Dusk had settled over the sky outside.
"Let's call it a day." Ryōsuke said to the boy beside him.
"Finally... it's over..." Ashito groaned weakly, rolling off the treadmill in exhaustion.
Coach Nozomi stood trembling in the corner, keeping his distance. He never imagined Ryōsuke would devise such brutal training — even adults couldn't handle this intensity.
He knew that Ryōsuke was close with Kagetora Kagetora, another former national athlete.
Though they competed in different sports, Nozomi and Kagetora were acquaintances. It made sense — Kagetora had retired to become a trainer, and rumors suggested he incorporated wilderness survival into his training regimens. Though just hearsay, Nozomi knew Kagetora was capable of such methods.
In comparison, Ryōsuke was being gentle.
"Have some sports drink to replenish your electrolytes." Ryōsuke said, handing Ashito a bottle. With his last bit of strength, Ashito took a sip, finally catching his breath.
Despite his daily extra training and hard work, he had never experienced anything like Ryōsuke's program. It was beyond imagination!
"Aoi, your physical condition is still far too weak. We haven't even finished one-third of the program."
"There's still one-third left?!" Ashito felt like he was about to suffocate.
"Well, too much training isn't good either." Ryōsuke said, pulling a small USB drive from his pocket and handing it to him.
"Kira-senpai, what's this?"
"Video footage of internal training sessions at Blue Lock." Ryōsuke explained, "You have computers at your facility, right? Study this carefully — there are things worth learning in there. You'll understand when you see it."
He had brought footage of Yoichi and Ikki's previous matches, obtained from Jinpachi after discussing it with Fukuda yesterday.
These videos could help Ashito, since both players possessed similar abilities. However, Ashito currently fell far short of Yoichi and Ikki in every aspect — not just technique and physical condition, but mindset as well.
Yet if he could find his own path and put in extraordinary effort to overcome his shortcomings, he might achieve something. There was still a long road ahead.
"Yes, thank you very much, Kira-senpai!" Ashito accepted the USB drive gratefully.
"Don't mention it. Let's end here for today. Get some good rest, and if you really want to improve yourself, you'll need to keep this up for at least a week."
"Mm..." Ashito nodded while involuntarily swallowing, fear rising in his heart, 'Kira-senpai does the same training as me — no, even more intense and comprehensive. He's already used to this level...'
However, he didn't refuse. He silently resolved.
"Then I absolutely can't fall behind!"
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Soon, Ashito returned to his dorm room, and his roommates were shocked to see him looking like a walking corpse.
"Ashito, what happened to you?"
"Are you okay? Your eyes look completely lifeless!"
"You can barely stand — you look like you're about to collapse!"
"I-I'm fine..." Ashito replied weakly, crawling back to his bed.
He could feel his legs trembling.
"Oh right, we don't have a computer in our room... I'll have to borrow one from Coach Fukuda tomorrow..." Coming from a modest background, Ashito couldn't afford luxuries like a laptop.
As he muttered to himself, he noticed a cold metal object on his bed.
"Coach Fukuda came by earlier. He said it was prepared for you."
"Thank you so much!" Ashito nodded, a smile appearing on his face.
His exhaustion seemed to vanish as he immediately plugged the USB drive into the computer and started watching the match footage.
Though Ryōsuke hadn't specified what to look for, Ashito immediately spotted someone noteworthy in the video.
"That's the person from the match the other day!" He instantly recognized Yoichi, "He even scored a goal... Wait — judging by his movements, can he read others' movements too?!"
He became completely engrossed, eyes fixed on the computer screen.
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Meanwhile, at Blue Lock...
"We have the best medical team here to assist with your recovery." Jinpachi said calmly, "There's plenty of time before the U-20 World Cup for you to recover — additionally, Blue Lock's second phase is perfect for helping you adjust your condition."
He pushed up his glasses and turned his gaze to the young man sitting before him.
The man was of average height with an athletic build, wearing a sports cap. His clean-cut face beneath the cap showed eyes reflecting determination.
His right arm was in a cast and his left arm wrapped in bandages, evidence of recent significant injuries.
"Yes." The young man said slowly, "Will Tsubasa and the others be coming too?"
"That's right. Tsubasa Ōzora, Kojiro Hyuga... they'll all be coming here. After all, we're representing the country in the U-20 World Cup. Plus, that prodigy from Bastard München's youth academy, Michael Kaiser, will be joining us. He'll likely become your rival in the Bundesliga in the future."
Jinpachi leaned forward slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Our goal isn't just to make it out of Asia — we're going for the championship. I've told everyone this isn't merely a goal; it's something we must achieve. And conveniently, you can get your revenge at the U-20 World Cup."
