Chapter 3: The First Encounter with Riko Aida

In the state of Total Concentration Breathing, a person's physical abilities will explode.

[Competitive Skill: Thunder Breathing. Total Concentration Lv1 Proficiency 0%]

The surroundings seemed to become quiet, and Kira Ryosuke could only hear his own breathing and heartbeat in his ears. In his heart, there was only one thought: shooting.

He took a step and shot!

Boom!

At the moment when Kira Ryosuke's foot touched the football, a huge sound erupted, as if thunder had exploded.

Immediately, the ball shot out at an exaggerated speed, also without any arc, drawing a fleeting straight line. This time, the Thunderclap Flash combined with the Thunder Breathing technique made it even faster than before.

And it was filled with even more power! Like a hungry beast, it roared directly at its prey, and the sound of friction with the air was the beast's roar.

However, to Kira Ryosuke's surprise, the ball didn't directly enter the goal but collided straight into the goalpost. After a loud bang, it bounced high into the air, tens of meters above the ground.

[Competitive Skill: Thunderclap Flash, First Form, Proficiency 0.11%]

[Competitive Skill: Thunder Breathing, Total Concentration, Proficiency 0.02%]

"The proficiencies of the First Form and the Thunder Breathing have improved, but the Thunderclap Flash gained much more proficiency this time compared to before."

"Is it because the proficiency increases more when the skill is used with the breathing technique?"

"The power becomes quite exaggerated with Total Concentration Breathing, but the precision is lacking so much. It seems I haven't yet adapted to this power and technique."

Kira Ryosuke muttered to himself. He inherited the original owner's excellent football skills, and 25 meters was not considered a close distance, but it should have been within his shooting range without missing.

Yet, he missed.

"It seems that I'm not proficient enough in this skill. Because Total Concentration Breathing gives me an explosive power I didn't have before, my body hasn't fully adapted to it. I still need to further improve my accuracy..."

Kira Ryosuke analyzed.

And at that moment, a voice unfamiliar to him sounded behind him, clear and powerful.

"Excuse me, are you... Senior Kira?"

Kira Ryosuke looked in the direction of the voice and saw a girl with a beautiful face. Her amber eyes were clear and gave off a sense of youthful vitality. She appeared to be around the same age as Kira Ryosuke. She had fair skin and shoulder-length brown hair, with two black hair clips holding her bangs in place. She was wearing a simple sports outfit, indicating that she had also come for morning practice.

"Um, hello," Kira Ryosuke politely responded. He had a certain level of fame locally, so being recognized by passersby was a common occurrence. To avoid drawing too much attention and unnecessary trouble, he chose to train before the sun had fully risen.

This was the first time he had seen this girl, but Kira Ryosuke had a somewhat familiar feeling about her.

However, the girl didn't immediately respond to Kira Ryosuke's greeting. Instead, her gaze moved up and down his body, as if she were scanning him like a mechanical device.

"Hello... may I ask... what are you doing?" Kira Ryosuke asked with some embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The girl suddenly realized that she had been a bit impolite and quickly apologized, clapping her hands together. "I have a habit of observing athletes' bodies. I'm really sorry!"

"Observing athletes' bodies?" Kira Ryosuke's eyebrows twitched slightly. It was a strange thing to hear from a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant!" The girl's fair face turned slightly red due to embarrassment. She waved her hands and continued to explain, "My father used to be a trainer for athletes. He would record their physical data and create training schedules based on that. I grew up around my father and unconsciously developed the habit..."

After hearing her explanation, the sense of familiarity in Kira Ryosuke's heart became even more pronounced.

"What should I call you?" Kira Ryosuke asked.

"I am sorry for forgetting to introduce myself! My name is Aida Riko! I'm a first-year student at Seirin High School, which is newly established nearby. Nice to meet you!" The girl who called herself Aida Riko immediately bowed.

And Kira Ryosuke could confirm his speculation. Aida Riko was indeed the person he 'recognized'. She was the main character in the basketball series 'Kuroko no Basket'. She served as the supervisor and manager of the protagonist's team, possessing a unique ability to assess a person's physical qualities through observation and create targeted training plans based on that.

In the original work, it was thanks to Aida Riko's presence that the Seirin basketball team gradually made a name for themselves from being an unknown team.

However, for Aida Riko, who had just entered high school, that was a story for the future.

"Two worlds merging together... But basketball probably doesn't have much to do with me in the short term," Kira Ryosuke thought, feeling somewhat surprised.

"Excuse me, Senpai Kira, was that sound just now made by you?" At that moment, Aida Riko asked with some confusion. She had been attracted by the thunderous sound while out for her morning run and didn't expect to see the local famous star, Kira Ryosuke, here.

"I'm sorry, I was practicing shooting just now and was too focused. I didn't notice the sound," Kira Ryosuke replied, reaching back to touch the back of his head. At the same time, he discreetly glanced around, but there was no one else nearby.

"Is that so? Could it be that I misheard?" Aida Riko pursed her lips and shifted her gaze to the goalpost beside them.

She clearly saw a noticeable and massive dent on the goalpost as if it had been struck by something heavy.

Although the sports facility was somewhat aged, the quality of the sports equipment was still quite good.

Can a seventeen-year-old high school student achieve this level of shooting?

Absolutely impossible.

"While Kira Ryosuke is a relatively talented player... it's absolutely impossible for him to create such a level of shooting with his physical abilities. Someone must have played a prank and intentionally damaged the goalpost yesterday," Aida Riko thought to herself.

"Oh, by the way, Aida-san, is there anything in terms of my physical condition that needs improvement?" Just at that moment, Kira Ryosuke spoke, bringing Aida Riko's attention back to reality.