"Don't even think about scoring!"
The goalkeeper rushed out. Once a one-on-one chance formed, the goalkeeper basically had to charge out as quickly as possible without any hesitation—he couldn't give the attacker enough room to comfortably adjust his shooting stance!
"At this angle, he shouldn't be able to shoot directly. He'll have to move forward a few more steps first!"
Just as the goalkeeper reached that conclusion, Kira Ryosuke raised his right leg high behind him—
At the same time, his breathing changed.
At that moment, Kira Ryosuke greedily sucked in deep mouthfuls of air, as if he couldn't wait to drain all the oxygen from it.
His blood seemed to boil. A steady stream of power flowed through his body, finally gathering in his right leg.
Total Concentration Breathing.
"Is he really shooting directly from this angle? He's looking down on me way too much!"
The goalkeeper immediately lowered his center of gravity. Kira Ryosuke was positioned far to the side of the goal, where the shooting angle was restricted and the distance was considerable, giving the goalkeeper a better chance to stop the shot.
From this position, using a curling shot was extremely difficult. Moreover, shooting directly at such high speed made it hard for Kira Ryosuke to precisely control where he struck the ball and produce an excellent curve.
The goalkeeper judged that Kira Ryosuke would shoot straight and immediately moved forward with his arms spread wide, preparing to disrupt his route to goal.
Kira Ryosuke knew that too.
But he didn't care.
Thunderclap and Flash!
The power accumulated in his right leg exploded in an instant and slammed directly into the ball. The moment his toes touched it, a thunderous boom erupted.
It was like a bolt of lightning flashing across the field!
The ball shot toward the goal like a cannon shell. Its tremendous speed seemed to compress its shape, and it even appeared to rip through the air with a tearing sound.
Although the goalkeeper had prepared in advance, he simply couldn't react to Kira Ryosuke's shot.
It was too fast!
The ball skimmed past him. The goalkeeper didn't even manage to make a move until the ball scraped against the net with a piercing sound. Only then did he turn around in disbelief to look behind him.
Only then did the ball slowly drop to the ground. The goalkeeper collapsed onto the grass, feeling his legs go weak.
When the ball had just passed him, he had felt as though a cannon shell had flown past his side and he had merely been lucky enough to avoid it.
The shockwave carried by the ball filled him with fear. Even if he had reacted in time and stood in front of it, he was afraid he would have been blasted into the net along with it.
That shot had reached a terrifying level in both speed and power.
"As expected, there's some soreness, but it doesn't affect basic positioning and dribbling. I probably won't be able to use this ability with my right leg again until the second half."
Kira Ryosuke felt his right leg. After all, practicing alone earlier was still different from actual match play.
"But I can still use a full-power Thunderclap and Flash once with my left foot in the first half. I just need to seize the right opportunity."
At the same time, Kira Ryosuke opened the System Interface. His proficiency in Total Concentration Breathing and Thunderclap and Flash had both increased. Thunderclap and Flash had risen by 5% in particular, something that had never happened before.
A new prompt also appeared on the interface—
Using skills in an official match and successfully completing tackles, breakthroughs, direct goals/assists, and similar actions will increase proficiency growth by varying amounts.
"So skill proficiency grows faster when they're used in an actual match. Looks like I need to give it everything I have on the field."
Kira Ryosuke closed the System Interface and returned to the backfield to regroup with the others.
After Kira Ryosuke scored, the entire field fell silent for several seconds. Only after those few seconds did everyone on Team Z suddenly realize that their team had scored first!
In less than a minute.
"That was so cool, Ryosuke!"
"That was way too fast!"
"What exactly was going on with that goal just now?!"
Everyone began discussing it excitedly. Even Raichi Jingo, who had always shown that he was dissatisfied with Kira Ryosuke, couldn't help clenching his fist, though he immediately lowered it once he came to his senses.
The people closest to Kira Ryosuke quickly surrounded him and celebrated the goal.
"You did it again—that lightning-fast shot."
Bachira Meguru wore a delighted and excited smile.
Kira Ryosuke's goal had directly ignited Team Z's morale. Scoring within a single minute was something rarely seen even in ordinary matches.
Everyone understood that none of the players who could come to Blue Lock were ordinary. Every match was bound to be extremely difficult.
But Kira Ryosuke had given them hope of victory. Advancing to the next round was no longer just a fantasy.
Unlike Team Z, whose morale was soaring, Team X was now as silent as the grave.
"What exactly happened...? Could a shot really make that sound?"
"Hey, it's your fault for losing your position! What were you doing? You got fooled by a feint like that?"
"What are you talking about? You're acting like you could have stopped him. Three people surrounded him and he still dribbled past you!"
"Who exactly is that guy?"
"Kira Ryosuke, known as the Treasure of the Football World—the genius! I knew he was strong, but I never imagined he'd be this strong..."
Nearly every member of Team X had a cloud hanging over his face. Being scored on so quickly after kickoff had undoubtedly dealt a serious blow to their morale.
But one person's expression barely changed at all.
Barou Shoei.
Soon, it was Team X's turn to counterattack. However, they fell into chaos again as soon as they kicked off. The forward had just received the ball and was preparing to attack when a defender behind him suddenly rushed forward to tackle him.
"What are you doing?"
"The team's top scorer will definitely advance! You were beaten that easily just now? Looks like your skills aren't anything special!"
"What about our tactics? How are we supposed to keep playing when it's this chaotic?"
