At this moment, Yō had sprinted with all his might to the front of the goal.
He couldn't stop! If he did, Lorenzo and the others would catch up to him.
Now, only Ken remained in front of him — the last great obstacle on the Ubers team!
Ken was somewhat fatigued, but he hadn't lowered his guard. He knew perfectly well that if he couldn't defend this shot, everything would be over!
He stared intently at Yō. From his observations, this opponent clearly prioritized passing over shooting.
Behind and to the side of Yō, Rensuke and Yoichi followed closely.
No, there was one more person!
Ryōsuke! He had also reached the front field at a terrifying speed!
Ken marveled at this monster's abilities. He had been at the baseline moments ago, yet had overtaken everyone to reach the front field!
What kind of speed and stamina was this?
So what would Yō choose?
Ken's mind raced.
Suddenly, Yō's movements changed! He turned his head, looking to his left!
There, Ryōsuke was already in position!
"So it's Kira after all!" Ken immediately judged Yō's passing intention.
Ryōsuke was undoubtedly Bastard München's strongest attacking point — only he could break through Ken's defense!
No matter what, Ken had to intercept this shot. Even if it cost him his life, it didn't matter.
To prevent Ryōsuke's shot, Ken slightly rotated his body toward that position.
"It's over." Yō said quietly.
The head turn was a feint!
His goal was to mislead Ken, making him believe Ryōsuke would launch the final attack!
When he had made eye contact with Ryōsuke earlier, they both already understood the upcoming tactic!
This time, their absolute core was the bait! And Yō would be the one to attack!
He raised his leg. In that instant, countless voices surrounded him.
"Our son is going to become the world's number one!"
"That's right, he must become the world's number one!"
His parents' words from the past had been like a curse upon Yō. His compliant nature had never allowed him to rebel against their wishes.
To please them, he had chosen soccer without any passion — not even the desire to shoot when facing the goal!
But now, everything was different!
"Enough, enough, be quiet!" Yō shouted, and the voices instantly vanished.
At this moment, only one intense desire filled his heart!
Score, score, score!
This wasn't for anyone else's expectations — it was solely his own will! To score and to win!
This was what Yō demanded of himself!
Other people's expectations no longer mattered; he only needed to answer to himself. In this moment, he could hear nothing but his own heartbeat.
Raising his foot, he shot!
Yō's gaze sharpened, his normally harmless eyes now fixed only on the goal, as if an invisible fire had consumed everything else!
❖ Flow! ❖
Boom!
He kicked the ball without hesitation.
"So it was a feint?!" Ken was surprised, but still gave his all, rushing toward the ball.
The final defense to end it all!
He accurately judged the ball's trajectory, his fingertips nearly touching it... but missed by less than a centimeter.
"No, no, no, no!!!"
With Ken's despairing cry, Yō's shot landed in the net!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ Ubers 2:4 Bastard München ]
This goal completely eliminated any suspense from the match!
"Great job, Hiori!"
"Well done, well done!"
"We've definitely won now!"
Bastard München's players rushed forward, surrounding Yō in a tight celebratory embrace.
Yō stood somewhat dazed; he couldn't recall when he had last scored. The goal had been incredibly close — Ken had nearly saved it.
If the goalkeeper hadn't been so drained earlier, or if Yō had hesitated even for a moment, the shot would never have gone in.
But he had seized his opportunity!
"How does it feel?" Ryōsuke asked with a smile as he approached.
"It feels..." Yō turned to look at him, "It feels amazing!"
A genuine smile spread across his face!
Meeting his own expectations — what an incredible feeling! His love and passion for soccer had finally awakened fully!
Soon the match ended completely, and with the final whistle, the score was set.
"Impressive, Kira." Kojiro approached Ryōsuke, offering high praise.
Ken also came over to shake hands with Ryōsuke, Yō, and the others. They had lost this match fair and square.
Shōei remained silent, his face no longer showing the previous anger and dissatisfaction. He simply walked to the side, taking a towel from his teammate to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Lorenzo approached Ryōsuke with a meaningful expression, "I wasn't able to devour you... but your market value will skyrocket after this match! So much money — I'm really envious!"
"We'll see when it actually materializes." Ryōsuke replied with a smile.
"Geez, to think there's such an amazing guy who makes an old retiree like me feel inadequate. You're lucky, Noel."
Marc sat down beside Noel, both fixing their gaze on Ryōsuke.
"Envious?"
"Not really. After all, I've found the two most suitable successors." Marc smiled, slightly narrowing his eyes, "The future belongs to them. Old guys like us are about to be replaced."
"You're right about that." Noel nodded.
Meanwhile, Ryōsuke sat with his teammates on the sideline, gulping down drinks to replenish his energy.
Despite his improved proficiency with Transparent World and Divine Reflection, frequent use still caused severe depletion.
Nevertheless, this match was truly spectacular. Online, discussions about it dominated the headlines of major websites.
A poll was already comparing this match to the U-20 Match, asking which was more exciting — over half the votes considered this match the most thrilling so far!
Both sides had delivered an incredibly magnificent offensive and defensive battle!
Everyone watching could feel their blood boiling with excitement.
Online platforms had implemented paid reward features that allowed viewers to financially support their favorite players and teams. This match generated an unprecedented surge in revenue through these channels.
The Japan FA executives couldn't hide their delight.
Countless highlight moments from the match were converted into GIFs that quickly went viral.
| Ryōsuke Kira is so handsome! |
| Bastard München is incredible! They actually defeated Ubers with that lineup! |
| Ubers may have lost, but they fought with honor! |
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
In a girls' dormitory, Aina Yoshihara was celebrating Ryōsuke's victory!
