39 Godspeed II

Oh, so that is godspeed, huh?

Now that I've seen how it is, I'm 99% sure of what I've got to do.

"The Loki guy is so fast, how do we win against him?" Kurona said, heaving a sigh.

I know just what to do to outplay him. If I used the skill I bought earlier, then I'm sure I could catch him off guard and counter his speed.

"Murano!"

"Murano!!" Shidou shouted as I was deep in thought, thinking about my next move.

I turned towards Shidou, my eyes filled with resoluteness. "Don't worry, I've got a plan," I reassured him. "Leave Loki to me; I know how to face him, Just make sure to keep the other World Five players busy."

"You saw how fast he was, right? How do you plan on facing him?" Hiori expressed his concern.

"This guy—is he even human? We're doomed," Kurona added.

"Hey! Get rid of those subpar thoughts. Whoever our opponent is, I'm going to win, even if I have to do it by myself. So, don't hold me back!" I replied. "Just trust me and focus on keeping the other World Five players occupied."

Hiori looked at me skeptically, but I could see a hint of trust in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll do my part."

Third Selection

Battle Field

Team Blue Lock 2-1 Team World Five

I passed the ball to Shidou to start the game while remaining in the center circle with Kurona and Hiori. Shidou and Barou were in charge of the attack because I wanted to test my new ability against Loki's godspeed.

I moved into the lane where Loki was heading and then observed the match.

The World Five, who were already bummed that the match hadn't ended yet, rushed forward. They split into four parts around the field.

Shidou had Luna and Blake closing in on him. Barou had Silva blocking his path. So there was no way a pass could come from Shidou to him.

Hiori was busy dealing with Cevasoz, so Kurona had to move forward as he had no player on him. As Kurona moved forward, he knew he had to make a decisive move to create an opening for Shidou.

Blake and Shidou were battling it out to see who could come out on top with the ball. Blake was the first to shift possession during their 1 vs. 1 match as he attempted to get the ball away from Shidou's right foot.

His touch was effective, as the ball hop off his foot and flew over Shidou's foot.

Shidou's foot missed the ball, and Kurona reacted quickly and picked up the loose ball. The very next second, Luna made a clean slide tackle on Kurona to send the Ball toward Silva and Barou.

For the first time, Silva had to dribble around Barou instead of the other way around. He grinned as the dispossessed ball got to him.

Barou was ready to stop him after Silva had already denied him two times earlier. At that time, Barou realized that Murano had been right about him not being able to score. Silva consistently stopped him, keeping him from scoring. So he understood that he needed to stop Silva as well.

"Hahaha!" Silva laughed as he charged Barou. He didn't use skills or anything else to try to outmaneuver Barou; he just ran forward with brute force, bumping into Barou with his powerful physique and moving past him.

Barou had just lost in the battle of physicality and was now lying on the ground.

"You! I'll do anything to stop you," Barou said angrily as he tightly grasped the grass from the ground.

Silva wanted to end the game quickly, so he took a quick glance as he dribbled with the ball. He noticed that only Loki and Cevasoz were on the other half of the field.

Even though he initially preferred that Loki not score, winning paid much more than scoring. He made the decision to cross the ball to Loki because he knew that player could make a quick play right away, and he wasn't sure if Cevasoz could take control of it.

Murano and Loki could be seen lunging after the ball, trying to catch it as it flew through the air. This was a cross made specifically for Loki to get to due to his speed. Loki made the first touch after being the first to the ball.

Loki kicked his first touch a little bit away from him on purpose after noticing that Murano was approaching from behind. In order to force Murano out, he wanted a better chance of stealing it.

While Loki didn't intend to allow Murano to steal the ball, he did want to confirm a certain aspect of the player, particularly when Murano was trying to beat him through off-ball movements and during the run to the ball.

Murano's POV

I decided to go across to take the ball after realizing that my initial attempt to get to it first had been unsuccessful. I exploded (sprint) quickly through the space, made a sharp turn, and dragged the ball with my right foot in a single motion, getting Loki behind me.

"Just as I thought," Loki muttered under his breath.

"You're good, Murano. You're at least the best Japanese I've ever faced, I'll admit that," I heard from Loki.

He was now behind me, giving me a completely free space. I wasted no more time and attempted to blast a long cross.

Noticing my approach, Loki quickly turned around to face me. He was able to get in front of me quickly and outstretch his left leg to block my cross.

However, it was a fake, and as I anticipated, he regained his balance quickly before I could even dribble past him. I did a couple of stepovers to fake him out, but he didn't fall for it. He stayed on his feet and continued to defend me closely.

I attempted to do a quick drag back, but he pulled his left leg quickly in spite of taking the ball. So I had to cancel the drag back mid-move and flick the ball to my left leg, hoping to create some space.

He was quick to read my movements, but so was I because I was growing accustomed to his Godspeed. I made the decision to fake him with a sudden cross, but I knew he'd figure it out, so I actually kicked the ball. I managed to surprise him, but he was able to recover and block the shot thanks to his lightning-quick reflexes.

The ball was deflected in the direction of Cevasoz and Hiori, who were squaring off. To get the ball, they both leaped into the air.

Hiori managed to get a slight touch on it, redirecting it towards Cevasoz. Cevasoz skillfully controlled the ball with his chest and swiftly hit his signature move, the 'vertical spinning shot,' into the net, scoring the equalizing goal for Team World Five.

Team Blue Lock 2 - 2 Team World Five

(A/N: Is Loki becoming aware of Murano's new skill? Is that what he wanted to confirm?)

*Btw, If you're wondering, Murano's skill will be revealed next chapter. But can that prove a threat to Loki's Godspeed?