"All right, take a five-minute break, then we'll move on to the next set of exercises." Riko watched as the team members finished their training set, giving them a short rest.
Shun collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, "Man, I'm exhausted."
"If you're tired from this level of training, that's not good enough. This intensity isn't even half of what Ryōsuke handles!" Riko said sternly.
"Poor Kira…" Junpei said with a smile, "Though thanks to him, the basketball club has become incredibly popular, bringing in new members and sponsors."
Since Ryōsuke's arrival at the Seirin basketball club, the school's attention to their department had increased dramatically.
"Good thing Kira plays soccer, otherwise we'd all be out of a job." Teppei said from his spot on the bench.
"He's handsome, talented, and hardworking! Can't you all learn something from him?" As Riko spoke, thoughts of his face brought an involuntary smile to her lips.
"That's obvious favoritism!" Junpei sighed, "And because of Kira, your popularity has skyrocketed too, Riko."
Others had witnessed her intimate interactions with Ryōsuke, causing many girls to view her as competition.
Though Riko and Ryōsuke were now officially dating, only her close friends and the basketball club members knew — it wasn't public knowledge.
If those obsessed female students at school discovered this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"By the way... is it true that Kira joined the Blue Lock Project?" Teppei asked.
The Blue Lock Project's public announcement had caused quite a stir, though officials kept specific details under wraps.
"Yes." Riko nodded, "Last time he visited, it was because he'd met certain conditions."
"It really is like a prison..." Junpei swallowed hard and shook his head, "Failed participants basically have their careers ruined. If it were me... I probably wouldn't risk joining this project..."
"But Ryōsuke went, and he'll definitely fight his way out successfully." Riko said with absolute certainty, her gaze intense, "Because he promised me he would keep winning."
"Here we go again, showing off their love in front of the team!"
"Yeah, these days it's all 'Ryōsuke this, Ryōsuke that!'"
"Not just that, look at my notebook — Riko has said 'Ryōsuke' 121 times in three days!"
"You guys!" Despite being his legitimate girlfriend now, Riko blushed with embarrassment at their teasing.
To hide her flustered state, she resorted to drastic measures!
"All of you, break's over! Start the second set of training now!"
"What! It hasn't been five minutes yet — it's only been two!"
"It's over when I say it's over!"
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The halftime break ended swiftly as players returned to the field for the second half.
Team V stood at the precipice — they had no choice but to fight with everything they had to overcome their dire situation. Meanwhile, Team Z couldn't afford to relax, knowing a single mistake could erase their hard-earned lead.
The whistle pierced the air, and the second half began with Team Z attacking!
"Maintain the advantage! Keep it steady!" Meguru shouted to his teammates.
Following Reo's strategy, Zantetsu and several defenders marked Ryōsuke closely. Despite his constant movement off the ball, they denied him any chance to receive it.
But containing him proved challenging.
Zantetsu had assumed his superior height and build would let him dominate Ryōsuke — but in their physical battles for position, he discovered his opponent's strength far exceeded his modest frame.
"What's with this guy's strength?!" Zantetsu struggled to gain any advantage despite using his full power.
Still, with so many defenders surrounding him, Ryōsuke couldn't get near the ball.
"Kira's drawing all their defenders — we can't waste this chance!" Meguru seized the opportunity, finding Rensuke with a precise pass.
"Perfect opening!"
Rensuke stepped up to shoot—
Then, like a phantom, a figure materialized beside him!
"What?!"
Seishirō Nagi!
"This is exactly what Kira would do." Seishirō matched Rensuke's pace and completely shut down his shooting angle.
"How did he do that?" Rensuke stood stunned — his opponent seemed to have found another gear of speed.
While he stood stunned, Reo seized the opportunity and snatched the ball from his feet with a clean steal.
"Counterattack! Nagi!" Reo shouted, sprinting at top speed toward the opponent's half.
As Ryōsuke prepared to fall back, Zantetsu charged in front of him at full speed.
The burst of explosive power was draining, but Zantetsu had no choice. He had to intercept Ryōsuke here, even for just a second, even if it meant depleting all his energy.
With other defenders in position to help, their defensive formation was stronger than anything they'd shown against Team Y!
This was Reo's strategy: sacrifice the defenders and Zantetsu if necessary, but contain Ryōsuke at all costs!
Though this would leave them at a disadvantage in numbers and stamina, Reo trusted that Seishirō's exceptional ability could handle the remaining players.
Everything hinged on the genius now!
The defensive wall worked perfectly — Zantetsu and his teammates completely blocked Ryōsuke's retreat route. Even if he tried to speed around them, they'd already bought enough time for Seishirō and Reo's group!
Team V's attack had now pushed deep into Team Z's half!
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