confidence. He had intercepted the transition at the source! Niko stared at him in disbelief, stunned that someone had read his position so perfectly.
Isagi smiled. He had seized the moment.
"Counter-attack!"
Isagi accelerated, driving the ball straight toward Team Y's goal. It was time to put an end to their game.