Chapter Twenty-One: If You're the King, Then I'm the God / Chapter Twenty-Two: In Game Sense, the Gap Between You and Me Is Insurmountable

As long as Barou Shoei was completely crushed, Team X's morale would be shattered as well.

Kira Ryosuke had already decided that he would create a one-on-one situation with Barou Shoei later—

Then crush them completely.

Chapter Twenty-One: If You're the King, Then I'm the God

Kira Ryosuke narrowed his eyes slightly, like a ferocious beast choosing its prey.

Soon, Team Z launched another attack. The entire team's coordination and movement had improved somewhat compared to before. Just as Team X regarded Barou Shoei as its absolute core, they had likewise placed Kira Ryosuke at the center of their attack.

After the ball changed possession several times, it finally came back to Kira Ryosuke's feet.

With that same astonishing speed, Kira Ryosuke effortlessly tore through the opposing defensive line. Almost completely unimpeded, he charged straight toward the goal.

Just then, a familiar figure stepped directly in front of Kira Ryosuke.

Barou Shoei!

Barou Shoei possessed speed and physical abilities far beyond those of his teammates. He also had an exceptionally sharp sense for danger and had guessed Kira Ryosuke's likely attacking route.

And all of this was within Kira Ryosuke's expectations.

All he needed was for a one-on-one situation with Barou Shoei to appear—

Then, in front of everyone, he would crush him completely.

"Barou and Kira facing off?"

In the monitoring room, Ego Jinpachi pushed up his glasses and stared intently at the screen.

Although Kira Ryosuke had the advantage in speed, there was a considerable difference in their builds, which was extremely important in a one-on-one.

During his previous one-on-ones, Kira Ryosuke had overpowered Raichi Jingo and Kunigami Rensuke with his physical abilities. However, Barou Shoei's physical strength could be said to surpass both of them. In terms of technique, Barou Shoei was certainly far ahead of the two as well.

Even for Kira Ryosuke, getting past Barou Shoei would not be easy.

However, the two of them were essentially the star players of their respective teams. The outcome of their contest would have a tremendous impact on their teams' morale.

The team of whoever was at a disadvantage during the clash would inevitably be affected as well.

"It could be said that the direct confrontation between them might very well determine the course of the match."

At that moment, Barou Shoei lowered his center of gravity in front of Kira Ryosuke and stared fixedly at him.

"Hey, your name's Kira Ryosuke, right?"

"I told you, I'm the king of the field. Don't stand in front of me!"

"Can you get past me?"

A powerful pressure radiated from Barou Shoei. It was as if invisible flames from hell were blazing around him, ready to burn Kira Ryosuke to ashes.

For some reason, Barou Shoei felt an inexplicable displeasure whenever he looked at Kira Ryosuke.

Yet Kira Ryosuke, standing before Barou Shoei, showed no change in expression.

"At first, I didn't think much of it. But now that I think about it, saying something like that in this situation really is a little embarrassing."

Kira Ryosuke narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing his gaze on Barou Shoei.

"But I'll play along with you a little this time."

"What the hell are you babbling about?"

Barou Shoei's brows twitched several times.

"You say you're the king of the field? Then I'm the god of the field. With a god around, you, the king, aren't worth mentioning."

"Bastard! I'll kill you!"

"Don't get angry just because you're powerless. Today, I'll let everyone here clearly see how the king meets his end."

As he finished speaking, Kira Ryosuke adjusted his breathing and once again entered the state of Total Concentration Breathing.

Even though Total Concentration Breathing had reached Level 2, its duration was still only a little over ten seconds.

But those brief ten seconds could have an enormous effect on a tense and fiercely contested field.

Breathing techniques could strengthen the user's explosive power for a short time. That was Kira Ryosuke's capital in his one-on-one against Barou Shoei.

Barou Shoei keenly sensed a change in the aura surrounding Kira Ryosuke, but he had no idea what had happened.

He also failed to notice that his forehead was already covered in sweat.

Without any flashy dribbling moves, Kira Ryosuke charged straight toward Barou Shoei's left side.

Barou Shoei's eyes widened. Even though he had been completely focused and reacted immediately, by the time he moved, Kira Ryosuke had already brushed past him.

"I'll kill you!"

Barou Shoei roared furiously and immediately turned around. He wanted to use his advantage in size to make legitimate physical contact and disrupt Kira Ryosuke's movement.

But at the instant their bodies collided, he felt as if he had slammed into a mountain. His own body even lost its balance for a moment.

Barou Shoei was extremely surprised. Kira Ryosuke did not look particularly sturdy, and he was half a head shorter than Barou Shoei. Yet at that moment, Barou Shoei had actually been overpowered in the physical clash.

Just who is this guy?

Unlike Raichi Jingo, who had fallen straight to the ground after their physical collision, Barou Shoei forcibly regained his center of gravity. He then broke into a run, intending to interfere with Kira Ryosuke's dribbling from behind.

However, the less-than-half-second he had spent adjusting his body had already allowed Kira Ryosuke to open up some distance.

The distance was not great, but it was enough room for a shot.

Kira Ryosuke raised his leg again—only this time, it was his left leg.

Power rapidly gathered in his left leg before exploding in an instant!

A clap of thunder rang out across the field once again.

In the next instant, the ball had already shot into the net, tearing at it as though it might break free and fly out the next second.

