He was formerly the captain and a centerback of the Japan U-20 team; he currently plays as a regular on Ubers during the Neo Egoist League.
Abilities
Archetype
- Libero: The libero (Italian for "free") or sweeper is a more versatile type of defender that sweeps up the ball if the opponent manages to break the defensive line. Their position is rather more fluid than other defenders who mark their designated opponents. Sweepers are usually faster than that of the other players on the team, and are built slightly smaller than the others. The sweeper's ability to read the game is even more vital than for a centre-back; they also are usually confident on the ball and possess good passing and vision, as they are often responsible for starting plays from the back-line.
The key to the Japan U-20's defense is Aiku being more versatile than the other defenders and being able to sweep up the ball or shut down the opposing offense altogether with his iron clad defense.
Skills
Professional Football Technique: Aiku is considered to be one of Japan's brightest talents, being the captain of the U-20, as well as already having an offer to play for an unspecified Italian professional club, in the Serie A. A testament to his professional technique is the fact that he went from being a respected centre-forward, to a talented defender almost seamlessly. The entire U-20 team is built with him at its centre, being referred to as the 'Diamond Generation'.
Spatial Awareness: Aiku has an incredibly large field of view, being able to take into account the conditions of every player in front of him. Isagi noted that Aiku was not marking him specifically, yet was able to intercept a pass to him, because he was able to adjudge Isagi's speed, as well as the source of the pass and the positions of every player. This wide field of view enables him to detect any threats to the U-20 goal and react instantly predicting any movements or surprise plays.
Dominant Physicality: Aiku also has an incredible physique which enables him to perform high level plays without issue. His strength was first demonstrated when he physically subdued Ryusei, a notoriously powerful player, without any issue. His strength is also demonstrated in his jumping ability, being able to reach great heights to intercept the ball. In addition to this, Aiku moves across the pitch with incredible speed, being able to sweep up any loose balls and cover defensive holes left by his team, as well as retreat to the center when needed.
Reflex: On top of his high spatial awareness, Aiku also has the reflex to immediately determine where the greatest threat to the goal is and the physical ability to go there without hesitation. It is the combination of this reflex and spatial awareness that makes Aiku such an effective defender, as he not only sees all positions of every player at once, but he also moves immediately (often ahead of the strikers) to intercept the ball.
- Total Defense: By combining all three of these weapons, Aiku is able to predict, react to and intercept any ball played into the defensive third, acting as a critical safeguard in the U-20's defensive line up. It is this ability which makes Aiku the cornerstone of the U-20's 'Diamond Generation'.
Flow State: Flow, as described by Ego, is the state of "total immersion" or "being in the zone". It is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
Aiku managed to enter the Flow state during the match against Blue Lock, in response to Baro and Yukimiya's attack. Whereas normally he reacts to plays as he sees them happening, whilst in flow he can see and even feel the critical points in his team's defense, enabling him to move ahead of the game and cover those weak areas. This state also improves Aiku's one-on-one defending, being able to completely shutdown a player's offense by reading their every possibility and shutting down all their options like he did to Rin but when faced with skill that is above his understanding his defense falls flat without help.
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