Kira Ryosuke, Kokuo High's ace striker. His skill was undeniable; after entering Blue Lock, he was ranked No. 1 on Isagi Yoichi's team.
At the same time, this guy was also a tragic pretty boy.
When Kira Ryosuke first appeared, he seemed like a great guy in every respect, giving off the vibe that he had the script for the second male lead. He was exceptionally talented yet approachable. He was especially good at crafting his public persona, always appearing so modest and polite.
But after being eliminated, he produced the first "face fault" (exaggerated, ugly expression) of the series, a contrast so stark it caught everyone off guard.
Tendou remembered this character well.
It couldn't be helped. Who else had a style so similar to his idol, LeBron James?
Therefore, facing a player so similar to his idol, Tendou didn't hesitate to deliver a world-class slide tackle. Just like a fan of Ultraman Seven, his greatest joy was to beat up his idol. The purpose of a fan's existence is to destroy their idol!
"Die!"
Tendou roared internally, sending Kira Ryosuke flying into the sky with a tackle. The latter had no idea that it would be Tendou who would deliver the fatal blow.
You have to understand, Tendou was a towering 1.93 meters tall, a typical center-forward build.
How could a center forward run that fast?
Isn't speed the exclusive domain of wingers?
Kira Ryosuke's thoughts quickly faded. After a dizzying spin, he crashed heavily onto the turf, rolling several times.
Neymar would give that a thumbs-up!
The Kokuo players immediately looked at the referee, but the ref ruled that Tendou's tackle was clean. It was a good tackle. The referee clearly saw that Tendou had made contact with the ball first before Kira Ryosuke crashed into him.
"Great play!"
"Beautiful, Tendou!"
The coach, who had just been cursing him out, was now praising Tendou with a smile.
However, after getting up, Tendou didn't quite know what to do.
Thanks to that bunch of sea cucumber-eating national team players, Tendou didn't watch much soccer. Most of his knowledge of the sport came from the evening news.
What was he supposed to do now?
Tendou had heard of terms like "full-moon scimitar" [a type of free kick], "Marseille turn," "la croqueta," and "bicycle kick." But as a basketball player, how could he possibly have such exquisite footwork?
However, Tendou understood one thing. To score in the world of soccer, you have to put the ball into the goal.
That's it.
And so, amidst the coach's shouting, Tendou completely ignored his instructions to make a long pass or give the ball to a midfielder to organize the play. Instead, he just started running from the backfield.
"What the hell is this dog playing at!" The coach jumped up and down in frustration.
How did he let such an abstract monstrosity onto the team?
You're a center forward, what are you doing dribbling the ball? That's a job for the team's two fast wingers.
Do you even know how to cross from the byline?
Do you have the dribbling skills for that?
Just get your ass to the center of the penalty box and do your job as a pivot, you moron!
Tendou, of course, couldn't hear the coach's yelling.
The moment they saw him start running, Kokuo's players swarmed him from all directions.
Dribbling? Tendou really didn't know how.
But he was fast!
Tendou's azure eyes watched the player rushing towards him, seeing the future in his opponent's every move. Before the opponent could get close, he kicked the ball forward.
The ball left his right foot and rolled 10 meters away...
Seeing this, the coach's face turned green. What kind of shoddy footwork was this? And he had the audacity to make a run from the backfield?
Shameless!
"This soccer ball is really hard to control."
Tendou was used to handling a ball with his hands; using his feet felt unnatural.
But it didn't matter.
He planted his foot heavily on the turf, and in the next second, his entire body shot forward like a white blur. The defender didn't even know what happened before Tendou was already 10 meters past him.
"My God!"
"Tendou is running too fast! He's caught up to the ball!"
"He passed the ball to himself three seconds in the future!"
"And his position on the field is center forward!"
The TV commentator was incredibly excited, yet also a bit confused. This kind of play was usually seen from a winger, but Tendou's position was a proper center forward.
