This Is the Realm Beyond Genius! / Upgrade! Total Concentration Breathing LV2

"Are you Kira Ryosuke?"

Aida Kagetora's eyebrows twitched slightly. He had not expected the locally famous soccer star to come here.

After Aida Reiko explained the situation to her father, his expression finally relaxed a little.

"I see. In that case, I'll leave everything to you, Reiko."

Aida Kagetora looked Kira Ryosuke over, sized him up, and nodded.

"You may use any of the equipment in the gym."

"Thank you very much."

Kira Ryosuke nodded at him.

"Then come with me, Ryosuke."

Aida Reiko quickly led Kira Ryosuke to a corner of the gym. She took out some paper and a pen, observing his body and analyzing his stats. Her right hand moved rapidly across the paper, as mechanical as a machine.

Aida Reiko had completely entered work mode. She was meticulous, and it seemed that nothing happening around her could distract her.

After a few minutes, the sheet of paper was already filled. Aida Reiko finally put down her pen and focused her eyes on Kira Ryosuke's face.

"All right, I've more or less finished making the plan. Ryosuke, tell me first—what do you think you need to improve?"

"My physical strength and stamina, I suppose."

As he spoke, Kira Ryosuke subconsciously turned his head to look at his right leg.

"That's right. It's a very important area, but it's far from the only one. Like I said before, your physical condition and training level are already excellent among high school players, but I think you still have room to improve further. Your high school team's training methods should be fairly traditional, but they aren't suitable for you. You need higher-intensity, more professional training, because I think you should be preparing for a much broader professional career in the future."

Aida Reiko paused, as if she had thought of something.

"The reason you're working so hard is because the national tournament is coming up, right?"

"That's one reason, but there's another that's even more important. I want to prepare for it."

Kira Ryosuke then told her about receiving an invitation to Blue Lock. It was not exactly a secret, after all.

"There'll be special closed training camp... I'm honestly rather curious about what it'll involve. But you're training so frantically because you want to be in better shape when the camp starts, right?"

"Yeah."

Kira Ryosuke answered seriously.

"I feel there'll probably be top players from all over the country taking part in this camp. I don't want to lose to them."

Kira Ryosuke was not particularly interested in soccer at the moment, but when something treated him as a target, he would give it his all.

Perhaps this was the stubbornness he had developed back when he was a manga artist.

Aida Reiko did not answer immediately. She looked into Kira Ryosuke's eyes, and after confirming his seriousness and determination, she broke into a bright smile. She handed him the list she had just written.

"Then you'll have to work hard! But I have to warn you first: there's no room for carelessness in training. I'm a very strict person. Even if you're a local star, I won't make any allowances for you."

"Don't worry. I'll follow Coach Reiko's instructions."

Kira Ryosuke replied jokingly.

"Then let's begin."

After completing some preparations, Kira Ryosuke began training according to the exercise list Aida Reiko had arranged.

They started with core strength. The "core" referred to the middle section of the human body—the area below the shoulder joints and above the hip joints, including the pelvis. The core muscle group was responsible for stabilizing the center of gravity and transferring force. It was the main link in exerting overall strength, serving as a connecting hub for the movement and exertion of the upper and lower limbs. Powerful core muscles also stabilized and supported body posture, movement skills, and specialized technical movements during exercise.

It could be said that core strength was the most important part of an athlete's body.

First came the ordinary plank. It was extremely easy for Kira Ryosuke, but the difficulty quickly increased: dynamic planks, alternating supported lateral raises, side planks with hip lifts... These movements did not look difficult, but completing a certain number of them in a short period required sufficient strength.

The training Aida Reiko arranged for Kira Ryosuke was very intense and densely packed. Since Kira Ryosuke had shown such determination, she could not afford to relax either.

Chapter Six: The Realm Beyond Genius!

"...Ninety-eight... ninety-nine... one hundred!"

Kira Ryosuke soon completed his seventh set of training.

As soon as he finished, the System's voice rang in his ears.

[Congratulations! Obtained Combat Points: 3]

For every accumulated hour of physical training, Kira Ryosuke could obtain a certain number of Combat Points.

This high-intensity training was extremely taxing for Kira Ryosuke. The training at school was nowhere near as intense, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered through sheer willpower.

He had only one week. He had to break through somehow.

Once he made up his mind, he had to give it his all.

