On the other side of the French Stratum, Ryoma was practicing alone.
Though he hadn't played in the previous match, he had witnessed Kojiro's Tiger Shot through video footage. Its terrifying power left him deeply impressed.
However, compared to Ryōsuke's frightening Thunder Strike, the Tiger Shot wasn't even worth mentioning.
This sparked Ryoma's competitive spirit. He too wanted to create a shot with devastating power — one that would completely overwhelm all opponents with raw force!
After researching for a long time, he finally made progress. He developed a super-powerful shot uniquely his own, which he was confident could surpass both Kojiro and Ryōsuke!
At this moment, Ryoma was spinning his body.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
About ten days later, Bastard München's final match was about to begin.
"I'll announce the starting lineup for the next match."
In the player tunnel, Noel spoke calmly while holding a tablet.
The lineup was similar to previous matches, except this time Yō Hiori earned a starting position. As one of the midfielders, he would be responsible for organizing the team's attacks.
Benedict was substituted, with Rensuke and Kenyū taking the left and right wing positions.
"Hiori, your ball control and vision can help Kira organize attacks. Your talents are wasted on the bench." Noel continued, "You performed excellently in the last match, so you'll start this one. Any problems?"
"No problem, I'll do my best to complete my task." Yō nodded with a smile.
He had completely transformed and was eager to prove himself further on the field.
Benedict had no objections to being replaced. Although he was once aligned with Michael, he had already been won over by Ryōsuke and the others from Blue Lock.
Noel's gaze swept across everyone before him. More than a month had passed — not long in the grand scheme, but these players' abilities were visibly growing at an astonishing pace.
Even Ryōsuke followed this pattern. He was becoming stronger each day, seemingly evolving without limits.
"Let's go, time to take the field!"
At Noel's command, Ryōsuke led Bastard München into the stadium.
This was their final round, and their opponents, Paris X Gen, were already waiting for them.
Though PXG's current record wasn't impressive, this wasn't due to lack of talent. Rin and Ryūsei were still developing their chemistry, needing time to adapt to each other's style.
As for Ryoma, he had temporarily left Blue Lock due to personal matters, returning only after resolving them. With his dual Uruguayan citizenship, the Uruguayan national team had approached him with an invitation to join their ranks.
However, for Ryoma, what mattered most now was this upcoming Blue Lock match.
Ryōsuke was currently hailed as the world's strongest newcomer!
Ryoma wanted to prove himself in this match — to show he was superior. That's why he had temporarily declined the Uruguayan national team's invitation.
"So this is Ryōsuke Kira? He doesn't look like much." Examining Ryōsuke, Ryoma spoke with arrogance, a confident smile playing on his lips.
He had never believed anyone could beat him. Not even this so-called super newcomer was an exception.
The only reason Ryōsuke currently ranked first in everyone's eyes was because he hadn't faced Ryoma yet!
"Suke-chan, long time no see!" When Ryūsei spotted Ryōsuke, he immediately pounced like an excited puppy.
But Ryōsuke was quicker, stepping back to evade him. Ryūsei crashed to the ground with a thud!
"Ouch, that hurts!"
"Sorry, Shidō, but I don't want others to get the wrong idea." Ryōsuke said, taking another step back to distance himself from the pervert.
"Ryōsuke..."
Rin stared intently at Ryōsuke, his gaze sharp with undiminished anger.
For Rin, Ryōsuke was someone who had to be defeated. Only by defeating him could he earn his brother's recognition.
"It's been a while, Kira-san."
A familiar dark-skinned figure appeared before Ryōsuke.
Julian Loki — the genius player known as "The God Sprinter".
Though they were the same age, Julian had already reached the world's pinnacle and now served as both Master Striker and Coach.
"Long time no see, Loki." Ryōsuke greeted him with a smile.
Since their 5v5 match, they had exchanged contact information. Julian frequently messaged him, introducing his league and club in hopes that Ryōsuke would join them.
Julian had volunteered to be an instructor largely because of Ryōsuke — he genuinely wanted to play soccer with him.
Before the League of Blue Lock officially began, Julian had sent numerous private messages, hoping to recruit Ryōsuke to his team. However, Ryōsuke had considered it troublesome at the time, especially with players like Ryūsei on Paris X Gen.
"Looking forward to facing you again in this match." Julian said, his eyes full of admiration.
Around the world, people often compared Julian and Ryōsuke.
Their similarities were striking — same age, overwhelming ability against peers, and unrivaled speed on the field. The debate over who was stronger never ceased.
Rumors even circulated that Ryōsuke had faced Julian before becoming famous — and this rumor was true.
"We couldn't settle things in our last match, but this time we'll put a period on it." Julian said.
Ryōsuke shifted his gaze toward the opponent's half. Besides Rin and Ryūsei, the identities of their other players couldn't be ignored.
Zantetsu Tsurugi, whose short-burst speed surpassed even Hyōma's. And Tabito Karasu, the assassin with excellent analytical skills who excelled at controlling distance through precise arm movements.
Three of Blue Lock's six core members were on this team — their overall strength was formidable.
