"Put Alexis and Michael on the bench, and let other capable players take the field." Ryōsuke answered without hesitation.
"You bastard..."
Alexis shouted hysterically, but Noel ignored him and continued questioning.
"Is it because of the conflict between you?"
"No, I just think this is better for the team." Ryōsuke shook his head, "There's no chemistry between us on the field, and we can't coordinate properly. More importantly, their behavior is hurting the team — they deliberately avoid passing to teammates, try to steal the ball from their own side, and disrupt plays. They clearly care about things other than the team's victory."
Alexis was left speechless.
"Noel, you said what matters most is a player's contribution to team victories, and in the last game, these two were actually harmful to our performance." Ryōsuke said.
"Do you two have any objections?" Noel turned to Michael and Alexis.
"N-no..." Michael answered reluctantly. With everyone watching and the outcome decided, he couldn't deny the facts, "But I have a question... Will the video of this match be cut too?"
This was what concerned him most — he didn't want everyone to see his defeat by Ryōsuke.
Previously during team training, at the club's request, the footage of Bastard München losing to Blue Lock hadn't been included in the program, as it could affect the team's reputation.
Now Michael hoped the video of his one-on-one with Ryōsuke would remain private as well.
"That's not for me to decide." Noel looked down at him, disappointment flickering in his eyes, "And is this all you care about? It seems you've truly fallen. Everyone else, continue training."
"But—"
Before Michael could finish, Noel shook his head and left the field without another word.
"Ryōsuke, you're getting too full of yourself! You only beat Michael because of luck — that's why you suggested the one-goal match!" Seeing the coach had left, Alexis stormed up to confront Ryōsuke.
"I suggested one goal to avoid making Michael look too bad. If I had beaten him ten to zero, it probably would have affected his market value." Ryōsuke stepped forward, standing before him, "Besides, weren't you the ones who wanted to compete with me? Accept defeat gracefully and face reality. If you want to keep causing trouble..."
He tilted his head slightly, quietly activating his Divine Reflection, glancing at Jingo before shifting his gaze to Alexis.
"I'll kill you."
"You!" Alexis was visibly shaken, his words catching in his throat.
The pressure emanating from Ryōsuke was overwhelming — his words carried genuine killing intent.
Despite his frustration, Alexis could only back down sullenly.
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That evening, fuming over Noel's decision, Alexis secretly reached out to club management to complain about alleged favoritism toward Ryōsuke.
He believed management would take Michael's side, given that they had long viewed him as Noel's successor and had initially pushed to sign him.
Instead, Alexis received a harsh reprimand.
[Noel has full authority over this! You're just a youth team player, know your place!]
The severe scolding left him sweating profusely, unable to do anything but stammer "yes" and apologize.
Alexis had greatly misjudged his and Michael's standing with management. In Bastard München's upper management's eyes, Noel was the club's sole cornerstone. No one could rival his position, and the team ran entirely according to his wishes.
Even Michael's talents paled in comparison to Noel's.
Furthermore, based on Noel's reports and match footage, Bastard München had grown deeply dissatisfied with Michael's performance.
And now, they had found Noel's true potential successor: Ryōsuke.
In every aspect, he currently far surpassed Michael. In Bastard München management's eyes, he had become a more suitable successor.
Though management had previously been willing to sign Michael for 300 million, they had gradually changed their minds. His value in their eyes had plummeted.
Michael's attempt to increase his worth by undermining Ryōsuke and the Blue Lock members had backfired completely.
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Five days later, the second match was about to begin.
Germany's Bastard München versus England's Manshine City.
"Now I'll announce the starting lineup for the next match." Noel held a tablet, his gaze sweeping across everyone.
Alexis and Michael stood with lowered heads, their faces filled with disappointment.
"Starting striker will still be Ryōsuke Kira. He is now our team's absolute core — all attacks will revolve around him." Noel's gaze barely touched the two as he continued, "Benedict Grim, you'll take the left side, and Rensuke Kunigami, you'll replace Michael's position on the right."
"Yes, sir!" Rensuke nodded vigorously, his expression serious.
He had earned this chance not just because of Michael's self-destruction, but through his own rigorous training.
Before the U-20 Match, Rensuke had focused on improving his weakness — right-foot shooting.
Even while watching from the sidelines during both the U-20 Match and the first Neo Hero League match, he never stopped pushing himself.
Now, he finally had his chance to shine.
"Yoichi Isagi will take the middle position, Ashito Aoi you'll be behind Rensuke... Jingo Raichi, you'll handle the back this time. Your interception rate and defensive efficiency during training were exceptional. Having you on the field will strengthen our defense."
