"What amazing speed, little Ryōsuke!" Ryūsei shouted, "But I've already taken the shot — you won't be able to stop it!"
Though Ryōsuke had appeared before him, there was still distance between them, and Ryūsei had already taken his shot unimpeded.
However, Ryōsuke wasn't aiming to block the shot itself, but rather to disrupt the ball's trajectory.
The shot curved through the air — an outside spin shot!
But Ryōsuke used his Thunder Swarm technique to read the ball's path, intercepting it instantly and clearing it out of bounds!
Successful clearance!
"Ryūsei Shidō attempted to recreate his brilliant goal from the last round, but Ryōsuke Kira's unparalleled defensive instincts let him read and clear that curved shot! Incredible — for a forward, Kira's defensive abilities are truly world-class!"
The commentator's voice rang out with excitement!
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Meanwhile, in Germany.
"Michael, did you see that match?"
At Bastard München's youth academy, Alexis Ness approached with a gentle smile, phone in hand.
The match had captured global attention, despite being thousands of kilometers away.
What started as an overlooked game had exploded in popularity after video clips surfaced online. The worldwide discussion grew so intense that several streaming servers crashed under the viewership.
"What match?"
Next to Alexis stood a man with flowing golden hair. His delicate, almost feminine features were complemented by intricate rose tattoos that stretched from his neck to his left arm.
Michel Kaiser, Bastard München youth academy's number one prospect.
Like Sae Itoshi, he belonged to the New Generation World XI, possessing the world's fastest kick speed.
"Remember Sae? He returned to Japan for a match against Blue Lock." Alexis replied with a smile.
"Blue Lock? The ones who contacted us before?" Michael narrowed his eyes slightly.
Indeed, Blue Lock representatives had reached out to their club about a potential collaboration, though the club hadn't made a decision yet.
"That's right, them." Alexis nodded, opening a video on his phone and passing it to him, "This guy's shot is quite interesting."
Michael took the phone with mild confusion, watching what appeared to be Ryōsuke's earlier Thunder Strike shot.
"What about it?" His eyebrow twitched before his face settled into disdain.
"The comments say his kick speed and shot speed are both world records! He used to be with Blue Lock but switched to the opposing team. Sae personally chose him as a teammate!" Alexis maintained his smile throughout.
"Ridiculous. How could such a shot compare to my Kaiser Impact? Don't waste my time with circus acts." Michael narrowed his eyes and handed back the phone.
Despite his words, he had already committed Ryōsuke's image to memory.
"Blue Lock, huh?" After Alexis left, Michael muttered to himself. A meaningful smile spread across his face, "Perhaps he could serve as my stepping stone."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Back on the field.
"Damn, you blocked it! You're really troublesome, little Ryōsuke!" Ryūsei stared intently at his opponent, his face showing a combative smile.
"It's just that your shooting technique isn't refined enough." Ryōsuke responded with a smile.
Meanwhile, Yoichi's expression was grave. He hadn't expected Ryōsuke to defend this shot.
He had deliberately passed the ball to a spot where that monster shouldn't have been able to reach it — a perfect setup for Ryūsei's unimpeded shot.
'Wait, could it be that Kira never planned to interfere with Shidō directly? Did he know I would pass to the only spot Shidō could reach?' A theory formed in Yoichi's mind.
Indeed, he was right. After Blue Lock's previous attack, Ryōsuke had realized that the current 'protagonist' had grown capable of controlling Ryūsei — making the wild striker their obvious first choice!
If Ryōsuke had actively marked Ryūsei, Yoichi's Spatial Awareness would have forced him to seek other passing options, making their attack more unpredictable.
Instead, he deliberately gave Ryūsei space, baiting the playmaker into making the pass before clearing the ball based on its trajectory. By suppressing Blue Lock's offense this way, their team would crumble and their passing options would become limited.
Beyond his individual skill, Ryōsuke's high football IQ let him set this tactical trap for Yoichi.
Blue Lock took the throw-in, and the ball came to Yoichi's feet again.
"Yo-chan! One more time!" Ryūsei made active runs, seeking passing opportunities.
But Yoichi hesitated. Though his Spatial Awareness confirmed no defenders could stop Ryūsei from receiving the pass, another clearance would waste both their opportunity and precious time.
Time they couldn't afford to lose while trailing.
His mind raced through moments from the recent match, analyzing the gap between himself and his opponents, Sae and Ryōsuke.
What was he missing? Why couldn't they break through, even at this level?
The U-20 team's defense grew more solid by the minute. They needed fiercer attacks — Ryūsei's firepower alone wouldn't be enough.
"What are you spacing out for?"
A cold voice snapped Yoichi back to reality.
Sae had silently closed in and begun pressing him. For reasons he couldn't grasp, the other part's intensity had reached new heights.
Blue Lock now faced even greater pressure from their opponent!
"Damn it!" Yoichi fought to protect the ball against Sae's suffocating defense.