The Team X goalkeeper stood rooted to the spot, completely unable to react.

He had not even seen it coming.

2:1!

"That was awesome, Kira!"

"Great, we've taken the lead again!"

"What king? He was nothing special!"

The members of Team Z erupted into cheers once again—

This time, the direct collision between the two teams' aces ended in Kira Ryosuke's victory, giving Team Z's morale a massive boost.

Kira Ryosuke merely turned his head and looked at Barou Shoei behind him with a smile.

"So the so-called king is only this strong."

"You bastard! I'll definitely kill you!"

Barou Shoei's eyes were bloodshot, and his body seemed to tremble from his agitated emotions. It was obvious that he had been completely consumed by rage.

"Pass me the ball! Did you hear me?"

Barou Shoei shouted furiously at his teammates.

The corners of Kira Ryosuke's mouth curled up slightly. Everything was proceeding just as he had expected.

Barou Shoei had completely fallen into his trap.

Chapter Twenty-Two: In Game Sense, the Gap Between You and Me Is Insurmountable

On the field, what a player could accomplish mainly depended on three factors.

Physical fitness, technique—and game sense.

Physical fitness determined a player's lower limit. Generally speaking, players with outstanding physical abilities were regarded as promising prospects, because skills and the like could be trained later. But breaking through one's physical limits again was practically impossible.

What determined a player's upper limit was, first, skill, which could be honed through training, and second, game sense.

In simple terms, game sense meant the ability to read a match: understanding both sides' strengths and weaknesses, constantly thinking and judging the situation during the match, and doing the right thing at the right time. This was extremely important, because almost no player could guarantee that every attacking decision would be correct. Whether to attack alone or pass to a teammate—a small choice could very well affect the course of the entire match.

The Blue Lock project existed to cultivate a super striker with a powerful body and superb technique—but it had overlooked the most crucial thing: game sense.

That was the key to deciding victory or defeat.

Although Barou Shoei had nearly reached the pinnacle in terms of physical fitness and technique, he was seriously lacking in game sense.

He could dominate the field, but his emotions were easily affected. When provoked by an enemy, he found it difficult to control himself. He desperately wanted to defeat his opponent on the field, and because of his arrogant personality, he would never pass to his teammates. This made it much easier for Team Z to restrict him on offense.

As a result, Team X's offense would fall into a vicious cycle. Barou Shoei would be double-teamed, causing his offensive efficiency to plummet. He would then become increasingly impatient and more eager to score himself, making him even less willing to pass.

Moreover, Barou Shoei's behavior would undoubtedly damage the atmosphere within the team, completely grinding away whatever goodwill his teammates had previously held toward him as a newcomer.

With that, Team X's defeat was practically certain.

"Pass me the ball! You useless servants!"

It was Team X's turn to attack again, and Barou Shoei mercilessly shouted at his teammates.

"But..."

No matter who they were, hearing a teammate speak to them so rudely would make them uncomfortable to some degree. But even if they were unhappy, they could only swallow it and find a way to set up Barou Shoei.

However, all of this was within Kira Ryosuke's calculations.

Barou Shoei's presence had allowed the originally loose and chaotic Team X to regroup—but at the same time, he also made their attacking style incredibly one-dimensional.

His teammates would try to set up Barou Shoei, which made their passing routes extremely limited.

That made it much easier to intercept the ball.

The ball had just left a teammate's feet. Just as it was about to reach Barou Shoei, Kira Ryosuke suddenly burst out from the side and completed the interception.

The counterattack began!

"You useless bastard!"

Barou Shoei angrily berated his teammate.

But while he was blaming his teammate, Kira Ryosuke had already dribbled into the opposing half.

"Quick, double-team him!"

When Team X saw that Kira Ryosuke had obtained possession again, they immediately rushed forward to surround him. They absolutely could not let him score another goal!

There was a huge difference between 2:1 and 3:1. If Team Z scored again, it would be extremely difficult for Team X to claw its way back into the match.

Almost everyone from Team X charged out, determined to completely lock down Kira Ryosuke. Even if they had to foul him, they absolutely could not let him score again. Barou Shoei also surrounded him, wanting to regain his dignity through Kira Ryosuke.

And this was precisely the situation Kira Ryosuke wanted to see.

He had already used Thunderclap and Flash once with each leg while in the state of Total Concentration Breathing. Using it again within a short period might strain his legs, which would be counterproductive. Naturally, he needed some time to adjust his physical condition and let his legs rest. During that time, his attacking ability would definitely be affected to some degree.

However, no one else knew this. They still believed that Kira Ryosuke posed a huge threat on offense and had no choice but to send a large number of players to deal with him. This was also why he had chosen to use his skills at maximum speed in the first half to blast in two goals.

"We can't let him do whatever he wants!"

"Who cares if we have to foul him!"

"Hurry and stop him! Stop him!"

It was not only the other players. Barou Shoei also stood in front of Kira Ryosuke with a furious expression.

"I won't let you get past me again! Don't stand in front of me! I'll kill you!"

"Oh."

A smile appeared on Kira Ryosuke's face—

In the next instant, his leg deftly hooked the ball and kicked it out. Through that tiny gap, he accurately sent it to the feet of a teammate who had already arrived at his side.

Raichi Jingo.