Chapter 137: Time to Work, Ubers
"Uwoooohhh!!!!"
After that dramatic twist and a brief moment of silence, the stadium finally erupted with earth-shaking cheers. Even the live chat on BLUE LOCK TV was scrolling so fast that it almost covered the entire screen.
"Oh my god, did he just kick a professional player off the field with one shot?!"
"That was brutal — the sheer power of that shot was unforgettable!"
"Way too over-the-top (lol), but now I totally get why he got that ¥500 million offer. Compared to that, the clubs offering ¥200 or ¥300 million should probably cut their scouts' pay."
"Yeah, you can tell just by watching — this guy's built like a top-class striker."
"No doubt. His raw talent is absolutely insane — blazing speed, incredible power, and he fits into Ubers' system perfectly."
"I can't wait to see Shinichi and Snuffy team up and win another trophy!"
"Honestly, I think Shinichi would also make a great duo with Noa."
"Don't you guys already have Kaiser?"
"How does ¥300 million even compare to ¥500 million? Besides, the fact that Kaiser's got an offer means he's probably leaving, right? If Lorenzo had no intention of leaving, no new offers would be coming in."
"Fair point."
…
Honestly, this whole thing is kind of like shattering a basketball hoop with a dunk. If someone died or got seriously injured because of it, that'd obviously be a disaster — but if everyone's fine in the end, it just becomes something to brag about.
"Bro shattered the backboard with one dunk."
"Bro sent the opposing goalkeeper flying with one shot."
That's pretty much the vibe.
Because of that, everyone on Ubers ran toward Shinichi with exaggerated expressions, cheering like maniacs.
"Oh my god! I can't believe it! What kind of monster are you?! Who the hell would dare try to block your shots now?!" Aiku shouted, slinging an arm around Shinichi's shoulders.
Sendou gave Shinichi a light punch to the chest, trying to act cool.
"As expected of my lifelong rival (self-proclaimed). Not bad at all."
Lorenzo, smiling as he looked at Shinichi, added,
"Snuffy really knows his stuff. Even with the highest offer among all clubs, there's not a bit of overpay here. This guy's worth every yen of that ¥500 million — maybe even more."
"Impressive as always, Your Majesty."
Of course, the most over-the-top reaction came from Igarashi, who was on the sidelines frantically waving his jacket, jumping up and down like a maniac.
Amidst all this excitement, the whistle blew to end the timeout. P-X-G had finally recovered from the shock of the sudden incident.
At this point, the physically strong and quick-to-react Tokimitsu was temporarily subbed in as the new goalkeeper, while Shidou was also brought onto the pitch.
"With Shinichi joining, Ubers' counterattacking strategy has become far more dangerous than I anticipated. That's my mistake."
During the break, Loki rubbed his neatly trimmed hair in frustration, sighing as he held onto the tactics board.
"But relying on just one of Charles, Itoshi Rin, or Shidou Ryusei to break through won't work anymore. That approach is too predictable and too easy to counter. So from now on—forget the strategy we planned earlier."
Loki's voice sharpened as he called out to his players.
"Itoshi Rin, Shidou Ryusei, you're both going in together for the next phase of the match. And Charles!"
Noticing that Charles was spacing out, seemingly lost in thought, Loki raised his voice.
"Your job is to coordinate between Rin and Shidou—two completely different playstyles. You're the only one who can make this work, so take full advantage of your playmaking ability. This is your mission, and only you can do it."
"Ugh...Sigh, wouldn't it be easier if you just subbed in? If we played together, we could definitely take that guy down."
Charles pouted in frustration, but Loki remained firm.
No matter how much Charles protested, there was no changing his mind. In the end, Charles had no choice but to cover his ears, trying to block out Loki's instructions to show his dissatisfaction.
Loki watched as his players left the locker room one after another, letting out a silent sigh before reaffirming his resolve.
"Not yet…"
At that moment, Loki's mind was filled with thoughts.
Back during the second selection phase of Blue Lock, he had already faced Shinichi directly in a match.
Through their encounters, Loki had to admit—he had been slightly outmatched.
And just when he was about to take things more seriously, Snuffy, who had entered a state of FLOW, stole the spotlight.
But that didn't mean Shinichi had completely overwhelmed him at the time.
On the contrary, Shinichi's base-level overall ability back then was roughly at the peak of the Eleven and just barely touching the threshold of the world-class level.
Meanwhile, Loki had already traveled a long way into the world-class domain, making the difference between them quite clear.
The real issue, however, was that Shinichi had complete control over ZONE—he could activate and deactivate it at will.
That ability alone allowed him to instantly close the gap. And when he entered Second-Stage ZONE, his abilities skyrocketed to the point where he was nearly at the level of the absolute elite—the true top tier of the world.
In contrast, when it came to Loki — no, in fact, when it came to everyone in the Blue Lock universe — none of them had the ability to enter FLOW with the kind of freedom Shinichi possessed.
Even someone as cunning as Rin was ultimately incapable of activating a complete version of FLOW at will — his so-called Destroyer Mode was, in reality, just a downgraded, restricted version that Rin could barely toggle on and off.
The essence of FLOW lies in a player's complete immersion into the match itself.
And beyond FLOW, that ultimate peak performance requires a player to push every part of themselves to the absolute limit.
Because of that, even someone like Isagi Yoichi — a monster capable of adapting himself as easily as taking a breath — still needs to recalibrate his target every match in order to continuously re-enter FLOW.
For Isagi, even his moments of peak performance were nothing more than fleeting sparks of brilliance, rather than a sustained state he could maintain.
"The coach substitution window is only three minutes… too short. I'm not sure I can fully immerse myself into the game in that timeframe."
Loki rested his chin on his hands, deep in thought. Gone was his usual calm and elegant demeanor — his eyes now burned with fierce determination and predatory aggression.
"Once the first round ends and the coaching restrictions are lifted, that is when our true battle begins. And honestly… letting Charles lose this one wouldn't be such a bad thing."
As Loki pondered, his mind was filled with a mix of anticipation and hunger for competition.
"Shinichi, you want to use this New Hero League to build your own kingdom… but I plan to use this stage to officially launch my charge towards becoming the world's number one. In this clash of personal ambitions, who will be the one left standing in the end?"
"I can't wait to find out!"
...
For now, regardless of what was running through Loki's mind, the action on the pitch continued to unfold. Both Ubers and P-X-G were back in formation, ready for battle once again.
Facing a P-X-G lineup that now featured both Itoshi Rin and Shidou Ryusei on the field at the same time, Ubers — despite holding the advantage — made their own tactical adjustments in response.
On the sidelines, Snuffy removed his headscarf, glancing briefly at Loki, who had just stepped out of the locker room. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"The tactical shift played out exactly as I expected. Now that all the preparations are complete…"
"Ubers — it's time to get to work."
"Target — a clean sheet."
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