Blue Lock: I, Ryōsuke Kira, Start With Thunder Breathing

Haruhisa turned his head to look at Ryōsuke. The rush of blood, the thrill of truly enjoying soccer — he had never experienced anything like this before.

Never had he faced an opponent of this caliber; at times, he felt completely overwhelmed.

Ryōsuke was unbelievably strong... Yet it was precisely his strength that made defeating him worthwhile.

Haruhisa's excitement grew as he looked back at his teammates — every face shone with fighting spirit.

"We need to get the whole world's audience on our side." He said slowly.

"That's right, we can't let them impose their style." Hyōma nodded.

"That's the same move as mine... I have to win." Seishirō said quietly.

"He's right. We have to win." Reo gazed into the distance at Ryōsuke, marveling at his strength.

That guy... He truly is a monster.

Even though it's the same mimicry ability, Ryōsuke can match or even surpass the original... Something Reo could never achieve.

But no matter what... He has to beat him at least once!

Determination hardened in Reo's eyes.

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"Hey, that was Seishirō Nagi's ball control technique just now, wasn't it!" Anri exclaimed.

In the surveillance room, Jinpachi watched the replay repeatedly.

"I didn't expect you to notice that." Jinpachi replied calmly.

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

"That's right, what Kira used just now was definitely Nagi's ball control, and that dummy shot — he isn't just copying moves, he's combining different offensive styles. That's something Nagi can't do.

By merging Otoya's footwork with Nagi's shot, Kira has created his own unique weapon... Impressive."

Jinpachi spoke with utter seriousness.

"But couldn't Reo Mikage do it too? Doesn't he also have the ability to copy techniques?"

"No, Mikage can't." Jinpachi shook his head, "The key difference between Mikage and Kira is perfection in copying — Kira scores because he truly becomes a fusion of Nagi and Otoya. Mikage can't reach that level of replication. He can't mask his presence to get into position, execute flawless ball control and shoot, or evade Kuribayashi's defense. This makes Kira's move truly unique — no one else in the world could pull it off."

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Back on the Blue Lock pitch, Manshine City launched another attack!

Reo advanced with the ball, and Yoichi, now familiar with his opponent's strength, stepped up to defend.

This time, Yoichi maintained perfect defensive distance, determined not to let his opponent slip past.

"The defense is tougher now..." Reo noted, moving cautiously.

Suddenly, he accelerated, mimicking Sae's moves again. Like a phantom, he darted across the field, his fluid dribbling pressuring the defender.

But his imitation remained superficial — the gap between him and the real Sae Itoshi was evident.

Having seen this move before, Yoichi was prepared. He maintained ideal defensive positioning, applying pressure while ensuring Reo couldn't break through.

After several failed attempts, Reo grew anxious.

Yoichi had clearly evolved — though he looked the same, his defensive prowess, speed, and physical abilities had reached new heights.

"But... I won't be stopped so easily!" Reo's focus intensified.

Inspired by Ryōsuke's recent plays, he realized he could combine different technical templates!

To overcome Yoichi, he needed superior one-on-one skills — the kind used to break through enemy lines alone. Exactly like Meguru's style!

❖ Chamaleon ➠ Meguru Bachira: Elastic Dribbling! ❖

Reo transformed his style, incorporating rapid dribbles and flashy feints, constantly testing his opponent's balance.

"That's... Bachira's weapon!" Yoichi recognized the change immediately; it was as if Meguru himself stood before him.

Reo moved like a coiled viper, his high-frequency dribbles ready to strike.

Though his dribbling couldn't match Meguru's mastery, Reo knew he held one advantage — superior physical prowess!

He launched into a lightning-fast step-over, then explosively changed direction, bursting forward.

Yoichi retreated immediately, but Reo was still a step ahead. He closed the distance at top speed and initiated contact.

This was the advantage from his Manshine City training, and now was the perfect moment to use it!

Though Yoichi's physical abilities had improved significantly, there remained a clear gap between them.

Using his superior physique, Reo secured a favorable position. But he wasn't done — he instantly switched tactics!

A new target to imitate!

Karasu Tabito!

❖ Chamaleon ➠ Tabito Karasu: Exquisite Ball Control! ❖

In Blue Lock, Tabito was an elite assassin — expertly using his arms to control the distance between himself and opponents, creating space on offense and closing it on defense.

This simple yet devastating technique had earned him his place among Blue Lock's six core players.

That's exactly what Reo was doing now!

