Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Interception! Then the Counterattack Begins!

Seeing Oogawa Hibiki raise his foot, Iemon rushed forward to stop him, trying to interfere with his shot.

But surprise soon appeared on his face.

Because Oogawa Hibiki did not shoot directly in front of him. His right leg suddenly stopped its momentum, then he gently nudged the ball and continued charging forward.

It was a feint!

Oogawa Hibiki had successfully tricked Iemon with a shooting feint. Iemon's center of gravity had already shifted completely forward, making it impossible for him to retreat in time. He was easily dribbled past by Oogawa Hibiki. He desperately tried to turn around and chase after Oogawa Hibiki, but with his balance disrupted, he fell straight to the ground.

This was enough to prove that Oogawa Hibiki possessed extraordinary technique!

"No!"

Iemon, lying on the ground, let out a regretful roar.

Meanwhile, a smug smile appeared on Oogawa Hibiki's face.

"This ball is mine!"

In front of Oogawa Hibiki stood an empty goal with no defenders. He had already raised his foot, preparing to shoot.

As long as he scored, the gap would be narrowed to 2:1!

This goal was already as good as guaranteed.

"Don't even think about scoring!"

Just then, a familiar voice rang out beside Oogawa Hibiki's ear. He opened his eyes wide in terror.

The owner of that voice was none other than Kira Ryosuke!

The instant Oogawa Hibiki shot, Kira Ryosuke had already reached his side and raised his foot to clear the ball!

The ball was blasted high into the air!

"How is that possible?!"

Everyone on the field was stunned, including the players from Team Z.

They never could have imagined that Kira Ryosuke would appear there.

"What happened?! How did he do that?"

Niko Ikki let out an incredulous cry as well. Just moments ago, he had thought Oogawa Hibiki's shot was guaranteed to go in, so he had overlooked Kira Ryosuke's position at that instant.

But he had confirmed earlier that when Oogawa Hibiki was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Kira Ryosuke had clearly still been far away. So how had he suddenly appeared beside Oogawa Hibiki?!

"That guy... Did he get here in just a few seconds?!"

"How did he do that?"

Teieri Anri's mouth fell open in shock. She had thought Oogawa Hibiki's shot was certain to score, but she had never expected Kira Ryosuke to make it there in time and clear the ball.

"He did it."

Ego Jinpachi calmly pushed up his glasses.

Although his expression appeared completely composed, he was actually somewhat surprised inside.

Kira Ryosuke had just forced his way through the space between three players, then chased after Oogawa Hibiki at incredible speed and intercepted him.

That physical ability and speed had already reached an outrageous level.

"Impressive..."

Ego Jinpachi could not help praising him.

Just now, Kira Ryosuke had entered a state of Total Concentration Breathing, increasing his physical strength. He had then activated Thunderclap and Flash, boosting the explosive power of both legs and giving himself unparalleled speed, ultimately allowing him to intercept Oogawa Hibiki.

With his improved physical abilities and skill proficiency, the physical burden caused by using his skills in the first half had almost completely recovered. Moreover, exerting force with both legs had also reduced the negative effects of the skill to some extent.

Oogawa Hibiki was kneeling on the ground, his expression completely blank.

"No, no way..."

He looked toward Kira Ryosuke, who had returned to his defensive position, and felt fear rising in his heart.

Kira Ryosuke was like a massive wall—no, like a mountain peak—standing directly in his way.

Could anyone really defeat this monster?

Oogawa Hibiki could not help but wonder.

A few seconds later, the ball Kira Ryosuke had kicked away finally landed.

A Team Y player happened to catch it at the landing point, but faced with Team Z's fierce defense, he lacked the courage and skill to attack. He could only pass the ball back toward midfield and let Niko Ikki reorganize the attack.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Interception! Then the Counterattack Begins!

"Don't panic! Second attack!"

Niko Ikki shouted after receiving the ball, trying to get his teammates to calm down and reorganize their attack.

But at that moment, his heart was filled with anxiety.

Even after arranging everything so carefully and creating such a perfect opportunity, they still had failed to score.

What kind of monster was Kira Ryosuke?

Niko Ikki realized that he had severely underestimated Kira Ryosuke's strength. His opponent was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Although Team Y had luckily gained another chance to attack after their first attempt failed, their tempo had unconsciously slowed down.

And for a team trailing on the scoreboard, that was not a good thing.

Think, think! Think, Niko Ikki!

Niko Ikki was extremely anxious. His painstakingly crafted plan had fallen apart, and he had to find a way to break the deadlock.

He turned to look at Oogawa Hibiki in the distance and saw that all fighting spirit had disappeared from his face. Even his movement off the ball had become half-hearted.

"Since Oogawa is already... I can only rely on myself now!"

