Chapter 30: I Will Guard the Rear of This Team
During this period, Ryosuke Kira had also been leading the others in tactical training—
and in everyone's eyes, he had turned completely into a training maniac.
They truly regarded him as the team's leader, believing he could guide them even farther.
"Yesterday's third match finished too. Team W beat Team X, four to one."
With one hour left before kickoff, the team was in the locker room preparing for the match as Kira briefed them on the current state of Blue Lock.
Team X losing to Team W was predictable.
Team X only had Barou Shouei as their standout player; the rest simply weren't capable of advancing.
After the crushing defeat against Team Z, their mentality crumbled even further. Combined with Barou's outburst in the first match, the entire team had collapsed completely.
They were basically destined for elimination, and Barou could rely only on his status as the team's scoring ace to advance to the next stage.
"Our next opponent is Team Y. Yes, they were crushed in the first match, but that doesn't mean they're a weak team. Hibiki Ōkawa looks like their main attacker, but the most important player is Ikki Niko. Don't forget that."
Kira continued,
"They've already lost once. Losing again would mean near-certain elimination, so Team Y will definitely come at us with everything they have. We can't relax."
"Is Niko really someone worth worrying about?"
Kunigami asked with confusion,
"In the footage, even though he didn't score, every dangerous attack came from Ōkawa."
"That's correct—Ōkawa is the attacker. But the one who always sets up their defensive transitions and counters is Niko."
Kira replied.
"So for this match, our tactics will change slightly. I'll take charge of the backfield. I won't allow them the slightest chance to counterattack."
"You're taking the backfield this time?"
Wataru Kuon asked in surprise.
"Then who's attacking?"
Kira shifted his gaze toward the quiet figure sitting in the corner of the locker room—
Hyoma Chigiri.
"I'm leaving it to our princess."
"Eh?"
Everyone was shocked, including Chigiri himself.
"Are you sure he can do it?"
"He barely did anything last match."
"Yeah… I'm not convinced—but if it's Kira's plan, I'll trust it."
The room filled with murmurs, while Chigiri was left completely stunned.
"I trust him. And the opponent will definitely start the first half with a full defensive stance. You all can attack freely. If this team moves forward relying only on me, none of you will grow—and that's unfair, especially for someone who's always played defense. Who knows? Maybe later I can even try being goalkeeper."
Kira said with a relaxed smile.
They were a team, and if they wanted to keep winning, every aspect needed to improve.
Their future opponents would only become stronger—especially Team V, whose strength far surpassed the others.
Advancing wasn't the real challenge; Kira wanted to use this time to "greedily" learn and strengthen himself.
The stronger his allies and opponents were, the more competitive points he could earn, accelerating his growth.
And beyond the striker position, he wanted to test if his unlocked skills could be effective in other positions as well.
According to the system, using skills to complete steals or assists would also grant huge amounts of points.
"But… can I really do it?"
Chigiri asked softly, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
"Don't worry. Just attack as you wish. Leave everything in our half to me."
Kira assured him,
"And in the first half, your job is to push them, force mistakes, and drain their stamina. When the second half comes—if the score isn't already decided—I'll move up and crush their defense with you."
…
In Team Y's locker room, Niko had gathered his teammates to discuss their counterplan.
"We must win this match!"
Although his heavy bangs covered his eyes, everyone could tell his expression was dead serious.
"Team Z is strong, but they're not impossible to handle. They're completely different from Team V. Team V had three powerful attackers that split our defense apart—but Team Z only has one threat: Ryosuke Kira. The rest aren't worth fearing."
Niko clenched his fists as he spoke, voice firm and unwavering:
"I will use these eyes to shut down every one of Kira's attack routes! I won't let him score! We will win this match!"
"Yeah!"
Their morale surged to its peak.
They had nowhere left to retreat—another loss meant elimination.
…
An hour later, both teams entered the field by broadcast instruction.
The atmosphere was tense; flames of battle were already burning even before kickoff.
Kira could feel their focused stares aimed at him, but he paid them no mind and opened his system interface.
[Host: Ryosuke Kira]
[Current Points: 0]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Total Concentration LV2 | Proficiency: 88.07%]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — First Form: Thunderclap and Flash LV2 | Proficiency: 75.11%]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Second Form: Rice Spirit LV1 | Proficiency: 100% | Upgrade Cost: 50 Points]
After days of daily training plus high-efficiency sessions inside the competitive space, he had raised his newly unlocked Rice Spirit to full proficiency. It was ready to level up to LV2.
This match should earn him enough points.
And Kira Ryosuke wanted to see whether the abilities he had unlocked could prove effective in positions other than striker.
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 2 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.