Arc1: Chapter3

 

   Team W vs Team Y didn’t go as expected for both teams. The whole time, it was a one-man show. They never stood a chance.

 

   Even as someone in love with Leon, Yukimiya, felt terror, and unwillingness. He didn’t manage to do anything. He was practically useless. 

 

   What was worse was Leon had a look of boredom the whole time. It didn’t take a silver of his efforts to take 11 players– no, 20 players alone.

 

   Unfortunately, it also made him fall deeper in love. And he knew that others did too. For an amazing and gorgeous person like Leon… who wouldn’t like him? Despite it being a cruel match, no one could take their eyes off Leon.

 

   And that day, Yukimiya understood that unless he could force Leon to look at him, he was bound to be an ordinary mediocre passerby in his life.

 

   On that match, Leon never once did look at him or passed at him. He acted as if no one exist. Not even his brother. He was the supreme; he alone was the honored one.

 

   He was the god high above, and they were the mortals undeserving of just laying their gazes on him.

 

   It didn’t surprise him to see that their teammates treated Leon like a god after that match. It was for a reason that he was infamous after all.

 

   The next match was Team V vs Team W.

 

***

 

   “Itoshi Rin, what a formidable enemy…” Leon’s voice trailed off at the end. David glared at Rin, clenched his fist, and gnashed his teeth. In the field, Leon and Rin only had eyes for each other, they were fighting a battle no one was qualified to interfere.

 

   Just now, Leon acknowledged Rin. His brother Leon, the mighty god who acknowledged no one, recognized Rin as his match; someone in equal standing as him, someone permitted to stay beside him.

 

   Not even David was given that acknowledgment. They were merely brothers. David’s place was following behind Leon like a dog. No, David and Leon were never equal.

 

   David looked at Leon’s crystalline violet eyes and saw a sparkle David vowed he would revive. Leon was a prodigy that once shone like the sun. 

 

   However, over the years, Leon’s enthusiasm and love for football slowly diminished. As did his eyes. There was nothing in Leon’s eyes except boredom and emptiness. David wanted his brother to return to how he was before, where his love for football was apparent. 

 

   Leon shone the brightest when he was enjoying something.

 

   Now, the sparkle in Leon’s eyes was back. David should be happy. But he was not. He was not happy. 

 

   David wanted to be the most important person in Leon’s life. David wanted Leon to rely on him. David wanted to be the only one to receive those sparkling and happy eyes.

 

   His eyes darkened, staring at the scene of Leon and Rin playing high-level soccer. It was as if they were in another realm. And Leon would never come back because he was lost in pleasure.

 

   No… no more. Leon is my brother! He has been with me since birth! Those who tried to take my brother away… shall die.

 

   David had enough of all those bugs buzzing around his brother. His brother belonged to him, wasn’t it obvious? David was the only one who had been with him since they were born.

 

   On the field, Leon skitted around Rin, stealing the ball once more and dashing toward the goal. Rin was not idle either. He caught up with Leon soon after and his hand was forced in the middle of Leon’s  stomach, in the prevention of Leon, from breaking out; they were now in the battle of stealing the ball again.

 

   Leon’s own hand shoved Rin’s shoulder away from him, the ball going back and forth, their feet entangled in the act of taking the ball for themselves.

 

   A small smile was on Rin’s face and there was an excited grin on Leon’s face. Both of them were enjoying playing with each other. They were so into the play that they forgot about everything. This was especially true for Rin. He had a rare moment of feeling in a soccer match that wasn’t anguish. 

 

   The teammates of both teams were practically useless at this point. They were just in the field; they didn’t dare intrude on the battle. This match would end with two of them being the stars of the court.

 

   Or so they thought.

 

   No one, including, Leon ever guessed that David would come charging like a bull and steal the ball while Rin and Leon were distracted by each other. 

 

   Everyone’s eyes widened, caught off guard.

 

   ‘Holy shit, is he evolving right now!!?’

 

   ‘He is like a totally different person!’

 

   ‘How come his style is different from just now!?’

 

   ‘...Davy?’

 

   Let me explain to you what Ose David’s usual playstyle was. He rally up with his brother, Ose Leon. Get the passes and pass back. And take a goal if the chance encounter. Rather laid back and just follow his brother. Passiveness was shown in his every action.

