Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

"The match is paused. Jyubei Aryu, please remain where you are and do not move," the broadcast echoed repeatedly over the field. Dizzy and disoriented, Jyubei slowly stood up, casually wiping his nose.

The shoulder of his jersey was instantly stained with a streak of bright red. He then began to walk toward the goal to retrieve the ball. "What a joke. The match isn't over yet... Leaving the field now would be so uncool..."

"Don't do anything stupid." Seeing that the broadcast wasn't enough to stop him, Ego had no choice but to step in personally. His expression on the screen was unusually stern. "If your dream is to become the best in the world, then at least handle the basics of what a professional player should do."

"Managing and protecting your body—if you can't even do that, don't bother talking about anything else," Ego said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Even for a professional player, even in the World Cup finals, if your injury can't be controlled, you have to step off the field. Not to mention, we don't know if your head injury involves something serious like a concussion. So, right now—immediately—stop moving and wait for medical staff to take you to the infirmary for a full check-up. Stop acting like a stubborn child."

"Tch..." Seeing how insistent Ego was, Jyubei grudgingly leaned on the goalpost with one hand, glaring at Shinichi with frustration. "Leaving the field in such a pathetic state... this is so uncool..."

"Stop complaining. If you're dissatisfied, get stronger so you can handle my shots," Shinichi retorted without a shred of mercy. "Noel Noa even blocked one of my shots with his face and came out unscathed. Regardless of the reasons or how unfortunate it may seem, losers are losers. Their failure is simply because their strength isn't enough to overcome those random factors."

"Now's not the time for your long-winded speeches, brat." Ego interrupted Shinichi's tirade as he arrived hurriedly, followed by two medics in bright orange emergency uniforms carrying a stretcher. "It's the one with the long hair over there."

"Back then, after my match, you told me there weren't any medics," Shinichi glared at Ego, clearly displeased.

However, Ego completely ignored the resentful look, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment at being called out. "You could still walk back then, couldn't you? Besides, these medics charge based on the number of treatments, in addition to their base salary. I was helping you save money."

"Oh, right. Now that the teams are uneven, why don't you step off too?" Like he'd just remembered something, Ego shot Shinichi a meaningful look. Shinichi clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes but eventually played along, responding mockingly, "Fine, whatever. I was getting bored anyway—too dull."

"Completely treated like a disposable player... so annoying," Nagi grumbled, reluctantly pushing his bangs aside to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Beside him, Kunigami nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I thought I'd improved a lot back when we were in Team Z and during the second selection phase. But compared to the hero I want to become, I'm still so far off."

"I refuse to let that smug jerk leave me in the dust!" ×N

...

"So, what's the reason you called me out here?" Shinichi followed Ego as the two headed toward the upper levels of Blue Lock.

"I called you out because we have distinguished guests," Ego replied, stopping in front of a door before pushing it open. "Our opponents have come to visit, and naturally, we need Blue Lock's ace to make an appearance."

Inside the room, members of the U20 team turned to look at Shinichi and Ego. Among them, Sae Itoshi stood up, locking eyes with Shinichi.

"I thought after watching our matches, you'd be too scared to stick around and would've run back overseas. Just like how you scurried away from the forward position," Shinichi sneered, nodding toward the screen that displayed clips of him competing against world-class forwards.

Shinichi smirked, wasting no time digging at Sae's old wounds. "You're pretty good at running away yourself. You got pushed around abroad and came crawling back to take it out on your little brother. Now, here you are, showing off in front of a team of high schoolers who've barely trained together. If I weren't here, I'm sure your little show would've worked out perfectly for you."

"If empty trash talk is what satisfies you, then go ahead," Sae responded coldly, his gaze fixed on Shinichi. "But don't delude yourself into thinking that your little playground antics amount to world-class skill. And let's not forget—players like Snuffy, who can only fully shine within a team, were just humoring you in those one-on-ones. For professional players, true strength is demonstrated in an 11-player match. That's when the real game begins."

"I'll show you the true strength of a professional player in an official match," Sae said, his tone sharp. "And don't assume that just because I shifted from forward to midfield, it means forwards are somehow superior to midfielders."

"I never thought that," Shinichi retorted with a sly grin, "but compared to your midfield play, I'd say this forward is definitely more 'noble.' After all, it's strength that determines worth. If I played midfield, I'd still outclass your forward position. We're simply not on the same level."

"Now, now… let's all calm down a bit," Ego said, watching the heated exchange between the two top-tier talents with amusement.

Seeing the tension escalate, Aiku stepped in, trying to mediate. "The other match is almost done, so let's focus on the main agenda for now. As for your… rivalry…"

At this, Aiku's mismatched eyes lit up with excitement as he stared at both Shinichi and Sae. "Settle it on the field. Let your skills decide. Who will be the true leader of this team…"

"… That'll determine the winner, won't it?"

Shinichi and Sae locked eyes briefly before turning their heads away, neither willing to back down.

Shinichi headed toward the door, breaking the silence. "Let's go. If you're here, that means you've already watched the recent match footage and are scouting players in advance, right?"

"Exactly," Aiku replied, grinning. "You got it right away. With only two weeks until the match, assigning and training the players early makes it easier for them to adapt. You wouldn't want your first encounter with the world to be a boring game, would you?"

"Stop sucking up," Shinichi snapped, waving Aiku off in irritation. "I don't need fake flattery—it's disgusting."

"Captain… you're killing me here," Aiku said dramatically, only to be cut off by Ego's exasperated voice.

"I may not be able to handle these two geniuses, but you lot? Don't think I can't deal with you!"

...

"Why did they suddenly call us here?" Isagi asked, glancing curiously at the empty platform in the gathering room. Beside him, Barou waved dismissively, clearly unconcerned. "Isn't it just to announce the rankings now that everyone's matches are done?"

"But Nagi and the others just finished their match," Reo interjected, handing a tissue to Nagi, whose face was still dripping with sweat. "They should've at least been given time to rest and shower. I feel like this might be about something else."

"Stop overthinking it. We'll know when that dead-fish-eyed guy shows up," Rin Itoshi snapped impatiently, cutting off the conversation. For some reason, an unshakable restlessness had been gnawing at him all day.

Finally, the large doors swung open, and a line of figures stood just beyond the entrance.

"Yo, greetings to all you unpolished gems," came a voice as they stepped into the room.

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

Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass