"Even though they're the ones leading, they're changing formations too. Could they have anticipated the adjustments we might make?"
Rin glanced at Barou and Kunigami, who had just been subbed in, unsure of their intentions.
However, he quickly shook off unnecessary thoughts and emotions, while ominous, snarling specters began to emerge around him.
Although he had essentially mastered the Restrictive Destroyer mode, it still took him a moment to fully immerse himself into the match before he could activate it completely. "Stop worrying about what the opponents are doing. Think about what I can do in this situation."
"Hey, shorty, how about sending a pass my way like that one just now?" Shidou, who had just come onto the field, wasn't overthinking things like Rin.
He swaggered up to Charles and cheekily tried to negotiate, only to be met with a look of disgust as Charles edged away. "Hah? You vulgar pink-haired, dark-skinned freak, no way I'm listening to you. Move along, move along."
"Tch, fine. If you don't wanna pass to me, then don't bother the entire match."
"Hearing that makes me want to pass to you just to spite you."
...
Ignoring the noisy squabbling of the P-X-G players, Kunigami walked over to Shinichi, his brows furrowed and his face clouded with worry.
"Are you still stuck on those pointless thoughts?" The sudden indifferent voice made Kunigami jolt, though he quickly collected himself. "That's right. I want to know what it truly takes to be a hero."
"You want my opinion. In other words, you think I fit your definition of a hero, huh?" Shinichi glanced at him. "Then what about that defensive play earlier? Does failing to stop Charles' pass mean I'm no longer a hero?"
"Of course not. You shut down their passing lanes, which allowed Lorenzo to cut off their play. You could say both you and Lorenzo are heroes…" At that moment, Kunigami suddenly paused. His brows furrowed tightly as though he had grasped some idea, but he couldn't put it into words.
However, Shinichi, not one for riddles, spoke up directly.
"If that's how you see it, then every player who contributes to the team is a hero. It's just that their roles, skills, and abilities bring out different aspects of what it means to be heroic."
Shinichi crouched down and adjusted his shin guards before meeting Kunigami's eyes. "Your confusion stems from the fact that our abilities differ. When you measure yourself against me, you can't help but see your own weaknesses and shortcomings."
"But, consider this: a police officer who stops a robber is a hero. Yet who can deny that a young boy who shields his family from danger isn't also a hero?" The light in Shinichi's gaze made Kunigami instinctively look away.
"Kunigami, you're too arrogant. You believe you can surpass everyone and become the one hero who saves everything. But in your quest to be a hero, have you really given it your all? Your physicality is excellent, allowing you to substitute for Ubers' original player in the very first match, even though your technique isn't up to par.
"Your dominant left foot may not compare to my ambidexterity, but it's still an advantage over most players in Blue Lock. With your natural talent, you could have done so much more, yet you haven't lived up to it."
"To turn the tide is heroic, but those who give it their all are equally worthy of respect. Yet you haven't even achieved the most basic foundation—"
"I will!" At this moment, Kunigami no longer avoided Shinichi's gaze. He met it head-on, his expression resolute.
Shinichi, rather than irritated by the interruption, let a faint, almost imperceptible smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "If that's the case, then prove it to me, oh self-proclaimed hero."
Whistle—!
The sound of the referee's whistle cut their exchange short. At that moment, Rin, surrounded by a menacing aura, suddenly accelerated, leaving all of P-X-G's players behind.
It was as if he'd returned to that intense U-20 match mindset, relentlessly pressing forward on his own.
Yet logically, he shouldn't have been able to reach that state so easily. Was it a lure?
"Who cares what you're planning!" Barou's piercing glare, brimming with murderous intent, bore down on Rin as he stepped into his path. "Whether you pass or not, I'll be watching you. I'll block you here until your team loses possession."
"Another lapdog tamed by Shinichi?" Rin's offhand mutter didn't escape Barou's sharp ears.
Immediately, his already powerful physique bulged as veins popped, making him appear all the more intimidating.
The overwhelming killing intent he radiated felt almost tangible as it surged toward Rin. "You bastard! Do you think I willingly came to work under that guy?"
"Before I take down Shinichi, I'll start by finishing off you, you filthy-mouthed eyelash bastard!" Barou declared his murderous intent one word at a time. Rin, of course, didn't back down.
The malicious spirits surrounding him roared even louder. "Cleaning up suits you perfectly, you former king turned a prisoner's slave."
'So he's not denying the filthy mouth part, huh?' Shinichi couldn't help but internally quip.
Just as he thought that, Rin suddenly shifted direction with a deft touch on the ball.
Barou kept up quickly, but Rin used his arm to hold him off, obstructing his movement while maneuvering the ball beneath Barou's feet.
'This guy! His strength isn't even close to mine, yet his positioning—'
Barou tried to turn quickly and snatch the ball from what seemed like a reachable distance, but Rin's precise blocking limited him to only half of his full power.
Then, as Barou finally broke through Rin's resistance with full effort, Rin unexpectedly relaxed his grip, shifted direction once more, and created separation.
Barou, carried by his own momentum, stumbled forward a couple of steps, leaving Rin's path wide open.
"Not much of a big shot, huh, King of Trash Talk," Rin sneered, preparing to deliver a snide remark. But before he could finish, a sudden sense of danger made his expression change.
Trusting his Destroyer Mode's intuition, he abandoned his forward run, stopped abruptly, and shielded the ball to his right side.
At that very moment, a foot darted in from his left, narrowly missing the ball.
"Tch, didn't work?" Having applied his superb dribbling and rapid direction-changing ability to defense, Barou stopped on a dime and tried to intercept Rin again. Spitting in frustration, he fixed a murderous glare on Rin. "I told you, didn't I...?"
"I'll stay in your way the whole time, eyelash bastard!"
--------------------------
Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead?
Go to my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass