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

After about ten minutes, the game concluded with the final score at 3-1.

After Ryōsuke's goal, Chris hunched over, feigning injury, and limped off the field. He waved at the cameras with a smile, playing up the impression he'd been competing while injured.

By doing this, he could use the supposed injury to explain away his loss while enhancing his "tough guy" persona.

After celebrating with his teammates, Ryōsuke made his way to the bench, accepting a towel from Noel to wipe his forehead.

His body showed clear signs of exhaustion from repeatedly using Transparent World and Divine Reflection.

"I need more practice," Ryōsuke thought.

At that moment, the system's voice chimed in:

〘 Congratulations! Earned Competition Points: 900! 〙

— — — — — — — — — —

〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛

〚 Current Competition Points: 1000 〛

〚 Prime Human Tree Skills: 〛

 〚 Skill: Divine Reflection | Level: 2 | EXP: 11.2% 〛

〚 Demon Slayer Tree Skills: 〛

 〚 Skill: Transparent World | Level: 3 | EXP: 29.1% 〛

〚 Thunder Breathing Tree Skills: 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Second Form: Rice Spirit | Level: 5 | EXP: MAX 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Third Form: Thunder Swarm | Level: 4 | EXP: 60.7% 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Fourth Form: Distant Thunder | Level: 4 | EXP: 29.1% 〛

 〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Fifth Form: Heat Lightning | Level: 2 | EXP: 69.2% 〛

— — — — — — — — — —

The match had earned him another substantial boost in Competition Points.

"Well done, Kira." Noel said, his eyes filled with approval.

"Chris just seemed off his game." Ryōsuke replied modestly.

"No, he was playing more seriously than anyone else out there." Noel countered.

As Chris's former rival, Noel knew he hadn't held back — he'd played at his usual professional level. Yet even then, he couldn't overcome Ryōsuke.

Watching Ryōsuke, Noel realized he wasn't confident about beating him either...

Still, the world's number one title wasn't his main concern; he was more intrigued by how far Ryōsuke might go.

"Lost again..." Seishirō murmured, draping a towel over his head.

Hyōma gulped down sports drinks, replenishing his depleted energy.

Reo observed Ryōsuke, and despite the frustration in his eyes, he had to acknowledge the player's formidable ability.

In the distance, Haruhisa wiped his sweat, a faint smile lingering on his face. Despite their loss, the game's excitement had left a lasting impression — it had been ages since he'd felt such thrill.

"Coach Fukuda, thank you so much for bringing me here." He said softly.

"What a shame! We would've won if not for my injury!" Chris declared from the coaching area, rubbing his calf.

"But Bastard München's Master Striker didn't play either." Seishirō pointed out innocently.

"Haha." Chris laughed, pretending not to hear.

Just then, the stadium's big screen lit up.

[Good work, everyone.] Jinpachi said slowly, deliberately avoiding the term 'raw gems'.

He knew that many players in Blue Lock were no longer mere raw gems—they had begun to shine with their own brilliance, just like Ryōsuke.

[Now I'll announce the latest salary rankings. Since teams have played different numbers of matches, consider these rankings preliminary — they will change over time.]

As Jinpachi finished speaking, a complete list appeared on the screen.

[ Player: Yoichi Isagi, Bastard München | Value: ¥32,000,000 | Berserk Dortmund ]

Yoichi stared at the screen in disbelief; his market value had increased yet again.

His current value was lower than in the original timeline, where he'd reached 50 million after using his high soccer IQ and Metavision to orchestrate Kenyū's winning goal against England.

Back then, he'd achieved this under immense pressure, constantly having to outperform teammates while watching his back in Bastard München's toxic atmosphere.

Now, thanks to Ryōsuke's influence, Bastard München had transformed into a unified team — largely due to the removal of destabilizing forces like Michael and Alexis.

[ Player: Ranze Kurona, Bastard München | Value: ¥17,000,000 | Bastard München ]

Ranze demonstrated exceptional passing and ball control throughout the match.

[ Player: Jingo Raichi, Bastard München | Value: ¥17,000,000 | Bastard München ]

Jingo's relentless pressing and crucial last-minute interception earned him significant recognition.

[ Player: Rensuke Kunigami, Bastard München | Value: ¥20,000,000 | Kawasaki Breakers ]

Though scoreless, Rensuke proved to be a constant offensive threat with his powerful presence on the field.

[ Player: Kenyū Yukimiya, Bastard München | Value: ¥25,000,000 | Ajajax ]

Kenyū's goal contribution during the match secured him an impressive offer.

[ Player: Reo Mikage, Manshine City | Value: ¥40,000,000 | Ars ]

Reo's well-rounded performance justified his substantial market value.

[ Player: Seishirō Nagi, Manshine City | Value: ¥80,000,000 | Manshine City ]

Seishirō's valuation nearly matched his original value from Blue Lock. While he didn't showcase his signature Five-Shot Revolver Fake Volley, his brilliant intentional rebound fake captivated new fans.

[ Player: Haruhisa Kuribayashi, Manshine City | Value: ¥90,000,000 | Manshine City ]

"90 million?" Haruhisa stared at his valuation in disbelief.