Moreover, they had recently added a new member: Ryoma Hino.
Ryōsuke turned to look at him, and their eyes, both filled with fighting spirit, met.
He knew his opponent possessed tremendous strength, with power matching or even exceeding Kojiro's. In the original story, Ryoma's Tornado Shot had both power and speed surpassing the Tiger Shot and could seriously injure anyone it struck.
It was precisely because of this exceptional individual ability that in the original story, he had once pushed both Tsubasa and Kojiro to their limits.
[Welcome to the broadcast of the Blue Lock second stage match! I'm today's commentator, Natsume!
Today, the German Bastard München team faces their final battle — their last opponent, France!
Paris X Gen's record hasn't been impressive so far, but their strength can't be underestimated, with talented players like Sae Itoshi's younger brother Rin Itoshi and the brilliant demon Ryūsei Shidō who shone in the U-20 Match!]
Before the match began, the commentator enthusiastically introduced both teams' lineups.
[Paris X Gen has also added a player named Ryoma Hino to their starting lineup. Though we don't know much about him yet, we're eager to see his performance on the field!]
Meanwhile, people around the world were glued to this match.
| Ryōsuke is about to take the field! |
| I want to watch Ryōsuke Kira's match! |
| Start quickly! Can't wait anymore! |
Aina and her roommates gathered around the laptop in their dorm room, with snacks spread beside them, waiting for the match to begin.
"I'm sure Kira will score two goals in this match!"
"I think it'll be a hat trick!"
"Definitely four goals, right?!"
In the diving shop, Iori Kitahara and the others placed bets on the match, with bottles of the "water of life" staked on the table.
Riko stared at the screen without blinking, hoping with all her heart that Ryōsuke would end his Blue Lock League journey with a perfect victory.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world.
Sweden, at the national team's exclusive training ground!
"Aaaahhhh!"
A goalkeeper clutched his wrist in agony, blood seeping through tears in his glove as he continued to groan.
"Quick, check on him!"
Medical staff rushed forward to examine the goalkeeper's injury.
In front of the goal, the person responsible for this incident maintained a cold expression.
Though not particularly tall, he had a muscular build, his well-defined leg muscles revealing his unparalleled lower body strength. His gaze was frighteningly cold, as if nothing in the world concerned him.
Stefan Levin, Sweden's ace player.
He had always been the strongest player for both club and country. His seemingly smooth football career took a drastic turn when his fiancée died in an accident.
The immense grief transformed him into someone reclusive and cold. Though he continued playing football, his style changed dramatically. He now employed ruthless tactics that often left opponents seriously injured, earning him the title "Field's God of Destruction".
Genzō's hand injury was his doing.
"Stefan, that Blue Lock match is about to start. Want to watch?" A teammate asked.
"Mm." Stefan nodded.
"That Ryōsuke might be our biggest rival in this year's U-20 World Cup."
"It doesn't matter. We'll definitely win the championship." Stefan replied expressionlessly, "After winning, I can retire. There's no need to play football anymore."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Meanwhile, in Uruguay.
Ramon Victorino, known as the "Black Panther of South America", sat with his teammates in front of the TV watching the live broadcast of this match.
In the Youth Championship several years ago, the Uruguay team he led achieved third place, largely due to his outstanding performance.
They were watching the Blue Lock match not only to assess potential opponents for the future U-20 World Cup but also to evaluate the strength of their possible new teammate — Ryoma Hino.
In the original story, Ramon's partnership with Ryoma was celebrated as the "Uruguay Combi".
"Let's see what they can achieve!"
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Back in Blue Lock, everyone gathered at the center of the field, ready for the final match.
German Bastard München VS French Paris X Gen.
"Ryōsuke Kira, though this is our first meeting, I want you to know that I am the strongest forward."
Facing Ryōsuke for the first time, Ryoma spoke with overwhelming confidence that bordered on arrogance, clearly not taking his opponent seriously.
"Many have said similar things to me before matches." Ryōsuke replied with a smile, glancing at Rin beside him, "But so far, not one has been able to back up their big talk."
Trash talk before matches is practically an essential part of competitive sports — and in this arena, Ryōsuke wouldn't lose to anyone.
"Let's get started."
Whistleee~~!!
The whistle blew, and the match began!
The French team launched the first attack!
Ryūsei passed to Rin, and Paris X Gen's offense was underway!
Rin scanned his surroundings, processing all the information in his mind.
❖ Metavision! ❖
Rin had always possessed the same dynamic observation skills as Yoichi, and after the U-20 Match, he mastered Metavision with Julian's guidance.
Previously, when facing Team World Five, Julian had used this same Metavision ability to clearly identify his attack routes.
With a god's-eye view, Rin could see everyone's position clearly. He drove the ball forward, now playing more like a midfielder than a striker.
His style increasingly resembled his brother Sae's.
Yet in his mind, he remained absolutely the team's forward. His dream of becoming the world's number one striker hadn't changed at all!
"Rin Itoshi!" Yoichi rushed forward to defend against him.
Now, he was no longer the former version of himself who couldn't accomplish anything alone.
❖❖❖
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