"What a beautiful bicycle kick! Tsubasa used his physical prowess to win possession and complete the counterattack, narrowing the score gap!
Lavinho tore through Bastard München's defense single-handedly, and though Ryōsuke Kira managed to defend the ball, Tsubasa still finished it off!
This spectacular bicycle kick has made the match even more intense! With FC Barcha's offensive growing fiercer, I wonder if Noel Noah can remain seated on the bench?"
The commentator narrated excitedly.
Online, GIFs of Lavinho's dribbling, Ryōsuke's clearance, and Tsubasa's final shot are spreading like wildfire.
Though another match between Ubers and Paris X Gen is happening in the Blue Lock, the FC Barcha versus Bastard München game has stolen the spotlight completely.
Without question, Tsubasa's bicycle kick is the tournament's finest shot yet!
"That was incredible, Tsubasa!" Meguru rushed over and patted his shoulder.
"I just got lucky with winning possession." Tsubasa replied modestly.
That shot had perfectly showcased both his physical abilities and technical skills. His strength was undeniable!
"Too bad someone else stole the spotlight for this goal, huh?" Lavinho laughed, shaking his head.
He'd wanted to score himself and bask in the cheers, but hadn't expected Ryōsuke to defend against his attempt. This guy was truly exceptional.
"Let's keep going — I don't want to waste my precious ten minutes." Lavinho said, his eyes fixed on Ryōsuke.
Meanwhile, Michael watched from afar, his fists clenched. At this rate, he would finish the match without accomplishing anything...
Unacceptable!
He had to prove himself in this limited time, at least demonstrate his capabilities in front of Lavinho.
The whole reason he came to Blue Lock was to increase his value — he couldn't let these outsiders take his position!
Bastard München quickly restarted play, with Benedict receiving the ball and preparing to pass to Ryōsuke—
But then he spotted Michael running to the other side.
"Give me the ball!" He shouted.
Benedict hesitates for a moment, and since Ryōsuke isn't in a great position either, he decides to pass to the other option.
The instant he receives the ball, Michael drives forward.
His target is crystal clear: Lavinho!
"Oh my, looks like our ex-superstar is getting a bit restless." Lavinho says with a smile as he looks at Michael, "What's up? Feeling a bit left out now that everyone else is stealing the show?"
At the same time, he narrows his eyes slightly.
"But sorry, I'm not really interested in you. Actually, I'm more looking forward to seeing Ryōsuke's performance. Why not pass the ball to him?"
Though Michael doesn't respond, the veins on his forehead look ready to burst through his skin, and his gaze turns fierce.
He's been completely provoked by Lavinho.
Ryōsuke Kira, Ryōsuke Kira, Ryōsuke Kira, Ryōsuke Kira, it's all fucking Ryōsuke Kira!
I'm the protagonist here!
Michael has completely lost his composure, charging straight toward Lavinho's side, looking to take him on one-on-one!
But at that moment, he suddenly pulls back his right leg and changes direction — Cruyff turn!
Michael wants to show off his skills, trying to get past him... However, he's picked the wrong opponent.
While his skills are certainly impressive, his opponent is arguably the world's best ball controller.
Lavinho sees right through his moves.
"Oh my, looks like someone's throwing a little temper tantrum! Your moves are all over the place when you're this worked up. Those emotions are holding you back, preventing you from being 'free'."
Just as Michael makes his turn, Lavinho suddenly charges forward, like a lion going straight for its prey's throat!
"Could it be you still think you're the protagonist?"
Successful steal!
Michael loses his balance, nearly falling to the ground, and turns his head back reluctantly. All he sees is Lavinho's retreating figure.
"Damn it, damn it!" Michael's expression twisted as his fingers dug deep into the turf.
On the other side, having regained possession, Lavinho charged at full speed toward the opponent's half.
With a lightning-quick stepover, he got past Benedict, then followed with a Marseille turn to beat Yoichi — the absolute difference in skill making Bastard München's defense seem nonexistent.
"My, that was easy — but the main event's just beginning, isn't it!" Lavinho turned his head slightly to look to his side.
Like a monster hunting the scent of blood, Ryōsuke had caught up with terrifying speed from behind.
"What frightening speed!" Knowing he'd soon be caught, Lavinho deliberately slowed down, letting his opponent approach.
This was his trap. The sudden change in rhythm would force Ryōsuke to stop too, and inertia would require him to adjust his balance — that's when Lavinho would break through again.
But Ryōsuke charged full speed ahead, forcefully planting his foot and using his First Form technique in reverse to stop. His cleats screeched against the ground with a harsh sound.
"You're quite interesting, no wonder that cyber-data freak Noel and that speed demon from France think so highly of you. I've really come to admire you too. Why not come join us at Barcha later? Maybe you could even win the Champions League while stepping over Noel's head." Lavinho smiled, having fully acknowledged his abilities.
"We can talk about that later. First, I need to win this match." Ryōsuke responded with a smile.
"Oh? Such confidence. Seems like you're underestimating me, Barcha's ace."
"I'm not underestimating you. It's just that for me, victory is inevitable." Ryōsuke responded calmly.