His previous dual-team contract — splitting time between J-League and youth team — had earned him less than a tenth of this amount.

A single match had now secured him this massive contract, with potential for further increases in future games.

Despite not scoring, his masterful performance as the team's playmaker was undeniable — he truly functioned as the team's brain.

[ Player: Genzō Wakabayashi, Bastard München | Value: ¥100,000,000 | Bastard München ]

Surpassing even Haruhisa's value, Genzō's contract exceeded 100 million. He had proven himself a true guardian deity, consistently denying England's most dangerous attempts.

After reviewing their own valuations, all eyes naturally drifted upward to the name at the top of the list.

[ Rankings ]

[ Nº 1 - Player: Ryōsuke Kira, Bastard München | Value: ¥310,000,000 | Bastard München ]

…

Ryōsuke's performance left no room for doubt — every top club in the world had witnessed his prowess. He had undoubtedly entered the ranks of the world's elite players.

The annual salary of 310 million signaled that club owners had recognized a clear reality: Ryōsuke's level surpassed Michael's.

"This..." Alexis turned his head, wanting to comfort Michael, who stared intently at the club listed after the price table.

Bastard München.

Michael's expression was grave; he understood exactly what this meant. Bastard München had judged Ryōsuke superior and planned to replace him.

Even though he had no intention of staying at Bastard München anyway, this struck a blow to his pride. In every aspect, he had been thoroughly outclassed.

Though with Michael's abilities, finding a new club wouldn't be difficult, he knew he could no longer command an annual salary of 310 million. He had hoped to increase his market value, but achieved the opposite.

Now he could only accept reality. Despite his reluctance to admit it, Ryōsuke's abilities far surpassed his own.

Ryōsuke was the only person Michael genuinely acknowledged as superior.

"310 million!" Ashito exclaimed, unable to comprehend such a figure.

After this match, his own market value had risen to 20 million — more than doubling — which already seemed incredible to him. He had contributed two creative passes and performed well both offensively and defensively.

While 20 million was already astronomical to Ashito, Ryōsuke's value had increased by over 100 million!

He couldn't even imagine how much food that money could buy — it seemed enough for several lifetimes.

[The match is over, get some rest.] Jinpachi said, adjusting his glasses, [The Ubers versus FC Barcha match is about to begin — they'll be your next opponent.]

After he finished speaking, the big screen went dark.

"Ubers?" Ryōsuke muttered, recalling the Italian team members.

In the original story, they had not only Shōei Barō, Ikki Niko, and Oliver Aiku, but also Don Lorenzo — who like Michael was one of the New Generation World XI, known as "The Ace Eater".

Just by their lineup, Italy's Ubers possessed outstanding defensive capabilities that far surpassed other teams.

Moreover, this time they also had strong players like Kojiro Hyuga joining them, bringing considerable offensive power, and it seemed Ken Wakashimazu, the "Karate Keeper", was also on the team.

A goalkeeper who could match Genzō, Ken had incorporated karate techniques into his goalkeeping style while demonstrating exceptional jumping ability and offensive skills. His presence would make Ubers's defense even more formidable.

Given their strength, Ubers would be difficult to defeat. Still, Ryōsuke looked forward to the challenge.

After a brief rest, he and his teammates headed back to their dormitory to watch the match on the big screen.

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

In a hard-fought battle, Ubers emerged victorious over FC Barcha, 4-2.

Though both teams played without their Master Strikers, Barcha's Tsubasa managed to score twice.

For Ubers, Kojiro scored two goals, while Shōei broke through Spain's defense twice as well.

The match left everyone on Bastard München — including Ryōsuke — stunned.

Throughout the game, Shōei had consistently passed to his teammates — a shocking development for such a traditionally self-centered player.

In his first match, he'd barely played before being benched, showing zero teamwork. But this time was completely different. He had seamlessly integrated into the team's offense, even working well with Kojiro — something previously thought impossible.

They complemented each other perfectly, creating scoring chances for one another.

"Barō... actually passing to others?" Yoichi stared at the screen in disbelief, rubbed his eyes, then turned to Ryōsuke with a bewildered expression, "Did I... see that right?"

"Yes, Barō has completely transformed his playing style." Ryōsuke nodded.

This willingness to pass to teammates marked a dramatic evolution in Shōei's game — he was no longer a defensive liability. This new version of him would be an even greater threat.

Just then, Ryōsuke's phone rang — it was Anri calling.

"Miss Teieri."

[Kira, come to the monitoring room!] Anri's voice came through from the other end of the terminal, [Remember we talked about participating in promotional activities at various universities after your matches? Come over so we can discuss the details — oh, and bring Aoi too.]

"Mm." Ryōsuke nodded, recalling Jinpachi's earlier mention of these activities.

While Jinpachi typically avoided such events, they were part of the Blue Lock Second Phase backers' plan, leaving him no choice.

Still, these activities could benefit Blue Lock by attracting additional financial sponsorship and potentially discovering new talent from the universities.

After ending the brief call, Ryōsuke and Ashito headed to the monitoring room, where Anri and Jinpachi were already waiting.

❖❖❖

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