"After all, you're just someone hyped up by the media."
Ryoma mocked Ryōsuke relentlessly, carrying himself as if he were far superior to his opponent.
He was incredibly arrogant, but he certainly had the credentials to back it up. From the beginning, he never took Ryōsuke seriously, even after studying all of his match recordings.
In his eyes, Ryōsuke was merely a stepping stone to overcome.
Beyond that, Ryoma saw this as an opportunity to elevate his own reputation, with defeating Ryōsuke as his ultimate goal!
Once he brought down this "Crown Jewel", he would truly be the number one of the new generation.
"Your long-range shot was decent enough, but compared to my Tornado Shot, it's still far inferior." Ryoma lifted his chin, his arrogance growing more pronounced.
"Rin-Rin, you used to say similar things to Ryō-kun, didn't you?" Ryūsei nudged Rin with his elbow.
"Shut up, you antenna pest." Rin ignored him and focused his gaze on Ryoma.
The guy's ability was undoubtedly powerful. However, Rin knew perfectly well that Ryoma had picked the wrong opponent.
Having faced Ryōsuke before, Rin understood exactly how terrifying he could be. It wasn't something you could grasp from watching recordings — only when sharing the field could you feel that horrifying pressure.
In his eyes, Ryoma's behavior was nothing short of provoking an opponent he shouldn't mess with.
The higher you stand, the harder you fall!
Yet he didn't intervene. Rin wanted to see what Ryōsuke would do next.
"I hope you can still say such things later."
Ryōsuke calmly delivered this single line to Ryoma, then turned and walked over to Genzō.
"How's your hand?"
"It's fine." Genzō nodded at him.
"I doubt that. Your hand injury hasn't healed yet." Ryōsuke said.
Earlier when Genzō was catching the ball, Ryōsuke had noticed the momentary expression of pain on his face. He knew about Genzō's hand injury, and despite Blue Lock's top-tier medical system, this injury would still need time to heal properly.
"This is good enough!" Genzō smiled and patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, this kind of situation is nothing to me!"
In the original story, he had participated in the World Youth Tournament while enduring severe pain from his injuries.
{T/N: Please note that World Youth Tournament is the same as U-20 World Cup, but the former is the official term used in Captain Tsubasa, while the latter is the official name in the Blue Lock universe.}
Ryōsuke wouldn't let his teammate risk further injury.
"I trust you." He nodded.
While letting Genzō rest would be the best option — and there were others who could replace him as goalkeeper — Ryōsuke knew that with his personality, getting him to rest obediently was impossible.
So he formulated a plan to reduce the risk of Genzō getting injured.
"Kunigami, after our next attack, let's switch positions. You go to the front, and I'll play as defender." Ryōsuke said to Rensuke.
"Got it, got it!" Although Rensuke didn't know what Ryōsuke's intention was, he didn't ask many questions — he now trusted Ryōsuke unconditionally.
Or rather, the entire Bastard München team was like that now — everyone trusted Ryōsuke's decisions completely.
His purpose was simple: move to the back position and focus entirely on defense, which would significantly reduce the pressure on Genzō.
However... before that, he needed to put a damper on his opponent's arrogant attitude.
Soon, Ryōsuke returned to the center circle and received the ball from his teammate!
The moment he got possession, Ryoma closed in at top speed — eager not only to prove himself on offense but also to shut down his opponent on defense.
"Come on, watch how I lock you down, Ryōsuke Kira!"
After scoring, Ryoma was in an extremely excited state; he was feeling great about himself.
But Ryōsuke didn't continue dribbling — he simply stopped.
"What's wrong? Don't dare to get past me? Lost your confidence, right?" Ryoma mockingly taunted, still not taking him seriously.
"This spot is a bit farther, isn't it?" Ryōsuke ignored him and casually remarked.
"What are you talking about?" Ryoma's expression turned serious, not understanding Ryōsuke's meaning.
"I'm saying this spot is a bit farther than where you took your shot from." Ryōsuke maintained a calm smile on his face.
At that moment, Divine Reflection activated! Copy target: Ryoma Hino!
Ryōsuke prepared to defeat his opponent using Ryoma's own technique!
His body began to spin, mimicking Ryoma's earlier movements with perfect precision.
"What?!" Ryoma's eyes widened in surprise.
He never expected his opponent would attempt to use his special technique.
"Are you insane?!" He exclaimed in shock.
The Tornado Shot was a move Ryoma had practiced meticulously for years — how could Ryōsuke possibly use it after seeing it just once?
Yet watching his opponent's movements, an ominous feeling crept into his heart. Those movements were identical to his own!
"This guy... how is this possible?" Ryoma trembled slightly, unable to believe what was happening before his eyes.
But there was no denying it — Ryōsuke was performing the very same Tornado Shot he had just used himself!
Ryōsuke's Divine Reflection wasn't just simple copying — he could elevate techniques beyond their original version. In this case, he was incorporating his Thunder Strike power into the Tornado Shot.
This was a devastating combination of tornado and lightning!
❖ Divine Reflection ➠ Supercell Shot! ❖
BOOM!
After completing a full rotation, Ryōsuke unleashed all of his power!
The ball rocketed forward like a true missile!