The skill gap between them was enormous. Without even making a move, Sae's positioning alone forced every one of his dribbles to teeter on the edge of disaster, ready to be stolen at any moment.
He had no choice but to force a pass, ultimately sending the ball to Ryūsei's feet.
"Finally!"
Ryūsei let out a joyful shout, but wary of Ryōsuke's earlier clearance, he opted against a medium-range shot.
He needs to get closer and use his agility!
"Little Ryōsuke, let's fight to the death!" He suddenly accelerated, charging straight at his fated opponent, ready for a one-on-one.
As he approached, he turned swiftly, protecting the ball with his back. He feinted left before suddenly spinning right to break through.
But Ryōsuke was even faster, already positioned to block Ryūsei's path the moment he spun.
"Tch!"
Though Ryōsuke was in defensive position, Ryūsei still prepared to shoot!
Creating possibilities from impossibilities — that was his style. He stepped back, simultaneously lifting the ball's edge with his foot, readying for a direct shot.
From this position, his chances of scoring weren't low!
"He can pull off moves like that?!" Shūto exclaimed in shock.
Just in terms of offensive ability, he and that guy weren't even in the same league. Ryūsei was, simply put, a killing machine born to score goals.
However, Ryōsuke would crush all possibilities!
❖ First Form ➠ Thunderclap and Flash! ❖
The moment Ryūsei stepped back to shoot, he pressed forward at top speed, kicking the ball away before his opponent could plant his foot!
Successful clearance!
"Too forceful! Second attack!" Yoichi carefully observed the ball's trajectory, preparing to receive it at the landing point.
"Get lost!"
But just as the ball was about to land, a tall figure burst from behind him and snatched possession away.
"Baro!" Yoichi's eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn't expected Shoei to suddenly steal the ball from him.
"What are you doing?!"
"Shut up, Isagi!" Shoei shouted angrily.
"Let me organize the play!"
"Shut up! Who'd give the ball to someone like you? Don't think you can control me!" Shoei roared, charging forward while completely ignoring Yoichi's words.
"What's going on with this guy? Internal discord?" Miroku Darai could hardly believe his eyes. Stealing the ball from a teammate in such an important match was pure madness.
Shoei's sudden appearance had caught him off guard. He immediately pressed forward to block his path.
But it was useless!
Shoei pivoted sharply, using his heel to change the ball's direction. When Miroku adjusted his footwork, Shoei changed direction again, exploiting the space created by his feint to break through.
"I am the king of this field!" he roared, his fury building like storm clouds about to unleash a downpour — fury from being left out of the previous attack.
He stepped forward and unleashed a powerful shot at the goal!
"Don't think you'll score!"
But Ryōsuke arrived just in time, sliding in for a perfect tackle!
"Who'd let someone who steals from their teammates score?"
"Damn you!" Shoei crashed to the ground, his face covered in mud. His anger only intensified, his expression murderous.
But his rage meant nothing — Ryōsuke had already won the ball and smoothly passed it to Sae on the other side.
U-20's counterattack begins!
"Stop him even if it kills you!"
"Don't let him through!"
Tabito and Kenyū again blocked Sae's path. Having been beaten once before, they were determined not to make the same mistake.
"Boring." Sae said flatly, passing the ball parallel to himself toward the opposite side.
The space was empty — but before the ball could touch the ground, Ryōsuke materialized there.
His stamina seemed limitless — no matter how much ground he covered, he showed no signs of fatigue. This seamless transition between attack and defense put him in a league of his own.
"Stop him quickly!"
Ikki, Reo, and the others swarmed around him, but Ryōsuke calmly distributed the ball to Shūto on the far side.
"Is he going to finish it?!"
"No, it's too far — it's a give-and-go!"
The daily training sessions before the match had built solid coordination between Ryōsuke and his U-20 teammates.
"Go, Kira!"
Shūto instantly returned the pass while Ryōsuke, making his off-ball run, activated Thunderclap and Flash, blazing past Blue Lock's defensive line at breathtaking speed.
Like a blade aimed at Blue Lock's heart, he charged toward their goal.
Gin had no choice but to come out and challenge.
Ryōsuke raised his foot, preparing to shoot. As the goalkeeper moved to make the save, he suddenly pulled his foot back and continued forward!
❖ Rice Spirit ➠ Ghost Shot! ❖
The shooting feint was executed with such perfection that Gin was completely fooled, leaving him out of position!
No one stood between Ryōsuke and the goal!
Shot!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ 5:3 ]
The gap had widened to two goals!
With half of the second half still remaining, this two-goal difference loomed large!
"Damn it!" Yoichi turned furiously toward Shoei, "Baro! What are you doing?! Let me organize the play!"
"Even if the heavens and earth were turned upside down, I'd never pass to you. I'll win with my own goals!" Shoei replied, his tone ice-cold.
Chance of successful cooperation: 0%!
❖❖❖
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305258