"Facing Shinichi... I know that as a counterfeit, there's absolutely no way I can truly compete with the original. But... at the very least, I want a chance to fight back..." Reo suppressed the hesitation in his heart, gritted his teeth, and charged toward Shinichi.
"I will not run away anymore. I will prove that I still have what it takes to stay in Blue Lock. I will... face you head-on!"
The collision between the original Shinichi and the counterfeit Shinichi was imminent.
At this moment, everyone present, and even those watching from afar, held their breath, fully engaged in the scene.
However, one person seemed surprisingly indifferent—Shinichi himself.
Faced with the aggressive charge of Reo, he chose to step back instead.
Shinichi retreated step by step, showing no intention of intercepting or defending.
He simply maintained his position in front of Reo, allowing him to push forward bit by bit.
"What's going on? What is Shinichi doing? He's already in a dangerously exposed position! Even if it weren't his clone, anyone else in this spot could pose a serious threat!"
Everyone was baffled by Shinichi's passive defense.
No one doubted that Shinichi could easily defeat the counterfeit Reo, as the gap in their abilities was clear for all to see. But why was Shinichi defending so half-heartedly?
'What is he up to? I'm already in a position where I can take the shot. If you're handing me this opportunity, don't blame me for taking it!' Although Reo couldn't understand Shinichi's intent, since he had been given the space to advance, he wasn't going to waste the chance.
Yet, just as he was about to lift his foot to strike, an inexplicable fear surged through his heart…
"So that's it… That's what it is!"
Reo finally understood the reason behind all of Shinichi's confusing actions, but by then, it was too late—there was no turning back.
Noticing Reo's movements momentarily stiffen, Shinichi's lips curved into a familiar, mischievous smirk. "What's wrong? You've stolen all the spotlight, and you're just one step away from the final blow. Why stop now? Why not take the shot? Don't like the opportunity handed to you?"
"Damn it, this guy! He's seen through everything and is just mocking me like this!" Reo gritted his teeth, lifting his left foot for one last desperate strike at the ball.
But to Shinichi, this was nothing more than the pitiful, futile struggle of someone already doomed.
Reo's left foot connected with the ball, producing a sound that was neither too loud nor too soft.
The ball flew forward at a rather decent speed.
However, compared to Shinichi's signature cannon shots—direct, overwhelming strikes that relied solely on unparalleled speed and power to crush any defense—Reo's attempt fell embarrassingly short.
The ball, flying straight through the air, was effortlessly caught by the Blue Lock goalkeeper.
The ease of the interception left everyone watching stunned.
Shinichi, standing in front of Reo with an air of calm, had clearly anticipated the outcome.
Throughout the sequence, he hadn't even removed his hands from his pockets, as though he had done absolutely nothing to stop this counterfeit that had initially filled everyone with dread.
...
"What... what's going on? Why did the Reo copy of Shinichi take such a shot? Did the duplication fail? Was he unable to replicate all of Shinichi's abilities?" Barou asked, clearly puzzled. Reiji frowned but quickly figured it out.
"No, Reo's duplication was successful, but in a way, it also wasn't," Reiji explained. "Do you remember what we discussed earlier? All of Reo's abilities are derived from his own inherent skills and attributes, mimicking what he observes."
Reiji's gaze turned cautious as he looked at Shinichi on the screen. "The key lies in Shinichi's movements. If it weren't for his seemingly inexplicable behavior, I wouldn't have realized it so quickly. Look closely. Although Shinichi kept retreating, he deliberately maintained a position to stay on Reo's right side…"
"Wait... could it be the difference in dominant legs?" Chigiri was the first to catch on. "Reo may have copied Shinichi's shooting style and techniques, but there's no way he could replicate his dominant leg. Shinichi saw through this from the very beginning. He gave Reo the opportunity to shoot but intentionally blocked off the shooting path for Reo's stronger right leg."
"However, given Shinichi's playstyle, he wouldn't care about having one side of his shooting path blocked, because he's one of the rare players with ambidextrous shooting ability!"
"Reo, having copied Shinichi's playstyle, naturally followed the same habitual actions. That's why he didn't pay attention to Shinichi's defense on his right side. But when it came to the crucial final shot, he realized he simply didn't have the skill to score with his left foot."
Barou caught on to their train of thought, shifting his gaze to the screen, where Shinichi's smirk was clearly visible. "This guy… after having his abilities copied, the first thing he thought of wasn't to crush his opponent but to turn his own playstyle into a trap for anyone bold enough to mimic him!"
Hearing this, everyone turned to Reiji. Realizing what they were hinting at, Reiji quickly raised his hands in mock surrender.
"I admit, this does feel like something from my data football philosophy. But I could never pull off something like this! Besides, this ability is something Shinichi probably had long before now. Haven't they always said that Shinichi's predictive abilities improve dramatically after observing enough patterns? I didn't create this monster!"
...
"How does his brain even work? This guy's reactions and thought processes are on a completely different level from the rest of us." On the field, while there wasn't the omniscient perspective of the viewing room, Isagi's exceptional football IQ and observational skills allowed him to quickly piece together the brilliance behind Shinichi's seemingly nonsensical defensive movements.
Subconsciously, he placed his hand in front of his mouth as his mind raced.
'Shinichi's actions just now instantly incorporated all the available information and data, allowing him to predict his opponent's every move. Based on this, he guided and manipulated the opponent, leading them directly into the trap he had set.'
Although Shinichi's understated dismantling of his opponent lacked the dramatic visual impact of Rin's desperate double block, the sheer cunning of his strategy—playing his opponent like a puppet—completely captivated Isagi.
"This approach is incredible! So, Shinichi's ghost-like predictive ability stems from this kind of thinking. While I can't match Shinichi physically, could I possibly adapt this way of thinking to my own style?"
With that thought, Isagi decisively discarded the incomplete set of data he had been piecing together on Rin. There was no trace of frustration or fear of failure in him. Instead, his heart brimmed with the joy and excitement of discovering a new path forward.
"Let's go, Isagi Yoichi. I need to shatter my previous understanding of football and integrate this way of thinking into my brain."
In the unseen depths of his mind, Isagi was undergoing a quiet yet profound transformation.
On this field, Reo wasn't the only one learning and attempting to replicate Shinichi!
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