Ryōsuke used Thunderclap and Flash to soar to an impossible height!
As he leaped, he instantly read the movements of Haruhisa, Hyōma, and the others — but their defensive formations meant nothing to him.
Suspended in midair, he adjusted his posture with perfect control, raising his leg to trap the ball against his ankle.
"Could it be?!" Reo gasped, realizing what was coming.
From across the field, Seishirō's eyes locked onto Ryōsuke, "That move... it looks familiar."
Indeed — Ryōsuke had switched his Divine Reflection target to none other than Seishirō!
Despite his extraordinary skills, even Ryōsuke had never been able to replicate Seishirō's legendary Ball Trapping technique — a move that seemed like pure innate talent.
But now, with Divine Reflection, the impossible became possible.
The technique was his.
Like a dancer in the air, Ryōsuke controlled the ball with his ankle as if it were caught in a gravitational field, guiding it into the perfect shooting position!
❖ Black Hole Trap! ❖
"Don't you dare shoot!" Hyōma saw the danger and lunged forward to block.
He timed his move for the exact moment Ryōsuke would take his shot.
But Ryōsuke's movements shifted in an instant!
Instead of shooting, he drove the ball toward the ground — the same phantom shot technique Seishirō had demonstrated moments ago!
"How... is that possible?!"
Hyōma could only watch in shock, his forward momentum leaving him completely off-balance as Ryōsuke prepared his next move.
But Manshine City's defense wasn't finished!
As Hyōma stumbled, Haruhisa burst in with lightning speed to cover, stabbing at the ball near Ryōsuke's feet with perfect timing!
His challenge was perfectly synchronized with Ryōsuke's shooting motion!
If Ryōsuke attempted a shot, Haruhisa would surely block it.
Ryōsuke had already raised his leg, perfectly mimicking a shooting motion — but it was just another feint!
Though his technique differed, he used the false shot to deceive Haruhisa, slipping behind him as his opponent lunged forward!
"This guy?!"
Alexis and Michael stared at Ryōsuke, dumbfounded.
That move... wasn't it Seishirō's signature technique? How had he mastered it so perfectly?
They both knew the Black Hole Trap was impossible for them to replicate.
Yet Ryōsuke had done it effortlessly. What kind of monster was he?!
Michael suddenly realized his "rival" was far more fearsome than he'd ever imagined!
Chris also watched in amazement — he knew the Black Hole Trap required extraordinary flexibility and perfect "relaxation" technique.
Even he had to admit he couldn't match Seishirō in this aspect.
But now Ryōsuke had reached that level... Had he surpassed Chris as well?!
This only intensified Chris's desire to get onto the field.
He'd heard about Ryōsuke defeating Lavinho in a one-on-one, but Chris had dismissed it, "A single steal means nothing — Lavinho's style is reckless, and mistakes happen."
He couldn't wait to face Ryōsuke himself.
But that moment hadn't arrived yet.
"Ryōsuke Kira has just executed the incredible technique that Seishirō Nagi demonstrated earlier! Such ball control and phantom shooting defies imagination!" The TV commentator shouted enthusiastically, leaning so far forward he nearly tumbled from his studio chair, "Ryōsuke Kira's beaten Haruhisa Kuribayashi—he's about to... Wait! Kuribayashi isn't finished yet!"
Back on the field, Ryōsuke had just used a feint to get past Haruhisa.
He stepped forward, ready to shoot!
In that instant, Haruhisa planted his foot and reversed direction, charging from behind to intercept.
Drawing from their previous clash, Haruhisa had anticipated Ryōsuke's move by pure instinct, allowing him to recover instantly!
The moment he'd lunged forward, Haruhisa was already slowing — setting up a counter that would be impossible for most players to defend against.
But Ryōsuke was no ordinary player!
As he passed Haruhisa, he activated Transparent World. Through this power, he clearly saw his opponent's next move; the moment he noticed Haruhisa's deceleration, he knew a trap was being set.
But... it didn't matter!
Without looking back, Ryōsuke made his shooting motion, swinging his leg with force. Instead of blasting the ball, however, he deftly chipped it skyward.
Haruhisa's counterattack arrived right then — his foot slicing through the space where the ball had been.
Had Ryōsuke attempted a direct shot, Haruhisa would have surely intercepted. But Ryōsuke had seen through him!
"What?!" For the first time, shock broke through Haruhisa's usually expressionless face.
Like a puppet master, Ryōsuke had manipulated his opponent!
Having dodged Haruhisa's tackle, he faced nothing but open field ahead!
Even though Reo was now imitating Oliver Aiku's moves and charging at full speed, it was too late!
❖ First Form ➠ Thunderclap and Flash! ❖
Bang!
The ball screamed off his foot, streaking past Rook, the goalkeeper! Despite his complete focus, Rook couldn't react in time!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ 1:1 ]
It's a tie!
