At the moment of the shot, an enormous impact force struck the ball, compressing and deforming it as power built up inside—
Then came the explosion!
The ball rocketed forward with terrifying power. Despite Shūto's readiness, he couldn't react before it whizzed past him. Like a cannonball, it left only a violent gust of wind and flying dust in his face.
The ball curved eerily, finding the net at an impossibly tight angle!
"A topspin shot?!" Oliver's voice trembled, "And at that speed?!"
Never had he seen someone kick a ball with such devastating speed and perfect curve, especially from that distance. He realized his earlier praise had undersold Ryōsuke's ability.
This guy was truly a monster-level player!
He had never seen anyone of this caliber.
Oliver prided himself on his defensive abilities, routinely shutting down all types of players. He calculated his chances of stopping that shot if he had been defending instead of Shūto, analyzing every aspect of what he'd witnessed.
His conclusion: 0%.
Even as the team's defensive anchor, he wouldn't have had a fraction of a chance against Ryōsuke.
"Monster..." The word escaped his lips.
Even Sae's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Ryōsuke's shot was nothing short of miraculous — beyond what any ordinary player could achieve. His lightning speed was matched only by his impeccable footwork.
Everyone, including Coach Yasumori, stood dumbfounded.
They had dismissed Ryōsuke as insignificant — merely Sae's plus-one — looking down on him as just another Blue Lock project member.
But that single exchange of attack and defense revealed the true monster they faced.
"Aiku, could you have stopped that shot?" Teppei Neru, another U20 starting defender, asked.
"The probability is 0%." Oliver shook his head with a smile.
Only then did Teppei notice the sweat on Oliver's forehead.
Meanwhile, Shūto stood frozen in front of the goal, like an empty shell. His mind was blank — he had no idea what had happened, as if trapped in a dream.
The next moment, he felt like he'd narrowly escaped death. The shot had grazed past him like a tank shell, leaving him just one step away from demise.
After just two exchanges, Shūto was drenched in sweat, his legs growing weak. He collapsed to the ground.
His heart filled with regret — why had he provoked such a monster?
Ryōsuke definitely wasn't just Sae's plus-one... He might be even more terrifying than that other monster!
"Truly clownish behavior." Sae, who had been watching from the side, walked up and cast a disdainful glance at Shūto, "Whether in technique or any other aspect, you're completely hopeless. Comparing your football to vomit earlier was actually the highest praise possible. Still, you should be grateful for your foolishness and lack of self-awareness — at least Kira was willing to play along with your silly game."
After speaking, he approached Ryōsuke. His eyes held none of the arrogance he showed others, but rather approval.
"You have true striker talent. In this country, you're the only decent forward. Let's go practice at a separate training ground — training here is nothing but a waste of time, inefficient and outdated." Sae mercilessly mocked everyone else present while extending his invitation.
Ryōsuke was the only player he acknowledged.
"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline." Ryōsuke refused directly, "We'll be playing together later, so we need to train together. After all, football is a team sport — we need to work on our coordination."
Though he wore a polite smile, his attitude was firm. He was also somewhat annoyed by Sae's bone-deep arrogance.
"Whatever. You just need to properly receive my passes and shoot during the match. Almost no one can handle my passes. I chose you because I recognized your talent..."
"Sorry, but you seem to have misunderstood something. I'm not your bonus item — I'm only participating in this match because of Mr. Ego's request. Whether you choose me or not has nothing to do with me, and I don't care." Ryōsuke replied, slightly raising his chin, "Also, if almost no one can receive your passes, maybe the problem is that you're not passing well?"
The atmosphere between the two grew tense, but no one else dared to interrupt their conversation.
Only he had the courage and qualification to talk back to Sae's arrogance. Both were monster-level existences that absolutely couldn't be provoked.
Sae's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he said nothing more before turning and leaving the field. Though he had agreed to participate in the match, he was unwilling to practice here with the others.
"What a difficult genius to deal with." Oliver said with a smile, then walked up and casually put his arm around Ryōsuke's shoulders, "But compared to him, I prefer an approachable genius like you!"
The others expressed agreement.
Compared to Sae, Ryōsuke was much more approachable — polite and down-to-earth. His demeanor was a stark contrast to Sae's, leaving everyone with a positive first impression.
Moreover, the match with Shūto had proven his exceptional skill. In just ten minutes, he had earned genuine respect within the U20 team, making others eager to train with him.
