"Excellent ball control!" Meguru couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Though dribbling was his own pride and weapon, he had to admit that Ryōsuke's dribbling skills surpassed his own.
"Is this guy playing street soccer?" Zantetsu exclaimed with wide eyes, amazed by his opponent's moves.
To pull off such moves in a match requires more than refined technique — it takes tremendous mental fortitude.
Reo was a well-rounded player with no real weaknesses and excellent defensive abilities. Yet Ryōsuke had him completely fooled on defense.
This was the absolute difference in ability!
Ryōsuke had easily gotten past one "genius", but another figure suddenly appeared before him.
Seishirō Nagi.
At this moment, he had shed his usual lazy demeanor, replaced by an intensely focused gaze — like a lion fixated on its prey, staring at his adversary.
He had recovered at terrifying speed, moving to defend just as Ryōsuke got past Reo.
"You're strong, stronger than anyone else I've faced before." Seishirō spoke slowly. Beads of sweat had finally appeared on his forehead.
"So you're finally getting serious?" Ryōsuke smiled at him.
"Yeah, if I keep slacking off, we'll lose." Seishirō replied, "Kira, do you like soccer? You've probably never lost either, just like me."
"To be honest, I was neutral about it before, but I quite like it now. I've learned and experienced things I never had before." Ryōsuke answered.
"Is that so? Then we seem quite similar..."
"No, we're very different." Ryōsuke narrowed his eyes, "I give my all in every match, and when I set a goal, I do everything to achieve it. That's what it means to respect both teammates and opponents."
"Teammates and opponents?" A puzzled expression appeared on Seishirō's face, "But isn't that too much trouble? They're people without talent who won't make it to the end anyway. It'd be better if they just gave up early. Even my current teammates, though they might advance to the next round, will definitely be eliminated eventually."
His expression looked completely innocent — there was no malice in his words, this was simply his honest thinking.
Those without talent shouldn't persist. Teammates didn't matter; after all, the others weren't of any use in matches anyway.
"That's why we're different. This isn't a one-man game."
"But what Jinpachi Ego said—"
"I'm going to get past you now." Ryōsuke cut him off, having no interest in empty words. He instantly accelerated, aiming to slip past from the side.
However, Seishirō proved a formidable obstacle. With his superb physical condition and outstanding balance, he shifted his center of gravity smoothly, refusing to give even an inch of space.
Behind him, the other defenders on the backline closed in around Ryōsuke.
But such defense meant little to his abilities. He suddenly halted the ball, then pivoted, attempting to bypass Seishirō from a different angle. His movement was lightning-quick — too fast for most to follow.
Yet the genius Seishirō kept pace!
He executed a perfect reverse turn, once again barring Ryōsuke's path.
Stopped him!... Or did he?
Seishirō's eyes widened as he realized the ball had vanished from Ryōsuke's feet. During that split-second turn, Ryōsuke had back-heeled the ball away. The masterful feint had deceived everyone on the field — even his own teammates.
Everyone except one person who had read the play.
Yoichi Isagi!
He was Ryōsuke's target all along.
The moment the ball reached him, Yoichi burst into a full sprint toward the opponent's penalty area!
"Damn it! Was Isagi the target?"
"How is he this fast?!"
"Wasn't he supposed to be the weakest on Team Z?"
Team V's players watched in shock — their impression of his rough technique and average athleticism shattered as he displayed surprising speed.
'The physical training with Kira really paid off!' Yoichi thought as he surveyed the field.
Ryōsuke had challenged him to discover his weapon, his unique contribution to the team. Now was his moment to shine.
In this match, he was playing the role of shadow striker!
A shadow striker operates between forward and attacking midfielder, moving fluidly across left, right, and center positions — this was the role Ryōsuke had assigned to him!
When the star striker draws the defense's attention, the shadow striker seizes the moment!
"Stop him!"
Team V's defenders rushed forward, attempting to shut him down completely.
At this moment, Yoichi sensed a goal coming.
As the opposing defenders shifted their focus, the pressure on Ryōsuke weakened, allowing him to make a swift cut-in while Yoichi broke through!
This instinct for goal came from Ryōsuke.
"It's yours, Kira!" Having drawn enough defenders, he struck the ball powerfully, threading it precisely to his teammate.
Since joining Blue Lock, Yoichi had questioned whether his style was too selfless, whether he needed to become the absolute egotist that Jinpachi described.
But Ryōsuke and Jinoachi's words had awakened something in him.
Scoring goals alone doesn't make a great forward. A truly great forward brings victory to the team!
Whether passing or shooting, if it's his own decision and leads to victory, it's the right choice!
"Great pass!" Ryōsuke had received the ball with plenty of space to shoot.
"I'll stop you!" Only Seishirō hadn't fallen for the tactical play, charging at full speed by the shortest route to intercept.
Directly in the path of Ryōsuke's shot!
❖❖❖
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