Shōei charged directly toward Vulcan, who immediately moved to meet him!
Despite Shōei's incredibly refined technique, against an absolute difference in power, such skills meant nothing!
"You're like a moth flying into flame, Barō! You'll be crushed along with Japan!"
But just as the two were about to collide, Shōei suddenly stopped abruptly and rotated his body to flick the ball behind his foot!
A backheel cut!
This divine technique he'd showcased in previous matches! With its extreme speed and rhythm changes, ordinary defenders found it impossible to guard against!
However... The Saudi Arabian players had prepared thoroughly for this match. They had studied countless Blue Lock recordings and knew his dribbling style!
Vulcan was already waiting at the exact position where Shōei would turn after his backheel cut!
"This is bad, they've seen through him!" Ashito shouted nervously.
"No, the current Barō is different now." Yō Hiori said calmly.
Vulcan laughed as he looked at Shōei, his gaze carrying a hint of contempt.
"So the 'King' of Japan is only this much! Your attack pattern is too predictable!"
But the moment he noticed his opponent's expression, Vulcan's brow furrowed. There was no surprise in those eyes, only absolute arrogance.
"What are you talking about, commoner?"
Vulcan's gaze shifted downward, and only then did he suddenly realize the ball wasn't at Shōei's feet at all!
In the center, Ryōsuke had received a pass.
"When did that happen?" Vulcan was utterly shocked.
In the instant of turning, Shōei had already used his heel to pass the ball directly to Ryōsuke's feet!
"It's Kira!"
Vulcan knew all too well that if that guy got a shot off, the consequences would be unimaginable!
He absolutely couldn't let him score! Even if he had to use his body to block the shot!
Ryōsuke had already stepped forward, and Vulcan intercepted with all his might, positioning himself as a human wall to block the shot.
But... Ryōsuke didn't shoot directly!
Instead, he shifted his body slightly and passed the ball!
It wasn't a shot at all — it was a give-and-go with Shōei!
Ryōsuke passed the ball back to Shōei, who immediately accelerated after receiving it!
If this had been the old lone wolf "King", he would have unhesitatingly challenged Vulcan one-on-one, resulting in him getting completely shut down nine times out of ten.
But Shōei had transformed! That's why he had passed the ball before directly confronting Vulcan!
And now, having received the ball again, he was ready for revenge!
"Bow before me, you commoners!"
Shōei fired the ball like a bullet, piercing straight through Saudi Arabia's defense and finding the corner of the goal!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ All Japan Youth 2:0 Saudi Arabia Youth ]
The King had announced his coronation to the world!
"Nice shot, Barō." Ryōsuke said with a smile.
"Your pass was acceptable. When I sit on the throne, I might grant you a minor official position."
"How about Emperor Emeritus?"
{T/N: Retired Emperor.}
"I'll kill you."
Ryōsuke and Shōei exchanged caustic taunts.
But the next moment, the two high-fived!
"Barō and Kira high-fived, my God!"
"Am I seeing things?"
"Today both Sae Itoshi and Barō high-fived others... normally that would be unthinkable."
"Am I dreaming...?"
On the bench, everyone was shocked by what had just happened. Not only them, but the other players remaining at Japan base were equally dumbfounded.
[Just now, Shōei Barō and Ryōsuke Kira executed an exquisite combination, with Ryōsuke successfully assisting Shōei's goal! Saudi Arabia is down 2-0! How will they respond in this match?] The commentator shouted excitedly.
Mark stared blankly at Ryōsuke and the others, suddenly realizing the enormous gap in strength between the two teams...
Ryōsuke wasn't just a terrifying scorer; he could also connect with his teammates... He was truly the perfect player...
"Mark, what should we do next?"
The surrounding players turned to him, hoping for useful instructions.
"I..." Mark gave a helpless smile.
Against the team led by Ryōsuke, there were simply no weaknesses.
A method to defeat them? It seemed impossible.
"I don't know..." Mark shook his head.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
After Ryōsuke and Shōei scored in succession, the Saudi Arabian team's morale completely collapsed.
Blue Lock launched attacks from all directions as the match progressed. Tsubasa, Kojiro, and Rin each added goals to the tally.
In the end, they dominated their opponents with a crushing 8-0 victory.
"Amazing..." After the match, Mark approached Ryōsuke and shook his hand, "Your strength... is truly frightening."
"We just had better luck." Ryōsuke replied modestly.
"This isn't about luck... your team is simply too strong. I've learned so much." Mark said, "Keep it up. I hope we meet again in the regular tournament!"
He was keenly aware of the vast difference in ability between the two teams.
"Yes, I hope we meet again." Ryōsuke responded with a smile.
Mark gazed at the young man before him. Japan, once a weak football nation, now possessed such formidable strength — and the person standing before him was the true architect of it all.
Perhaps... they really could stand at the pinnacle of the world.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
After the match, everyone returned to the locker room.
"Everyone performed excellently today. As I expected, it was a thoroughly satisfying victory." Jinpachi said, pushing up his glasses before continuing, "Your teamwork was also somewhat decent, which I find slightly impressive."
