BOOM!
With a tremendous crash! The Saudi Arabian net was blasted with a huge hole!
"How is that possible?!"
Everyone present was shocked by the shot. The torn net testified to its terrifying power.
With this devastating display, Ryōsuke seemed to announce that he would turn the entire U-20 World Cup upside down!
"As expected... Ryōsuke is truly a monster-level existence..." Mark, the Saudi Arabian Captain, stared at his team's goal in shock.
Staff members rushed forward and quickly repaired the damaged net, but Mark remained frozen, unable to snap out of his stupor.
Ryōsuke, with his overwhelming abilities, had forcefully shattered Saudi Arabia's proud Antlion Larva Pit Defense!
That combination of speed and power was beyond even Vulcan's capabilities...
Ryōsuke's abilities were far more frightening in person than what they had witnessed on television.
Meanwhile, Vulcan stood dumbfounded, staring at the goalmaker as if he were a being from another dimension.
Despite being practically unstoppable in Saudi Arabia's domestic league, Vulcan clearly recognized the insurmountable gap between himself and Ryōsuke when it came to raw power.
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"Bunnag..."
In the stands, the Khongsawat Brothers were so stunned by Ryōsuke's performance that they remained speechless for a long time.
Singprasert maintained a serious expression, and after a while, he slowly spoke, "We just need to find a way to remove Ryōsuke from the game... Yes, that's it. If we can make him leave the field, then he won't be able to use these special techniques at all!"
He gritted his teeth, his tone deadly serious, already contemplating some extremely underhanded tactics.
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[What was that? WHAT WAS THAT! Ryōsuke Kira just fired an incredibly terrifying shot that pierced right through the net?!]
The local commentator shouted in amazement. Commentators broadcasting the match worldwide were equally stunned.
Ryōsuke's abilities were truly terrifying beyond measure.
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Meanwhile...
In the European division, Karl Schneider and his teammates, who had no match scheduled today, had returned to their training base and were watching this match unfolding thousands of miles away.
"Impressive."
Karl couldn't help but express his admiration as he watched that shot.
In his mind, Ryōsuke's team would be their greatest challenge in the U-20 World Cup.
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In the South American division.
Brazil was currently leading with a massive 8-0 score difference. Though the match wasn't over yet, it had long since entered garbage time. They hadn't even deployed their strongest lineup.
Natureza sat on the bench rather than the field — for him, there was no need to participate in such a one-sided match.
He held his phone, intently watching the livestream of the match between Japan and Saudi Arabia.
"That shot was so cool!" Natureza muttered excitedly to himself.
At that moment, the final whistle blew, and Carlos Santana, who had scored five goals, walked up to him.
"So, how's that match going?"
"It's amazing." Natureza said with a smile, "I can't wait to meet Ryōsuke and face off against him!"
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Back on the field, the net had already been repaired before Saudi Arabia's kickoff.
Saudi Arabia Youth remained in a state of extreme shock.
"That guy... can we really defend against him?"
"He's too scary..."
"That guy is literally a monster!"
The players stood frozen, unable to come to their senses, murmuring.
"What should we do, Mark...?"
Everyone's eyes turned to their Captain, desperately seeking guidance.
Mark's expression grew grave. After a moment of consideration, he said, "Their counterattack speed is terrifying... We need to focus entirely on defense now. We absolutely cannot let them score so easily again. Vulcan, you focus on defense too. We'll look for opportunities to attack later."
"Got it," Vulcan nodded promptly.
Mark turned his gaze toward Japan's half of the field.
Exquisite passing and lightning-fast counterattacks — this devastating combination belonged only to Japan!
This team was truly frightening in its power.
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"Nice one, Kira!" Kojiro approached Ryōsuke and gave him a high five.
Sae also came over and, without a word, gave Ryōsuke a high five as well.
"Sae actually high-fived someone!" Kenyū exclaimed from the sidelines.
Sae's arrogant personality was legendary, and probably only his Captain could earn such a gesture from him.
Ryōsuke returned to his position and fixed his gaze on the opponent's goal.
'As expected of the final form of Thunder Breathing, the power is truly incredible...' He thought to himself.
The Flaming Thunder God technique had just given him terrifying speed and explosive power in an instant. Similar to the First Form, but with an added effect — this momentary power allowed Ryōsuke to fire a shot with tremendous force without any pause, far beyond that of a normal Thunderclap and Flash!
This was the true power of Flaming Thunder God!
However, Ryōsuke now felt noticeable fatigue. The stamina drain from the Seventh Form was immense, and even he couldn't use it without limits.
'I can only use Flaming Thunder God at crucial moments.' He concluded.
The match quickly resumed with Saudi Arabia launching another attack!
Once again, Mark dribbled the ball!
He moved swiftly, directing another attack toward Shōei's side!
Ryōsuke guarded the middle position. Mark knew Ryōsuke's one-on-one defensive ability was incredibly strong — even surpassing Oliver's. Without absolute confidence, he wouldn't take such a risk.
