Blue Lock: Somehow Igarashi did better than me

The Sakuraoka locker room was in full party mode. Being three-nil up at half time can do that to you.

I was sitting on the bench drinking my Lucozade or Locozade in this universe as the guys were celebrating. The atmosphere here is nice. It feels great to contribute to this joyous occasion. Okita sat down next to me, drinking from his own water bottle.

"That was a Man of the Match performance, if ever I saw one, Haiji." Okita said. He slung his arm over my shoulder. "Thanks to you, we're practically already in the Nationals."

I smiled at Okita's enthusiasm. "The game's not over yet, you know? Are you sure you're supposed to be celebrating this early?"

"With the way you've been performing, we should celebrate winning the Nationals."

We laughed over his excitement. While playing at Nationals would be nice, Blue Lock is still on the horizon. I'm sure I'm already guaranteed for Blue Lock, but performing like you're the second coming of Ronaldo Nazario is fun too.

Just then, the coach cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Alright everyone, I know you're all excited over this lead and I don't want to dampen your mood, but let me remind you all that the match is still far from over. We have to maintain our lead. Don't let them steal the ball from us. So in the second half, we're going to park the bus. Leave them no chance for a comeback."

The coach looked at me. "And Haiji, if the chance comes, score some goals. Show them what it means to cross Sakuraoka."

I nodded, and the team erupted into roars of excitement. These guys looked feral.

Second half

The cheers on the Sakuraoka stands were still going strong even after the half-time break. However, that's not where my focus was on. The Nara Shōbu players walked on to the pitch with a focused fury. Looks like these guys haven't given up.

My gaze shifted to Zantetsu. The Bale reject looked like he was ready to murder the ball. I would also be ready to commit murder, given how often he was shut down.

The referee blew the whistle to signal the start of the second half.

For the first time in the match, Sakuraoka kicked off.

For the first ten minutes of the second half, our team passed the ball in our own half. I felt completely bored with this style of play.

At the 62nd minute, Nara Shōbu pounced. Their number 8 intercepted a pass. Immediately, other players from Nara Shōbu converged to attack. They're going for an all out attack.

They started passing around the ball towards our box. Just then, I felt it, like a tingle on the back of my neck. Turning my head, I saw Zantetsu ran behind me towards our goal.

I was about to stop him when a three-man marking surrounded me. A lobbed pass reached Zantetsu and, using his superior acceleration, he zig-zagged through our defense, leaving him open to slot the ball into the back of the net.

Goal!!

The Nara Shōbu crowd was alive for the first time in this match. Their hope for a comeback is alive. 3-1 the scoreline. Zantetsu ran towards our goal and grabbed the ball, carrying it to the center circle.

I can see it in their eyes, their passion and willpower burning brighter. They were going to fight till their very last breath.

We restarted the game and immediately Nara Shōbu started pressuring us. They're trying to force a mistake from us. Prowling for the opportunity to strike again. I won't allow that to happen.

The next ten minutes were a blur of tackles, interceptions, and desperate defending. Zantetsu was everywhere—dribbling through tight spaces, switching play with precision, and firing shots that kept our keeper on high alert. Luckily, he couldn't find the back of the net after the last goal.

At the 70th minute, I saw the opportunity I'd been waiting for.

Nara Shōbu over-committed on a corner kick, and our team cleared the ball toward me at midfield. I took it on the chest and turned, seeing nothing but open space ahead.

"Go, Haiji!" Okita yelled.

I broke into a sprint, the sound of my cleats pounding the grass filling my ears. Two defenders closed in on me, but I wasn't stopping. My vision tunneled on the goal, my legs burning with every step.

[Skill Activated: One For All activated.]

[Stats updated:]

STR: A

AGI: A

SHO: S

SPE: S

VIS: A

END: S

It was like flipping a switch. My body felt lighter, my movements sharper. The defenders lunged, but I sidestepped them with ease, my increased agility leaving them grasping at air.

As I approached the penalty box, the goalkeeper rushed out to close the angle. Without breaking stride, I unleashed a powerful strike with my weaker foot. The ball soared past him, smashing into the top corner of the net.

Goal!!

The crowd erupted, and my teammates swarmed me as the score became 4-1. But I barely heard them. All I could think was, This is what I'm capable of.

If my goal rattled Zantetsu, he didn't show it. Just eight minutes later, he pulled one back with another piece of individual brilliance.

Receiving the ball near the left flank, he cut inside, leaving two defenders in his wake. From 25 meters out, he unleashed a thunderous strike that kissed the underside of the crossbar before bouncing in.

Goal!!

It was 4-2. I could see it in his eyes—he wasn't giving up.

The last minutes were pure chaos. Nara Shōbu threw everything they had at us, and we dug deep to keep them at bay. Tackles flew in from every direction, and our goalkeeper made two stunning saves to deny Zantetsu his hat trick.

In the dying moments, Zantetsu broke through one last time. He stormed into the box, ready to fire. But before he could pull the trigger, Okita slid in with a perfectly timed challenge, sending the ball out for a corner.

As the final whistle blew, my teammates and the spectators erupted into cheer. Sakuraoka has done it. They have made it to nationals.

The exhaustion from the match caught up to me. I haven't been this tired in the last match. Maybe it was because I did a lot more today. Oh well, we won. That's all that matters.

My teammates swarmed me and lifted me over their shoulders. Cheering me and congratulating on my amazing performance.

Across from our celebration, I saw Zantetsu standing alone, his hands on his hip. He looked frustrated, but there was a look of unyielding determination burning in him.

After my teammates put me down, I made my way to him.

"Good game." I reached my hand out to him for a handshake. He looked surprised for a moment before he cooled his features.

"Good game to you as well." He shook my hand. "Make no mistake, the next time we meet, my team will be Victorian."

I paused for a second there, processing what he just said. "Uh, don't you mean 'victorious'?"

His face flushed at his mistake. He cleared his throat to cover the embarrassment. "Ehem, yes, that's what I said."

I couldn't hold it in and let a laugh. "You're a riot dude. Alright, I'll be waiting for that rematch."

He seemed like he recovered from his embarrassment cause he answered my remark with a wordless nod and he left to rejoin his team.

Man, I still can't wrap my head around this. I just played and beat a character from Blue Lock. I mean, it was gonna happen, but knowing something and seeing it happen are two different things.

Just as I was in my thoughts, my teammates called me over saying some news reporter want to interview me.

"Here with me right now is Shizuka Haiji, who scored a hat-trick in this match. Can you tell us what's going through your head right now?" asked the reporter.

"Well, I'd say excitement, not just because I... Uh, scored a hat-trick, but... Uh, also excitement for what the future has in store."

"Sakuraoka has just knocked out the perennial powerhouse Nara Shōbu. What would you say is the secret to this success?"

"Training and a lot of it. We couldn't have gotten far without the training we had, as well as the dedication we put into. So, yeah, we put in effort and I'm thankful our efforts bore fruit."

After I answered several other questions, I left to rejoin my team.

I'm happy they could enjoy this feeling of success. But my mind was running elsewhere. After all the prefectural finals, Blue Lock will begin inviting all the best high school strikers in the country. That's where I should put my next focus on. Preparations for the most grueling training camp to become the best striker in the world.

There's a million things I will achieve, just you wait.