Blue Lock, I, Kira Ryosuke, Obtain Thunder Breathing at the Start

Kira Ryosuke might be able to learn some knowledge from this project and apply it to the soccer field, or it could serve as a small warm-up activity.

"I'm really bad, go easy on me," Kira Ryosuke said with a smile.

"No problem, we're just playing casually!" Kiyoshi Teppei replied, and then he led Kira Ryosuke to the court.

He tended to believe what Kira Ryosuke said, after all, Kira Ryosuke was a soccer player and must have spent a lot of time on soccer-related training, leaving him little time for basketball.

Soon, the players were divided into two teams – the starting five of Seirin formed one team, and the four substitutes along with Kira Ryosuke formed the other.

In terms of combat power, the starting team was definitely stronger. However, intra-team practice matches usually pitted starters against reserves, as the starting players spent more time on the court together. The outcome of these practice matches wasn't crucial; the most important thing was practicing tactical execution.

Therefore, even if Kira Ryosuke wasn't very good at basketball, it wouldn't have a significant impact.

The game quickly began, and the centers from both teams met at the center circle for the tip-off.

"Um, may I try the tip-off?"

Before starting, Kira Ryosuke politely asked his teammate.

"You want to jump against Kiyoshi-kun?"

The players on the court were a bit surprised, but they quickly assumed Kira Ryosuke was joking and chuckled along.

Although Kira Ryosuke was 1.8 meters tall, which wasn't short, Kiyoshi Teppei was nearly two meters tall and possessed exceptional physical abilities. There would be a huge disparity in their jumping ability.

However, for Kira Ryosuke, this might not be the case.

Watching the other players practice basketball earlier, Kira Ryosuke had an idea – if Thunderclap and Flash could be used for shooting and running, could it also be used for jumping?

On the soccer field, jumping ability was very important. It could be very useful when contesting headers and could also help better block opponents' attacks on defense.

Theoretically, it was feasible, but it hadn't been verified yet. Kira Ryosuke wanted to participate in the tip-off to see if it would be effective in a real game, simulating the jump ball as a header contest.

"Sure, it won't make much difference," Kiyoshi Teppei also nodded with a smile. It was just a practice session anyway, so it didn't matter.

"Really?"

Aida Reiko looked a bit doubtful, but since no one else objected, she didn't say anything further. She then instructed Kira Ryosuke and Kiyoshi Teppei to go to the center circle for the tip-off.

She dropped her right hand and tossed the basketball high into the air—

Seizing the right moment, Kira Ryosuke and Kiyoshi Teppei jumped simultaneously.

Chapter 46: A New Application, Monstrous Jumping Ability!

Kiyoshi Teppei and Kira Ryosuke jumped together. To be honest, Kiyoshi Teppei didn't think Kira Ryosuke would pose any threat to him in a jump ball.

After all, there was a significant height difference between them. While Kiyoshi Teppei wasn't an interior player who relied on physical dominance to crush opponents, his jumping ability wasn't bad. Winning the tip-off against Kira Ryosuke should have been effortless.

But just as he was about to reach the ball in mid-air, another hand made contact with the ball first.

Kira Ryosuke.

"What?!"

Kiyoshi Teppei's eyes widened, filled with surprise.

Kira Ryosuke, who was more than ten centimeters shorter than him, was now above him. Kiyoshi Teppei's head only reached Kira Ryosuke's shoulders, forcing him to look up.

Despite the significant difference in height and wingspan between Kira Ryosuke and Kiyoshi Teppei, Kira Ryosuke had compensated with his terrifying jumping ability.

The moment he jumped, Kira Ryosuke had tried to use Thunderclap and Flash to increase the explosive power of his legs and enhance his jumping ability.

As he had predicted, it worked.

Everyone on the court was stunned by the difference in jumping ability between Kira Ryosuke and Kiyoshi Teppei. The gap between their feet in mid-air clearly showed this.

"No way, are you kidding me... Kira's only a little over 1.8 meters, right? ... He won the tip-off against Kiyoshi?"

"Maybe Kiyoshi went easy on him."

"Kiyoshi usually jumps this high, and even without comparing him to Kiyoshi, Kira's jump height is just too exaggerated! This physical ability is completely on a monster level..."

The crowd was dumbfounded, and even Aida Reiko was the same.

"Is Ryosuke's jumping ability really this terrifying?"

When Aida Reiko had assessed Kira Ryosuke's physique earlier, she had judged his jumping ability to be just average. Now, Kira Ryosuke was displaying an incredibly explosive power.

'Did I misjudge him? Or did Ryosuke achieve this level through extreme training in Blue Lock? It shouldn't be possible in such a short time...' Aida Reiko wondered.

At this moment, Kira Ryosuke had already touched the ball in the air and immediately passed it to his teammate.

"Amazing, Kira!"

His teammates exclaimed loudly in praise. Although his technical skills were not yet apparent, Kira Ryosuke's physical abilities had reached a terrifying level.

"Did you go easy on him?" Hyuga Junpei, on Kiyoshi Teppei's team, asked.

"No... and you just saw it, Kira's jumping ability is ridiculously high. I never noticed it before..."

Kiyoshi Teppei said seriously as he retreated, full of admiration for Kira Ryosuke.

