3. Isagi Almost Defeats Rin

When the score between Team White and Team Red was tied at 4-4, the first team to score the fifth goal would be the winner. Isagi’s direct shot nearly became the winning goal for Team White, but Rin managed to block the ball with a header, preventing Isagi’s strike from finding the back of Team Red’s net.

However, Bachira gained possession of the ball that rebounded from Rin’s header. Using his freestyle football skills, Bachira weaved through Team White’s defense single-handedly, dribbling past all the players with dazzling moves. Yet, just as Bachira was about to score, Isagi heroically intercepted and blocked the shot.

According to Ego Jinpachi, at the moment Isagi blocked Bachira’s shot, his ability to predict plays had surpassed Rin’s. If Isagi had been even one centimeter off to the left or right while blocking Bachira’s shot, Team White could have launched a counterattack and secured the victory. However, the ball that was deflected into the air landed near Rin, who capitalized on the chance and scored the fifth goal, securing Team Red’s victory over Team White.

Rin, who was known for his self-reliance and tendency to disregard his teammates, had always depended solely on his own abilities while using his teammates’ strengths as tools. Therefore, Bachira, Aryu, and Tokimitsu assumed they had the freedom to choose a rival from Team White to recruit. However, Rin surprised them by personally choosing a rival and forbidding them from making a selection. His chosen rival was none other than Isagi.

Bachira, Aryu, and Tokimitsu were shocked by Rin’s decision and astonished that he personally selected Isagi. As a player renowned for his ability to predict events on the field, Rin admitted that he couldn’t predict the moment when Bachira attempted to score using an ego-driven dribble, nor could he foresee Isagi’s sudden interception. Rin chose Isagi because he wanted Isagi to be part of the team he would destroy and to bear witness as Rin ascended to become the greatest soccer player in the world.

Even during his match against Isagi, Rin experienced defeat for the first time since joining Blue Lock. For Rin, losing in a soccer match was equivalent to losing his very existence—it felt like death. According to his life philosophy, soccer was a war, a battle that determined life or death. And Isagi had managed to make Rin taste that bitter defeat.