"Player Kira, you're considered a gem of the soccer world, and there are rumors that the U-18 national team wants you to join directly. Tell us about your aspirations!"
At the temporary interview platform beside the soccer field, a female reporter held a microphone, interviewing the handsome young man before her.
The young man stood there in a daze.
The vast green field, the spacious stadium, and the endless cheers — all of it felt utterly unfamiliar to him.
Mere seconds ago, he had been an unknown manga artist at home, eating snacks and watching anime while preparing to draw an action manga. Now he found himself on a strange yet somehow familiar soccer field.
He immediately understood — he had transmigrated.
A flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into his mind, revealing which world he had arrived in — Blue Lock.
Japan had implemented a plan called 'Blue Lock' to create a super forward, inviting three hundred young forwards from across the country to undergo closed training and selection at the facility of the same name.
Only one person would emerge as a world-class forward, while the remaining 299 would be eliminated and barred from ever joining the National Team, effectively ending their soccer careers.
He also understood his identity — he was Ryōsuke Kira, a minor background character in the Blue Lock story.
Ryōsuke had just led his team to victory, securing a spot in the national tournament. He had become a local celebrity, dubbed the Jewel of Japanese Soccer.
But his perfect life path was about to end. Soon, he would enter the Blue Lock project.
Though destined to shine in the soccer world, he would be eliminated in the first round, his soccer career cut short, reduced to mere cannon fodder.
Ryosuke's heart churned with conflicting emotions — not just from his sudden transmigration, but because he had no interest in soccer.
While he knew the basic rules, his only exposure to the sport came from classic sports anime. He didn't hate it, but he certainly didn't love it either.
When he first realized he had transmigrated, he had been excited, thinking he could become a 'copycat' manga creator and achieve fame and fortune.
Instead, his fame came from soccer.
As his team's ace, he had become a rising star, and he knew there was no easy escape from the soccer world.
It was a desperate situation — having never played soccer before, he had somehow become its rising star.
Even if he inherited the original body's physical abilities and soccer skills through memory, he couldn't acquire crucial elements like game sense and instinctive reactions.
If he tried to compete, the outcome was predictable — he risked becoming a laughingstock among soccer fans nationwide.
Given this situation, he figured he might as well follow the original storyline — enter the Blue Lock project, skip the national tournament, and let himself be eliminated midway through due to an accident, just as the original plot dictated. This would free him to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist.
Though his original body possessed remarkable soccer talent, even without the first-round elimination, success wasn't guaranteed.
After all, Blue Lock was overflowing with talent and ability.
"Mr. Kira?"
The reporter's gentle voice snapped Ryōsuke back to reality, reminding him he needed to give a victory interview.
"Ah well, it's all thanks to my teammates. I am who I am today because of them," he said with a practiced smile, offering the standard response into the microphone.
As the crowd chanted his name in unison, he raised his hand to acknowledge them.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
After attending the celebration party, Ryōsuke returned home, where his family handed him a letter from the soccer association.
He already knew what it contained — an invitation to Blue Lock.
Yet soccer held little interest for him, and this project was particularly brutal.
Out of three hundred participants, only one could emerge victorious. Former prodigies would be reduced to mediocrity, subjected to grueling training in complete isolation. They would have their phones confiscated, cut off entirely from the outside world.
"Lock" — a fitting name indeed.
Just as Ryōsuke reached for the letter, a strange voice echoed in his ear.
〘 Soccer Competition Super Skill System Unlocked! 〙
〘 Presenting host with Newcomer Gift Package, automatically opening— 〙
〘 Congratulations host! You've received the 'Soccer Competition Specialization - Thunder Breathing' Package! 〙
"What?" He quickly realized that this was the system he possessed as a transmigrator finally unlocking.
At the same time, some images that only he could see gradually appeared.
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 0 〛
〚 Current Skills: 〛
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration] | Status: Unlocked | Level: 1 | EXP: 0% 〛
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash] | Status: Unlocked | Level: 1 | EXP: 0% 〛
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - Second Form: Rice Spirit] | Status: Locked | Cost: 100 Competition Points 〛
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - Third Form: Thunder Swarm] | Status: Locked | Cost: 150 Competition Points & Rice Spirit Unlocked 〛
…
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash] | Status: Locked | Cost: 300 Competition Points & Heat Lightning Unlocked 〛
〚 [Skill: Thunder Breathing - Seventh Form: Flaming Thunder God] | Status: Locked | Cost: 350 Competition Points & Rumble and Flash Unlocked〛
— — — — — — — — — —
"Thunder Breathing? Soccer? What the hell?"
Ryōsuke stood frozen in disbelief. He should have felt elated about unlocking the system, yet all he felt was shock.
Thunder Breathing had originated as a unique technique of the Demon Slayer Corps in the Demon Slayer world.
Through "Total Concentration Breathing", they could enhance their physical abilities by maximizing oxygen intake, combining this power with specialized sword techniques to battle Demons.
And now the system wanted to merge Breathing Techniques with soccer?
Was this some kind of joke?!
❖❖❖
T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!
For just $1.50 you can access all the extra content, and descriptive images, costs only $2!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/mrblackwing