"What? This is absurd!"
At the Aida Sports Gym, Riko showed her father Kagetora the message she'd just received from Ryōsuke.
"Those who fail will permanently lose their chance to join the National Team? Is this some kind of joke? They're basically ending players' futures!"
"This isn't a joke," Kagetora said, his expression turning serious. "According to my old friend, the Football Association will hold a press conference in a few days to announce a major project. It's probably this Blue Lock that Ryōsuke mentioned..."
As a former professional athlete and top trainer, Kagetora's connections within the Japan Football Association gave him reliable insight.
This was no joke.
"Then what if Ryōsuke..." Riko's face filled with worry, but she swallowed the rest of her words.
After a moment, her expression shifted, determination replacing concern.
"If it's Ryōsuke, he'll make it through. He may seem cheerful and casual usually, but once he gets serious, he becomes a completely different person."
"Yeah, that guy stands out from every player I've met. Let's hope he shines there—after all, thanks to him, our gym's revenue jumped thirty percent last week!" Though Kagetora's tone was light, his eyes narrowed as his gaze drifted to the distance.
He sensed the untapped potential within that white-haired kid.
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| Riko — Best Coach Ever |
| Good luck! Don't embarrass our Aida Gym! ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ |
| How's the food there? Make sure you eat properly! |
| And don't forget to exercise even while you're there! Otherwise... you'll see! |
Looking at her messages, Ryōsuke smiled, replied briefly, and put down his phone.
They had arrived at Blue Lock.
The facility was a pentagonal complex of five identical interconnected buildings, equipped with cutting-edge technology rarely seen elsewhere. The Football Association's investment in this "Player Improvement Project" must have been astronomical.
Three hundred players were divided randomly into five groups, each assigned to different buildings and further split into five areas.
After clearing strict security, Ryōsuke surrendered his phone, stored his luggage, and received a special uniform.
On its shoulder was a striking combination: 289Z.
In the original story, Jinpachi Ego had claimed these numbers represented each player's strength ranking among the three hundred participants. But Ryōsuke knew better—these numbers meant nothing. They were simply a tactic to shake players' confidence and create pressure.
Following the building's signs, he arrived at the room marked with the letter Z.
Each room held twelve people, and in Room Z, the other eleven had already arrived. Ryōsuke surveyed them, recognizing each person's identity and unique abilities.
Meguru Bachira lay sleeping on the floor—a player known for his exceptional dribbling skills and free-spirited style.
Nearby, Rensuke Kunigami changed clothes. He carried himself with dignity, boasting both a powerful physique and a lethal left-foot shot.
A red-haired figure with delicate, feminine features sat to the side—Hyōma Chigiri. Though blessed with unmatched speed, a past career-threatening injury had prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Ryōsuke knew his journey in Blue Lock had officially begun.
Soon, he would face the initial selection.
"Kira, it's great to see a familiar face here!" Yoichi, also assigned to Team Z, greeted him with a smile.
"Yeah, it's great," Ryōsuke responded politely.
In the original story, while Yoichi was the protagonist, his true strength lay not in outstanding abilities but in his field vision—eyes that could connect the entire team.
He had also been directly responsible for the original body's elimination. Yet it wasn't just Yoichi—it was luck combined with the original body's lack of preparation that had sealed his fate.
The current Ryōsuke Kira wouldn't make the same mistake.
[Everyone changed into their uniforms yet, you rough diamonds?]
On the steel walls, a huge screen projected Jinpachi Ego's face—eerie, with cunning eyes peering through thick lenses.
[Listen up, the people in the same room are both roommates and rivals for improvement. With my arbitrary and biased judgment, I've quantified your abilities and ranked them. The numbers on your shoulders are your names...]
As his words sank in, everyone checked their own numbers before examining each other's. Their gazes finally converged on one person.
Ryōsuke Kira.
In Team Z, the rankings ran from 289 to 300—twelve consecutive numbers. With 289, Ryōsuke had the highest rank among them.
Being marked as the strongest meant he'd have a target on his back.
[...Alright, time for tag! You've got 136 seconds. Touch the ball and you're 'it.' When time runs out, whoever's 'it' is out of here! And remember—no hands!]
Without further explanation, Jinpachi launched into the initial selection test.
The rules were simple: the person left holding the ball when time expired would be eliminated. It was a test of strikers' agility and reflexes.
The original body had failed precisely because he hadn't grasped this concept—he hadn't understood Blue Lock's ruthless nature.
The moment Jinpachi finished speaking, a small hatch opened in the metal-block ceiling, and a soccer ball dropped through. The big screen lit up with a countdown and a name.
Tag: Gurimu Igarashi.
As the others stood bewildered, a short player with a monk-like haircut approached the ball—Gurimu Igarashi himself.
Ryōsuke observed him intently.
In the original story, Gurimu had been nothing but a hanger-on. Though his skills were bottom-tier across the board, he'd somehow coasted through on others' efforts, making it to the end without contributing anything meaningful.
It seemed Blue Lock had its own twisted version of luck.
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