"Great defense!"
"That's Kira for you!"
"That speed was incredible! The redhead from Blue Lock was fast, but Kira, you're on another level!"
Oliver and the others rushed to surround Ryōsuke in celebration.
Yoichi's pass had been dangerous — if Ryōsuke hadn't intercepted it, they would have been in serious trouble!
Watching everyone cheer, Oliver reflected on how the team had transformed. Before Ryōsuke's arrival, they had lacked energy, but now they were filled with new vitality.
He had revolutionized the entire team by himself.
"Ryōsuke Kira has shown exceptional skill in both attack and defense during the first half. He penetrates enemy lines at will while completely shutting down their offense in his own half! He excels in every position, from forward to defender. Though it remains to be seen if he'll complete his hat-trick, one thing is certain — he has made his mark on the world stage!"
The commentator could barely contain their excitement, having not witnessed such an electrifying match in years.
The Football Association had instructed them to focus their commentary on Sae. Everyone — both audience and commentators — had expected Sae to be the star, with others merely in supporting roles.
But now, everything had changed. Ryōsuke was the one commanding the spotlight!
His technique and physical abilities had reached heights that left others in awe.
The scouts couldn't take their eyes off Ryōsuke's performance.
"Ryōsuke Kira — I remember that name. He was supposed to be good, but is he really this exceptional?"
"Should we invite him to our youth training camp?"
"Does he have an agent? How can we contact him?"
The scouts were already mobilizing before halftime.
In the stands, Tatsuya Fukuda watched Ryōsuke intently, a knowing smile crossing his face as ideas formed in his mind.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Outside the stadium, Julian sat in a hotel's presidential suite, watching the match broadcast on a large screen with intense focus.
He had initially arranged with Jinpachi to watch from the venue, eager to see Ryōsuke's performance in an official match.
But being a world-renowned superstar meant his presence would cause too much commotion and potential security issues. Instead, Jinpachi had arranged for him to watch from the hotel.
"That godlike speed — it's the same running technique he used against me." Julian muttered, texting his clubmates to watch the match.
| What's worth watching in this country's football? |
| Just a meaningless match—we might as well go clubbing. |
| Julian, why are you so interested? Is it because of Sae Itoshi from the New Generation World XI? |
His teammates couldn't grasp his interest, dismissing the match entirely except for Sae.
But Julian merely smiled and replied:
"No, there's someone even more captivating in this match."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
The Blue Lock team had returned to the locker room. Though they were down 1-2, most players' fighting spirit hadn't wavered — if anything, their determination had grown stronger.
Except for one person: Rin Itoshi.
He sat silently in a corner, head covered with a towel, sweat dripping down both sides of his face. No one dared approach him — even when spoken to, he remained completely unresponsive, as if his soul had been stripped away.
Meanwhile, Hyōma sat on the ground, breathing heavily, his body trembling with each rapid breath as sweat poured continuously. He had reached his limit, the intense muscle pain making it impossible to continue.
But he remained silent, pretending nothing was wrong.
"You all did fairly well." Jinpachi said as he approached the team, "Your performance exceeded my expectations. However, this isn't enough — we can't win like this."
"But we're only down by one goal. Haven't we built up momentum?"
Tabito asked, confused by the pessimism when they were so close and their recent attacks had nearly succeeded.
"Do you really think we have a chance of winning if we continue like this?" Jinpachi pushed up his glasses, his gaze falling on Tabito, "Whether it was Seishirō Nagi's moves or Rin Itoshi getting past Sae Itoshi — those were just moments of success beyond your usual abilities. They can't be replicated. Look at how drained your stamina is. Can any of you truly keep going toe-to-toe with the opponent?"
Rin remained silent while the other players exchanged worried glances.
Though morale remained high, there was no denying they had expended considerable energy in the first half. Both attacking and defending required 120% effort just to compete with their opponents.
And Ryōsuke's stamina seemed limitless — no one had ever seen him exhausted. In a battle of endurance, they stood no chance.
"Then how can we win?" Yoichi asked, wiping away his sweat.
"We've already won." Jinpachi replied calmly, "You've shown Blue Lock's strength to the world. Everyone has performed excellently — even without the Blue Lock project, you'll likely be scouted and signed by major clubs soon. Though the Project might be terminated and I'll probably be blacklisted like garbage, in reality, Blue Lock has already won."
He spoke truthfully — though he had planned for later stages, simply holding this match meant victory.
Nearby, Anri bit her lip, unsure what to say.
"Who asked you about that, four-eyes!" In that moment, Yoichi's eyes widened as he lunged forward and grabbed Jinpachi's collar, "I'm asking you how we can win this match!"
