Chapter 140: Essence

The stands erupt as Sae Itoshi slices through the Blue Lock Eleven with nobody able to touch him. Reo Mikage orders Kenyu Yukimiya to close him down, but Sae glides past. Watching from behind while trying to sync his mind with his brother, Rin Itoshi notices that Sae dribbles unlike the instinctive players such as Yukimiya or Meguru Bachira. Where they attack a defender head-on, Sae reads an opponent's rhythm first, then answers with a counter-move, a colder and more calculated method.

Rin flashes back to childhood, recalling how he once idolized this style for its ruthless efficiency, its knack for destroying rivals beautifully. He understands why Sae wanted an untamable partner nobody else could handle, the reason Sae picked Ryusei Shido: only Sae's genius could steer that chaos to its peak, a truth that stings Rin. Marked by Jyubei Aryu, Sae lifts a cross over him into the box, aiming for the one pocket only Shido can strike. Just as Shido winds up, Rin throws himself into the path and takes Shido's swinging boot to the skull, using his head as a barrier to keep the ball out.

The whistle sounds. Tabito Karasu argues for a card, but the referee waves it off. Yoichi Isagi is stunned that Rin, a player who exists only to score for himself, has abandoned his ego this late to smother Sae. Isagi sees Rin evolving in real time as the match keeps climbing in intensity. Reo seizes the loose ball and springs it forward to Seishiro Nagi, launching a fresh attack, and Bachira surges up to join in, declaring himself the missing piece of Isagi's puzzle.

Sae dribbles unopposed through the whole Blue Lock structure and dismantles their shape. His analytical, observe-then-strike approach to football is explained in detail. He engineers a near-certain goal by crossing into Shido's ideal shooting zone. Rin flings himself in at the final instant, blocking the effort with his head and eating a kick from Shido. Rin openly shifts toward a defensive role built to neutralize Sae. Blue Lock recovers possession and begins a counterattack, with Bachira joining the push.

This installment belongs to Volume 16 as its ninth chapter and sits within the U-20 Arc. It first ran in Japan on July 28, 2021, in Issue 2021-35, and later reached the United States on November 15, 2022. The events are adapted in Episode 37 of the anime.