Chapter 28: The Flame Hidden in Chigiri Hyōma's Heart
Thunderclap and Flash granted Kira Ryosuke overwhelming explosive power in his legs, while Rice Spirit dramatically enhanced the refinement and complexity of his dribbling technique. His original body already possessed solid fundamentals—his ball control and dribbling ability were above average—but compared to top-tier prodigies like Meguru Bachira, he still lagged behind by a considerable margin.
When he defeated Bachira earlier, the true reason wasn't superior skill, but the fact that his physical attributes and speed totally eclipsed his opponent's. It had been the same during the match against Team X—Kira, empowered by Thunderclap and Flash, simply tore through the defensive line with raw velocity and used that explosive burst to finish past defenders.
In that match, success came primarily from speed, not technique.
More importantly, Team X's defense was chaotic. With no coordination and no positional discipline, Kira could storm through their penalty area almost effortlessly. But the next opponent—Team Y—was nothing like them. Team Y's structure was disciplined; their movements were coordinated, and their defensive focus was sharp. Creating any clean scoring chance would become far more difficult.
On top of that, they had undoubtedly studied the footage from the Team X match. They would already know Kira possessed terrifying, superhuman speed, and would likely set their defensive line deeper and more densely to counter him. That meant not only would penetrating their formation become harder, but long-range shots would also be obstructed far more easily. Shooting lanes would shrink before he even raised his foot.
In this context, Rice Spirit became his newest, most critical offensive tool.
Street-style dribbling was normally considered too flashy—full of unnecessary movement, high risk, and low practicality. But Rice Spirit did not add useless flair. Every motion it provided was purposeful, sharp, efficient, and designed to break a defender's center of gravity instantly. What it gave Kira was the ability to deceive without waste.
What he needed at this stage was exactly that—an option that allowed him to beat defenders without relying on Thunderclap and Flash every time. Unlike pure explosive techniques, Rice Spirit was a refinement of skill, so in the state of Total Concentration Breathing it did not see a dramatic amplification. However, it allowed him to maintain exceptional dribbling ability even in his normal condition.
Better yet, Rice Spirit could be seamlessly combined with Thunderclap and Flash. At high velocity, he could still perform precise and dazzling dribbling maneuvers that no ordinary defender could possibly keep up with.
"Rice Spirit and Thunderclap and Flash really do synchronize well. Even in normal state, I should be able to rely on Rice Spirit alone to beat defenders effectively. But if I activate Total Concentration Breathing on top of that, then add Thunderclap and Flash… I should be able to create truly unbelievable breakthroughs and impossible goals."
Kira muttered to himself as he analyzed his own reasoning.
"But if I combine all three skills at once, the stamina consumption will definitely skyrocket. Still… training in this space should preserve the physical reinforcement I earn."
No time could be wasted. Kira immediately focused on the training ahead of him.
He opened the system interface and summoned several movable training mannequins before him to simulate defenders. Then, gripping the ball lightly between his feet, he sprinted forward.
Total Concentration Breathing—
Thunderclap and Flash—
and Rice Spirit!
With explosive acceleration, Kira surged toward the goal. His feet deftly clamped the ball, flicking it upward into the air—
And then he struck.
The ball launched like a cannon shell, sharp and unstoppable, crashing straight into the net with devastating force.
"It really works!"
Kira clenched his right fist, nodding hard in satisfaction.
The breathing technique empowered his physical strength for duels, Rice Spirit gave him the nimble body control required to beat defenders, and Thunderclap and Flash delivered the final decisive burst for the finishing strike.
Rice Spirit also made his shooting angles far more flexible—his foot placement became unpredictable, allowing him to create shooting patterns defenders could never anticipate.
Satisfied with the synergy, Kira resumed his practice immediately.
Just as he told Jinpachi Ego, what he sought was victory—nothing more. Defeating Team X was only the beginning.
Kira wanted to keep winning.
Endlessly winning.
...
One hour passed quickly. With no stamina limitations, Kira's growth efficiency skyrocketed. In a single hour, Thunderclap and Flash and Total Concentration Breathing each increased their proficiency by more than 20%, while Izumo's proficiency soared past 40%.
[Time's up. Returning to the real world.]
As the timer above the field hit zero, the scenery around him dissolved and reassembled.
In an instant, he was back on the Blue Lock training grounds.
Kira took out his phone. Just as the system had described, time inside the Practice Space was independent from the real world—no matter how long he trained inside, from the outside it appeared as if he hadn't moved at all.
"If I level up Rice Spirit, I should be able to improve my dribbling mastery even further and unlock more variations. In a sense, this is what people call 'ball feel.'"
He thought out loud as he prepared to attempt the technique combination again in real-world conditions.
But the moment he completed the sequence—
A sharp, deep ache surged through his muscles.
Worse than what he felt after using Thunderclap and Flash during the match.
He had no choice but to stop, stretch, and loosen his muscles.
"As expected… using all three at once puts a much heavier burden on the body. Improving their proficiency and enhancing my physical foundation is still top priority. I'll add extra conditioning training later."
Just as Kira was preparing to resume—
Someone approached from behind.
Hyoma Chigiri.
Though Blue Lock was filled entirely with male players, Chigiri possessed beauty that surpassed many girls—refined features, long flowing hair, and an aloof temperament that made him stand out effortlessly. His solitary nature and graceful appearance earned him the nickname "Princess" within the team.
"You're still practicing, Kira?"
Chigiri walked up beside him, voice soft with curiosity.
"Yeah. I want to get in a bit more conditioning before I sleep."
Kira replied, noticing that Chigiri seemed to have something he wanted to say.
"Is that so… You really are talented and hardworking, Kira."
Chigiri bit lightly on his lower lip—clearly wanting to say more, yet stopping himself.
He had once been the star striker of his high school, gifted with unmatched speed. But after his injury, he lost the courage to run freely again. A shadow clung to his heart.
Though he believed he had lost all love for football, he still answered Blue Lock's call—saving a tiny flicker of ambition deep inside.
During the match, he hid at the very back line, neither fighting for the ball nor pushing himself, ready to coast through the game without participating.
But then he saw Kira sprinting fearlessly across the pitch—
And the embers in his heart began to blaze again.
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 2 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.