"I won't let you shoot!" Ryoma's expression transformed instantly — his arrogance vanishing, replaced by panic and terror.
Having just trash-talked Ryōsuke, he absolutely couldn't allow his opponent to score right in his face!
He had to intercept it! Ryoma gave his all to block the shot!
But he was a step too late. Ryōsuke's shot was terrifyingly fast, and despite Ryoma's best efforts, it was all for nothing!
Not just him — the entire Paris X Gen defensive line had no chance to react before watching the ball fly straight into the net!
Everyone could hear the ball tearing through the air as it traveled. When it hit the net, it violently ripped at the netting and even made the goal visibly shake!
Ryōsuke had used the same technique as Ryoma but scored from an even greater distance.
The verdict needed no words!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ Paris X Gen 1:1 Bastard München ]
"Amazing, Kira-kun! What an incredible shot!" Ryūsei shouted excitedly, even more animated than when Ryoma had scored earlier.Rin looked toward the goal, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, sweat beaded on Tabito's forehead.
"Using the same technique to score...and from a greater distance with higher speed and power. This is the first time I've seen Kira demonstrate his abilities like this. It's extraordinary...no, it goes completely beyond extraordinary!"
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
"That terrifying copying ability again..."
In the England Stratum, Reo watched the screen with a serious expression.
"Reo, can you do something like that?" Seishirō asked from beside him, "You can copy other people's techniques too, right?"
"Indeed, but for unique shots like Hino's, I'd need more 'examples' to fully imitate it. Even then, I could never match the original level. Yet Ryōsuke only needed one glance to perfectly copy it — and with even more power than the original! I can't do that... as expected of Ryōsuke..." Reo admitted, clearly impressed.
After thinking for a few seconds, Seishirō spoke flatly, "Reo, you're useless."
"Nagi! That level is impossible for normal people!"
"You're supposed to be a player focused on imitation, yet you've been surpassed by someone else."
"Your Blackhole Trap was copied by someone else too!"
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
[Ryōsuke Kira has perfectly recreated Ryoma Hino's technique, shooting from even farther beyond the halfway line than Ryoma did!]
The commentator's voice boomed with excitement.
The spectacular shot captivated audiences around the world.
"Ryōsuke Kira is truly a remarkable player."
In Sweden, Stefan Levin offered his sincere admiration.
"What an incredible shot! The French player was impressive, but Ryōsuke is simply in another class!"
At the Brazilian national team's headquarters, Natureza echoed similar praise for Ryōsuke.
They all recognized that this young prodigy would be their most formidable opponent in the upcoming World Youth Championship!
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Back on the field, Bastard München had equalized thanks to Ryōsuke's Supercell Shot.
{T/N: Just for context, Supercell is the official name for a thunderstorm that contains a mesocyclone. For more details, just search it up.}
"How is this possible..." Ryoma couldn't accept what had just happened.
His pride and joy, his special technique — learned by the opponent after seeing it just once? How could that be?
He clearly understood that Ryōsuke's shot had more power than his own. It wasn't just copying, but complete transcendence.
What a monster.
Ryoma stared at Ryōsuke with horror, but the latter said nothing and simply returned to the backfield.
"I told you, he's someone you absolutely shouldn't mess with. Nothing good comes from making Kira-kun angry." Ryūsei smiled with his hands behind his head, "Look, Rin-Rin did something stupid like that once, and now he's so well-behaved."
"What nonsense are you spouting, you tentacle pest!"
A vein bulged on Rin's forehead — losing to Ryōsuke was an absolute sore spot for him.
"Listen, guys, we should think about how to beat the opponent now." Tabito interrupted with a serious expression.
"Indeed, let's not waste time. Let's find a way to end this farce." Rin looked up toward the opponent's goal, then glanced sideways at Ryoma, "How long are you going to wallow in self-pity? Didn't you claim to be so strong?"
"I..." Ryoma clenched his fists, suppressing his emotions. He finally raised his head, his gaze becoming determined once more, "You're right, the match isn't over yet!"
He gradually regained his composure. The game wasn't over, and he still had a chance to redeem himself!
With the score tied, he could still overcome Ryōsuke!
"Come on, let's counterattack!"
After a brief adjustment, Paris X Gen kicked off again, launching a new offensive!
Rin advanced with the ball while scanning the field. He immediately noticed that Bastard München had changed their formation.
Ryōsuke had moved to the center-back position, taking over the team's defensive responsibilities. That last spectacular shot was clearly a show of force.
It was undoubtedly a declaration of war!
"I'm definitely going to break through your defense, Ryōsuke Kira!" Rin muttered as he powerfully kicked the ball.
Puppet Battlecry — like a puppeteer controlling everyone's movements!
As the ball arced through the air, the players moved precisely according to the pattern Rin had envisioned. He knew exactly who would receive this pass!
"What a terrible pass, Rin!" Ryūsei jumped and caught the ball in an awkward position.
As he received it, defensive players swarmed around him, leaving virtually no shooting space.
"Is this your plan, Rin-tan? Using me as a relay when I have no shooting space so I have to pass back to you…" Ryūsei laughed wildly, "Dream on!"
❖❖❖
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