Sae and Aiku, having given their all, felt the weight of the moment. As Sae's eyes locked onto Isagi, who was celebrating wildly, a thought crept into his mind—How did I miss his movement? More importantly, how did he predict all of this?
Then it hit him.
Isagi had been manipulating the game all along.
The passes hadn't gone to Nagi as often, making him restless—hungry to prove himself. Isagi used that to push Nagi forward while staying behind, subtly influencing his movement. At the same time, he shifted Rin's focus away from him, making Rin prioritize Aiku and Nagi instead. And in the crucial moment, he positioned himself perfectly, anticipating that Aiku's intervention would send the ball his way.
And it did.
Sae read it all in hindsight—the layers to Isagi's thinking, the way he reacted instantly to each change, choosing the most probable position to score. A hat-trick. A banger.
Sae felt it. The competition.
Isagi was evolving with his predictive skills, but Sae could tell something else too—just like himself, Isagi could have dribbled past the defense and scored solo if he wanted to. But he didn't. Instead, he was learning the art of positional play, refining his control over the game. And Sae understood that.
Meanwhile, Isagi was lost in the moment, surrounded by Blue Lock players who knew what this goal meant. They had done it. With just ten minutes left, all they had to do was hold U-20 back, and victory was theirs.
As the euphoria settled, a firm hand landed on Isagi's back.
The referee.
A yellow card.
Isagi barely flinched. He already knew the consequences of taking off his shirt in celebration. He didn't care. This moment was worth it.
With a grin still plastered on his face, he pulled his jersey back on and jogged toward the center. Across from him, the U-20 players gathered as well.
The U-20 players gathered at the center, glancing around as the weight of the situation sank in. The stadium, once filled with roaring support, had begun to quiet down. The audience was losing hope.
U-20 was two goals behind.
To win, they needed to score three goals in just ten minutes.
A near-impossible task at this stage of the match.
At the center, Sae stood with his foot resting lightly on the ball, waiting for the signal to restart play. Beside him, Shidou bounced on his feet, his ever-present grin still intact despite the grim situation.
"Man, looks like Isagi's stealing the show"
Shidou mused, his tone still laced with excitement.
"Tomorrow's headlines? All about him. Not us."
He tilted his head toward Sae.
"That's all you amount to, prodigy? Getting overshadowed by some Blue Lock nobody?"
Sae let out a quiet sigh, his foot still resting on the ball. Then, without looking at Shidou, he shot back in his usual detached tone:
"Aren't you the same nobody from Blue Lock?"
Shidou blinked at Sae's response, then let out a sharp laugh.
"Tch, fair point. But you? You're supposed to be a goddamn prodigy, aren't you?"
His grin widened, but there was an edge to it now.
"So, what's your excuse for getting outplayed?"
Sae didn't react at first, his foot still on the ball, his expression unreadable. Then, he exhaled slowly.
"No excuse."
He muttered.
"I played my best."
Shidou raised a brow.
"And?"
Sae lifted his gaze, eyes cool but no longer indifferent.
"And I lost."
He said it without hesitation, without bitterness. Just a fact.
"Isagi read me. Controlled the game better. Simple as that."
Shidou stared for a beat—then grinned.
"Hah! So even geniuses taste defeat."
He rolled his shoulders, the excitement in his voice unwavering.
"Well, sucks for you, but I'm not interested in losing."
Sae scoffed lightly.
"Neither am I."
Shidou's grin turned razor-sharp.
"Then let's burn the next ten minutes and see how far we can take this."
Sae's fingers flexed slightly. Three goals. Ten minutes. A near-impossible task.
But impossible had never stopped him before.
He glanced at Shidou.
"Just be where you need to be."
Shidou let out a breathless laugh.
"Heh. That's more like it."
The referee's whistle blew.
Sae moved first—because even after losing, he wasn't done playing yet.
Sae started the play with a simple roll to Shidou. The moment the ball left his foot, Shidou was already in motion, tapping it forward as he accelerated. His presence alone carried an unmistakable threat, a storm of energy surging toward Blue Lock's defense.
But standing in his path—silent, unmoving—was Rin.
Unlike the others, Rin hadn't pushed forward. He remained in midfield, holding his ground, locked in an invisible battle not just with the game but with himself. His mind wasn't in the right place. All match long, he had positioned himself at critical moments, forcing his way into plays, trying to carve out his own path to victory—whether by scoring, controlling the flow, or outmaneuvering Sae and Isagi.
But no matter how hard he tried, they were always ahead of him.
Sae had experience, precision, and a mind sharp enough to dictate the game at will. Isagi, on the other hand, was an anomaly—a player whose growth defied all logic. Rin had understood that Isagi was still learning to use his vision and tactical awareness at an elite level, but his rate of improvement was terrifying. Every second, every play, Isagi was refining his game, evolving faster than Rin could have anticipated.