With a grin just like Tabito's, he raised his arm, pinning his opponent and creating the perfect attacking space!

"Karasu, huh!" Yoichi recognized the move instantly, but he wasn't helpless this time.

He retreated strategically, creating an awkward distance — if Reo relied too much on his arm, he'd lose balance.

But Reo didn't take the bait. Instead, he adjusted his position, trying to create space from his opponent.

But this was exactly Yoichi's trap!

While Reo focused on him, Ashito swooped in from the side for a double-team!

This was their recently practiced tactic: Yoichi would guide his opponent left while Ashito closed in for the double-team!

This combo was only possible for two players with Metavision!

Though Reo possessed this ability too, unlike Yoichi and Ashito, he had to focus partly on his chameleon tactics. This meant he couldn't always track everyone on the field.

Ashito's arrival caught him off guard, but his reflexes were lightning-fast. As his opponent slid in for the tackle, Reo pinched the ball between his feet and leaped high, dodging Ashito's challenge.

Even so, his rhythm was broken — he could no longer break through.

Quickly scanning the field, Reo saw he had no choice but to pass — and Haruhisa had already moved up to support him from the side.

"It's yours, Kuribayashi!"

He delivered a powerful pass directly to Haruhisa, who burst forward the moment he received it.

Though Haruhisa and Sae appeared to have similar playing styles at first glance, there were key differences between them.

Sae instantly identified his teammates' positions, delivering passes so difficult that most players couldn't receive them. But for those who could, these passes created prime scoring opportunities.

In essence, attackers had to adapt to Sae's vision.

Haruhisa, however, was a brilliant organizer. Rather than making razor-sharp passes like Sae's, he crafted them to be as comfortable as possible for his teammates.

In his J-League debut, he'd used this superb technique to set up a dramatic game-winning goal!

Yet both players shared one trait — the ability to single-handedly control their team's rhythm.

"I'll crush you!" Jingo roared, charging at Haruhisa with all his might.

Despite his solid stamina, excellent defensive judgment, and aggressive style, Jingo proved no match for his opponent.

Haruhisa skillfully hooked the ball onto his head, cut inside past Jingo, retrieved the ball, and with a beautiful rainbow flick, slipped through the defense.

Yet behind the sharkboy stood another iron wall — Ryōsuke!

Another direct face-off between the two.

"If only I could hear the cheers." Haruhisa muttered to himself.

The urge to win blazed through him like wildfire. Tatsuya, his teammates, and fans worldwide were watching — he couldn't dodge this showdown again. That would be far too dull.

This time, Haruhisa didn't immediately pass. He studied Ryōsuke's movements, attempting to break right. But his opponent matched him perfectly, shifting his weight instantly to block the path.

Haruhisa seemed to anticipate this. In one fluid motion, he spun, shifted the ball left — another feint — then abruptly pulled it back with his left foot!

Ryōsuke remained steady, holding his ground directly in front of his opponent.

Less than three seconds had passed, yet their exchange had been intense.

"Amazing..." Yoichi swallowed, transfixed by the duel.

He understood their confrontation was beyond his level. His old self would have naively attempted to double-team Haruhisa — only to become another pawn in the opponent's game.

"They're evenly matched?"

Alexis frowned at the showdown, but Michael shook his head.

"No, not evenly matched. When an attacker can't shake their defender, they're at a disadvantage. If there's no goal, the defender's winning."

As he spoke, he imagined himself in Ryōsuke's position, facing Haruhisa one-on-one.

He'd probably have lost on the first turn... Michael didn't consider himself weaker, but defense wasn't his forte.

Yet here was Ryōsuke, holding his ground.

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"Kuribayashi just can't get past Kira..."

Nozomi swallowed, finally forced to admit that both offensively and defensively, the gap between these two was undeniable.

Haruhisa, their club's ultimate prodigy who had dominated his peers, was now being completely contained by Ryōsuke.

"Don't worry, Nozomi." Tatsuya's smile remained steady, "Blue Lock was always meant to be one of Haruhisa's greatest challenges. Besides, this is soccer — the true excitement of competitive sports lies in its unpredictability and teamwork! He still has his own special weapons."

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On the field, despite executing a series of brilliant dribbles, Haruhisa couldn't break through Ryōsuke's defense.

Yet his face showed no signs of worry. He had accomplished exactly what he intended.

He had successfully drawn Ryōsuke's defense and everyone's attention to their battle — and his target was now perfectly positioned!

Shōei Barō, charging in from the wing!

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