Ethereal ✦ Blue Lock

15|| The Moment of Glory

Chapter 15: When Character Development Gets a Little Too Dramatic

Song: Uptown Funk

Don't believe me, just watch!

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- "Alright, everyone, it's ya girl, Aiza, back with you again! Now, let's—wait, what's up with my monitor? Is that a glitch-?"

- "You messed up last time, Aiza. It's my turn now."

- "Eh?! Louis! Get the hell outta here!!"

- "Nope. This time, it's from my POV. It's my time to be dramatic and all, okay?"

- "And why's that again?!"

- "What do you mean 'why'? Ever heard of something called ✨Character development✨?"

- "Hah! Who said you need one?!"

- "You got yours! Now it's my turn."

- "Yeah I got mine because I'm the main character, and you're just an outcast!"

- "Say that again, you—son of a—uh, I mean daughter of a—wait... forget it. Anyway! I'm starting now!"

- "Oooohhh, someone's getting serious!"

- "Long ago, in an age forgotten by most and remembered only by whispers in the woods, there was a girl who fell for-"

- "The hell?.."

- "Oh, sorry, wrong script! Here I go..."

Louis's POV:

Earlier that morning

"What are you doing, Louis?" Kunigami asked as he looked at me, an eyebrow raised as I peered into every nook and cranny of the building on our way back from breakfast.

"Looking for my weapon," I replied, still scanning every corner.

"T-that's... not exactly how it's done," Kunigami stammered, looking dumbfounded and confused.

I sighed and turned back to walk beside him. "Honestly, I never really gave it my all in a game before. Back then, I had Ryouta. He'd do most of the hard work, create the perfect setups, and I'd just be there to score. But now that I'm on my own, I have to figure out my own way of surviving, my weapon."

Kunigami nodded slowly, absorbing my words. "You're strong Louis, but scoring isn't just about being strong or fast. It's about finding that one thing that sets you apart—your own way to make plays" He paused for a moment, oh man where does that wise words come from? "A real weapon isn't something you find, it's something you create through practice." he finished.

I looked at him, considering it. "So... just keep kicking until I get it?"

He laughed. "More like, start using your strength in new ways."

"I guess that makes sense...." 

I recalled it as I took the last shot and watched the ball sail into the net. A rush of happiness hit me—it was exhilarating. My teammates came charging over, all hyped and celebrating. After a bit of the chaos settled down, we got ready for the kickoff.

"My weapon..." I muttered.

"Huh?" Kunigami, who was walking back to the center with me, raised an eyebrow.

"I think I just made one," I said, giving him the best grin I could manage.

"Oh yeah? What is it?" Bachira asked, suddenly appearing from behind, draping his arms around my shoulders.

" I just tried it and, uh, it kinda worked? Basically, I faked like I was gonna do a normal thing, but then I—uh—slipped right through. It's like I was the one who got confused, but the defenders were the ones who really got lost. So, I guess it's like... confusing the heck out of everyone, including myself, and then getting a goal? uh yeah..."

They both stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing.

"I have no clue what that means, but sounds awesome!" Bachira cackled.

Kunigami chuckled. "Sounds like that move some pros call the 'Apex Cut.' Seen it on TV once."

"Apex Cut," I repeated, liking the sound of it.

With that, the whole team got pumped up again. We were still two points behind, but suddenly, catching up didn't feel so impossible.

As Reo kicked off, passing to Zentitsu, I heard him say something about only starting football six months ago. I mean... what the hell?

"Wow, so these guys have their own monsters too!!" Bachira yelled, pure excitement in his voice.

"Raichi, focus on Reo! Don't let him out of your sight!" Isagi called out.

Raichi shot him a look. "Don't give me orders!!" Ugh, he's so annoying...

Isagi replied, "You're stronger than me! You're the one who can take him on one-on-one!"

I think I get it now. Instead of worrying about Nagi, we need to keep Reo in check—especially since Nagi seems even lazier than me.

"Fine, but if you mess up, Team Z, I'm hunting you all!!" Raichi barked, sprinting toward Reo with intensity.

Reo, stuck in a one-on-one with Raichi, had to pass back to Zentitsu. Raichi's doing a solid job here. Chigiri quickly took off toward Zentitsu, setting up another speed showdown.

Just when Reo seemed ready to shoot, Chigiri swooped in, intercepting the ball and sending it flying back in the other direction.

Nagi had the ball, his back to the goal, and honestly, with his insane control, he could probably score from there too. He casually spun the ball on his foot, but Kira stepped in, blocking him just in time. Kira's honestly impressive as a defender—who knew?

Reo rushed to block Kira, setting up another one-on-one. But now, Team Z was back together, pressing forward.

"Kira!!" I shouted coming close in their way, he pass the ball to me. One more try, I want to feel the goal one more time again!!

The ball is right in front of me, and I can already see their defenders closing in like they've decided to form a human wall.

But I'm not about to let that stop me. I give the ball a little tap with my foot, like I'm going one way—classic distraction. The defenders buy it, shifting over just a little, trying to catch me off-guard.

I feel the space, just barely—just enough to make it count. I swing my foot like I'm going for a power shot, but instead of just blasting it, I cut the ball with the side of my foot, and WHOOSH. I see a flash of confusion in the defenders' faces as they scramble to adjust.

The ball zips past one defender, then another, like they're nothing more than pylons on the field. The defense doesn't know what hit them—honestly, I barely know what just happened.

I don't have the space to get cute, so I go for the one thing that's gonna hit hard.

I launch myself into the air, spinning an bicycle kick. The ball smashes into the air, and for a second, it's like time slows down. I can hear the collective gasp from everyone on the field. Then—BAM—the ball smashes into the top corner of the net with a powerful strike.

I land on my back hard, hitting the ground with a thud that makes my breath catch. For a moment, everything goes silent.

Team V - 3

Team Z - 2

"I'm loving this!!" I shouted, laughing. It feels strange, almost unreal, but it's good. Scoring my own goals, making my own moves... I want more. And even more.

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End of chapter 15.