And that evolution was what tipped the balance.
Isagi wasn't just thinking faster—his physical ability, his touch, his skillset had caught up to his mind, allowing him to execute plays beyond what Rin had prepared for. It gave Isagi an edge, a step ahead in the battle Rin thought he was meant to win.
Rin staying behind wasn't just part of Blue Lock's defensive strategy—pulling players back while leaving Nagi up front—it was something deeper. A hesitation he couldn't shake. He didn't know his next move, didn't know what he should be doing, and until he figured it out, all he could do was stay back and watch.
Then, Shidou came at him.
The moment they faced each other, Shidou barely spared Rin a glance. There was no pause, no hesitation—just a swift touch as he sent the ball to his right.
Rin's eyes narrowed. No one should've been there. But then, from the corner of his vision, he caught movement.
Sendou.
The U-20 striker had cut in from the left, slipping behind Rin before angling his run toward the right. The timing was perfect. Too late to react, Rin could only watch as the pass connected cleanly.
And in that split second of distraction, Shidou was already past him.
"Try harder, Licky-Rin."
Rin's breath caught, his frustration boiling beneath the surface. But Shidou was gone, already pressing forward, the game slipping further out of his grasp.
Sendou, positioned toward the right, didn't hesitate. With a sharp flick of his heel, he sent a precise through pass into open space. It was well-timed, more than Shidou had expected from him.
For a brief moment, Shidou's grin widened, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Hah. Good job, worthless-striker."
Without breaking stride, he collected the pass effortlessly and surged forward, eyes locked on the goal ahead.
As Shidou pressed forward, a new obstacle emerged—Karasu, stepping in as the defensive midfielder to cut him off.
Shidou didn't slow down. Instead, with a quick glance, he flicked the ball toward the right.
Sae.
Receiving the pass smoothly, Sae barely had time to settle before Isagi appeared in front of him, reading his movement with sharp precision. There was no hesitation—Isagi had anticipated this, positioning himself perfectly to cut him off.
But Sae wasn't surprised. He had expected it.
Without missing a beat, he shifted left, trying to maneuver past. Isagi reacted instantly, mirroring his movements, his steps quick and precise. He wasn't just keeping up—he was pressing, suffocating Sae's space with relentless intensity.
Sae kept pushing. Isagi stayed locked in.
And yet, there was no real attempt from Sae to break through. Instead, the moment Isagi's foot reached out for the ball—Sae struck.
With a swift touch from the outside of his right foot, he sent the ball cutting across the field.
To Neru.
The U-20 right-back had been moving up, pushing into attacking territory. Defense no longer mattered—they were two goals behind, and this was their all-or-nothing push.
Sae had seen that fire. He had bought just enough time.
The pass connected cleanly, and Neru wasted no time.
He surged forward.
Yukimiya rushed to intercept, closing the distance fast—but Neru was faster. He accelerated, bursting past him with a sharp sprint, driving deeper into Blue Lock's half.
Neru knew his role, and he executed it flawlessly. As he pushed forward, Teru, U-20's right winger, made his move—cutting inside toward the center and dragging Bachira with him.
Neru kept his gaze ahead, scanning the field. His instinct told him to look for a passing option, but the moment he did, he hesitated.
Because Isagi was there.
Despite pressuring Sae just moments ago, Isagi had already adjusted, positioning himself to cut off U-20's main playmaker. He had read the situation in an instant—understanding that U-20 had abandoned defense entirely, throwing everything into their offense.
And since their attacks flowed through Sae, Isagi had made the choice to suffocate him first, leaving the rest to his teammates.
As Neru pushed forward, his mind raced. He needed to make a decision—fast.
Then, he felt it.
A presence closing in.
Yukimiya.
The Blue Lock winger was sprinting at full speed, eyes locked onto him, determination burning in his gaze.
Pressure mounted instantly. Neru had no time, no space—he had to act now.
"Over here!"
A voice rang out behind him.
Without hesitation, Neru pivoted and, before Yukimiya could cut him off, sent a sharp pass backward toward the center.
The ball zipped through the space perfectly, landing at the feet of Hayate—U-20's defensive midfielder, now stepping up into the attack.
Sae moved with precision, his off-the-ball movement seamless as he drifted away from Isagi, creating just enough space to receive the pass.
Hayate saw the opening and sent it his way.
The ball met Sae's foot smoothly, and before Isagi could fully close in, Sae had already made his decision. He didn't need to force his way past Isagi—there was no point in trying to break through when he could bypass him entirely.
With a swift pivot, Sae turned on his heel and, without hesitation, launched a long pass forward.