His gaze fell on the other person's hands.
"I understand. I agree to join, and I'm also very interested in that Ryōsuke Kira from Blue Lock." The young man nodded, standing and bowing slightly.
"Welcome to Blue Lock." Jinpachi's smile grew more pronounced, "As the future iron wall of the U-20 National Team, Genzō Wakabayashi."
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In the city center stood a magnificent tall building, its imposing Mikage Corporation sign clearly visible.
At that moment, Seishirō and Reo were practicing soccer in an indoor field, with several men in matching black suits standing beside them.
"Reo, it feels uncomfortable with them here." Seishirō said.
"I understand. You all can leave — just let me stay here with him." Reo waved his hand, signaling the surrounding people to withdraw. They were all employees, standing by to prevent any accidents.
"Understood, young master... However, the master and madam said to be careful not to get injured, and if possible, they'd prefer you to do something more meaningful than soccer..."
"Enough, enough, just go!" Reo replied impatiently, cutting off his subordinate's words.
The latter simply bowed politely without saying anything more, then left with the others.
"I'm so envious, Reo, having so many servants, people to feed you, being able to buy any game you want... so enviable..." Seishirō watched them leave, unconsciously sighing. He turned to look at Reo, "You have everything you could want — food, entertainment, even an indoor soccer field — so why do you look so unhappy?"
His tone was full of confusion.
The Mikage Corporation was one of the country's leading companies, collaborating with Blue Lock across multiple areas and providing substantial funding. The indoor soccer field was just one example of their partnership.
As the corporation's son, Reo had full access to these facilities.
"You wouldn't understand." He shook his head and asked, "But what about you? Why did you want to come practice? This isn't like you at all."
Seishirō had contacted Reo beforehand about finding a practice field. Reo hadn't hesitated to send a private car to pick him up.
This puzzled Reo deeply. Having known Seishirō for years, he understood his friend's typical behavior — rarely leaving home during breaks, spending most days gaming, occasionally visiting the arcade.
Yet here was Seishirō, actively seeking soccer practice — an incredible change.
"Because I want to beat Ryōsuke." Seishirō said with utmost seriousness, "I've lost to him several times now. In the last match, I felt for the first time I might have a chance to beat him... though I still didn't win in the end."
"Is that so? In that case, we're the same." Reo's expression grew serious, "We must get revenge on Kira."
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Meanwhile, at the Itoshi household.
Rin Itoshi had gone out to practice, while Sae Itoshi was discussing matters with his agent.
Though living under the same roof, the brothers might as well have been strangers — not a single word passed between them.
Since that match, Rin had transformed into a different person, avoiding all family interaction, leaving at dawn to practice, and returning only after nightfall.
For him, that match was a great humiliation. Not only had they failed to achieve victory, but Sae had acknowledged Yoichi while completely ignoring his own brother, and Jinpachi had even substituted Rin off at halftime.
Anger, hatred, and frustration festered in his heart. His desire for revenge burned more intensely than anyone else's.
But for Sae, this was merely an insignificant match — the outcome didn't matter. What was most important was that he had "confirmed" certain things.
"Sae, we've received an invitation from Blue Lock to participate in their Second Phase project." The agent said with a smile, "We don't even need to consider this, right? I'll go decline them..."
"No." Sae replied, contrary to his agent's expectations, "I want to participate."
"You want to participate? But many of the players there aren't even in your league! And I heard Second Phase will be globally broadcast — if your performance isn't very impressive, it could affect your market value..."
"Are you doubting my abilities?" Sae raised his head, his sharp gaze falling on his agent's face.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant at all!" The agent immediately became flustered — he didn't dare upset his client.
Previously, he had planned to use the match with Blue Lock to increase Sae's market value, but he hadn't expected Ryōsuke to become the real star in the end.
"Do you think market value is important?" Sae said calmly, "All I care about is whether I can play soccer with other 'interesting' people. Ryōsuke will be participating too, right?"
"Yes... along with some others. Would you like to see the materials Blue Lock provided?"
"Yes." Sae nodded.
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A week had passed quickly.
Throughout this time, Ashito endured Ryōsuke's hellish physical training, grinding through each session. Though it had been just a few days, his physical condition was already showing signs of improvement.
Beyond the intense workouts, Ryōsuke taught him techniques for practicing fundamentals during regular training, which significantly boosted his soccer skills.
In the evenings, Ashito would curl up with his computer, studying the recordings over and over. As he watched footage of Yoichi and Ikki's matches, he began to recognize his own shortcomings.
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