Blue Lock, I, Kira Ryosuke, Start with Thunder Breathing

Niko Ikki, however, blocked Bachira Meguru's path with the fastest speed possible.

'His offensive route is blocked, and Nagi and Kunigami are behind him for support. This guy should know this. Passing is the optimal choice—his best target for a pass is Itoshi Rin.'

Niko Ikki used his excellent observational skills and intellect to assess the game situation, believing he had completely shut down Bachira Meguru's offensive route. He expected a pass back.

"Hey, Kappa-head, pass it back," Itoshi Rin commanded loudly from Bachira Meguru's side.

Just then, Niko Ikki sensed something.

He keenly felt a change in Bachira Meguru's aura, and his expression became serious.

This was an expression Bachira Meguru had never shown before, his entire focus now solely on Niko Ikki.

"Could it be?!"

Before Niko Ikki could react, Bachira Meguru moved.

He slipped the ball right between Niko Ikki's legs, then barely managed to slide past Niko Ikki's side. He almost lost his balance himself but ultimately maintained his footing.

"What? That was too close!"

Niko Ikki was dumbfounded. His defensive position had been good, yet Bachira Meguru had barely managed to get past him.

It was a reckless and irrational move. Bachira Meguru should have known that even if he got past Niko Ikki, Kunigami Rensuke and Nagi Seishiro were waiting to double-team him.

"Is this guy crazy?"

"Damn it!"

Itoshi Rin, on the side, was furious that Bachira Meguru had defied his orders and chosen the most irrational solo play.

Bachira Meguru's steps didn't falter for a moment; he continued to sprint towards the goal at top speed.

"I'll stop him!"

Kunigami Rensuke immediately moved to intercept—

But Bachira Meguru suddenly changed direction, shifting Kunigami's momentum. Then, the moment Kunigami took a step, he completed another nutmeg!

He had gotten past two players in a row!

"I'll go alongside you!"

Not far from Bachira Meguru, Ariko Juubei was running parallel, intending to assist Bachira Meguru with a pass and dribble.

But Bachira Meguru didn't even glance at him from start to finish.

"You're too loud! I'm not passing!"

In that moment, Bachira Meguru's expression turned fierce, completely absorbed in his own game of soccer.

He wouldn't pass to anyone, attacking solely on instinct!

"Damn it!"

Kunigami Rensuke quickly retreated, trying to get back on defense, but Bachira Meguru had already created distance.

Seeing this, Nagi Seishiro also moved to cover, but Bachira Meguru immediately used a rapid step-over, testing Nagi Seishiro's balance, then suddenly executed a Cruyff turn, getting past Nagi Seishiro as well.

Nagi Seishiro instinctively reached out to grab Bachira Meguru, but he couldn't stop him!

At this moment, although Bachira Meguru had been playing solo, he had also displayed exceptional offensive capabilities.

This attack posed a significant threat to the White Team.

"Double-team him!"

Even though Bachira Meguru had successfully bypassed Nagi Seishiro, the time lost maneuvering had allowed Niko Ikki and Kunigami Rensuke, who had been out of position, to catch up and pursue.

Yet, even facing a three-man pincer, Bachira Meguru showed no panic. Instead, his focus intensified.

Under his feet, the ball moved nimbly left and right as if alive, sometimes even leaping into the air, giving the defenders the illusion of an opportunity to intercept, thereby drawing them out of position.

"Hey, Kappa-head, that's enough! Pass the ball!"

Itoshi Rin had now arrived outside the encirclement, shouting at Bachira Meguru with a voice full of rage.

It wasn't just because Bachira Meguru had defied his orders; it was also the fact that everyone's attention was on Bachira Meguru that made him feel intensely uncomfortable.

He had always believed Blue Lock was merely a stepping stone for him, that everyone else was just a stepping stone he could easily outpace.

Now, he not only felt that others were gradually catching up to his level but also that there was someone like Kira Ryosuke who made him feel a sense of crisis.

Disgusting...

And in the middle of the field, Bachira Meguru seemed to be performing a magnificent waltz, controlling the ball with incredibly flashy moves—techniques rarely seen in official matches.

It was as if he had become the world's focus, preparing for a grand performance.

These moves weren't just for show. He first nutmegged Kunigami Rensuke with a Horse Racing Spin, then suddenly stopped and pulled the ball back, causing Nagi Seishiro, who was moving to cover, to misjudge. Immediately after, he used a Cruyff turn, getting past Niko Ikki as well.

These three defenders were not weak, and facing them in a three-man pincer should have allowed them to easily dispossess him.

But at this moment, Bachira Meguru seemed like a completely different person. Not only was his focus heightened, but his ball control skills also seemed to have taken a qualitative leap.

In this instant, Bachira Meguru appeared to be the most dazzling presence on the entire field.

Although it was a struggle, he had indeed managed to break through the encirclement and was heading straight for the White Team's goal.

Before him, only one person remained to be defeated.

Kira Ryosuke.

"Isn't Bachira Meguru being a bit too reckless here?"

Teieri Anri said to Ego Jinpachi beside her, frowning.

Her heart was filled with confusion, because in her impression, Bachira Meguru wasn't the type of player who clung to the ball. He would selflessly pass it if the opportunity was right.

But the Bachira Meguru of now was completely different. Even though Ariko Juubei and Itoshi Rin had created good opportunities with their runs, Bachira Meguru still hadn't chosen to pass. This was completely unlike his usual style.

