The moment Ryan heard the three of them accept his proposal, the corner of his mouth lifted
a smile that looked like he was plotting something terrible.
Chigiri, Kunigami, and Aryu felt a chill run down their backs.
They instantly regretted it.
But Ryan didn't give them any chance to back out.
"Alright then. Let me get ready."
The moment he said that, he closed his eyes.
The three watched him, completely unsettled.
When Ryan opened his eyes again
He was no longer in the physical world.
Inside the Miracle Gates
Within that mental space, only one door remained unopened:
the door representing Akashi's power.
Ryan had tried many times to open it, yet just like before, it didn't budge an inch.
Maybe he needed real pressure.
A match that would push him to his absolute limits.
But the problem was…
Nothing in Blue Lock was strong enough to pressure him anymore.
If Ego didn't produce something insanely challenging soon, Ryan was already considering quitting.
He didn't feel like "playing" this game of raising Japan's number one striker anymore.
With his ability, he'd easily be accepted into any elite European academy.
Joining the first team would just be a matter of time.
He looked down at the water beneath him
his reflection staring back.
Tch. Still handsome.
Then, with a single thought, he let his body sink beneath the surface.
Having entered the zone before, the process felt almost natural now.
The water engulfed his ankles
his waist
his shoulders
and finally his head.
Underwater, the world fell silent.
No distractions.
No noise.
Just pure focus.
When he opened his eyes again
Gray lightning crackled faintly within them.
And all he saw in front of him was the ball.
Chigiri noticed Ryan open his eyes.
His aura shifted immediately.
If the previous Ryan was like a roaring king of beasts
Then the one standing before them now was more like a tyrannosaurus from the prehistoric era.
"He's coming."
Chigiri warned them.
All three subconsciously braced themselves.
Ryan began dribbling.
No fancy tricks.
Just large, powerful strides
yet paired with speed rivaling a cheetah.
No one could stop him.
Chigiri cursed internally.
He's going to beat us with pure speed?
But before Chigiri could react
A sudden gust brushed past his cheek.
A blur shot by him faster than his eyes could process.
By the time Chigiri snapped out of it
Only the fading afterimage of gray lightning remained.
"H…huh!?"
Just a second ago, Ryan had been meters away.
How did he get past him instantly?
Chigiri, being a speed-type player himself, understood all too well
Even at his maximum speed, he was moving like a turtle compared to this.
He laughed bitterly.
So this is him at full power…
No wonder the thought of competing with someone like this terrifies me.
While Chigiri questioned reality
Kunigami and Aryu weren't even given that luxury.
Before they could even react, Ryan had run past both, leaving them frozen in place.
Their feet felt nailed to the ground.
Not because their bodies couldn't move
But because their eyes simply couldn't track him.
Even when they tried to follow his silhouette, all they could catch was a thin streak of lightning.
By the time they processed anything, Ryan was long gone.
Trembling, both of them stared at the ground.
This… this gap…
How do you even fight something like this…?
Ryan casually placed the ball into the goal.
He walked back to the center circle without so much as glancing at their devastated expressions.
He stepped on the ball
gray lightning dancing in his eyes
and looked down on them from above.
Chigiri finally snapped out of his daze.
He stared blankly at Ryan's figure.
The lightning flickered in his gaze,
his face devoid of emotion.
At that moment
Ryan looked nothing like a human.
More like a kami.
A god.
They continued "practicing."
No
it wasn't practice anymore.
It was slaughter.
They were the prey.
He was the predator.
He dismantled them at will, again and again.
Kunigami snapped back to the present, remembering that night.
Even now, a shiver crawled up his spine.
With power like that…
Can anyone actually beat Ryan?
"Anyway," Ryan stretched, "we just ate, so we shouldn't exercise right now. Let's go rest. We'll need the energy for the match later."
No one could argue.
Chigiri could only nod helplessly.
He didn't dare provoke whatever monster had taken over Ryan last night.
Hours passed.
Finally it was time.
The two teams entered the field.
Ryan's team: White.
Isagi's team: Red.
White started with the ball.
Ryan stepped on it, raising his head with the faintest smirk.
"Ready?
I'm coming."
Isagi met his gaze, eyes steady and unafraid.
"I've wanted to fight you for a long time, Ryan.
Come at me."
"Hahaha, good.
I'm looking forward to it, Isagi."
As soon as he finished speaking
A streak of gray lightning flashed in Ryan's eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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