Chapter 13: A Thunderclap Flash, Level 2!

After finishing dinner, Kira Ryosuke took a short rest and then headed to the gym for practice. The equipment there was very well-equipped, allowing him to follow the training program set by Riko Aida.

Jogging, advanced versions of push-ups and planks, flexibility training... Kira Ryosuke didn't slack off. Unbeknownst to him, several hours had already passed.

[Congratulations! You have earned 4 competition points.]

After several hours of training, Kira Ryosuke successfully obtained today's 10 competition points. For him, it had become a routine, similar to checking in every day.

[Current competition points: 50]

Previously, he upgraded Full Concentration Breathing to Level 2. When Kira Ryosuke arrived at Blue Lock, he had 30 competition points. With the 10 points he acquired from the Ghost Capture and the recent workout, he now had 50 competition points.

It was just enough to upgrade Thunderclap Flash to Level 2.

Nearly a week of grueling practice had significantly improved Kira Ryosuke's physical abilities. However, with only eight days so far, the improvement was still limited. He couldn't use Thunderclap Flash indefinitely in a state of Full Concentration Breathing. After each use, there was still a noticeable soreness in his body.

At the moment, in a 90-minute match, he had two opportunities to use Thunderclap Flash with each leg in a state of Full Concentration Breathing. If he used it while sprinting with the ball, both legs would have to employ Thunderclap Flash under Full Concentration Breathing simultaneously, which would only allow him to unleash it once.

The effect of this ability was incredibly powerful, but if he couldn't use it multiple times in a match, it would be meaningless.

Shooting and dribbling required more than just one or two attempts.

Although Ego Jinpachi didn't mention it, Kira Ryosuke knew that in a few days, they would be competing against other teams, and he would need to score a large number of goals.

That was when Thunderclap Flash would come into play.

While accumulating competition points to unlock new skills was an option, new skills would still require practice and familiarity. Moreover, there wouldn't even be an opportunity to unlock them before the first match. So, for now, upgrading Thunderclap Flash was the best choice for Kira Ryosuke.

He immediately chose to upgrade Thunderclap Flash.

[Upgrade successful! Thunder Breathing: Thunderclap Flash has reached Level 2, proficiency reset.]

[Current competition points: 0]

After spending all his competition points, Kira Ryosuke stopped exercising. He had some time left today, so it was a good opportunity to see how effective Level 2 Thunderclap Flash was.

He quickly arrived at the exclusive football field for Team Z. Each team had its own designated field, allowing them to train freely.

Kira Ryosuke took out a football from the side and placed it at a distance of about thirty meters from the goal. For the talented players in Blue Lock, it was a considerable distance, and not many had the range to shoot from thirty meters.

He adjusted his breathing quickly, entering a state of Full Concentration Breathing, feeling the flow of air in his lungs, allowing oxygen to merge into his bloodstream and transform into power, focusing it on his right leg—

Shoot!

Thunderclap Flash!

Kira Ryosuke kicked the ball, converting the power in his legs into the kinetic energy of the football ball, causing it to burst forward like a heavy cannon. Even the left-foot cannon shot, which Kunigami Rensuke was proud of, seemed insignificant compared to Thunderclap Flash.

Both in terms of range and power, the prowess of Thunderclap Flash under Full Concentration Breathing surpassed that of his left-foot cannon shot.

The bullet-like football ball hit the top right corner of the goal, but it still possessed tremendous momentum, like a beast fiercely tearing at the net, as if it would break free in the next second.

After a few seconds, the fury of the beast was finally quelled, and it slowly descended to the ground.

"The accuracy and power have improved, but it's still not enough. There's still a few centimeters of difference from the direction I aimed for. However, it's definitely more impressive than Level 1, and easier to control. But most importantly..."

Kira Ryosuke lowered his head, carefully feeling the condition of his right leg.

As expected, a slight soreness quickly set in, but it was much better than at Level 1. The load on his right leg was noticeably reduced, and the recovery time would definitely be much shorter.

However, he still couldn't use Thunderclap Flash continuously with the same leg in a short period. If he forced it, there was a high possibility of straining his muscles, which would affect future matches and training. It would be a case of diminishing returns.

Now, both of his legs were capable of using Thunderclap Flash. With a reasonable allocation of time and physical stamina, each leg could execute the skill twice in a match. This meant that Kira Ryosuke could contribute at least four goals in the early matches.

However, this was just a theoretical calculation. To achieve this, it was necessary to allocate stamina and time properly. For example, using Thunderclap Flash under Full Concentration Breathing to score at the start of the first half, followed by a period of rest and adjustment, in order to use the skill again with the same leg in the second half.

In other words, if there were no shooting opportunities in the first half, Kira Ryosuke wouldn't have enough time to adjust the condition of his leg after using Thunderclap Flash in the second half. This meant that Kira Ryosuke had to create shooting opportunities in the first half.

However, obtaining shooting opportunities wasn't as simple as breaking through the opponent's defense line. Even teammates could become obstacles.

Kira Ryosuke's preparations included revealing part of his strength during the Ghost Capture selection, gradually gaining the trust of his teammates, and then leading the team himself.

Although only one person could ultimately stand out in Blue Lock, at this stage, the priority was to ensure success in the first round of selection. In the original work, Team Z barely made it through the selection, aside from the so-called protagonist's aura, there were too many uncontrollable factors.

Kira Ryosuke didn't want victory or defeat to be influenced by these uncontrollable factors. He wanted to hold the outcome in his own hands.

"Great shot!"

At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind Kira Ryosuke. Bachira Meguru and Isagi Yoichi entered the field together.

It was already late at night, and they couldn't sleep, so they decided to come here to practice together.