You have to know, although modern center forwards are also expected to be well-rounded, it's not a role just any player can handle.
How well-rounded?
Not only do they need to shoot, but they also have to assist, take on the responsibility of a bridgehead, draw fire for teammates, and actively participate in defense.
But no matter how versatile you are, you can't just run up and down the pitch like a winger, can you?
What's more, he wasn't even pulling wide; he was sprinting straight through the middle. Did he know how many defenders he would encounter there?
Of course, Tendou didn't know. If he had known, he would have gone wide long ago. Right now, he just felt like there was an endless stream of people in front of him. As soon as he shook one off, another would immediately pounce, like the Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandpa.
Tendou had only one solution for this: run!
After kicking the ball 10 meters ahead, he faced a second defender and kicked the ball 8 meters forward again.
The system's AI cat watched with amazement. Tendou's physical stats were just too high. Even though he had never played soccer before, his outstanding physical qualities allowed him to quickly adapt to different "fields."
"Stop him, stop him now!" The Kokuo coach's face was tense.
A moment ago, he had felt like laughing. This joker was probably a "Balotelli," completely off his rocker.
Now?
He was more nervous than anyone.
Because without anyone realizing it, Tendou had already run 40 meters with the ball, charging past the halfway line all by himself.
Seeing that Tendou was about to go all the way, a Kokuo midfielder gritted his teeth and charged at him. He was smart; knowing he wasn't as fast, he intended to use brute force to break up Ichinan's counter-attack. He was willing to take a yellow card for it; after all, Kokuo was in the lead.
"Stop right there, you monster!"
While sprinting, Tendou turned his head and saw the opponent crashing towards him recklessly. He quickly focused his strength and then—BAM!—under the stunned gazes of everyone in the stadium, the Kokuo player who had intentionally crashed into Tendou was sent flying backward.
"I... I... holy crap, is this guy Lukaku?"
The Kokuo players felt their scalps tingle.
Although center forwards were generally physically strong due to frequent physical confrontations for the ball, being so strong that you were like a walking suit of "Thornmail," sending a charging player flying back, was just too much.
The Kokuo coach exclaimed, "This isn't scientific!"
Thud. The Kokuo midfielder landed face-first on the grass, the wind knocked out of him.
In contrast, Tendou merely stumbled for a moment before continuing his charge.
"Oh, my God!" The TV commentator was so shocked he started speaking English. "Tendou sent his opponent flying! I seriously suspect he's wearing Thornmail!"
"He's still running! 40 meters, 50 meters, 60 meters! He's already sprinted nearly 60 meters and is about to enter Kokuo's heartland!"
First, a 70-meter sprint to tackle Kira Ryosuke into the air, followed by another 60-meter sprint, a lone rider charging deep into enemy territory. This thrilling scene ignited the adrenaline of the crowd. Nearly ten thousand spectators were roaring at the top of their lungs.
"Pass the ball, Tendou, I'm open!"
Tendou had already stormed to within 30 meters of the opponent's goal. At this point, the forward on the right wing was waving at him.
The coach on the sidelines was also shouting, "Pass, Tendou!"
"All for one, one for all!"
Unity, this was Ichinan's football philosophy.
"I'd love to pass, but I don't have the footwork for it," Tendou thought.
He once again brutally shoved aside a Kokuo player who lunged at him and charged to a position 20 meters from the goal.
At this point, he had already run for more than 70 meters!
"This position should be good enough."
Tendou's six eyes gazed upon the future of the entire field.
He accelerated towards the ball, his right leg and right arm swinging back in unison.
And then.
CRACK!
BAM!
His foot viciously struck the ball, so fast that the goalkeeper couldn't even see when he had taken the shot.
By the time he reacted, the ball was already airborne, streaking like a meteor between two Kokuo defenders and heading straight for the Kokuo goal.
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300 power stones = 1 bonus chapter
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