 

   This was also the reason why Ego wanted to separate the two brothers at first. Despite having talent, if David were to just follow his brother’s lead, he will never become the striker Ego embodied.

 

   It frustrated him to no end to see such a talent being wasted.

 

   Clearly, Leon knew it too.

 

   Rather than being angry at the ball stolen, Leon smirked. “So, you have finally awakened… Davy.”

 

   Rin glanced him at the corner at his eyes and went after David, “Do you think you could score a goal with me here, lukewarm?”

 

   David, unlike his usual cheery self, had a blank expression on his face as he ran across the field, ball at his feet. Black swirled akin to typhoon in his eyes, and there was a black aura around him.

 

   Rin hounded after David and Leon did nothing to stop it. If he were to stop Rin right now and let David get easy again, David will lose this opportunity to change.

 

   So, Leon stopped.

 

   One of his teammates came up to him and talked, “Leon-sama, shouldn’t we be helping David-san?” All of his teammates looked his way at the question, curious to hear the answer.

 

   Leon spared a glance at them and either did not see or care about their blushing faces. “I will only say this once.” 

 

   Team W unconsciously straightened their backs.

 

   “All of you. None is to help David once in this game… Or, regard yourself as a dead man.”

 

   All of them were shocked but did not disobey him.

 

   Meanwhile, Leon just observed the shocking 1 vs 11 sight in front of him.

 

   In the monitor room, Anri held her breath, and did not dare to bat an eyelash, as if she was afraid that she would miss a thing.

 

   “Yes, that’s it.”

 

   Ego had a huge maniacal grin on his face. One of the players had awakened. Now, facing the newly awakened enemy and teammate, what will you do, team W? Team V?

 

   Would you just stay still as Leon told you to? Or would you join and try to awaken you, yourself?

 

   Briefly, Ego’s eyes glanced over to Yukimiya Kenyu, who appeared frustrated.

 

   Just a glance and his gaze went back to Ose Leon who was observing the match. He had a passing thought about Itoshi Rin at that moment.

 

   Actually, Rin and Leon were supposed to be on the same team. Their strength were at the same level, after all. In fact, he actually had a hard time deciding who deserve to be number 1 of Blue Lock, just by comparing their data.

 

   However, if they were to be in the same team, they would never work together and it would do more harm than good. Maybe, they could work, and create a never seen before miracle. But, that’s not now. 

 

   They couldn’t work together right now not only because of their egos, but also because Itoshi Rin was a manipulative bastard. And Ose Leon would never live a second of his life being controlled.

 

   Also, them facing each other would be more entertaining, anyway.

 

   Back to the battle going on, he watched as David made a fool of Team V -excluding Itoshi Rin- and executed sharp moves one after another.

 

   After Team B’s players in front of David fell, Rin suddenly appeared! Just when Rin was about to come within 2 meter range, David took a stance and moved a step forward.

 

   Everyone including Ego was puzzled, what did David want to do? Of course, Leon had an inkling of what David was about to do, but he wasn’t too sure either.

 

   The answer soon arrived. Mirages of the ball going toward three directions were seen! 

 

   How was it possible!

 

   There was only a ball!

 

   How was it scientific for one ball to go in three directions!?

 

   Rin was stunned for a moment and it gave David a chance to go after the ball with a sprint!

 

   The corner of Leon’s mouth curled up in satisfaction. Using your family technique, ain’t you having fun, Davy? Correct! The family technique! However, not the Ose family’s technique, but the Okita family’s technique.

 

   Okita household from Grandma Hana’s side had a famous samurai in the past; Okita Soji! And his sword techniques were handed over from generation to generation. 

 

   Grandma Hana had taught them when they were young but David was the one who chose to continue practicing and actually had the more talent of the two in this case.

 

   What he was doing just now was one of the stances of the sword style! And there was a technique, where after taking a step back, the sword was to be swung into three directions. 

 

   You must have had a burst of explosion. I’m proud, my little samurai.

 

   However… to be able to use the technique that was supposed to work with hands in soccer, where the feet were the main work… just what kind of medicine did David eat??