While speaking, he glanced briefly toward Shōei, then continued.
"However, this is only the first match, and Saudi Arabia isn't a particularly strong team, so don't become overconfident. Understood?"
"Yes." The players nodded in unison.
"Also, Kira, as Captain, what are your thoughts on this match?"
"First, everyone performed well in our debut, but there are issues we can't ignore." Ryōsuke said seriously, "On offense, our attacking options need more diversity, such as in... (explanations and such…)
Then there's our defensive weakness. Because of our formation, we place excessive pressure on Aiku and Niko. We need to improve our defensive capabilities up front. For instance, Barō's defensive performance today still has considerable room for improvement."
'Being able to directly point out Barō's problems... that's Kira for you...' Yoichi inwardly sighed.
He knew Shōei had a fiery temper and was extremely stubborn. Anyone who dared point out his flaws would almost certainly face his wrath.
But now, hearing Ryōsuke's criticism, Shōei merely looked displeased and nodded with a simple "Hmm".
Even he recognized his defensive shortcomings had allowed Mark to create several opportunities.
"Barō, you're not angry?" Yoichi blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Want me to kill you, Isagi?!"
The moment those words left Yoichi's mouth, Shōei ignited like a powder keg, his murderous aura instantly enveloping him.
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Kira summarized things very well." Jinpachi nodded, "I can tell you all very responsibly that our team is extremely strong — but not strong enough. We still can't achieve perfection."
As he spoke, his lips curved slightly upward.
"To make us even stronger, I've found some people to provide support and help us improve."
Just then, the locker room door slowly opened.
"Long time no see!"
The first person through the door was immediately recognizable to Ashito and Haruhisa.
Tatsuya Fukuda!
"Coach Fukuda!" Seeing Tatsuya, Ashito's eyes widened with joy.
"Tatsuya Fukuda, perhaps not many young people know him, but he was more or less a representative figure of our country's football in the past." Jinpachi said, pushing up his glasses.
"What do you mean 'more or less'?"
Tatsuya smiled at him, but Jinpachi ignored him and continued.
"Though Tatsuya's achievements as a player were modest at best, his accomplishments as a head coach were quite impressive. As the head coach of our country's largest club's youth team, he was instrumental in building Esperion. He will serve as our assistant coach to help with tactical training."
"Tatsuya Fukuda..." Sae narrowed his eyes slightly. He certainly knew the name.
"I can work with Coach Fukuda again." Haruhisa said with a smile.
Tatsuya was the person he respected most in his life. Without his guidance, Haruhisa wouldn't have reached this point.
"So this is Ashito's coach." Yoichi said, carefully observing the man.
Despite his reputation as a famous player and coach, Tatsuya wore slippers, had his jacket hanging loosely, and sported stubble across his face, giving him a casual, almost careless appearance.
Can this person really help us? Yoichi wondered.
"There's one more person." Jinpachi continued, turning his gaze toward the doorway as the second person entered.
He was a middle-aged man whose face radiated energy, likely around the same age as Tatsuya and Jinpachi.
"Takeshi Tatsumi, formerly a coach of a second-rate team and a National Team player at one point. His talents in relevant fields are quite solid, so I've brought him on to see if he can contribute. From now on, he will be our team's data analyst, helping us analyze opponents' weaknesses and formulate effective strategies." Jinpachi explained calmly.
"Hello everyone. You already know my name, so let's work well together from now on." Takeshi said with a smile, rubbing his head.
Yoichi pursed his lips. This newcomer seemed even more casual in his behavior than Tatsuya.
Are these two actually reliable?
"Takeshi Tatsumi..." Ryōsuke studied him, feeling the name was somewhat familiar. After a moment's reflection, it suddenly clicked.
He was the protagonist of "Giant Killing"!
Takeshi had been a key player for his club and even played in overseas leagues (FC Eastham) before retiring early due to injuries and transitioning to coaching.
In many ways, he resembled Tatsuya.
Passionate about football, after becoming a club supervisor, he lived at the club facility, often studying opponents until dawn or pulling all-nighters.
He excelled at identifying opponents' weaknesses from extensive data and ruthlessly exploiting those vulnerabilities during matches. His high-risk tactical approach earned him the reputation of a gambler.
These precise abilities led Jinpachi to recruit him as an analyst.
"I've prepared detailed information on all our upcoming opponents." Despite his casual appearance, Takeshi produced a thick stack of notes from inside his jacket.
The documents contained comprehensive data on Japan's future opponents — playing styles, team tactics, and star player abilities — everything meticulously cataloged.
"We absolutely must win the U-20 World Cup." Takeshi said, smiling at the players with confident eyes.
"Well, that's all for now. The first match is over, but we can't relax. The Asian qualifiers have two rounds, and this was just the first match of the first round. Stronger opponents await us."
Jinpachi clapped his hands.
"Let's return to Blue Lock immediately and begin training for the next match. We cannot stop until we win the championship."
❖❖❖
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)! You can have access to almost 15 books!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305258