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❖ Chapter 113 ➠ Ashito Enters Hell! ❖
🕑 Added 2025-05-15 11:01:19 +0000 UTCRyōsuke led Ashito to the goal as the others lined up on both sides, their eyes fixed on the pair.
Though no one had anticipated such directness, they were eager to witness the match and observe his soccer skills firsthand.
"I'm Ashito Aoi from Ehime Prefecture! I want to become the world's best forward!" Ashito declared confidently as he faced Ryōsuke.
He had stepped forward to accept this one-on-one challenge, hoping to catch Ryōsuke's attention.
"The world's best forward?" Ryōsuke smiled, his eyes narrowing, "How do you plan to achieve that?"
Ashito possessed both potential and energy, showing more willingness than most to endure hardship and push himself for his dreams.
Yet Ryōsuke recognized issues with his mindset. Despite developing impressive passing abilities thanks to his excellent field vision, Ashito's approach remained focused on creating scoring opportunities for himself.
His philosophy mirrored Jinpachi's — he was, at heart, a self-centered player.
"As a forward, it's all about scoring goals consistently!" Ashito replied without hesitation.
"Is that all?"
"Well, yeah — isn't scoring goals what forwards are supposed to do?"
Ryōsuke shook his head, "That view is completely wrong."
"Why?" Ashito's face clouded with confusion.
"A player's excellence isn't measured by goals scored, but by victories brought to the team. What good is scoring a hat-trick in every match if the opponent scores even more? Blue Lock was founded on the same philosophy as yours, but that match proved such thinking wrong." Ryōsuke spoke deliberately, "Whether you're a forward, midfielder, or defender, what truly makes an excellent player is the ability to make the most appropriate choices in different situations."
Tatsuya, standing nearby, listened to Ryōsuke's words to Ashito in silence, nodding slightly. He had planned to give his pupil similar advice later.
"But..."
"If scoring goals is truly your aim, then prove it to me — show me your attacking ability."
Ryōsuke spoke with intensity, and Ashito nodded.
'I must prove myself to Kira-senpai!' With this thought, Ashito prepared his attack, shouting, "Here I come, Kira-senpai!"
He leaned forward with the ball, ready to break through—
In a flash, Ryōsuke cleanly stripped the ball away before Ashito could even react.
"Again." Ryōsuke simply kicked the ball back to Ashito, signaling for another attempt.
Without hesitation, Ashito launched another attack, but the result was identical — in a single movement, the ball was stolen from his feet.
"Once more."
Second time, third time, fourth time...
Despite five chances to attack, Ashito couldn't get past Ryōsuke once. Each attempt ended with effortless dispossession.
Now Ashito stood panting heavily, sweat streaming from his forehead onto the ground.
Before him, Ryōsuke loomed like an impenetrable wall, yet hadn't broken a single sweat.
"Your fundamentals and physical condition are far too weak, Aoi. If this is all you have, you're nowhere near good enough." Ryōsuke's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, "Let's switch positions."
Though Ashito possessed excellent field vision and could track all players' positions, that was all he had.
His physical condition was merely average, his fundamentals were severely lacking, and even Gurimu Igarashi — who had been eliminated by Ryōsuke in the selection round — had better individual skills than Ashito.
He still had a long way to go on this path.
"Fukuda..."
Nozomi turned to look at Tatsuya, concern in his eyes, while the latter smiled and shrugged.
"I talked with Kira earlier about being strict with our players — perhaps this way, Ashito can bring out his true potential."
Now Ryōsuke and Ashito had switched positions, with Ashito defending this time.
Ashito focused intently, carefully observing his opponent's movements.
"Even if you have excellent scoring ability, it means nothing if your opponent scores more goals than you." Ryōsuke said while stepping forward, "Besides, do you think you can achieve this level as a forward?"
He suddenly raised his foot and shot directly in front of Ashito!
❖ Thunder Strike, First Move ➠ Lightning Curve! ❖
With a thunderous boom, the soccer ball Ryōsuke kicked traced a crescent arc through the air, maintaining terrifying speed as it passed right by the defender and into the net!
Ashito stood dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long while. He could clearly hear the sound of the ball whizzing past him...
Like a cannonball.
He felt his legs go weak.
Everyone present felt the same, including Nozomi, whose Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Though they had seen it before on TV, witnessing Ryōsuke's terrifying shooting technique in person left them in awe.
The combination of raw power and precise trajectory control was astonishing.
With just one shot, everyone grasped Ryōsuke's true ability.
