Faced with Ikki's sudden challenge, Ryōsuke remained perfectly calm.
❖ Transparent World! ❖
Time slowed to a crawl, his opponent suspended in mid-air. Through Transparent World, Ryōsuke saw every movement with crystal clarity, his reaction time heightened beyond normal limits!
In one fluid motion, he lifted his leg and stepped down on the ball from mid-air, effortlessly evading Ikki's steal attempt. Then he instantly deactivated Transparent World.
Though he had upgraded it to Level 2, Ryōsuke still couldn't maintain it for long — the skill drained too much mental energy. He saved it only for crucial moments.
And this was exactly such a moment!
As time snapped back to normal, Ryōsuke had the ball firmly under his control!
"Sorry, Niko. Though this was your trap, it can only catch insects — which I am not." Ryōsuke said coolly.
Despite Ikki's keen game sense letting him spot Sae's trap and attempt to turn it against them, he'd overlooked one crucial fact—
Against absolute skill, such basic traps were worthless!
His failed steal left him out of position, and Ryōsuke seized the moment to slip past him.
"No!" Ikki whirled around, only to see his opponent's back.
Even as Gin Gagamaru rushed forward to defend, there was no stopping Ryōsuke.
Or rather, no one could possibly stop this young man!
❖ Thunderclap and Flash ➠ Thunder Kick! ❖
Before Gin could close the gap, Ryōsuke had already unleashed his shot! The ball rocketed forward like a bolt of lightning!
Shot!
Despite Gin's superhuman reflexes, even he couldn't react to Ryōsuke's point-blank strike!
Goal!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ 2:0 ]
"Ryōsuke Kira strikes again!"
"MVP!"
"Kira! Kira! Kira!"
The crowd erupted in unified cheers. Ryōsuke, who was initially seen as just a supporting player, had completely won over the spectators.
"Ryōsuke Kira scores the second goal of the match with brilliant dribbling and exceptional coordination with Sae Itoshi! Though few knew his name before, after this match, it will resound throughout the world!"
In the commentary box, one commentator leapt to his feet, unable to contain his admiration for the young star.
"He's already scored twice in the first half, and we're only halfway through. Can Ryōsuke Kira complete his hat-trick before halftime?"
These commentators, who had previously overlooked Ryōsuke, now couldn't help but sing his praises.
After his second goal, his teammates rushed over to celebrate.
"Amazing, Kira!" Shūto exclaimed, as excited as if he'd scored himself.
The recent pass wasn't one that ordinary players could handle. He knew this — Sae's pass had arced perfectly over Jūbē's head, and even if someone gained possession, they would likely lose it to Ikki's perfectly timed steal.
But Ryōsuke managed it flawlessly.
"Not bad. At least this country has one decent forward." Sae said with a slight nod.
"Even geniuses give praise sometimes, huh?" Oliver smiled at Sae, but the latter simply turned away, heading to the other half of the field.
Ryōsuke turned to look at the Blue Lock team in the distance.
Despite conceding another goal, their faces showed no dejection — instead, their fighting spirit had intensified.
'I've already used Transparent World twice in quick succession, and I can feel its drain on my mental energy. I won't be able to use it again this half. Forcing another use could compromise my condition. But just as with Thunderclap and Flash, using it twice early, then resting and adjusting, will ensure enough mental energy for the second half — maximizing its potential.'
Ryōsuke considered his strategy.
Using Transparent World twice in the first half had been his plan all along. Defending against Kenyū Yukimiya and avoiding Ikki's steal attempt were the perfect opportunities to maximize its effectiveness.
He also knew this match was far from over.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
"That was a close one." Yoichi said, running to console Ikki.
"Close doesn't matter. If we couldn't stop it, we failed!"
Frustration burned in Ikki's face — he had desperately wanted to intercept that ball.
"I saw right through Sae Itoshi's trap. The other players' runs were just distractions — Kira was obviously his real target. But we still couldn't defend against it! Itoshi's field control combined with Kira's individual skill creates something terrifying. We have to find a way to stop them!"
"Niko, your insight is incredible..." Yoichi marveled.
Though their abilities were similar, Ikki's analytical prowess made him feel inferior.
At 2-0 down, their tactics seemed useless. The team was teetering on the edge of defeat.
"I refuse to lose. Even against monsters like Kira and Itoshi, I won't accept defeat!" Suddenly, something occurred to Yoichi, "Niko, have you noticed anything odd?"