Seeing Kira Ryosuke training so hard, Aida Reiko nodded in satisfaction. She also found her father, Aida Kagetora, and asked him to prepare some specific foods for Kira Ryosuke.

Soccer players had very high physical demands, so they needed to consume plenty of carbohydrates to replenish their energy. Fruit and bread could be digested quickly by the human body and were suitable choices. They also needed lean meat for protein, potassium-rich foods such as bananas to maintain the body's electrolyte balance, and alkaline foods such as soy products or dairy to relieve fatigue.

"That combination won't be cheap, you know."

Aida Kagetora said this to his daughter.

"Just deduct it from his advertising fees later. His advertising fees are far more expensive than his tuition, after all."

Aida Reiko said this with a smile, turning her head toward the entrance. The gym had opened, and people were gradually streaming in.

"Wait, is that Kira Ryosuke?"

"The one who won the district tournament yesterday? The one called the Treasure of the Football World?"

"He's training at this gym too? Boss, I'd like to renew my membership!"

At dusk, the sun slowly sank, and the sky was dyed crimson by the setting sun, like flames burning across it.

"Thanks for your hard work. I'll head home first! See you tomorrow!"

Kira Ryosuke waved to Aida Reiko before leaving the gym.

"He's a very determined young man. He really reminds me of myself in the past."

Aida Kagetora watched Kira Ryosuke's retreating figure and said expressionlessly.

"He's certainly an excellent player. He has a little fame, but he isn't arrogant at all. And he didn't complain once despite such high-intensity training. Even most adults might not be able to endure it."

Aida Reiko answered.

"Honestly, I never expected you to bring a boy home this morning. I thought you'd found yourself a boyfriend. I almost prepared to kill him."

Aida Kagetora's face showed no hint of a joke as he patted his pocket and revealed the fruit knife hidden inside.

"What are you talking about!!!"

Aida Reiko's face flushed bright red. She reached out and punched her father in the chin.

That night, Kira Ryosuke returned home. He had already eaten dinner at the gym, so he lay down for a while after arriving. The fatigue from a full day of training had mostly eased.

Although the training list Aida Reiko had created was extremely intense, it was indeed the fastest way to make up for his weaknesses in the short term. It produced results that blind practice or training with the team could never achieve.

He opened his system menu. His Combat Points had already reached the daily limit of 10.

"There are seven days left. I can obtain a total of 80 points. I'm still some distance from unlocking the Second Form. Before that, if I max out the proficiency of Total Concentration Breathing and the First Form, I'll still need Combat Points to upgrade them. Looks like I still have a long way to go."

After resting enough, Kira Ryosuke did not plan to idle around. He went outside and jogged around the streets near his home.

He had already obtained the maximum number of Combat Points available through exercise today. Even if he continued with other training, he could not obtain more. However, Kira Ryosuke continued practicing not to gain Combat Points, but to train his body.

As his skill proficiency and physical strength increased, he should be able to use the System's abilities more freely in the future.

He practiced soccer skills during the day, trained his body in the afternoon, and now Kira Ryosuke was preparing to practice breathing techniques.

Jogging differed from sprinting. It was an aerobic exercise that improved cardiopulmonary function and enhanced the body's ability to supply oxygen—which was exactly what breathing techniques required.

Kira Ryosuke jogged beneath the night sky while rhythmically adjusting his breathing. He recalled the sensation of using breathing techniques during the day.

Breathing techniques could give a person tremendous explosive power in an instant. In the world of Demon Slayer, the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps could wield Nichirin Blades and contend with demons possessing strength far beyond that of humans precisely because of this.

The swordsmen with even greater strength could maintain Total Concentration Breathing. With Constant Reduplication, they could use Total Concentration Breathing all day long, causing their physical abilities to improve by leaps and bounds.

Kira Ryosuke was still far from reaching that level. He could not even maintain Total Concentration Breathing for very long—basically only a brief instant. But precisely because of that, he knew he needed even more practice.

Recalling the feeling of breathing during the day, he quietly changed the rhythm of his breathing—

Total Concentration Breathing!

Kira Ryosuke felt the oxygen rushing into his lungs instantly transform into energy, filling his entire body. The weight of his body seemed to vanish.

Total Concentration Breathing could greatly enhance human physical functions, but Kira Ryosuke had not fully mastered it yet. He could only maintain it for an instant, and using it a second time required a certain period of recovery.