"What just... happened?"
The entire Manshine City team stood in a daze at what had just unfolded.
It felt like a dream — could a high school player really do something like that?
"No way..." Seishirō stood frozen, staring at Ryōsuke from afar.
The move Ryōsuke had just shown was Seishirō's own signature technique... and he'd never imagined anyone could replicate it so perfectly.
Even the Bastard München players were stunned, taking several seconds before rushing over to celebrate with Ryōsuke.
"Damn it..." Alexis watched Benedict join the celebration, grinding his teeth with fury.
Michael sat there, completely stunned.
What Ryōsuke had just pulled off was beyond his imagination...
The initial ball trap was incredible enough, but those consecutive feints that followed were terrifying — like witnessing a miracle on the field.
"What's wrong? Do you have a problem with Bastard München scoring?" Noel turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them.
"N-no! Of course I'm thrilled!" Alexis quickly forced a fake smile.
Michael, still dazed, finally spoke in a halting voice, "T-this... this goal... is simply unmatched..."
His eyes remained wide with shock.
For the first time, Michael found himself truly acknowledging someone other than himself — Ryōsuke.
Only now did he realize the true gap between them: an insurmountable chasm.
Whether it was Sae Itoshi, any of the New World XI, or even Julian Loki, they were all a step below Ryōsuke.
If only he hadn't picked that fight with Ryōsuke back then, he might still have his spot on the team. But...
Michael bit his lip until it bled, unable to stop. All that remained was regret.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
At the same time, Ryōsuke's legendary goal exploded across every major online platform, even causing several servers to crash.
"A miracle goal!"
"Best goal in a decade, without question!"
"Does Ryōsuke have eyes in the back of his head? Haruhisa had him covered, yet still couldn't stop him..."
The buzz was everywhere, with goal clips spreading like wildfire as GIFs. Quick-thinking manufacturers had already grabbed screenshots of Ryōsuke's move past Haruhisa and rushed to contact factories for posters and merchandise.
The entire world stood in awe of that goal.
"Even Haruhisa couldn't stop him..." Nozomi muttered in disbelief, echoing everyone's thoughts.
The rest of the youth team players watching the match were equally stunned.
Many on the Esperion A-Team had played alongside Haruhisa and knew his incredible strength — a peak they'd never reach.
They'd spent a week with Ryōsuke too, recognizing he was powerful — possibly matching Haruhisa's level.
But none had imagined their ace could be outmaneuvered so masterfully.
"That's what makes Ryōsuke special. We're fortunate he coached our youth team that week." Tatsuya watched Haruhisa on screen, a smile playing across his face, his gaze unwavering.
He knew the match wasn't over. The real battle was just beginning!
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Meanwhile, at the Grand Blue diving shop.
"Nothing beats watching a match with drinks!"
"You said it! Ryōsuke's a beast!"
"Let's make this interesting! Bet on the next scorer — losers drink!"
In the hall, over ten shirtless, burly guys clustered around the TV, drinking and gaming while watching the match.
Nearby, a short-haired girl sighed but kept her amber eyes fixed on the screen.
She didn't know much about soccer, but after the Blue Lock versus U-20 Match became a national sensation, she'd started following the sport more closely.
The Blue Lock games had a way of captivating even non-fans.
"That last goal was incredible! How did he even pull that off?! This is actually fascinating... Soccer might be my second favorite sport now, right after diving." The girl muttered to herself.
"Oh, right, Chisa!"
Just then, a burly blond guy stood up and waved to Chisa Kotegawa.
{T/N: Character from Grand Blue, an anime about diving and this kind of thing with ocean… I just watched three episodes 10 years ago… felt old now, damn.}
"I heard the Blue Lock organizers are holding a promo event at our school soon."
"Huh?" The girl raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Why our school?"
"They're partnering with the athletics department to promote sports for university students. Since our diving club counts as a sports group, we have to participate! Some of their players might even show up!"
"Oh, I see!" The girl nodded thoughtfully, her eyes flashing with anticipation.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Back on the pitch.
Haruhisa stood in front of the goal, watching the ball roll across the ground as he replayed Ryōsuke's moves in his mind.
"That guy... he's a monster."
"No wonder he took Michael's spot in the starting lineup."
"Can we really win this match?"
Ryōsuke's goal had shaken Manshine City's morale.
"Kuribayashi..." Hyōma approached his silent teammate, concerned.
But as he drew closer, he saw a smile spreading across Haruhisa's face — the first genuine smile he'd ever seen from him, radiating pure joy from deep within.
"This is incredible. Blue Lock — facing someone like Ryōsuke, I've never experienced anything like this."
Haruhisa stepped into the center of the team, commanding everyone's attention.
"I'm fired up! Anyone else ready to fight?" His smile grew even wider, "The whole world is watching us. Even if there's a wall between us, I want to hear them cheer for us."
❖❖❖
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