"Odd?"
"How Sae Itoshi's passes always find Kira perfectly." Yoichi said gravely, "I've been watching him closely. He never looks at Kira, yet his passes are flawless. We can only do that when we actually see our target. Aiku seems to have this ability too. The answer's right there, but I can't grasp it. I thought you might know."
"I'm not sure." Ikki said thoughtfully, "But you're right about Sae Itoshi... He shouldn't be able to pass without seeing. We need to figure out how he reads the entire field."
"Reads the entire field..." Yoichi echoed, "Right — he must be seeing somehow. But how does he track everyone's movements when his attention isn't even... Wait!"
His mind raced as realization struck.
'Human vision has two components: central vision where both eyes focus, and peripheral vision with lower resolution for side awareness.
In soccer, players typically focus on the ball and defenders, narrowing their field of vision and limiting their information.
But what if Sae Itoshi constantly gathers information through peripheral vision? Tracking everyone's position and movement — friend and foe alike!'
Yoichi's eyes widened as he finally understood how Sae controlled the field.
'Using this technique, he gathers information and calculates the optimal passing target. That's how he creates precise traps and delivers perfect passes to Kira's feet!
It's as if he has a god's-eye view of the entire field — a transcendent vision that goes beyond normal perception! His spatial awareness, insight, and soccer intelligence combine to make this possible...
Could I do this too? I've felt something similar before. Can I apply this to scoring? No — I shouldn't question if I can or can't. I must do it!'
An excited smile crept across Yoichi's face.
"Isagi, what's wrong?" Ikki couldn't understand why his teammate was smiling under such pressure.
"I've figured out Sae Itoshi's secret." Yoichi said, grinning, "Now that I understand the concept, I'm putting it into practice!"
Though Ikki couldn't grasp what he meant, he sensed the transformation in his teammate. It was as if Yoichi had become someone entirely different.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Blue Lock attacked again.
With halftime approaching and a two-goal deficit, they were running out of options.
If the gap widened further, it would be over! They had to score now, no matter what!
Yoichi dribbled forward, applying his newfound understanding. Using peripheral vision, he took in every movement on the field!
Analyze! Think! Predict their actions!
In an instant, he entered a new realm — as if viewing a computer game from above, seeing everyone's movements with perfect clarity.
❖ Metavision! ❖
Sae and Ryōsuke's movements were now clear as day!
Yoichi's excitement grew — with this ability, they were still in the game.
"Isagi's movements have changed — has he entered the Flow State?" Ryōsuke observed his movements carefully, sensing the shift.
This was definitely not the Flow state.
"Isagi, pass!" Rin shouted, calling for the ball.
But Yoichi remained focused, driving forward with the ball.
"It's not time yet!" He called out as he continued advancing.
Through his enhanced vision, every player's movement was crystal clear. He could see the perfect breakthrough route — this was their chance to turn the tide!
"You..." Hearing the dismissive tone, Rin felt a surge of annoyance but suppressed it. Victory came first — he had to focus on making his runs.
His teammates followed suit. Though confused by Yoichi's change in demeanor, they instinctively began making supporting runs.
"Kira's on the left side — we'll attack from the right!"
Having spotted the ideal breakthrough route, Yoichi burst forward, reaching the perfect position before the nearest defender could react.
"Right here — and now the double-team comes."
As predicted, Teppei and Kazuma moved in to trap him, ready to cut off his path.
But by the time they closed in, Yoichi had already released the ball.
Kenyū received it perfectly!
"Great pass, Isagi! Perfect chance!" Without hesitation, Kenyū fired off a shot.
"Don't even think about scoring!"
As the ball soared toward goal, Oliver leaped impossibly high, clearing it away.
"Just as expected — Yukimiya's shot was bound to be cleared." And there was Yoichi, already positioned at the ball's landing spot, just as he'd been in previous exchanges.
He had used Kenyū as bait to create this opportunity. Stepping forward, he shaped up to shoot.
Right on cue, Sae charged in from behind, having read Yoichi's previous running patterns.
But he couldn't have known that his opponent had now mastered the same ability.
That powerful observational skill called 'Metavision'!
"So you came, genius!" Just as Sae approached, Yoichi suddenly changed his movement.
Sae's eyes widened slightly — this was outside his calculations.
Instead of shooting, Yoichi was passing!