Niko Ikki clearly realized that Oogawa Hibiki could no longer contribute. Now, he could only rely on himself to launch the attack.

Abandon defense and organization, and devote himself entirely to the offensive end!

This was his only choice. Niko Ikki alone would have to break the deadlock.

Niko Ikki widened his eyes. At that moment, the entire layout of the half had already come into view.

It was as if he were looking down over the whole field from the sky.

At the same time, Niko Ikki precisely identified the most suitable attacking route. It was practically unobstructed!

Niko Ikki suddenly accelerated. On the chaotic field, the route he had found had the weakest defense. In an instant, he had already charged deep into the heart of the attack.

This was the ingenious application of his ability to see through the entire field during a solo attack.

"How did he get all the way here?!"

The players from Team Z were momentarily shocked. They had never expected Niko Ikki to attack this area directly.

"Niko saw the weakest point in our team's defense!"

Isagi Yoichi suddenly understood. He possessed a similar ability to Niko Ikki, which was why he could guess what Niko was planning.

Only then did he realize that, just as Kira Ryosuke had said, Niko Ikki was the most dangerous player on Team Y!

"There's an opening!"

Niko Ikki continued surging forward, using his specialty to approach the opponent's goal at top speed.

But then a rapidly moving figure appeared in front of him.

Kira Ryosuke.

The route should have been the weakest point in the defense, but Kira Ryosuke used a speed Niko Ikki could not hope to match to intercept him along his attacking path.

"Kira..."

Niko Ikki stared cautiously at the person blocking his way.

This guy was simply a monster.

The Blue Lock project was clearly intended to cultivate an overwhelmingly powerful striker, yet Kira Ryosuke had appeared in the defender's position this match.

Not only that, he was more frightening than any defender Niko Ikki had ever seen. He was like a demon guarding the territory in front of the goal.

Still, Niko Ikki had his own plan.

"You launched an attack with the entire team, had Oogawa Hibiki advance along the wing, and used the other players as cover."

Kira Ryosuke spoke slowly.

"I know you're the core of Team Y. You planned this attack very carefully, but it's useless. In the face of an absolute difference in strength, your strategy is nothing more than a joke."

"Then let me show you who truly rules the field!"

Niko Ikki shouted defiantly. Although he claimed that he would attack directly, he was also observing the positions of all his teammates, searching for someone to pass to.

He had anticipated this situation. If Kira Ryosuke did not come to defend against him, he might be able to break directly into Team Z's penalty area and create a scoring opportunity.

But if Kira Ryosuke came to defend against him, that meant the defensive pressure on the others would be reduced!

This was Team Y's final chance.

Oogawa Hibiki!

Niko Ikki had attracted the attention of several defenders, and all their eyes were on him. At that moment, Oogawa Hibiki was in a position from which he could threaten the opponent's goal!

Damn it, get a grip!

Niko Ikki could only take a gamble. Although Oogawa Hibiki had lost all his fighting spirit, if he received the ball in that position, he could definitely get a shot off!

Niko Ikki had already picked out the direction and prepared to send a powerful pass to Oogawa Hibiki.

But he overlooked one fact.

The fact that there was an enormous difference in strength between him and Kira Ryosuke.

Kira Ryosuke noticed the brief hesitation before Niko Ikki passed. The instant Niko prepared to make the pass, Kira Ryosuke had already extended his foot—

Moving faster than Niko Ikki, he intercepted the ball and blasted it away!

"How is that possible?!"

Niko Ikki's mouth fell open in shock, unable to believe what had happened before him.

His momentary hesitation had been seized by Kira Ryosuke!

What was this guy, exactly?

"Defend! Get back and defend!"

The moment he lost possession, Niko Ikki realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. He immediately shouted for his teammates behind him to fall back, then ran toward his own half without a second thought.

He knew perfectly well that if Team Z got a chance to counterattack, it would all be over!

At that moment, the ball fell back to the ground, and Bachira Meguru successfully received it.

"That interception was amazing!"

Bachira Meguru said with a grin.

"Let's counterattack!"

He immediately dribbled toward the opponent's half. However, because he had received the ball too far back and was not known for his speed, some of Team Y's players had time to return to their defensive positions.

"Double-team him! Don't let them score again!"

Two figures appeared directly in front of Bachira Meguru. They were clearly there to double-team him, completely blocking his attacking route.

Pass it over there.

A voice rang out in Bachira Meguru's mind.

It was the monster in his heart—his terrifying soccer instinct.

The spot indicated by the monster was an empty patch of ground. Even Kira Ryosuke, who was closest, was still some distance away.

Just then, Bachira Meguru noticed a change in Kira Ryosuke's movement—he had spread his legs and was clearly preparing to run.