"Uh..."
Yo Hiori didn't know what to say—he could only stare blankly at Ryūma.
"Anyway," Ryūma said with a grin, "you should give this technique a try too. I think it suits you perfectly."
Yo Hiori nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I think so too. I might've even used something like it unconsciously before."
"But keeping your peripheral vision active all the time is seriously tough."
"And even if you know how it works, once you're sprinting, dribbling, or passing at full speed, your focus inevitably narrows."
"That's the natural state for every player..."
As Yo Hiori fell into thought again, Ryūma smiled, got up, and prepared to continue training Metavision.
Noticing him stand, Yo Hiori quickly called out,
"You're still going to practice that technique?"
"Yeah. Even if it looks hopeless, right now this technique feels like my only way forward."
Yo Hiori went quiet for a moment, then his eyes lit up with determination.
"Ryūma, I remember you once told me you had two special states, right?"
"Yeah. I call them Slow-Motion World and Limit-Breaking State."
"You already know about Slow-Motion World, so I won't explain that again. As for Limit-Breaking State, it's exactly what it sounds like—no matter how strong I am physically, once I enter that mode, every ability I have doubles, including neural reaction speed."
"Why do you ask, Hiori?"
Yo Hiori's gaze sharpened, his tone turning serious.
"Ryūma, have you ever thought that maybe those two powers don't come from entering a special state at all?"
"Maybe they're innate talents hidden within your body—brought out only because of the extreme pressure of competition?"
"Or perhaps those two abilities are just preconditions for entering that state."
"I've been in that state myself, and trust me—it's not something you can trigger at will."
"But from what you've said, you seem to enter it quite easily."
"And having two different forms of it? Doesn't that seem strange to you, Ryūma?"
"This isn't a video game where you just add extra skill points whenever you want."
"Well, unless your talent's so overwhelming that you can enter those states freely... but still, I think my first theory makes more sense..."
Before Yo Hiori could finish, Ryūma suddenly pulled him into a crushing bear hug.
"That's it! That's it!" he shouted, laughing. "Hahaha, you're a genius, Hiori! My lucky charm! I love you, man!!"
Yo Hiori struggled in his grip, gasping for air as he patted Ryūma's arm.
"Alright, alright, calm down, Ryūma! You're choking me!"
"Oh—sorry, sorry! Got too excited, Hiori!"
Yo Hiori rolled his eyes with a helpless sigh.
"Anyway, Ryūma, you don't need to keep forcing yourself to master that vision technique. Why waste energy on something you're not good at?"
"Instead, focus on what you already excel at—make your strengths limitless."
"Your physical abilities, like you said, have hit a wall. That path's closed off for now."
"So that just leaves your Slow-Motion World ability."
"My advice? Develop it along two paths."
"First, enhance your slow-motion perception—turn double speed into quadruple slow-motion."
"That way, every movement and every detail on the field will unfold clearly before you."
"And second—and this should be your top priority—learn to enter Slow-Motion World instantly, anytime you want."
"Also, train to control its duration and the speed difference when switching in and out."
"You can't afford to lose rhythm because of a sudden change in tempo—botched dribbles or missed shots would be disastrous."
Ryūma listened with shining eyes, nodding like an eager student absorbing his teacher's wisdom.
"Yeah, yeah! Hiori, you're seriously my lucky star! T﹏T"
His words were like a slap of realization. Ryūma finally saw the path forward. He'd been too deep in his own thoughts to see what was obvious from the outside.
As a transmigrator who'd read the Blue Lock manga, this insight was supposed to be his advantage—but sometimes, it blinded him.
After awakening Slow-Motion World, he had just assumed it was his FLOW State.
He never considered other possibilities.
Then, when he unlocked Limit-Breaking State, he took it for granted that it was the same FLOW State—just with two forms thanks to his "special talent."
But Hiori's words woke him up.
How could a true FLOW State be something you could just slip into so easily?
And two types of it? Impossible.
(Damn it... time's running out!)
(The U-20 match is coming soon. With my current level, I can probably force my way past Oliver Aiku—but what happens after that?)
(Every player on the U-20 National Team has real skill. If they read my shot timing...)
(The most dangerous of them—Sae Itoshi—will completely cut off my scoring chances.)
(Damn! I should've teamed up with Hiori back in the second round!)
(Then I wouldn't have wasted so much time chasing after Metavision!)
(Forget it—no time to complain. I've got to evolve Slow-Motion World as fast as possible!)
"Hiori, please train with me!"
"Sure thing, Ryūma. I'll test out that technique you mentioned too."
"Haha, then we'll both get stronger together!"
...
Back in the present—
Ryūma can now activate Slow-Motion World at will, though deactivating it smoothly still feels rough.
Given how little time he's had, that alone is already terrifying progress.
These Adaptive Training are his grindstone. Across these four short matches, he'll push his ability toward perfection.
As Ryusei Shido charged straight at him, Ryūma's golden eyes gleamed—but his thoughts were elsewhere.
(Hah, looks like Barō's clashing with his teammates again. That positioning... what a self-centered king—completely cut off from the others.)
(No—actually, he's the one who cut them off.)
(That's fine. Now the "King" is just dead weight. With my current ability, he won't have a single chance to steal my ball.)
(The other two nobodies? Irrelevant. Their positioning's clearly to support Kudo Tōya.)
(And Shido's defense? About equal to mine when I'm not using Slow-Motion World. Right now, getting past him is easier than squeezing into the subway during rush hour.)
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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