So he targeted Shōei again — though Shōei's defensive skills had improved significantly, he remained the weakest of Japan's three forwards!
"How arrogant!" Shōei's eyes locked onto Mark's face as the opponent attacked his position again.
To him, this was nothing but provocation!
He immediately stepped forward to block Mark, while the latter suddenly lowered his body, seemingly about to repeat his earlier spin move.
"Fool, trying the same trick again?" Veins bulged on Shōei's forehead, his eyes blazing with rage, as if he wanted to devour his opponent alive.
But he didn't act rashly, remembering he'd been beaten last time because he hesitated when seeing his opponent's move.
This time, he wouldn't give his opponent any chance to use tricks — he immediately pressed forward!
However... This was exactly what Mark had anticipated!
Instead of using the Mirage Chapeau, he instantly accelerated, rushing forward with a strange movement that kept his body almost flush with the ground!
This maneuver showcased his exceptional core strength and balance, complemented by his remarkable speed!
Exploiting Shōei's forward press, Mark seized his opportunity and burst forward. Shōei couldn't retreat in time and was completely bypassed!
Once again, he successfully evaded his defender!
"Your defense isn't bad, but compared to our terrifying offense, it's still not enough." Mark said with a smile, considering his next move.
Breaking through the opponent's front line was merely the first step — the midfield posed little threat to him. The real challenge was penetrating the penalty area.
Oliver and Ikki's combined defense was formidable. With Vulcan now fully committed to defense, how could he break through?
As Mark contemplated his options, he suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind.
Yoichi Isagi!
Mark hadn't noticed his presence until the opponent was nearly upon him.
"What?" He was stunned — he hadn't expected Isagi to appear here.
According to Japan's initial formation, Yoichi should have been positioned in the back line. Why was he here?
And how had he done it?
Could it be... Had he exploited a blind spot? Had he anticipated from the beginning that Shōei would be beaten?!
Mark's mind raced with unanswerable questions.
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On the coach's bench, Jinpachi watched Yoichi's movements and nodded with satisfaction.
"Although we only have four defenders, in reality, only Niko and Aiku are fixed defensive cores, while Isagi and Rin's positions are flexible — especially Isagi. I told him he doesn't necessarily need to follow my tactical setup on the field, but can act according to his own judgment.
In terms of football IQ, he is the highest on our team, even above Rin and the others. And he has the hunger to evolve into a top player. Isagi devours his teammates' actions to make himself stronger — I've rarely seen such a player."
Jinpachi narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning profound.
"Although Ryōsuke is the absolute core of the team, Isagi refuses to let his own light be overshadowed. The other players on our team are the same. Go on, shine with your own light!"
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"Just as I thought, Owairan! You definitely aren't the type to use the same trick twice!" Yoichi shouted as he closed in on his opponent at top speed.
He knew Mark's abilities. If Mark chose to attack from Shōei's position, he must have been confident.
So Yoichi anticipated that his teammate would be beaten and positioned himself accordingly!
Mark's lowered body posture was extremely skillful, but the decreased height also affected his vision, making it difficult for him to spot others' movements.
Shōei's tall body also served as a perfect screen for Yoichi!
"It's not that simple!" Mark shouted. Facing this unexpected pressure, he calmly kept the ball at his feet.
Being able to make such a calm judgment in this critical moment proved his undeniable skill.
However, Yoichi's pressure wasn't meant to directly steal the ball — he was the bait!
While Mark's attention was completely focused on him, another figure suddenly rushed forward.
"You've shown your weakness." Haruhisa seized this opportunity and struck.
With his attention fixed on Yoichi, Mark never anticipated the attack from behind!
Haruhisa moved like a venomous snake — hidden in the environment, killing its prey with a single strike!
Steal successful!
"Let's go!" Haruhisa stole the ball from Mark and delivered his signature pass, sending it along an extremely tight line directly to Shōei's feet, "Unleash your anger, King."
Now Shōei had the ball, and the fury of being beaten twice burned in his heart!
This was his moment to explode! To tear apart everyone standing before the throne!
His gaze sharpened as power surged through his entire body in an instant!
❖ Predator Eye! ❖
❖ Flow! ❖
"Stop him quickly!"
The Saudi Arabian players rushed forward, preparing to surround Shōei.
But what they saw was his face, fierce as a demon!
"Get out of my way, commoners!" Shōei, like a dictatorial king on the field, tore through Saudi Arabia's defensive line.
The opponents couldn't even form their encirclement before he had already broken through!
"Stop him!"
"It's impossible, he's too fast!"
"How can we defend against such a monster?!"
"Leave it to me!"
At that moment, a massive figure stood in Shōei's path!
Like the gatekeeper of hell: Vulcan!
"Come at me, little king!" Vulcan bellowed.
With all his focus on defense, he was Saudi Arabia's most solid barrier! Even Shōei's frame looked tiny before him!
An ordinary player would hesitate when facing such an iron wall.
But the "King" didn't slow down at all!
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