That rapid charge resembled his former self. In that moment, Hyōma genuinely felt a spark — the urge to play soccer again stirring in his heart.
This sensation was like a seed taking root, piquing his curiosity. He wondered if Ryōsuke might hold the key to rediscovering his old form.
"Kunoichi, weren't you once an unparalleled genius player yourself?" Ryōsuke asked with a smile.
"You've heard of me?" Hyōma's eyes widened in surprise.
In less than a year, the world seemed to have forgotten him. No one recognized the once-brilliant player he had been, and in Blue Lock, it felt like his existence was invisible.
"You were the star at Rakosute Business High School — famous for your incredible speed — but then you got injured..." Ryōsuke spoke easily, as though he already knew the story, "You haven't shown much in Blue Lock. Is it because of your injury? Logically, it should've healed by now, but it was the kind that could threaten a professional career. You're probably still haunted by it, right? A mental block you can't get past?"
Hyōma hesitated. He hadn't wanted to discuss it, but faced with the accuracy of Ryōsuke's words, he eventually nodded.
"That's right... I feel like my path in soccer has come to an end."
"Do you really believe that?" Ryōsuke smiled and patted his shoulder, "If you're truly ready to give up on soccer, then why did you come here?"
"I just..."
"Whether you seize the opportunity is up to you." Ryōsuke said, shifting his gaze to the field, "But if you want to try again, just say the word — whenever you're ready."
Most of the players in Team Z, as it turned out, were good people. Even the hot-headed Jingo was actually straightforward. Ryōsuke got along with them well, seeing Team Z as a single unit. If anyone needed help, he was ready to lend a hand.
They worked hard, so they deserved the rewards.
Beyond that, helping them strengthened team cohesion and earned Ryōsuke more Competition Points. These points were tied to the strength of both opponents and teammates — the stronger they were, the greater the reward.
"Want to practice together? It'd be a good chance to check your recovery. Maybe you'll be back on the field soon." Ryōsuke patted his back again.
After a moment's thought, Hyōma agreed.
"Mm."
Since arriving at Blue Lock, it was the first time he'd smiled after keeping a stoic expression for so long.
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At this moment, outside Blue Lock, in the Aida household.
Riko dove under her blanket, pulling a pillow over her head.
Everything she had said to Ryōsuke had been overheard by everyone present... but that wasn't the real issue!
The real problem was that people had mistaken her for his girlfriend!
She tried to explain, but it was no use. If the others in Blue Lock ever got a chance to go out... wouldn't this story spread everywhere?!
"I wonder if this will cause Ryōsuke any trouble..." Riko's face burned bright red. Her slender legs kicked at the bed as if she were swimming, "I wonder how he's doing... scoring ten goals must be so hard, right?"
"Our semester is about to start, and Seirin's basketball club will definitely be hectic. Should I take him to visit Seirin then? Ah, things are going to get so busy... but when will Ryōsuke even be able to get out?"
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Blue Lock, monitoring room.
"Mr. Ego, how did the first round of selection go?" Anri asked Jinpachi after returning from a press conference.
"Everything went smoothly." Jinpachi replied, eating instant noodles as he stared intently at a screen, rewatching a certain match.
It was the match between Team X and Team Y.
"It's possible that a real monster has infiltrated Blue Lock…" He said.
"Who?" Anri asked, frowning in confusion.
"You'll know when the time comes." Jinpachi said, biting off another mouthful of noodles, his eyes still glued to the screen.
"By the way, the Football Association chairman (Hirotoshi Buratsuta) mentioned we might get an additional budget." Anri remembered, pulling something from her bag, "I heard a very important person is interested in our Blue Lock project..."
"But there must be conditions, right?" Jinpachi's face remained impassive, "For someone like him, football is just a business. That's why football in this country has rotted to the core. Without changing that, winning the World Cup is impossible. Tell me, little Anri, what does he want?"
"Just the footage of the first-round matches." Anri said, holding up a USB drive.
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Soon, another three days had passed.
During this time, Ryōsuke exchanged the 10 Competition Points he earned daily from training for extra practice sessions in the Competition Space.
At present, he focused on three skills. Gaining too many skills would require more practice time to improve proficiency, which could lower training efficiency and hasten the depletion of Competition Points.
Ryōsuke decided to temporarily stick with these three skills, using his daily 10 Competition Points to enhance their proficiency. Once their proficiency reached a certain threshold, he planned to use the substantial Competition Points earned in matches for upgrades — an already significant investment.
After refining these skills to the desired level, he would then unlock additional ones.
As the matches in Blue Lock grew fiercer, the Competition Points earned per match would increase, making it feasible to unlock new skills later on.
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