"Great! Finally got a chance to play!" Jingo shouted excitedly, "You guys focus on attacking! Leave the back to me!"
"Goalkeeper will still be Genzō Wakabayashi. This is the starting lineup for this match." Noel looked at the list in his hand and shook his head slightly.
Nine positions in Bastard München's team had been quietly taken over by Blue Lock members.
Noel understood why youth teams joined Blue Lock's Second Phase — they wanted visibility and higher market value, Michael included.
But they never expected the Blue Lock team would be like a hungry beast, devouring them almost completely. Such was the price of their arrogance.
Noel remained indifferent. To him, the youth team, despite carrying Bastard München's name, was merely insignificant.
His visit to Blue Lock had one purpose: finding better talent for Bastard München. And now, he had succeeded.
Noel glanced at Ryōsuke, paused thoughtfully, then spoke:
"Let's go, to the field."
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Soon, Ryōsuke and the others followed their coach to the match venue.
Through a side entrance, the Manshine City team from England arrived, Reo among them.
"Time to face Kira again." Reo watched Ryōsuke, an eager smile crossing his face.
At last, he could seek revenge for his past defeats.
His special training had elevated his abilities to new heights, enhancing both his physical condition and his "Chameleon" technique.
For example, Sae and Rin Itoshi's techniques.
After the U-20 Match, Reo knew he had to significantly improve his abilities — not just to get revenge against Ryōsuke, but more importantly to earn Seishirō's acknowledgment.
Unable to fully replicate Ryōsuke's movements, he chose to emulate the next best thing by combining Sae and Rin's playing styles to enhance his capabilities.
Meanwhile, Seishirō was discussing the match with a dark-skinned man.
"So, what should I do?" Seishirō asked his teammate.
The man — Agi — had round eyes and long hair. Though his appearance was unremarkable, his eccentric demeanor hinted at something extraordinary.
As one of Manshine City's key members, this almost obsessively devoted football analyst had earned the nickname "Doctor" for his peculiar personality.
Yet his outstanding abilities and intelligence were undeniable.
"Like I said, reset everything with your first touch, then rebuild. Use your creativity to create your own style of football." That's what Agi told him.
After joining the club, Chris had noticed Seishirō's exceptional physical abilities — surpassing even his own in some areas. But the young player had one glaring weakness: he lacked creativity and independent attacking ability.
Seishirō's performance relied heavily on his teammates — he excelled with strong players but struggled with weaker ones.
This was why Chris had enlisted Agi to help develop Seishirō's creativity.
"What a pain..." Seishirō sighed, then turned to him, "Why are you so interested in me anyway? Theoretically, that guy should be more what you're looking for."
He nodded toward someone standing ahead of them.
"No, it's completely different, Seishirō — you're an ecosystem that needs refining, which makes you valuable for creation and research. That's why I'm interested in seeing how far you can go." Agi replied, "But that guy is different. He's already complete, nearly perfect in every aspect. He doesn't need my refinement."
As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, focusing on the person Seishirō indicated — Haruhisa Kuribayashi.
Upon joining Manshine City in England, Haruhisa had showcased technical skills so flawless that European players could only dream of reaching his level.
During his training period, his physical condition had improved dramatically, eliminating virtually any weakness.
Though previously criticized for his slight build, Haruhisa had dismissed such concerns. In his view, physical weakness was merely an excuse used by players who lacked technique.
Now he had achieved even greater perfection, truly earning his reputation as a masterpiece.
"So that's Ryōsuke." Haruhisa's gaze shifted to the opposite side of the field.
Ryōsuke met his eyes with a smile.
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Meanwhile, outside Blue Lock, websites buzzed with promotional advertisements for the upcoming match.
Esperion's Masterpiece VS Blue Lock's Crown Jewel — this was how they marketed the game.
While the earlier clash between Sae, Tsubasa, and Ryōsuke had created considerable excitement, Haruhisa remained the star player of Japan's strongest club, and they had spared no expense in promotion.
Even before kickoff, viewership numbers had surpassed the previous match's peak, with online discussions reaching a fever pitch!
"Now that Sae has been defeated, who's the superior player of the new generation — Haruhisa or Ryōsuke?"
"It has to be Haruhisa! He's proven himself in the J-League and instantly changes the momentum whenever he steps onto the field!"
"My money's on Ryōsuke! His control over matches is unmatched now! Remember how he completely shut down Lavinho? How many players in the world could pull that off!?"
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