Several minutes later, even Jingo had to stop. He stepped off the treadmill, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead and his legs trembling. He stared at Ryōsuke with a mix of anger and confusion.
Ryōsuke was now the only one still going in the fitness test room. Everyone else sat on the floor, watching him.
"Is this guy... some kind of monster?"
"How can he keep going? What kind of stamina is this..."
"This is just ridiculous..."
Everyone was talking among themselves.
Despite his frustration, Jingo had to acknowledge Ryōsuke's terrifying physical abilities.
A few minutes later, Ryōsuke finally stepped off the treadmill. Though covered in sweat, he appeared far less exhausted than the others.
His original physical condition had been decent, and after more than a week of hellish training, his stamina had improved. But the key wasn't just stamina — it was his Breathing Technique.
When exercising, breathing frequency and method are crucial. Poor breathing prevents the body from getting enough oxygen, which affects stamina. The breathing rhythm also connects to movement timing — incorrect patterns can disrupt one's movements.
After unlocking the Breathing Technique through the system, Ryōsuke had learned a more efficient way to breathe, leading to better results in the physical tests.
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Three days had passed since the tag game.
Ryōsuke was still training in the gym, despite having already earned his daily Competition Points.
At that moment, the broadcast in the Blue Lock came on.
[Physical test results are out. Everyone please return to your rooms immediately to check the latest rankings.]
Ryōsuke wiped his sweat and returned to Team Z's room, changing into the blue uniform worn during rest periods. The number on his pentagon-shaped badge had changed from '289' to '264'.
This change occurred because during the tag game phase, each team had one person eliminated, reducing the total number by 25 people.
"Tch." Jingo glanced at Ryōsuke's ranking, then at his own, showing obvious displeasure, though there was nothing he could do about it.
Just then, the screen on the wall lit up again, showing Jinpachi Ego's gaunt, gloomy face once more.
Ryōsuke looked up at the screen, knowing that this man would announce the rules for the next Selection Round.
This would be the true first round of Selection, where over half the participants would be eliminated.
The Blue Lock consisted of five buildings, each housing five teams — V, W, X, Y, and Z. For the first round of Selection, these teams would compete in a round-robin tournament of ten matches.
Teams would receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss.
After the tournament, the two highest-scoring teams would advance to the next round intact. From the remaining three teams, only the players who scored the most goals would move forward.
Though simple, these rules heightened the competition and tested the players' character.
In the original story, Wataru Kuon from Team Z had believed their chances of advancing were slim. He had conspired with opponents, trading team tactics for the promise of becoming top scorer, deliberately sabotaging matches to ensure his own advancement.
After explaining the rules, the big screen went dark.
Team Z's first match against Team X would begin in two hours. With time running short, the team needed to start planning.
"We're all forwards, what should we do..."
"Can we really form a proper team? And Team X is ranked higher than us..."
"How about we use rock-paper-scissors to decide positions?"
Many nodded in agreement at this suggestion of a fair method.
But one person spoke against it: Ryōsuke Kira.
"Sorry, but I don't agree with the rock-paper-scissors decision."
All eyes turned to him.
"Kira, isn't this the fairest method?" Wataru frowned.
"Yes, it's the fairest method — but we need victory, not fairness. This isn't about being fair; it's about luck. If we leave everything to chance, our best forwards might end up defending. This match will shape our professional careers, and I won't let luck decide my future."
As Ryōsuke finished speaking, several teammates nodded in agreement.
Once eliminated, their professional careers would essentially be over. No one wanted to take that risk.
"Besides, even if we decide positions and tactics by rock-paper-scissors, who here would actually stick to the plan? Even with team elimination, becoming the top scorer still guarantees advancement. This would only fuel everyone's selfish desires."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Jingo behind him, who in the original story had been the first to steal the ball from his teammates, causing internal chaos.
"Hey, what's that look for? Got a death wish?!" Jingo noticed his gaze and shouted angrily.
But inside, he felt a twinge of guilt — he'd just been thinking about stealing the ball from his teammates if assigned to defender.
'Can this guy read minds?' He bit his lip defiantly.
"Then Kira, what distribution method do you suggest?" Rensuke asked from the other side.
"This guy just wants to show off!" Jingo interrupted, yelling.
"It's simple — let's let ability speak for itself. We still have two hours until the match starts, more than enough time." Ryōsuke narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping across everyone, "The strongest person will be team leader and assign positions."
He stepped forward, standing in the middle of everyone.
Yoichi involuntarily swallowed, sensing an inexplicable pressure from him.
"We'll use one-on-one challenges to determine the leader position. I'll be the first champion — if anyone doubts my ability and decisions, come and defeat me." Ryōsuke said, seeming like a completely different person.
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