Lavinho looked at him. For ordinary players, facing him would be a rare opportunity — some would be scared, some excited, some desperate to prove their worth.
But Ryōsuke alone remained completely composed, as if Lavinho wasn't anything special.
"After saying something like that, I'll have to teach you a lesson!" Lavinho's gaze grew serious, knowing this opponent wouldn't be easy to overcome.
He lowered his center of gravity, swaying his shoulders side to side to test Ryōsuke's balance. In a flash, he accelerated, aiming to break through his opponent's right side.
No, it's a feint!
As Lavinho tilted right, he suddenly cut left with blinding speed — so fast the spectators couldn't follow! His right leg pulled the ball in a fluid motion from behind to front!
"Amazing!"
Meguru couldn't help but exclaim — his own proud dribbling skills paled in comparison to this superstar's!
Lavinho's movements flowed with effortless grace, his perfect rhythm making defenders look helpless.
But not Ryōsuke!
He stood like a wall before Lavinho, refusing to yield an inch of space.
With his Rice Spirit ability and mastery of dribbling, he could read his opponent's moves before they happened, ready to counter each one.
Not only that, Ryōsuke pressed forward aggressively, constricting Lavinho's space to maneuver.
"What tenacious defense." Lavinho said with a smile, though he felt unprecedented pressure from this defense — something he'd never experienced on the field before.
It was like being a butterfly caught in a spider's web.
But as a world-class star with devastating one-on-one skills, Lavinho wouldn't let Ryōsuke contain him so easily.
Without hesitation, he extended his left leg to control the ball, seemingly intent on breaking through the left side—
But this too was one of Lavinho's signature traps!
The moment he stepped out, he snapped the ball back!
The cowtail feint. This move wasn't particularly flashy, but under Lavinho's masterful technique, it was given an elegant rhythm.
However, against Ryōsuke, it had no effect whatsoever. Before his Transparent World, any movement was meaningless!
His eyes caught every contraction of Lavinho's leg muscles, and he could predict the rhythm of his movements simply by observing his breathing patterns.
The rhythm of movement and breathing were inseparably linked!
While Lavinho's movements might have seemed flawless to others, to Ryōsuke's eyes they were riddled with openings.
For ordinary players, these opportunities might last mere fractions of a second, but for him it was more than enough time.
Ryōsuke's right leg shot out like a spear, striking directly at Lavinho's feet.
"Sorry, but as I said, you've played around enough. You can give the ball back now." Ryōsuke's voice remained completely calm, "Today, the throne changes hands."
Successful steal!
"What?!" Lavinho stood dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened.
He, a world-class dribbling master, had been stripped of the ball by Ryōsuke — a clean, precise steal, like an elite assassin slitting their target's throat.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Lavinho actually got stolen by Ryōsuke?"
Everyone was shocked, and Alexis even jumped to his feet in excitement.
Even though it was his opponent who had lost the ball, it felt worse than if he had made the mistake himself.
How could Ryōsuke steal from Lavinho?!
Michael stood frozen in place once again. Ryōsuke's performance stood in stark contrast to his own...
No, this couldn't continue. He had to pull this guy down from that position!
There could only be one protagonist — Michael himself!
Noel raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly, "Just as I expected... This star player system — are we just supporting characters too? Is Blue Lock's second phase creating a monster, one not just to replace me, but to surpass me?"
He knew very well that even he couldn't have made that steal just now — Lavinho was a player nearly on his own level, and the most he could do was limit his opponent.
But that young man had cleanly stripped him of the ball. No one else in the world could achieve something like that.
Right now, the footage of Ryōsuke stealing from Lavinho was going viral online.
"Lavinho got the ball stolen?!"
"Ryōsuke is absolutely insane!"
"The strongest player has been dethroned! Ryōsuke will definitely be part of the world's top player discussions from now on!"
A single move had sent shockwaves throughout the world.
Though everyone knew Ryōsuke was strong, no one expected him to dominate one of the world's best players.
They were witnessing the moment he ascended to the world's peak.
Ryōsuke quickly passed the ball to Yoichi, then burst forward to receive his return pass!
Bastard München's counterattack begins!
Several defenders immediately moved to sandwich Ryōsuke, but this level of defense meant nothing to him.
❖ Thunderclap and Flash ➠ Eightfold! ❖
Ryōsuke moved like lightning on the field, weaving between defenders at will.
Unlike Lavinho, he didn't use flashy dribbling techniques, relying instead on pure speed dominance. In counterattacks, speed is supreme!
Ryōsuke broke through the defensive line and arrived right in front of the goal, about to shoot—
But at that moment, a figure suddenly slid in, attempting to steal the ball from him.
It wasn't an FC Barcha player — it was Michael! He was trying to take the ball from his own teammate, the core of the team!
He refused to let anyone steal his throne.
"What a disappointing display of pettiness, Michael." Ryōsuke said calmly.
He had anticipated this guy's movement and understood his intentions.
Just like in the original story, Michael had repeatedly tried to steal Yoichi's ball and block his shots.
But against Ryōsuke, such antics were nothing more than a circus act. With a simple stop and pullback, he effortlessly avoided the sneak attack.
❖❖❖
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