"Then let's not waste time and start practicing."
"Yeah."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
When afternoon training was winding down, the U20 members prepared to leave. Ryōsuke, however, stayed behind for additional physical training.
"Kira, aren't you going home?" Oliver and the others asked, their bags already packed.
"It's still too early. I want to do some more physical training." Ryōsuke replied as he began his exercises.
The intensity of his workout left Oliver and the others stunned — they had never seen such an extreme training regimen among the U20 members.
"Kira, do you train like this every day?" Oliver asked curiously.
"Yep." Ryōsuke answered, "Not just me — everyone in Blue Lock does this kind of physical training almost daily."
"I see." Oliver smiled, seeming to understand the source of his tremendous strength, "Count me in."
He put his bag aside and joined the training. Seeing this, the others followed suit.
The U20 members had been somewhat complacent before, rarely setting extra training for themselves. But after witnessing Ryōsuke's abilities, they recognized the gap between them and began following his example.
If Blue Lock could produce a monster like him, then the others couldn't be underestimated either.
… Several hours later…
"Ryōsuke... aren't you stopping?"
"I can't go on..."
"Urgh..."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
During the time leading up to the match, the U20 team diligently followed Ryōsuke's high-intensity training regimen.
Through his exceptional abilities and approachable personality, he quickly earned his teammates' complete trust.
They embraced him as a core player, structuring their training around his methods. Even the once-arrogant Shūto had completely reversed his attitude — not only acknowledging Ryōsuke's formidable skills but becoming a devoted follower who stuck close during training.
Though Sae rarely interacted with the team, even Oliver had to admit that Ryōsuke's arrival had transformed the U20 team's entire atmosphere.
During this period, Ryōsuke stayed at Riko's home, which was closer to the training facility. She would wake up especially early each day to prepare his homemade lunch boxes.
Throughout these days, he steadily improved his skills and physical condition. His taste tolerance also improved dramatically — he could now eat all of Riko's cooking without flinching.
It wasn't just the U20 team and Ryōsuke who were improving — the Blue Lock members were advancing as well.
They finalized their starting eleven roster for the match, dubbed the Blue Lock Eleven, with Yoichi, Ikki, and Meguru among those selected.
Within the Blue Lock Team, Rin remained the core player, while Ryūsei Shidō — whose ability rivaled Rin's — was placed on the bench.
Though Ryūsei's self-centered personality clashed with Rin's, his skill was undeniable. Coach Jinpachi kept him as a backup plan in case Rin couldn't lead the team to victory.
During this time, Rin, Yoichi, Shiro Nagi, Ikki — all of them voluntarily intensified their training.
This was the hellish regimen Jinpachi had originally planned for the revival match phase, but the Blue Lock members now demanded it themselves.
They burned with desire to defeat the U20 team! To defeat Ryōsuke!
Word had spread of Ryōsuke's terrifying abilities and his grueling daily training.
Without even more intensive training, they knew they'd never catch up to him!
Those who hadn't faced Ryōsuke had heard about his decisive victory over Rin. Everyone knew Rin's immense strength — Ryōsuke's ability to defeat him so thoroughly only proved how formidable he was.
Everyone trained with fierce determination, pouring everything into the upcoming match.
Even Yoichi, despite his relatively poor physical condition, pushed himself until he experienced muscle cramps and daily vomiting. The training intensity far surpassed the previous ten-day physical enhancement — it felt like pure hell, as if his muscles were being shredded.
Yet he never complained. Like everyone else in Blue Lock, he gritted his teeth through this hellish training, persevered, and continuously improved, allowing himself to be reborn through adversity.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day before the match.
News of Blue Lock's upcoming match against the U20 representative team had spread throughout the streets. Though the general public showed little interest in either team — knowing nothing about the Blue Lock Project or its players' abilities — the match was generating significant buzz. This was largely due to international rising star Sae Itoshi making his debut appearance with the U20 team.
The match would be broadcast nationwide, and tickets had become impossible to obtain, with prices soaring to unprecedented heights.
An hour before the match, the massive stadium was already filled to capacity. Idol artists, sports stars, and political figures crowded the stands — the event had drawn attention like never before.
In the VIP section, Japan FA Chairman Hirotoshi sat beaming among highly influential figures.
Surveying the packed stadium, he mentally calculated his expected profits for the day.
"This is wonderful…" He said, his plump face creasing into a smile that made his cheeks quiver.
❖❖❖
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