Even so, Teieri Anri had to admit one thing—Bachira Meguru was displaying unparalleled dribbling skills, something no one else in Blue Lock had shown.

"I feel... has his strength increased? It's beyond my expectations..."

"This is some kind of awakening, or what they call 'FLOW'."

Ego Jinpachi extended his hand and explained.

"FLOW?"

Teieri Anri asked, confused.

"You enter this state by focusing intently on a challenge. Flow, that is the passionate mental state where humans advance by combining their 'most fitting experiences.' Humans fall into a state of self-forgetfulness, immersed in something to the point of forgetting the passage of time, enjoying the action. The brain is in an excited state, or 'Flow State.' A miraculous play in the eyes of others is born precisely because of each 'Flow State'."

Ego Jinpachi explained with a very serious expression, while Teieri Anri simply nodded slightly. In reality, she hadn't understood a word he said.

However, Teieri Anri also understood that the current Bachira Meguru had instantly reached a realm she herself had never been able to reach before.

"Being able to enter the FLOW state is the first step to becoming a top player. Although Bachira Meguru has successfully entered this state, he shouldn't be able to control it freely yet."

Ego Jinpachi said slowly.

"It's probably because of his competitive spirit, the desire to challenge Kira Ryosuke, that pushed him this far."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So, how will Kira Ryosuke respond?"

Bachira Meguru dribbled the ball at maximum speed to Kira Ryosuke's front.

He didn't hesitate—he couldn't afford to. A moment's pause would allow the three players he had already beaten to catch up.

The only option for Bachira Meguru now was to get past Kira Ryosuke in the shortest possible time.

The intense competitive spirit burned through all the fuel within Bachira Meguru like a raging fire. No matter the consequences, he had to reach his peak in this instant.

Bachira Meguru absolutely did not want the gap between him and Kira Ryosuke to widen further!

He lowered his center of gravity to the left, trying to lure Kira Ryosuke's center of gravity off balance.

In the next instant, Bachira Meguru suddenly tilted his entire body to the right, like a human pendulum.

Although the movement wasn't complicated, both its speed and rhythm were excellent. The simplest dribbling technique is often the most effective.

"You've come this far, Bachira—that's truly impressive. But now, as your opponent, I'll give it my all too."

Kira Ryosuke carefully observed Bachira Meguru's every move. With his Rice Spirit ability, he was well aware of the moves Bachira Meguru might make.

As the last line of defense for his team, he would never let Bachira Meguru score so easily!

The moment Bachira Meguru shifted his weight, Kira Ryosuke reacted with the fastest possible speed.

—Bachira Meguru seemed to be faster!

He brushed past the opponent's shoulder and rushed forward before Kira Ryosuke could fully adjust his balance.

In that instant, Bachira Meguru's gaze swept past Kira Ryosuke and landed directly on the goal.

He was determined to score!

This time, Bachira Meguru didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately started running to take a shot!

"If this were a full-sized regulation field, your attack would be very threatening."

"But this is just a smaller version of the field, and your space to maneuver is greatly reduced."

"Stop right here!"

Just as Bachira Meguru thought he had gotten past Kira Ryosuke, the latter turned around with even greater speed and successfully blocked his shot from behind!

Chapter Seventy-Two: Rin's FLOW, Utter Madness!

"What?!"

Bachira Meguru's eyes widened in shock. Simultaneously, because his shot was blocked, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Bachira Meguru believed he had successfully gotten past Kira Ryosuke, and at the very moment he was about to shoot, Kira Ryosuke had successfully stolen the ball at the last second.

This meant that Kira Ryosuke hadn't been fooled by his feint at all and had used even faster and more exaggerated speed to complete the defensive play!

However, although Bachira Meguru's attack was thwarted by Kira Ryosuke this time, the ball also went out of bounds along the baseline, giving the Red Team a corner kick.

"Still not good enough, it's too much of a stretch."

Bachira Meguru sat on the ground, sighing with a hint of helplessness, but a slightly happy smile reappeared on his face.

He lowered his head to look at his hands, not quite understanding what had just happened to his body, as if it had moved on its own.

Bachira Meguru himself didn't know what that feeling was, but he had indeed successfully broken through the three players and reached Kira Ryosuke.

At least for that moment, Bachira Meguru was enjoying his soccer.

"That was a close call."

Beside Bachira Meguru, Kira Ryosuke extended his hand.

"Even after doing all that, I still couldn't get past you, Kira. You're just too strong."

Bachira Meguru smiled at Kira Ryosuke, simultaneously taking his hand and using Kira Ryosuke's strength to get up from the ground.

As he spoke, Bachira Meguru carefully recalled everything that had just happened. It seemed that his desire to catch up to Kira Ryosuke had caused him to unleash that incredible power.

Although he hadn't succeeded in the end, Bachira Meguru truly enjoyed the feeling of being immersed in the challenge.

"It's mainly because the field is small, which allows defenders to close in faster. The transitions between offense and defense will also be quicker. If it were a regular field, I might not have been able to get back in time to defend after you broke through the double-team."

Kira Ryosuke said with a smile, patting Bachira Meguru on the shoulder.

In the original story, Bachira Meguru had also unleashed his true potential around this time.

And now, the power Bachira Meguru had shown seemed even stronger than before.

"Although I don't really want to admit it, the way you dribbled and broke through just now was very stylish."

Ariko Juubei complimented him.

"Just now... it was such a shame... If it weren't for Kira, Bachira, you would have scored..."

Tokimitsu Aoshi added.