Everyone froze — no one had expected to see such an expression on his face.
Like a monster, it was completely different from his usually gentle demeanor!
What drove him to act this way was the fierce competitive spirit burning in his heart. The first half had just ended — how could they say Blue Lock was already destined to lose?
"Um!" Anri stood speechless, caught off guard by the sudden confrontation.
Jinpachi remained perfectly calm, showing no trace of anger. If anything, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, as if Yoichi's reaction was exactly what he'd anticipated.
"There is indeed one last option, though it's hardly an option at all. Would you like to try it?" He narrowed his eyes, "We'll make major substitutions for the second half, bringing in players who can break through."
"Who?"
Everyone's gaze fixed on Jinpachi.
"We'll use all three substitutions to make our attack and defense more extreme. That's our only chance. First, Hyōma Chigiri will come off, replaced by Reo Mikage. He'll play as defender, supporting Niko in defense, significantly strengthening our defensive capabilities."
Jinpachi glanced at Ikki, already knowing he too had mastered that unique observational ability.
"I—"
Hyōma tried to speak, but Jinpachi cut him off mercilessly.
"You're completely exhausted — anyone can see that. If you continue playing in the second half, you'll just be a burden. What's wrong, not going to follow orders?" His tone was unforgiving.
Hyōma bit his lip and clenched his fists, his face tight with frustration, but ultimately could only nod. He desperately wanted to keep running on the field, but his body had already reached its limit.
For this moment, he had trained frantically for three weeks, but in the end, he had still depleted everything too soon. It was unbearable.
Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, but Jinpachi completely ignored him.
"Understood, Mikage?"
"Yes." Reo stepped forward, nodding firmly.
"Also, Bachira will come off, replaced by Baro. Your ball control is good, but it's not enough to break through Ryōsuke's defense. We need Baro for that breakthrough." Jinpachi continued.
"Finally, it's time." Shoei's expression turned grave, barely containing the rage in his heart.
Watching from the sidelines while his teammates played had already filled him with frustration.
And among the opponents was Ryōsuke, who had defeated him twice. Now, Shoei finally had his chance at revenge.
"Then who's the third?"
"Rin comes off, replaced by Ryūsei Shidō."
"What?!"
Everyone froze in shock. Rin leaped from his seat, fixing Jinpachi with a murderous glare.
But Jinpachi's expression remained unchanged as he stated calmly, "The first half has proven that with Rin as the core, victory is impossible. That berserk state of yours brings nothing but blind self-indulgence."
"I haven't lost yet! How dare you let that insect—"
"No, you've lost completely. You've been obsessing over pointless sibling rivalry while barely caring about winning this match. Someone like you has no right to stay on the field. This is an order from your coach, and you've brought this upon yourself." Jinpachi's tone was calm but carried undeniable authority.
"Oh my dear Rin-Rin, if you've lost then you've lost, why not admit it? Just let me win it back for you~"
Ryūsei rose to his feet, his face twisted with mockery, his demeanor casual and nonchalant.
His abilities matched Rin's, with even stronger offensive capabilities. On the field, he played with complete freedom, wielding a unique style that ordinary players couldn't handle. This made it impossible for him to coexist with Rin, leading to frequent conflicts during team training.
And he was Jinpachi's ultimate weapon.
If Ryōsuke didn't exist, Ryūsei would have been Sae's chosen one.
"You insect..." Rin's body trembled with emotion, but given the match's importance, he forced himself to suppress his anger and remained silent.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"Leave it to me, leave it to me~ Kira and Sae~ I'll take good care of them! I can't wait to get on the field! I'm so impatient — it's like an X-rated desire that just won't stop!" A wolfish smile bloomed on Ryūsei's face, full of excitement and predatory hunger.
"But... with Baro and Shidō's playing styles, can they really work together?"
Kenyū from the team raised the question. He was a rational player who always made the most logical decisions on the field.
In his view, both Ryūsei and Shoei were intensely individualistic players focused solely on personal attacks. Putting them on the same team would destroy their chemistry — it seemed fundamentally flawed.
"That's your problem to solve. As I said, this is 'an option that's not really an option'. It's not just about the attack — the connection between defense and offense will become very weak." Jinpachi continued, "This match is now a gladiatorial arena. Your enemies aren't just U-20, but also each other. Kill each other, devour each other, and see who emerges victorious. Only the final survivor will have the right to face the opponent. This is the only way you can break through."
As he spoke, his gaze deliberately fell on Yoichi.
"Go out there and cause as much chaos as possible."
❖❖❖
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