On Saturday, the Esperion Youth B-Team played another match against other schools.
Just before kickoff, Ashito hurried to find Ryōsuke and return the USB drive.
"Thank you so much, Kira-senpai! I learned so many things from those videos!" Ashito said excitedly.
"Oh, tell me about it?" Ryōsuke smiled at the boy.
"Earlier I talked with Kaidō-san, and she told me I should have more options on the field." Ashito said seriously.
The person he mentioned was Anri Kaidō, daughter of Tokyo City Esperion FC's sponsor's CEO, who frequently attended the team's matches.
"After watching those recordings, I noticed that player Yoichi Isagi — even though his physique doesn't stand out during matches, he seems to guide the whole team's direction through his actions... I'm not entirely sure if that's right, but I got that feeling..." Ashito spoke enthusiastically about his discoveries.
After a week under Ryōsuke's guidance, he had discovered many things he hadn't understood before. Every player's action — whether passing or breaking through — had purpose, all aimed at achieving victory.
In matches, Yoichi primarily played forward. Though he didn't score often, he still contributed to victory — something Ashito couldn't yet do.
Perhaps that young man represented Ashito's path forward, though more toward midfield than striker position.
"...Sorry, I talked too much!" Ashito suddenly apologized, realizing his excitement might seem impolite.
"It's fine. Let me see how you perform on the field later." Ryōsuke said, patting his shoulder as Ashito jogged toward the field.
"I wonder how much Ashito has learned? Though he seems to understand where he's still lacking." Tatsuya said with a smile as he watched Ashito's departing figure, "Thanks for your hard work these days, Ryōsuke."
"It's nothing — after all, I've eaten plenty of meals at your facility." Ryōsuke joked.
As the two walked to the coaching area, all eyes turned to them.
"That's Tatsuya Fukuda who used to play in La Liga! It's really him!"
"Did you see the person next to him? That's Ryōsuke Kira!"
"You mean the player who was brilliant in last week's match?"
The crowd buzzed with excitement, their attention fixed on the two men.
The match began swiftly, with Esperion launching an immediate attack.
On the field, Ashito's performance showed remarkable changes — his stamina had improved, his explosive power had increased noticeably, and his once-rough skills had reached an acceptable level. Most importantly, he demonstrated better control of his unique talent.
"Kira-senpai said that truly excellent players don't just score goals, they find ways to win..." Ashito thought as he played, "More options, more options!"
Each time he handled the ball, he played more thoughtfully, focusing not only on setting up his own goals but on creating opportunities for his teammates.
Though he still occasionally got carried away trying to show off, his performance showed newfound maturity.
"Aoi... he's changed quite a bit."
An unfamiliar female voice spoke up beside Ryōsuke and Tatsuya.
Ryōsuke turned to see a girl in uniform about his age — not particularly tall, with black curly hair cascading past her shoulders to her waist, and delicate features set in a neutral expression.
"This is Miss Kaidō. Her family's company partnered with Blue Lock, which is why some Esperion members have the opportunity to enter Blue Lock." Tatsuya introduced her.
"Nice to meet you. You must be Kira-san." Anri greeted him politely, though her gaze quickly returned to the field, "Are you the one who brought about this change in Aoi?"
"I just gave him some casual pointers. The rest depends on his own performance." Ryōsuke answered with a smile.
After more than an hour, the match ended with Esperion B-Team winning decisively, 5–0.
Ashito dominated the game with one goal and three assists, emerging as the standout player.
"We originally thought he lacked the talent for forward and were planning to move him to defense, but it looks like we'll have to postpone that plan." Tatsuya said with a smile as he stretched his neck.
"Though his technique needs polishing, he'll make great strides at Blue Lock — if he can adapt." Ryōsuke said thoughtfully, "I'll report this to Mr. Ego and add him to the Second Phase roster. Thank you for your help during this time."
"No, no, we should be thanking you!" Tatsuya stood up, his gaze fixed on Ryōsuke, "We old failures can only entrust our unfulfilled dreams to you young people."
"You're joking, Fukuda-senpai. You were an idol to many kids back then — but regarding the World Cup, I'll definitely help bring it home."
Though Ryōsuke had a smile on his face, his eyes held an intense seriousness.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
A week later, Blue Lock's break came to an end.
Ryōsuke arrived early, making his way back to Blue Lock.
At the entrance, he spotted Ashito struggling with an enormous backpack.
"Aoi? What are you doing?" Ryōsuke approached him, eyeing the huge backpack, "What's in there?"
"They're all bentos from Hana! She insisted I need a balanced diet even in Blue Lock!"
Ashito explained, referring to Hana Ichijō, Tatsuya's non-blood-related sister who had always looked after him.
