Chapter 3: The First Meeting with Riko Aida
When one enters the Total Concentration Breathing state, the body's physical potential explodes.
[ Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Total Concentration | LV1 | Proficiency: 0% ]
The world around him seemed to fall silent. Ryosuke Kira could hear nothing but the rhythm of his own breath and the pounding of his heart.
At this moment, his mind held only a single thought—Shoot!
He stepped forward and kicked.
BOOM!
The instant Kira's foot struck the ball, a thunderous sound exploded through the field—like a bolt of lightning ripping the air apart.
The ball shot forward at an unbelievable speed, tracing a straight, blinding line without the slightest arc.
This time, the Thunderclap Flash combined with Thunder Breathing was even faster—more powerful—like a starving beast lunging toward its prey, the sound of air tearing apart echoing its furious roar.
But to Kira's surprise, the ball didn't sink into the goal.
Instead, it slammed into the goalpost with a deafening crash and then ricocheted dozens of meters into the air.
[ Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | LV1 | Proficiency: 0.11% ]
[ Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Total Concentration | LV1 | Proficiency: 0.02% ]
"The proficiency for both Total Concentration and the First Form increased… but the Thunderclap Flash gained a lot more than before."
"Is it because using the Breathing Technique enhances proficiency growth?"
"With Total Concentration, my power skyrockets—but the accuracy drops this much? Looks like my body still isn't used to this level of strength."
Kira muttered to himself.
He had inherited the original body's solid football skills, and while twenty-five meters wasn't exactly close, it was well within his shooting range. Missing that badly shouldn't have been possible.
Yet—he missed.
"Seems like my mastery of the ability is still too low. Total Concentration gives me explosive power I've never had before, but my body hasn't fully adapted to it yet. I'll need to work on precision…"
He analyzed calmly.
Just then, a clear, energetic voice called out behind him.
"Excuse me… are you Senpai Kira?"
Kira turned around.
It was a girl with a bright, youthful face and clear amber eyes, radiating vitality. She looked about his age—fair-skinned, short chestnut hair brushing her shoulders, two black clips pinning her bangs neatly to the side.
Dressed in simple sportswear, she clearly seemed to be out for morning training.
"Ah, good morning."
Kira greeted politely.
He was fairly well-known locally, so being recognized wasn't unusual. To avoid attracting crowds, he preferred to train before sunrise.
Though it was his first time seeing this girl, she gave him a faint sense of familiarity.
But she didn't respond immediately—her eyes scanned him from head to toe, almost mechanically, as if analyzing him.
"Um… hello… may I ask what you're doing?" Kira asked, feeling slightly awkward.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" The girl clapped her hands together apologetically.
"I have a habit of observing athletes' physiques. My apologies!"
"Observing athletes' bodies…?" Kira's brow twitched slightly. Coming from a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl, that sounded… odd.
"Wait—no! Not like that!" Her pale cheeks flushed pink as she waved her hands in panic.
"My father used to be an athletic trainer. He recorded athletes' body data and built training schedules for them. I grew up helping him, so I've picked up the habit unconsciously."
After hearing that, the feeling of familiarity grew even stronger in Kira's mind.
"May I ask your name?"
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself—sorry! I'm Riko Aida, a first-year student at the newly built Seirin High School nearby! Pleased to meet you!"
The girl bowed politely.
And in that moment, Kira's suspicion was confirmed.
Aida Riko—he did know her name.
She was the heroine from Kuroko's Basketball: Seirin's team manager, known for her extraordinary ability to assess an athlete's physical attributes with a single glance and craft specialized training regimens accordingly.
In the original story, it was largely thanks to her that Seirin's once-unknown team rose to prominence.
But that was her future. For now, she was just a newly minted high school freshman.
'So the two worlds really merged, huh…? Still, basketball probably won't have much to do with me for now.'
Kira thought, mildly astonished.
"Um, Kira-senpai—was that thunderous sound just now from you?" Riko asked curiously.
She'd come running after hearing the near-explosive noise and hadn't expected to find the local football star here.
"Ah, sorry. I was practicing my shots and got too focused. Didn't realize it was that loud," Kira said, rubbing the back of his head while subtly glancing around. The area was empty.
"Really? Maybe I misheard…" Riko murmured, turning her gaze toward the goal.
There, she saw it—a deep, unmistakable dent in the metal post, as if something massive had smashed into it.
This was an older gym, yes, but its equipment was still solidly built.
Could a seventeen-year-old's kick really cause that?
Impossible.
'Ryosuke Kira is talented, sure… but there's no way his body could produce that kind of power. Someone must've damaged it as a prank yesterday.'
She concluded silently.
"Oh right, Aida-san," Kira said suddenly, snapping her from thought, "since you're good at observing athletes… could you tell me if there's anything I should improve about my physique?"