A lot was riding on the outcome of the match versus Team Z, which was supposed to be fierce and intense. Murano faced not just skilled players but also his former teammates, Nagi and Kurona. Both posed formidable challenges, and their thirst for victory was clear.
However, Murano's eyes glowed with surprise as he entered the field and saw another familiar face. His old teammate Hiori came out of the gates.
Once allies united by a shared goal, Murano and Hiori have now reconciled. A mutual nod was exchanged in silence.
Drawn by an unexpected magnetism, Murano found himself joining the pre-match ritual—exchanging passes with Nanase and testing his weapons with Tsunzaki. The air buzzed with a competitive vibe, yet beneath it, a developing sense of unity began to take root. This team, built from random fragments of the voting round, felt surprisingly cohesive.
Murano sought out Hiori during the warm-up. Good passes as ever, Hiori," he remarked. "Still the same, no.1," Hiori replied. Their short but sharp exchange revealed a great deal about their friendship as teammates.
As proved by Ego, each player possessed undiscovered depths and untapped stores of talent and strategy, just waiting to be released by the right chemical reaction.
Blue Lock Third Selection
Team A vs. Team C
Team A:
- Murano
- Shidou
- Nanase
- Tsunzaki
- Hiori
Team C:
- Nagi
- Kurona
- Kunigami
- Reo
- Haiji
Match 1
Kick-off
The whistle blew, shattering the uneasy truce. The game started as Kurona passed the ball to Reo. They exchanged a couple of passes before Reo made a run forward.
He glanced over the pitch and saw that Nagi had just managed to get away from Tsunzaki and was now unmarked. Reo hit a pinpoint through ball that found Nagi, who timed his run perfectly.
But in a split second, Murano was there to intercept the ball and then send the ball to Hiori with a cross. Hiori controlled the ball with ease and quickly dribbled past Kunigami.
With lightning speed, he sprinted towards the goal. As he prepared to take a shot, Haiji made a desperate slide tackle, managing to block the ball just in time.
Hiori quickly regained possession of the ball and skillfully maneuvered around Haiji.
Hiori brushed Haiji off with a Cruyff turn before deftly crossing the ball over Kurona and Shidou. The latter jumped like a hawk, unleashing his signature drive shot that blistered into the net.
...
Team A 1 - 0 Team C
The game restarts as Shidou celebrates his goal with a triumphant shout. Team C quickly regroups and starts to press forward, determined to equalize.
Haiji runs off with the ball as he approaches the middle third.
Nanase's agility is impressive as he reaches out to block Haiji. But Haiji sidestepped to avoid Hiori and continued sprinting forward.
After creating enough space, Haiji swiftly crossed towards the goal, effortlessly evading Hiori as Hiori desperately tried to catch up.
As the ball got to Nagi, Murano's foresight kicked in, allowing him to predict Nagi's movements with uncanny accuracy.
He snatched the ball from Nagi with an explosive burst of speed and charged forward.
As he dashed forward, he saw Kurona, the only person blocking his path to goal. He could've blistered past him or shot the ball right then, but he intended to take Kurona on.
In a 1v1 situation on the pitch, both Murano and Kurona remained vigilant as Hiori and Reo were rushing to the scene. His quick rightward feint causes Kurona to lung forward in the wrong direction, creating a space for him to score. Murano calmly fired a no-look shot into the goal.
But in a split second, Reo was there to clear the ball with a header that sent the ball into the corner.
"I have copied your playstyle, Murano," Reo said as he sent the ball out of bounds.
(Chameleon): Jack of all trades, master of none. Reo's chameleon ability wasn't about raw power; it was about his all-rounder skills, excellent soccer abilities, and sense. He could watch another player unleash a mind-bending dribble or a gyro shot, and his mind would dissect the movement, the mechanics, and the very essence of the skill. Then, like a chameleon blending into its surroundings, Reo would blend his own body and talent, replicating the observed move with accuracy.
This wasn't mere mimicry; the abilities he copies, however, are weaker than the original because his skills only reach 99% at maximum power and cannot match up to the originals when compared. He could copy Nagi's trap skills. Limitations were Ryusei's extreme physical moves and Chigiri's lightning-fast bursts; those were beyond his reach because they were physical capabilities. Yet, within the realm of football skill, Reo was limitless.
A corner was declared for Team A.
Murano then stepped up to take the corner kick and looked around the field in search of the perfect target. He was aware of his own skill in these situations—the ability to turn the tide with a single strike.
…
Pa!!
…
…
Murano sent the ball soaring towards the penalty area with a quick swing of his foot, placing it with a curve that seemed to be straying out of bounds but went into the net.
Piiiip!!
2-0