The final whistle blew, and several members of the Red Team collapsed, panting on the ground.
Another 5–0 match — Ryōsuke's White Team had won with a seemingly overwhelming advantage.
Yet anyone who watched knew this game's intensity and excitement had surpassed all previous matches.
"I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Your brilliance was simply unreachable."
"No, no... we lost... it's all my fault, all my fault..."
"It's so frustrating — I wanted to win so badly."
Even players with tremendous physical abilities like Jūbē and Aoshi were drenched in sweat, while Meguru's legs trembled on the verge of cramping.
A few meters away, Rin ground his teeth and pounded the ground, looking as if he might shatter them.
This was his second loss, with such a massive point difference.
Frustration, hatred, and anger churned in his heart as the intense match left his face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead.
"The match is over. It was truly spectacular." Ryōsuke approached the four members of the Red Team.
These weren't mere words of consolation — though the point difference seemed large, it was only because of the reduced field size and special rules.
Rin's team possessed terrifying abilities that far exceeded the previous Team V's three pillars.
Yet their defeat stemmed primarily from their lack of coordination — they fought as individuals rather than a team.
Had Rin and Meguru coordinated their plays while Jūbē and Aoshi created opportunities and targeted weak defensive points, they could have challenged Ryōsuke more effectively.
But there are no "ifs", and whether in teamwork or individual skill, a considerable gap remained between the two teams.
"I should choose my teammate for the next round." Ryōsuke said decisively, "Meguru, let's go to the next round together."
He chose the small dribbler not only for their history as former teammates but also because he was the obvious choice.
Among the Red Team members, only Meguru had the most balanced personality and could coordinate the entire team.
Though Rin possessed exceptional abilities, his personality and playing style disrupted the team's rhythm, much like Shoei Baro.
Moreover, Ryōsuke knew their next challenge — a five-person team of top players from around the world.
When Jinpachi assembled this team, he never considered the possibility that anyone in Blue Lock could win. Even in the original story, Rin's team was crushed by their opponents — his purpose was to show the Blue Lock players the vast gap between them and world-class players.
But for Ryōsuke, this was just another challenge.
"Kira, I will kill you, I will definitely kill you. From now on, you are my sworn enemy, and I will eliminate you."
As he and his team prepared to leave the court, Rin raised his head, his furious gaze fixed on Ryōsuke's face as if he wanted to devour him alive.
In his heart, this bastard had become like his brother — someone he must completely destroy.
"Then come and try." Ryōsuke left these words behind as he walked straight to the passage to the next area.
At the same time, the system prompt appeared again.
〘 Congratulations! Earned Competition Points: 150! 〙
The Competition Points earned this time were nearly double that of the previous match, showing just how valuable this victory was.
Even though the match was smaller in scale, the opponents were all top-tier players within Blue Lock.
Moreover, his teammates had grown significantly stronger, and selecting the fifth team member was even more crucial than the current match. This victory essentially meant passing the second round of selection.
Though Rin's team lost, they would surely return stronger. The same would be true for Yoichi, Reo, and the others.
"I never thought that as a loser, I would advance directly." Meguru said with a smile, turning to Ryōsuke, "But thank you, Kira. I feel like you saved me."
"Choosing you wasn't something that needed consideration."
"I'm not talking about you choosing me, but what happened on the field — it was because I yearned to catch up to you that I finally managed to play the football I wanted." Meguru lowered his head, his smile widening, "Thank you, Kira. Playing football together from now on will surely be even more enjoyable."
After speaking, he extended his hand for a high-five — and the other also reached out.
"Not a high-five but a karate chop, take this!"
"I saw that coming, block!"
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Before they knew it, Ryōsuke and his team had arrived at the final door marked "Second Selection Exit".
They pushed open the door to find a pentagonal black room with five large screens.
[Gems of talent, congratulations on passing the second round of selection.]
Jinpachi's projection appeared on the screen.
[You may have noticed that both Bachira and Itoshi entered a state of high concentration at certain points — that's the Flow State, an essential element for becoming a top player.]
"It was indeed a very subtle feeling." Meguru said, looking down at his hands as he recalled the sensation, "Entering that state involuntarily, thinking only about attacking."
[This is the formula for creating miracles. You've stepped into it, but you've only touched the threshold — there's still a long way to go before truly mastering it.]
Jinpachi's gaze fell on Ryōsuke. In his eyes, only Ryōsuke could freely enter the Flow State.
In a sense, Ryōsuke's Total Concentration Breathing was his own version of Flow.
[Well, now your second round of selection is complete.]
Jinpachi held up three fingers.