Team X had fallen into complete disorder right from the start. Everyone wanted to fight for possession.
Chapter Twenty: Ace vs. Ace, a Direct Clash Between the Strongest Players!
Isagi Yoichi looked at the chaos within Team X and instinctively swallowed before turning toward Kira Ryosuke beside him.
If Kira hadn't anticipated this situation and prepared for it, Team Z would probably have ended up in the same state... As expected of Kira...
Just as Team X was practically tearing itself apart, a tall figure stole the ball directly from beneath a teammate's feet and charged toward Team Z's half at an equally astonishing speed.
Barou Shoei!
His teammates desperately chased after him, but they couldn't keep up with Barou Shoei's speed.
"He's so fast! We have to stop him!"
Isagi Yoichi immediately reacted and stood in Barou Shoei's path.
Barou Shoei charged toward Isagi Yoichi expressionlessly. Yet his eyes held the contempt of someone looking at an insect, and the terrifying pressure radiating from him made Isagi Yoichi almost unable to move.
"Don't appear in front of me."
"Trash."
"I'll kill you."
Isagi Yoichi could feel the intense pressure radiating from Barou Shoei, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Where will he attack from? The left or the right?"
The instant Isagi Yoichi hesitated, Barou Shoei made his move.
He quickly raised his foot and placed it in front of the ball, then stomped down and flicked it up with his heel.
The ball flew directly over Isagi Yoichi's head. While Isagi Yoichi was still stunned, Barou Shoei suddenly accelerated and easily dribbled past him. Then, behind him, he puffed out his chest, expertly brought the ball under control, and continued charging toward the goal.
That single move showed that Barou Shoei possessed football skills far beyond Isagi Yoichi's.
"Quickly, stop him!"
Isagi Yoichi shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Shut up!"
Raichi Jingo roared and immediately charged at Barou Shoei. On the other side, Kunigami Rensuke also moved in to provide cover.
But Barou Shoei easily beat them with a nutmeg. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the goal.
Shoot!
The ball flew past the goalkeeper in a perfect arc at tremendous speed. Iemon didn't even manage to react before he could only watch the ball fly into the net.
"Th-that's amazing..."
The members of Team Z stared in shock. Barou Shoei had displayed unparalleled offensive ability and equalized the score in almost no time.
The joy that had filled their faces moments ago had completely vanished.
"Listen up and remember this, you idiots. To me, football isn't a friend or anything else—"
"It's merely a ball-shaped servant that lets me shine."
"Standing on the field, I am the King."
He stood expressionlessly in front of Team Z's goal with his hands slightly spread. Both his movements and expression revealed an arrogant contempt for everyone else, as if the others were nothing more than insects meant to be crushed beneath his feet.
Barou Shoei's gaze focused on Kira Ryosuke, as if declaring that the gap between their abilities was absolutely insurmountable.
Kira Ryosuke frowned and looked at Barou Shoei with a serious expression. Everyone thought he had been enraged by Barou Shoei's provocation. Only several seconds later did he open his mouth.
"Uh, it doesn't look like anyone asked you a question. Isn't it embarrassing to spout such a cringey speech all by yourself?"
"..."
Barou Shoei froze for a moment, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes. Then the veins on his forehead bulged. He was the one who seemed to have been provoked instead.
"You..."
But Barou Shoei didn't say anything else—or perhaps he didn't know what else to say. He left the penalty area, muttering, "What a pain."
"Hey, Iemon, what are you doing?! Can't you even handle the goalkeeper's basic duties?"
"I've never played goalkeeper before..."
Seeing that his teammates in the back were already on the verge of arguing, Kira Ryosuke walked over and raised a finger to his lips.
"Shh, don't argue. We're teammates on the same team now. This absolutely isn't the time for infighting."
Kira Ryosuke then pointed toward the other half of the field.
"Look. After that guy named Barou scored, their formation isn't chaotic anymore—they already understand where their problem lies."
Just as Kira Ryosuke had said, Barou Shoei's outstanding performance had effectively given his teammates a shot of tranquilizer, making them clearly understand one fact: only by treating Barou Shoei as the absolute core did they have any chance of winning.
The team that had been in disarray gradually regained its spirit, and the equalizing goal had also restored much of their morale.
After hearing Kira Ryosuke's words, the others quieted down as well.
"What do we do next? Double-team Barou?"
Isagi Yoichi asked from the side.
"We do need more people to defend Barou, but not after he gains possession. The key is to stop him from receiving the ball in the first place."
A calm smile appeared on Kira Ryosuke's face as he turned toward the other half.
"Leave the next attack to me. I'll crush Barou head-on."
Although Barou Shoei had successfully broken through their defense and equalized the score, this wasn't a bad thing as far as Kira Ryosuke was concerned.
This goal would make Team Z feel threatened. If he could lead the team to victory, the others would trust him even more after the match and believe that he could lead them to victory.
That would also prevent Kuon Shosei's betrayal from the original story. He had leaked the team's tactics to the others precisely because he didn't believe Team Z could win.
Besides, the more goals Kira Ryosuke scored, the more his teammates would realize that they could only advance through the team's victory, making them work harder on the field.
On the other hand, Barou Shoei had likewise become Team X's lifeline. They treated him as the team's number-one ace and would do everything possible to feed him the ball—which instead made their attacking style more predictable and easier to counter.
Team X's confidence had surged, but only because of Barou Shoei's outstanding performance just now.
Before you continue