Nozomi now understood why the U-20 Team had recruited him — this wasn't just luck. Ryōsuke's skills were genuinely in a different league.
"That's... that's amazing!" Ashito finally exclaimed, staring in admiration.
Such mastery of shooting technique was beyond anything he had achieved. Ryōsuke embodied everything he aspired to become.
"Aoi, as a forward, you're still completely unqualified." Ryōsuke said firmly, "Are you sure you want to continue down this path?"
"I..." Ashito paused briefly, then clenched his fists, lifted his head, and nodded with determination, "Yes!"
Rather than being discouraged by the skill gap, his fighting spirit blazed even brighter, his eyes shining with resolve.
"I know there's a huge gap between me and Kira-senpai, but I'll work hard to overcome my weaknesses!"
His sincerity was unmistakable, and Ryōsuke recognized it. Ashito's greatest strengths were his directness, persistence, and unwavering dedication.
"Then do your best." Ryōsuke replied, "I hope you can prove it in next weekend's match."
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Afterward, Nozomi continued leading the B-Team through some simple exercises, while Tatsuya pulled Ryōsuke aside to discuss matters concerning Ashito.
"To be honest, I don't think Ashito has the talent to be a forward." Tatsuya said seriously, watching the players training in the distance, "When I recruited him, I planned to wait for the right moment to change his mindset. He might better utilize his talents as a wing-back."
"Indeed, he's far from being a qualified forward right now — but let's let him try anyway." Ryōsuke responded, "Although I don't agree with Mr. Ego's philosophy, his training method can truly push a person's potential to the extreme. Perhaps it can help Aoi grow."
"Sorry for troubling you with this task, Ryōsuke."
"It's fine — after all, room and board are included." Ryōsuke said with a smile, watching Ashito training with renewed enthusiasm in the distance, "We'll see what he chooses later."
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A few hours later, after B-Team's training had ended, Ryōsuke headed to the facility's gym to begin his own training.
The greatest advantage of coming to Esperion was the convenient training setup.
While there was a gym beneath Riko's house that he could use freely, it was quite a walk from the nearest soccer field.
Moreover, it was a public field where Ryōsuke's growing fame made it easy for him to be recognized, causing considerable disruption. There was also the matter of that stalker, Ryūsei, to consider.
At Esperion's facility, Ryōsuke could train more effectively.
And one very important bonus: he could once again enjoy food that normal humans eat.
Just as he finished one set of exercises, a gentle knock sounded at the door, and Ashito walked in.
"Aoi, what's the matter?"
"Um, Kira-senpai..." At that moment, Ashito bowed deeply before him, "Kira-senpai! Please teach me soccer!"
Today's match had made him realize the enormous gap in ability, and he deeply recognized his own shortcomings.
Additionally, Ryōsuke's words had left him in deep thought. A truly strong forward isn't just about scoring goals.
"I know I'm far behind others in every aspect, but I want to make up for this! I've realized my previous efforts weren't nearly enough! So please, Kira-senpai, guide me!"
Ashito's words were as determined as his gaze, his small frame seeming to contain boundless energy.
"Alright, but can you keep up with my training?" A slightly mischievous smile appeared on Ryōsuke's face.
"Yes! I'll give it my absolute all!" Ashito was overjoyed that Ryōsuke had agreed to his request.
However, he hadn't realized he was actually stepping into a new hell.
"Soccer skills are very important, but what you need to work on first is your physical condition. I've seen your report — except for endurance, which is acceptable, your contact strength, explosiveness, and speed are all lacking."
"So the first step is definitely to strengthen physical capabilities, right?"
"Let's start with a high-paced 5km run, then do some flexibility training to rest, followed by a 3km cooldown to stabilize your condition..." When it came to training topics, Ryōsuke seemed to become excited, as if Riko's soul had possessed him through her home-cooked meals, "Then we'll do the basics like push-ups, planks..."
"Kira-senpai... are you serious?" Ashito's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Although he was someone who could endure hardship, this proposed training menu seemed a bit extreme.
"Of course!" Ryōsuke nodded decisively, "If you want to get stronger, let's start right away!"
Ashito's body trembled, but he gritted his teeth and stepped onto the treadmill.
At that moment, Ryōsuke stepped out of the gym and found Nozomi nearby, within earshot.
"Coach Date, do you have any buckets or containers?"
"Yes, why?"
"We might need them in case Aoi gets sick. It would be unfortunate if he made a mess on the equipment."
"Oh, I see... Wait, what?!"
For the first time ever, Nozomi's face showed an expression of pure horror.
