Chapter 158: Dragons and Knights
"What a clinical cut-back! FC Barcha just painted an absolute masterpiece to get the ball into the box..."
"Bachira pulls the trigger—!"
"Unbelievable! It's been cleared off the line! Is that Ryosuke Kira? The man is everywhere. Why the hell was a striker that deep in the defensive trenches?"
Atsuto Tereasa's voice crackled with a mix of awe and pity for Barcha. The play had been flawless from start to finish. Every pass was a beat in a perfect symphony, only for the finale to be brutally cut short.
"Kira and his Ubers are playing the ultimate villains today. They're making the Barcha players look like they're staring into the abyss..."
The "villain" comment immediately sent the Blue Lock TV chat into a tailspin.
"What is this commentator on? Kira is literally the golden boy. How is he the villain?"
"Exactly! He's the most wholesome player in the facility. Did you see his last interview? Pure class."
"I think you guys are missing the point. He's not a bad guy—he's just the 'final boss.' He's so dominant that he creates a sense of total despair for the opposition. In Barcha's story, he's the monster they can't slay."
That single comment flipped the perspective for the millions watching.
"When you put it like that... I actually feel bad for Barcha."
"They played so well and still got denied. That's brutal."
"Stop, I'm actually starting to root for the underdogs now."
On the pitch, Bachira stood frozen for a second, the weight of the blocked shot pressing down on him.
"Bachira! You forget what you said in the locker room?"
Otoya's voice snapped him back to reality. Bachira blinked, his eyes refocusing. Right. The game wasn't over. He couldn't afford to check out now. He didn't care who he lost to, but Kira? Kira was the one mountain he refused to stop climbing. If he couldn't break past the 'Final Boss,' he'd never be the best in the world.
Ignacio, the more experienced pro, recovered instantly. He lunged to intercept Lorenzo's breakthrough. Lorenzo tested the lane a few times before casually flicking the ball to Kira, who was already moving upfield.
"Take it away, New King of Ubers..."
The second the ball left Lorenzo's foot, the 'Ace Eater' just... stopped. He stood there, watching the play move away from him.
On the sidelines, Snuffy's eye twitched. Since Kira joined the squad, Lorenzo had developed a terminal case of 'coasting.' Before, the guy was a relentless engine; now, after seeing Kira's top-tier efficiency, he was content to just clock out early and let the 'New King' handle the heavy lifting. Snuffy made a mental note to tear him a new one after the match.
"Double-team him, Bachira!" Otoya yelled.
"On it!"
The two of them burned their lungs to track back, flanking Kira on both sides.
"Kira! Over here!"
Sendo appeared in the periphery of the trio. He knew he'd been useless—and even a liability—in the last defensive set. He'd finally accepted his reality. He wasn't the star here; he was a tool. If he wanted to survive, he had to be the best damn decoy on the pitch.
"This guy again..." Otoya shifted his weight toward Sendo, his instincts momentarily distracted by the run.
'Crap...' Bachira realized too late. The double-team was compromised.
Kira ignited. He exploited the tiny gap Otoya left, accelerating with a burst that left both Barcha players reaching for air. He'd shattered the press.
"My bad, Bachira!" Otoya shouted, his voice full of regret. He'd let a 'side character' pull his focus away from the main threat.
"Don't worry about it! We're not done yet!" Bachira shouted back, his competitive fire burning hotter than ever.
The two of them turned and gave chase, but the pitch was opening up. Barcha's high-line press had left their backline exposed, and there was a literal beast lurking in the shadows.
Shoei Barou was waiting.
Kira didn't hesitate. He unleashed a surgical through-ball that sliced through the Barcha defense like a hot knife. It was perfectly weighted, meeting Barou's stride without forcing him to slow down.
No offside. Just pure, predatory execution.
"Tch... I guess I owe you one." Barou's words were ungrateful, but his body was a machine. He tapped the ball forward, executed a feint that sent the keeper diving into the dirt, and then buried it.
Boom.
Goal. 2-0.
Barcha was now staring down the barrel of a shutout.
"What a finish!" Atsuto Tereasa screamed. "Barcha's high-risk pressure didn't just fail—it backfired. Ubers caught them overextended and punished them instantly."
"Kira Ryosuke is the undisputed Architect of this team. He doesn't just score; he creates the gravity that pulls the entire defense apart. One goal, one assist... he is the undisputed King of Ubers."
Tereasa had called countless matches for Kira since the U-20 game, but the kid still managed to surprise him. He could feel it in his bones—Kira was a name that would one day be etched into the history of the sport.
"Nice one, Maestro!" Kira chirped, jogging over to give Barou a high-five.
Barou looked at him, completely baffled. "Why the hell did you just call me 'Maestro'?"
"Huh?" Kira blinked, his brain making a weird connection to an old inside joke. "What, would you prefer 'Maid Barou'?"
"You want to catch these hands? What are you even talking about?" Barou growled, his face twisting in confusion. He considered punching Kira then and there, but since the kid had just handed him a goal on a silver platter, he decided to let it slide. This once.
"Hahaha!" Kira laughed, enjoying the joke that only he understood.
***
"Dammit... we were a second too late. He just saw the pass too fast," Otoya sighed, hands on his knees.
"Yeah... he's terrifying right now. He looks like a Final Boss in the flesh," Bachira said, but there wasn't a hint of gloom on his face. "But hey, the Hero only looks cool when the Villain is this strong, right?"
Bachira's innocent, unyielding expression made Otoya's chest tighten. The kid really didn't know how to quit.
"Spoken like a true protagonist. But sorry, kid—the Hero who takes down the Demon King is going to be me. I'm the Knight of Justice in this story!"
Lavinho's voice boomed across the pitch. Bachira and Otoya spun around to see their mentor already on the grass, shed of his warmup gear. The Barcha Master had officially entered the fray.
"Hey, Lavinho. You're forgetting someone..."
Marc Snuffy was right behind him, pulling off his jacket with a cool, detached air.
"If you're the Knight coming to save the day..." Snuffy said, his eyes locking onto Lavinho's. "Then I'm the Evil Dragon guarding the Demon King's throne."
Kira watched the two Masters take their positions. This was it. The narrative was reaching its climax.
'Justice vs. Evil, huh? Let's see who survives the fire.'
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