 

   Leon was kind of embarrassed that he did not know the answer either. So, he conveniently ignored it.

 

   When the real ball made contact with David’s feet, the two mirages disappeared. That’s right, no matter what kind of magic David used to make it seem like there were three balls, there could only be one ball in the end.

 

   David was in his shooting zone. The rest of Team V previously gathered at some points to stop him, and it was too late for Rin to catch up to him, there was no one to stop him!

 

   Among the surprised and awed gasps, David made a shot toward the goal!!!

 

   Piiiiiiiiiiii—!!!

 

   3 : 2 with 3 goals in Team W’s pocket.

 

   At long last, someone other than Leon and Rin joined the battle and Rin was at a disadvantage with 1 to 2. 

 

   “Tch.” Rin glided the ball behind his foot and looked at the overall situation. These fucking lukewarms are so useless!

 

   Right now, Rin was being guarded by both Ose brothers, and he was in a pinch. And he couldn’t even manipulate other lukewarms because they were just dumbly looking as if they were spectators instead of players out in the field.

 

   Rin looked for a chance to break out of Ose David’s encirclement. After that one goal, Ose David -another lukewarm- ’s whole demeanor changed. Not that he cared though.

 

   Even though Ose David may have evolved, in this field, Leon was still the only real threat in his eyes.

 

   He was not wary of the fly buzzing in front of him, he was wary of Ose Leon (the only one whose soccer skills he acknowledged beside his damned brother) who was further behind with a smile.

 

   He knew that Leon could see what he could see too.

 

   Rin’s eyes and brain moved, and so did his body.

 

   You, you will do. With a high kick that caught David off guard, one of Rin’s teammates snapped out of his stupor and jumped -a jump high enough as expected for a guy with limbs as long as him- and tapped the ball with his head toward the goal.

 

   “How stylish!”

 

   Because his jump was a bit late, the force behind the ball was weaker than what Rin or the long-limbs guy would have liked.

 

   The long-limbs guy –Aryu Jyubei’s– heart thrummed against his ribcage, waiting for his stylish hat trick to actually go through and get the goal.

 

   Unfortunately, someone called goalkeeper existed. The goalkeeper of Team W got in time and the ball rebounded!

 

   Everyone’s eyes followed the ball, and people like Rin, Leon or David were out to get the free ball that ended up being in the place where no one was positioned.

 

   With their destination being the same, they ended up restraining each other again.

 

   Chance!

 

   The free ball had a new owner.

 

   Leon gleefully laughed, “Yukimiya-kun, you sure are full of surprise!”

 

   That’s right! The one who had the ball in his grasp was Yukimiya Kenya!

 

   “Davy, don’t let the lower lashes get away!”

 

   “Alright, nii-chan!”

 

   Rin was not free. But it meant Leon and David were not free either. Leon knew that if he were to leave Rin right now and attempt to score a goal for himself, he would easily break free from David. This was not underestimating David’s skills; this was a fact. He knew that although David may have gotten better, he was still far from Rin’s level.

 

   Which also meant that this goal depended on Yukimiya's skills. Leon met Yukimiya's eyes and slightly nodded his head. I’ll be relying on you Yukimiya-kun!

 

   Suddenly receiving the fuel, Yukimiya blushed slightly and his performance became even better than before.

 

   With his unique street dribbling that most weren’t used to, Yukimiya charged through the crowd and scored the goal!!!

 

   In the end, the winner was Team W.

 

• -   -

 

   “I will win next time.” Rin turned around and left, not awaiting the reply.

 

   Ose Leon and Ose David– were eerily similar to Itoshi Sae and Itoshi Rin. 

 

   The role model big brothers and the little brothers who followed them. But the difference was, no matter how much the emptiness in Leon’s eyes occupied the space, Leon had never forsaken David.

 

   A huge difference.

 

   Rin glanced backward at Team W -Leon- a final time and witnessed Leon gently ruffling David’s hair. For a moment, it was the image of Itoshi Sae and Itoshi Rin…the Itoshi brothers actually being getting along and affectionate. The throbbing in his heart grew and Rin headed back to his room, the loss and some other unknown feelings -annoyance, nuisance, that’s what feelings were- settled in his chest. 

 

   Rin wanted to vomit.