She had decorated her bedside with his posters and even set his image as her phone wallpaper.
"Aina has turned into a complete fanatic!" her roommates teased playfully.
Yet despite their jokes, her enthusiasm had influenced all of them to follow the match closely!
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Back in the Blue Lock, the familiar system notification chimed in Ryōsuke's ears.
〘 Congratulations! Earned Competition Points: 1200! 〙
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 1600 〛
〚 Prime Human Tree Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Divine Reflection | Level: 3 | EXP: 16.2% 〛
〚 Demon Slayer Tree Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Transparent World | Level: 3 | EXP: 72.6% 〛
〚 Thunder Breathing Tree Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Second Form: Rice Spirit | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Third Form: Thunder Swarm | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Fourth Form: Distant Thunder | Level: 4 | EXP: 78.1% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Fifth Form: Heat Lightning | Level: 3 | EXP: 21.2% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash | Level: 1 | EXP: 76.6% 〛
— — — — — — — — — —
This match provided more Competition Points than before because the opponents Ryōsuke faced were far stronger than those in the past!
And he was growing stronger at a rapid pace.
At the same time, the big screen lit up, displaying the latest player salary offers for everyone to see.
[ Player: Yoichi Isagi, Bastard München | Value: ¥42,000,000 | Berserk Dortmund ]
He had performed well on both offense and defense in this match.
[ Player: Jūbē Aryū, Ubers | Value: ¥28,000,000 | Marseille ]
[ Player: Ikki Niko, Ubers | Value: ¥29,000,000 | Ubers ]
[ Player: Oliver Aiku, Ubers | Value: ¥32,000,000 | Ubers ]
These players, as Ubers' defensive mainstays, had put in a noteworthy performance in this match. Compared to the original work, their abilities had reached a higher level.
[ Player: Rensuke Kunigami, Bastard München | Value: ¥28,000,000 | RPB ]
He had a slight increase compared to the previous match. Though he hadn't scored, his shots remained threatening, with his offensive capability recognized worldwide.
[ Player: Kenyū Yukimiya, Bastard München | Value: ¥45,000,000 | Ajajax ]
Although Kenyū had to leave the field midway due to physical reasons, everyone had witnessed his fighting spirit on the pitch. He had performed brilliantly on both ends, contributing significantly to Bastard München's breakthrough of Ubers' solid defense line.
"I..." Kenyū stared at the offer on the screen in disbelief — all his previous hard work and fighting spirit had been acknowledged.
Everyone's gaze shifted, and next to him, Yō's name was prominently displayed.
[ Player: Yō Hiori, Bastard München | Value: ¥35,000,000 | Bastard München ]
This was only his first match, yet he had already displayed a mature playing style. He served as a second ball-holding point to organize attacks, and ultimately scored the goal that sealed the match.
His market value was well-deserved.
[ Player: Ken Wakashimazu, Ubers | Value: ¥90,000,000 | Ubers ]
That triangle kick defense was something only he could execute, and he became the first to successfully intercept Ryōsuke's shot.
[ Player: Genzō Wakabayashi, Bastard München | Value: ¥120,000,000 | Bastard München ]
His performance throughout the match remained remarkably stable.
[ Player: Shōei Barō, Ubers | Value: ¥120,000,000 | Ubers ]
Shōei was visibly integrating into the team at an increasingly rapid pace. His playing style had become calmer, shifting away from his previous reckless approach. He had also successfully scored a goal in this match.
However, Shōei showed no change in expression; for him, these were just meaningless numbers.
[ Player: Kojiro Hyuga, Ubers | Value: ¥160,000,000 | Ubers ]
The aftershocks of the Raiju Shot rippled across the field, and viewers worldwide would never forget his earth-shattering shot and terrifying offensive power!
Kojiro clenched his fist, knowing his performance was still far from enough. To become the world's number one forward, he had a very long road ahead.
As a member outside the Blue Lock, Lorenzo's market value had also soared.
[ Player: Don Lorenzo, Ubers | Value: ¥300,000,000 | Ubers ]
As one of the New Generation World XI, his defensive role couldn't be ignored. During the first half, his presence alone prevented Bastard München from breaking through Ubers' defense line!
His frightening physical flexibility and defensive prowess had given the opponents tremendous trouble.
Even if Michael Kaiser had been present, he would certainly have been completely locked down by Lorenzo!
"Great, great! My market value has now exceeded 300 million! I've gone up too!" Lorenzo couldn't contain his excitement, leaping up and shouting directly at Shōei.
Few in the entire club dared to address the "lone wolf" so boldly.
"You may have a 300 million market value, but you still can't manage basic personal hygiene. Pathetic." Shōei replied coldly.
On the field, he ruled like a dictator, but in his private life, he was obsessively clean — almost to a pathological degree.
"If I catch you messing up your room again, I'll kill you."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention — I ate popcorn on your bed before the match."
"I'll kill you right now!"
Ryōsuke turned to look at Shōei. Though his personality was still far from pleasant, he had become much more normal compared to before.
Still plenty of arrogance, but with less unapproachable hostility.
Ryōsuke then looked up, searching for his own name. The others did the same, eager to discover just how high his latest market value had reached.
When they saw the number, surprise spread across all their faces!
[ Nº 1 - Player: Ryōsuke Kira, Bastard München | Value: ¥500,000,000 | Bastard München ]
❖❖❖
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