"His great reputation isn't just for show."

The substitute team initiated the offense first. Although Kira Ryosuke hadn't played much basketball, he analyzed the situation based on his knowledge from watching anime and made his runs.

I must be a small forward right now. Even though it's a different sport, the mindset for competitive sports can be applied universally.

Kira Ryosuke thought.

Making runs, receiving the ball, finding opportunities – that's the core of offense.

"Kira!"

Just then, the teammate with the ball saw Kira Ryosuke in an open spot and passed the ball to him.

Kira Ryosuke caught the ball, and at the same moment, a figure appeared before him.

Hyuga Junpei.

He was the captain of Seirin's basketball club, an excellent three-point shooter, and took everything very seriously, even this casual practice match.

"I'm sorry, Kira-kun. Even though this is part of training, I still have to give it my all," Hyuga Junpei said to Kira Ryosuke.

"Mm."

Kira Ryosuke nodded, but at this moment, he hesitated, holding the ball and unsure what to do.

His understanding of basketball was limited to anime; he had never actually played.

Kira Ryosuke possessed excellent soccer skills because the original body was already a talented soccer player. He inherited the original body's techniques and memories – but for basketball, he had nothing.

Ultimately, Kira Ryosuke had never even tried dribbling.

However, Kira Ryosuke felt an urge to try it now. For some reason, a series of movements seemed to be projected in his mind, and he moved instinctively.

First, he leaned his body to the right, angling his shoulder to test Hyuga Junpei's balance. However, the latter's defense was not weak and was unaffected by Kira Ryosuke's probe.

At this moment, Kira Ryosuke instantly accelerated, dribbling the ball towards Hyuga Junpei's side to break through. Hyuga Junpei immediately retreated, maintaining his defensive position.

So fast! And judging by his dribbling and rhythm, he doesn't look like someone who hasn't played before. He was just being humble.

Hyuga Junpei thought, not letting up on defense. The opponent's first step acceleration was even faster than he expected.

But as soon as Kira Ryosuke took his first step, his right hand, controlling the ball, instantly came back, shifting his center of gravity from right to left.

A crossover.

It was one of the most basic dribbling moves, using the rhythm of the dribble and the shift in balance to fake out the defender.

"That rhythm is amazing!"

Seirin's starting point guard, Izuki Shun, couldn't help but exclaim.

While it was a basic move, it directly reflected a player's dribbling skill, ball-handling proficiency, rhythm, and balance transfer.

Kira Ryosuke was definitely not an ordinary player! He might even be a master ball-handler.

"Damn it!"

The excellent crossover made Hyuga Junpei's balance momentarily unstable, but he quickly adjusted, trying to keep up with Kira Ryosuke's offensive path.

But at that moment, Kira Ryosuke's movements changed again. He bounced the ball off his left hand to his right, making it look like he was about to break through to the right again, drawing Hyuga Junpei to the right and shifting his opponent's center of gravity backward.

Kira Ryosuke, however, instantly spun and executed a step-back, creating a distance of two full body lengths, allowing for an unimpeded shot!

Kira Ryosuke knew clearly that this was the effect brought about by the Rice Spirit.

Flashy and skillful dribbling ability, not just in soccer!

"He's out of position!"

Hyuga Junpei shouted loudly.

Kira Ryosuke had already jumped and shot.

Chapter 47: Though I Lost, I Won

"Those dribbling moves were definitely from a top player!"

Izuki Shun looked at how Kira Ryosuke had just faked out Hyuga Junpei, his face showing astonishment.

Kira Ryosuke had just performed a crossover, a behind-the-back dribble, and a spin step-back, all in one fluid motion.

This move looked incredibly flashy and fancy, but in reality, it was impossible to execute without outstanding dribbling fundamentals.

If it were just about mimicking the movements, Izuki Shun could probably replicate them, but Kira Ryosuke's fluidity and rhythm were beyond his ability.

This made Izuki Shun realize that Kira Ryosuke in front of him was likely a top-tier basketball player, possibly with better fundamentals than any player on the court – perhaps even better than Kiyoshi Teppei.

"Those are streetball moves!"

"So cool!"

"And here I thought Kira really couldn't play basketball!"

Everyone praised Kira Ryosuke's skills in unison.

Meanwhile, Kira Ryosuke, beyond the three-point line, had already jumped, preparing to shoot.

He had already faked out Hyuga Junpei, creating very comfortable shooting space for himself, and his astonishing jumping ability made it impossible for him to be blocked.

The probability of this shot going in was very high!

Kira Ryosuke adjusted his grip and immediately shot, the ball tracing a beautiful arc in mid-air.

Everyone's attention was focused on Kira Ryosuke's shot.

The ball got closer and closer to the hoop--

Then it flew over the backboard and smashed directly into the wall.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone on the court fell silent, unsure of how to react for a moment.

Kira Ryosuke's shot missed, and it missed spectacularly, flying straight over the backboard.

A "three-no-touch" (missing the rim, backboard, and net) was common, but a shot that flew over the backboard was something they had never seen before.

He had just displayed incredibly excellent dribbling skills, only to end up with such an absurd shot.

Even describing it as starting strong and ending weak felt inadequate.

"Was that... a shot?"

"I thought a cannonball had just been fired."