[Next comes the Third Round of Selection. As I said, you'll have the chance to face world-class players — twenty-four hours from now, you'll have a 5v5 match against world players I personally selected. Get ready to see the world, you frogs in the well!]
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Three-Person Team Area.
Most teams had gathered here, hesitant to choose opponents randomly — lacking information, no one dared to fight without certainty.
Yoichi and Hyōma's team had also returned here.
After winning against their opponents in the two-person team area and recruiting Zantetsu Tsurugi, formerly of Team V, they had fought their way back to the three-person area.
"I wonder how Kira and Itoshi are doing..." Yoichi muttered, "If everything went as expected, they should have met in the next area by now. I wonder if they'll face each other."
In his eyes, Rin was on the same level as Ryōsuke — both of their abilities far exceeded his imagination.
Just then, the matching hall's doors opened.
With a face full of hatred, Rin returned to the three-person area with Jūbē and Aoshi. The previously noisy hall fell silent.
His gaze didn't linger on anyone; in his eyes, these people were nothing but insignificant dust.
Having already played one match today, Rin couldn't immediately play again. He didn't stay in the hall long, instead walking straight to the dormitory. For him, returning to this area was a great humiliation — having to stay with these worthless trash.
Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable!
He bit his lip until it nearly bled, his eyes burning with a rage that seemed ready to consume everyone. He wanted revenge — to make Ryōsuke pay for this humiliation.
After Rin and his group left the hall, the silence gradually gave way to murmurs.
"Hey hey hey, that was Rin Itoshi, right? Did he... lose?"
"How did he end up back in this area? Hadn't he already moved forward with his team?"
"Someone capable of defeating Itoshi... does such a person really exist in Blue Lock?"
Everyone discussed it, struggling to believe what had happened.
Someone had defeated the terrifying force that was Rin Itoshi.
Most of them came from other floors and had never seen Ryōsuke.
In their eyes, Rin was an unreachable peak. Even those who hadn't heard of him before were left in awe after witnessing his skills in the hall.
And yet someone of this caliber had lost?
Only Yoichi and his group knew with certainty who could have sent Rin back here: Ryōsuke Kira.
Earlier, Yoichi's team had suffered a crushing defeat against Rin, and he had thought Ryōsuke was on the same level as that monster — but he had been wrong.
He was an even more formidable existence.
"Bachira must have been taken by Kira's team. I can't slow down either!"
A hint of excitement flashed in Yoichi's eyes as fighting spirit ignited in his heart.
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Several hours later, Ryōsuke and his teammates arrived at their dormitory.
Currently, they were the only team in the five-person area — if a team lost a match, they would have to waste another two days due to the reduced number of teammates and the one-match-per-day rule.
This five-person room was far more luxurious than those in other areas, equipped with amenities that rivaled a five-star hotel.
On the screen in the room, their next opponents were clearly displayed.
Five international superstars!
"Leonardo Luna, the young noble from the Spanish powerhouse club; Adam Blake, the English league's top scorer; Pablo Cavazos, the baby-faced free kick specialist; and Dada Silva, the unstoppable tank?!" Ikki exclaimed in amazement.
Though his thick bangs covered his eyes, his astonishment was evident to everyone.
"Are these players really that good?" Seishirō asked, puzzled. Despite his natural football talent, he wasn't familiar with the professional leagues or their stars.
"They're all world-class players!" Ikki's voice quivered with excitement, "I never imagined we'd face players of this caliber!"
"Blue Lock must have incredible connections to bring in such players." Rensuke marveled.
"This is both terrifying and thrilling... but who's that bald guy in the middle?" Meguru asked, scratching his head.
"That's Julian Loki, the French league's newest rising star!"
"Kira, any thoughts about facing opponents of this level?" Meguru turned to their captain, and all eyes followed.
"Nothing special. We'll give it our all." Ryōsuke replied calmly, "Now that we've rested, shall we start training?"
Soon, he led everyone to the five-person area's training field.
While the others practiced basic tactical positioning, Ryōsuke opened his system interface.
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 260 〛
〚 Current Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Level: 3 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 150 Competition Points 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | Level: 3 | EXP: 80.6% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Second Form: Rice Spirit | Level: 3 | EXP: 60.3% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Third Form: Thunder Swarm | Status: Upgradable | Level: 2 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 100 Competition Points 〛
— — — — — — — — — —
He had already maxed out the proficiency of both Total Concentration Breathing and Thunder Swarm skills.
The two matches had earned him 230 Competition Points — combined with his remaining points, it was exactly enough to upgrade both skills.
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