"Kira-senpai, what about that backpack you're carrying?" His gaze shifted to Ryōsuke's equally large pack.
"Haha, same story — bentos from my girlfriend." Ryōsuke gave a slightly strained smile.
Riko, concerned about his diet, had packed him an enormous amount of food. Thankfully, before the Second Phase began, he'd already convinced Jinpachi to upgrade the cafeteria.
"Let's head in."
"Yeah!"
Ryōsuke led Ashito through Blue Lock's entrance, down a long corridor, and into the main hall.
The typically spacious hall now felt cramped.
"Hey, Kira!"
Yoichi, Meguru, and other Blue Lock members already present waved enthusiastically at Ryōsuke.
"Kira! Where have you been during the break? You never came out to play!"
Oliver and other former U-20 team members greeted him with smiles.
"Kei-kei! Why couldn't I find you these past few days?!"
At that moment, an agile figure suddenly lunged from beside Ryōsuke—
❖ Transparent World! ❖
Ryōsuke instantly activated his Transparent World ability, clearly seeing the person's movements and identity: Ryūsei.
After two weeks of practice, his proficiency with this ability had improved considerably, though it remained slower than his other skills — this one truly being at the level of an "ultimate technique".
Ryōsuke nimbly stepped back, perfectly avoiding Ryūsei's flying tackle. The latter face-planted on the ground.
Yet as if immune to pain, that crazy man bounced back up like a spring.
"Kei-kei, I waited forever for you during the break! I wanted to practice with you. I even got beaten up by some mysterious person." Ryūsei whined.
"Is that so? I wonder who that could be." Ryōsuke said, feigning ignorance.
The one who had beaten him up was Kagetora.
"What a pervert. Is this guy gay? Disgusting." Reo sneered.
Ryōsuke glanced at Reo, his brows furrowing slightly as if wanting to say something, but he remained silent.
In a corner, Rin stood quietly, staring intently at Ryōsuke.
Meanwhile, Shoei stepped in front of Ryōsuke, "This time, I will definitely make you—"
"Become my servant, yeah yeah, I know." Ryōsuke sighed.
Shoei always talked trash, and it was always the same.
"There are quite a few opponents to face this time." Ryōsuke mused, feeling many gazes fixed upon him.
As Jinpachi had mentioned earlier, he had become everyone's common enemy.
He turned to look around. Sae stood at the furthest position from his brother — someone who had previously looked down on the country's football had now voluntarily joined Blue Lock's Second Phase, which exceeded his expectations.
Among those who had come to Blue Lock, several notable faces stood out.
"Nice to meet you, Kira-san. I apologize for not properly hosting you during your visit to our facility." A slim player approached Ryōsuke with an expressionless greeting.
"Pleased to meet you too, Kuribayashi-san. We'll have plenty of opportunities ahead." Ryōsuke matched his polite tone.
Haruhisa Kuribayashi was Esperion's crowning achievement — a prodigy who had earned recognition from an early age. While still in high school, he had competed at the highest professional level, displaying abilities far beyond his peers. He was truly a one-in-a-million talent.
For him, Blue Lock would be his launching pad from national to international stardom.
Just then, three more players approached Ryōsuke.
"So you're Kira? I can't wait to face you — let's see who's the real number one forward!" The first was a tall, dark-skinned player whose eyes blazed with the intensity of a tiger.
This was Kojiro Hyuga, the Football Association's chosen representative for Blue Lock's Second Phase.
"Are you Kira-san? Pleased to meet you." The second wore a sports cap and had bandaged hands, his gaze radiating determination.
Genzō Wakabayashi, the country's premier goalkeeper and a childhood prodigy, had just returned from Germany to accept Blue Lock's invitation.
"Hello Kira! It's great to finally meet you! I've watched your match recordings — they're truly impressive!"
And the third was Tsubasa Ōzora.
Known as the "cheat-like" phenomenon, he remained undefeated in his professional career — the very definition of absolute strength.
"Pleased to meet you all." Ryōsuke said with a smile.
When Jinpachi had shown him the roster earlier, he'd already known these Captain Tsubasa players existed in this world.
'Though here, they should at least follow the laws of physics...' Ryōsuke thought wryly.
In their original universe, they could use football to shatter giant trees and kick souls out of bodies. But with the universes merged, such impossible feats shouldn't exist... probably.
Blue Lock's Second Phase would certainly surpass the intensity of the original story.
[Well well, my gems of talent, how was your holiday?]
Jinpachi's distinctive voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
His gaunt figure appeared on the massive screen above.
[As you all know, I now fully control the U-20 representative selection. Whether you're already famous or a defeated dog, it makes no difference now — I'll select the new U-20 representatives from among you. Welcome to Blue Lock Second Phase!]
❖❖❖
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