Chapter 42: Time Passes, and Strength Continues to Rise!
"So you're saying… that Kira Ryosuke is actually Riko's boyfriend?!"
All the players came to the exact same conclusion at the exact same moment, their voices overlapping in a loud burst of astonishment.
"Y-You… you guys… w-what are you even talking about! R-Ryosuke is just— he's just simply asking me about… a-about training! Physical training! That's all!"
Although Riko's face had turned a deep, unmistakable shade of red, she still made a desperate attempt to explain herself.
Unfortunately for her, the stammering in her voice completely destroyed whatever credibility her words might have carried.
"Really? But when you were talking on the phone just now, you two didn't mention training even once!"
"Exactly! It totally sounded like you were waiting for Kira to come back so you could go on a date!"
"And he's even coming to our school to pick you up? I can't wait to see that!"
With the team chattering nonstop around her, Riko finally reached the absolute limit of her patience. She clenched her fists, inhaled sharply, and roared:
"All of you— add three more kilometers to your training!"
"W-Wait, seriously?!"
"Are you trying to kill us?!"
"We literally just finished training! Please have mercy! How about this— when Kira comes to school, we'll all pretend to look super impressive, okay?"
"Add another kilometer."
"Ehhh—?!"
...
Inside Blue Lock, after finishing his phone call with Riko, Kira rested briefly before preparing for the final set of his daily training routine.
"Kira… do you have a moment?"
Kira turned around toward the voice.
Isagi was standing behind him, looking as if he had something very important on his mind.
"What's up, Isagi?"
Kira asked, noticing immediately that Isagi looked unusually serious.
"Um… I have a request. It might be… a bit much."
Isagi pressed his hands together, bowed deeply, and said with determination:
"Kira… could you please train me? Or at least guide me a little?"
"That's not excessive at all."
Kira smiled gently and immediately reached out to help him stand upright.
"It's just that… Ego said that even though we're on the same team right now, we're ultimately future rivals…"
"That's just a Blue Lock rule," Kira said calmly. "During my last talk with Ego, I already told him my opinion— I think his perspective is wrong. And more importantly, our focus right now should be on the match ahead of us, shouldn't it? We're teammates. Helping each other is normal. Still… I'm not sure how helpful I can actually be."
Kira gave Isagi an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"T-Thank you! Really, thank you!"
Isagi's eyes lit up with genuine gratitude. To him, Kira wasn't just incredibly skilled— his personality was unbelievably kind as well.
"So, Isagi," Kira continued, "what exactly do you want to work on?"
"Well… during today's match, I saw Niko initiate an attack on his own. If it weren't for you, Kira, that attack would've been extremely dangerous… At that moment, I had this feeling— that Niko really could have scored. I want… at the very least, to have offensive ability like that."
Isagi bit his lip lightly, hesitating for a moment before finishing:
"I saw how Chigiri trained with you before, and then he shined so brilliantly this match. I… I want to be useful too. I want to contribute to the team during matches."
After saying this, Isagi lifted his head and stared directly at Kira, waiting anxiously for his advice.
But Kira simply smiled.
"You're mistaken, Isagi. Chigiri performed well not because of my help— that was his own talent. To use Ego's terms, that was his 'weapon.' So… what's yours?"
"My weapon…"
Isagi fell silent, reflecting deeply on those words.
"Earlier you mentioned that sense you get— that instinct for goals. And you seem to understand Ikki Niko's offensive routes very clearly. That suggests you might have a similar ability… the ability to observe and analyze the movement of everyone on the field. That isn't something most players can do."
Kira explained patiently.
"The exact details depend on you. How you use your weapon is something only you can decide. But one thing is certain: if you want to perform better, you'll have to improve your physical fitness. So come join me for some conditioning training later."
"Mm!"
Isagi nodded firmly, determination returning to his eyes.
"Well, well, well— so you two were planning to train behind our backs, huh!"
A cheerful voice interrupted them. The rest of the team came pouring out, with Bachira grinning at the front.
Even though everyone had technically been dismissed for free activity time, the moment they thought about Kira still training, they found themselves naturally drawn back to the field.
"If we don't train, Kira's going to leave us in the dust!"
"We can't let Kira be the only one improving!"
"He hogs all the spotlight every time!"
One by one, every teammate joined the training session.
...
Soon enough, three days passed.
The match between Team Z and Team W came to an end.
7–1
Kira played as an attacking midfielder this time.
Not only did he create four goals himself, but he also provided three assists for his teammates.
Just like the previous two teams, Team W was utterly overwhelmed by Team Z's dominance. They had no chance to fight back at all.
It wasn't just Kira whose ability had skyrocketed— the entire Team Z had improved significantly. Their teamwork had become sharper, smoother, and more cohesive than ever.
"That guy… he's just as terrifying as the one from Team V…"
Team W's ace, Keisuke Wanima, stared at Kira as he left the field surrounded by cheering teammates. His expression was filled with despair.
In the original storyline, Team W nearly pushed Team Z into a hopeless situation by conspiring with Kuon.
But now, Team Z had already crushed three matches in absolute domination, and Kuon— immersed in the team's newfound unity— would never betray them.
Team W posed no threat to Kira whatsoever.
Now, only Team V remained.
Kira returned to the locker room, and as expected, the system's voice chimed in. He opened the interface immediately.
[Congratulations! Points Earned: 160]
[Host: Ryosuke Kira]
[Current Points: 180]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Total Concentration LV3 | Proficiency: 11.17%]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — First Form: Thunderclap and Flash LV2 | Proficiency: 100% | Upgrade Cost: 100 Points]
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Second Form: Rice Soul LV2 | Proficiency: 36%]
Over these three days, Kira had upgraded both Total Concentration and Rice Spirit, steadily increasing his overall strength once again.
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 2 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.