Kira Ryosuke ran while trying his best to increase the frequency with which he used Total Concentration Breathing.

On his fifth attempt to enter the state of Total Concentration Breathing, a new idea arose in Kira Ryosuke's mind.

Thunderclap and Flash!

Kira Ryosuke used the technique again. The power that had just flowed through his body instantly surged into both his legs. He released the force and pushed off hard!

At that instant, Kira Ryosuke felt as if he were flying.

Soon, that familiar and obvious soreness swept over him again. This time, it affected both legs, but compared with during the day, Kira Ryosuke seemed to feel much better. He leaned against the wall and panted heavily, using the method Aida Reiko had taught him during the day to ease the soreness. Then he turned his head to look back in the direction he had come from.

In an instant, he had actually leaped several meters. Even his former body had been incapable of doing that.

That was the realm reached by surpassing genius.

Chapter Seven: Upgrade! Total Concentration Breathing LV2

"Just like during the day, using it intermittently isn't a problem, but each time, Total Concentration Breathing can still only last for an instant."

"Thunderclap and Flash seems to be an ability that instantly increases the explosive power of the legs. It can be used not only for shooting, but also for breaking through and making runs. Combined with Total Concentration Breathing, it can produce an exaggerated effect. It affects both legs. Although the soreness is less severe than after shooting, it can still only be used at critical moments."

"Moreover, even without being in the state of Total Concentration Breathing, this skill has a wide range of applications. I probably won't be able to maintain the breathing technique for long in the short term, so I have to thoroughly master the basic skill..."

Kira Ryosuke wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although the soreness had not completely faded, he did not dislike the feeling.

His proficiency in Total Concentration Breathing was also slowly increasing.

Over the following days, Kira Ryosuke went to the soccer field to train before sunrise every day.

Because he had caused such a huge commotion on the first day, he did not use Thunderclap and Flash in the Total Concentration state at the soccer field again. Instead, he practiced the skill in his normal state.

Another crucial point was that a match lasted more than ninety minutes. Kira Ryosuke knew the limits of his current abilities. Even being hailed as a genius or the Treasure of the Football World was far from enough. Total Concentration Breathing could temporarily strengthen his stamina, but the amount of time he could maintain it during a match was limited. Moreover, after using Thunderclap and Flash in that state, he could not use the technique again for a short period. Therefore, the "basic version" of Thunderclap and Flash was even more important.

The accuracy of shooting with Thunderclap and Flash, the speed of dribbling—these were all areas Kira Ryosuke needed to practice.

At this time every day, Aida Reiko also came to the venue for morning training. This was Kira Ryosuke's private soccer-skills practice, so she did not disturb him. At most, she joined him for some warm-up exercises.

However, sometimes, while training in the morning, Aida Reiko could not help staring at Kira Ryosuke as he practiced, lost in thought. The skills and speed he displayed had both exceeded her expectations.

Of course, she also had to admit that Kira Ryosuke had a very handsome face.

After the sun fully rose, more people gradually arrived at the venue. Aida Reiko then took Kira Ryosuke to the gym to begin the most important physical training. Kira Ryosuke spent almost the entire day there, eating both lunch and dinner at the gym.

At night, Kira Ryosuke continued practicing his breathing techniques. He jogged outside, adjusted his breathing, and tried to apply the explosive power of Thunderclap and Flash to running.

He even bought a gourd, just like the characters in the original Demon Slayer, and blew into it every day to train his lung capacity.

Before he realized it, a week had quietly passed.

Time flew by, and soon it was the final day before he had to report to the Football Association.

It was already evening. Kira Ryosuke had just completed his final day of physical training and was rinsing the sweat from his body in the gym's shower room.

Feeling the gentle stream of water wash away the day's fatigue and sweat, Kira Ryosuke opened his System Interface.

[Combat. Thunder Breathing. Total Concentration LV1 Proficiency 100%, Upgrade Available, 50 Combat Points]

[Combat. Thunder Breathing First Form. Thunderclap and Flash LV1 Proficiency 100%, Upgrade Available: 50 Combat Points]

[Current Combat Points: 80]

After this period of training, Kira Ryosuke had finally maxed out the proficiency of both Total Concentration Breathing and Thunderclap and Flash. Every morning, he had performed more than a thousand shooting drills, and at night, he had continued practicing his breathing techniques.