Shidou felt it the moment the ball left Sae's foot.
Without hesitation, he bolted forward.
The pass was exquisite—curving through the air, seemingly aimed at Neru on the right. That slight deception was all Shidou needed. Reo, caught in the illusion, hesitated for a split second. And that was enough.
Shidou surged past him, locking onto the ball as it dipped toward him. He was ready to strike.
Then, a familiar sensation hit him.
The weight of the pass. The angle. The intent.
It was just like Isagi's passes.
And that meant—
His eyes flicked left.
There.
Otoya was desperately trying to hold his ground, using his body to keep Aiku back. But the U-20 captain was relentless, bulldozing his way into the box with sheer force.
Sae had seen it.
He hadn't just played the ball forward—he had led Aiku into the perfect scoring position.
"Seems your eyes aren't at my level yet"
Sae remarked, his voice calm as he watched the ball curve toward Aiku. His words were aimed at Isagi, a subtle jab at his vision of the game.
But Isagi didn't flinch.
He hadn't moved, hadn't rushed to intercept—because he had already seen it. Not just what Sae saw, but more.
A small smirk tugged at his lips as he answered,
"If anything, my eyes are better than yours."
Sae's brow twitched slightly, but before he could react, something changed on the field.
Aiku had planted his foot, ready to fire. His body shifted, his right leg pulling back for the shot.
But just as he was about to strike—
Another foot cut in front of his.
Aiku's eyes widened.
Rin.
Rin had been watching everything unfold, staying in the right positions, making sure nothing slipped past him. He wasn't just reacting—he was reading ahead, keeping his mind sharp.
He was the first to notice it.
The shift in U-20's defense.
The moment they abandoned their structure to go all-in on offense, Rin understood their intent. And while Isagi kept a mark on Sae, Rin made his move to kill the threat before it could turn into a goal.
As Aiku pulled back to strike, Rin was already there.
His foot cut in first.
The impact sent the ball spiraling away, breaking apart what would have been the perfect finish to Sae's play.
Rin felt it.
He had stopped his brother's calculated attack.
But there was no satisfaction in it.
Because he hadn't done it alone.
Isagi had seen it too. He had counted on Rin to step in—and Rin had relied on him in return.
No words were exchanged. Just the lingering weight of the moment.
Karasu reacted first, snapping up the loose ball and driving the play forward. Blue Lock launched one final attack, pushing with everything they had, but U-20 held firm, scrambling to keep their defense intact.
Time was slipping away.
Then—
The final whistle blew.
For a second, there was silence.
Then the stadium erupted.
Sae exhaled sharply, sweat dripping from his brow as he straightened. The last few minutes had been brutal—Isagi's relentless pressing had suffocated him, denying him any space to move, to create. He had felt the shift. The game had already slipped from his grasp before the clock ran out.
Across the field, Blue Lock's players collapsed onto the pitch, exhaustion finally catching up to them. But before fatigue could pull them under, their bench erupted in cheers, substitutes sprinting onto the field.
The energy was infectious.
Hands grabbed shoulders, arms wrapped around teammates, exhausted bodies were lifted as a wave of celebration crashed through them.
The fans were on their feet, screaming, chanting, their voices blending into the commentators' announcement:
"And that's it! Blue Lock defeats Japan's U-20 national team—5 to 3!"
"A historic win.
Isagi Yoichi, the heart of Blue Lock, had stolen the spotlight with a stunning hat-trick and an Assist. Rin Itoshi, fueled by rivalry and desperation, had secured two goals of his own.
On the U-20 side, Shidou Ryusei had fought to the bitter end on his debut in U20 Team, claiming two goals. And Sae Itoshi, the prodigy himself, had left his mark with a lone goal and two assists.
Victory belonged to Blue Lock."
As Isagi reveled in the euphoria of victory, surrounded by his celebrating teammates, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Oi, Isagi!"
Turning, he saw Nanase approaching with a sheepish smile.
"They're asking for your interview."
Isagi blinked. Before he could open his mouth, another voice chimed in—this time, sharper and amused.
"Heh, figures,"
Kira remarked as he walked up beside Nanase.
"Isagi doesn't like interviews. He avoids them."
Isagi narrowed his eyes, confused for a moment, until Kira smirked and added.
"Just like he did back in our match. Remember?"
The reminder made Isagi pause. Back then, when he first arrived in this world and won the match against Kira's team, He had avoided the media and his old Team, he had walked off without a word, avoiding the cameras altogether. He hadn't seen the point.
But now?
Isagi let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."
There was no escaping this one.
With that, he started walking toward the cameras, the bright lights of the media already waiting for him.
.
Thanks for reading the Story up till now.