ＥＧＯＴＩＳＴＩＣ - ＢＬＵＥ ＬＯＣＫ

CHAPTER 8 - 2ND SELECTION, 3RD STAGE MATCH

WORDS BETWEEN -  - MEANS THOUGHTS

POV - ISAGI YOICHI

Once me, Nagi, and Bachira entered the room, my eyes trailed right to Itoshi Rin. 

I looked at his team and saw that there were 4 people which made me confused. 

-Didn't the sign say group of 3?- Though, one of his teammates caught my eye. 

He was short and looked scrawny. -And here I thought I'm not that fit for a soccer player.-

He had brown hair and blue/teal eyes. I also noticed his facial structure looked very feminine. 

He has a cute button nose and big round eyes. 

It seems like I was staring at him for a long time cause he looked right at me. 

He sent me a kind smile which I turned my face to the side and blushed a bit.

-What the hell is wrong with me!?- I slapped my face. "The second selection, 3rd stage starts here." Ego announced. -I guess I'm versing Rin-kun now.- 

"The 3rd stage is a mini-game with teams of 3. I know what you're thinking. There's an extra person. The team with 4 will have a sub. So don't worry." Ego continued.

I nodded my head. -I would have been so unfair if 4 played against 3.- 

"Both teams will have a blue lock man as a goalie and the team with 5 goals first wins. And the winning team will pick 1 member from the losing team to join their team." Ego explained.

-Stealing a teammate?- I started to sweat.

"Within other stages, you will keep increasing the number of teammates. The team with the maximum of 5 teammates will have cleared the 2nd selection. But, the losing team will have to go back 1 stage. If you end up playing a 2 vs. 2 game and you are not chosen then, you will drop out." 

The air got tense as everyone looked at each other.

"This is where you rob each other's rivals. The truth in this selection is 'Rivalry Battle'. You are free to pick whoever you want. The match will be made if both teams agree to it." He said.

"I see. So there will be other teams coming later." Bachira said. "Seems so." I sweatdropped. 

-So it's not like we have to battle them off the bat.-

"Since we steal someone by winning, it would be good to get members that we need on the team." I looked at Nagi. 

"Exactly. The key is picking you allies. And to represent that, new Blue Lock rankings are being announced. There are no fakes now. Your rankings will be updated based on the results of the match." Ego said.

I looked at my arm. I was ranked 15. Bachira was 16 and Nagi was 7. I looked at the other team. Rin was 1st with the brown-haired male I was looking at. 

-Is that even possible?- The boy with long hair is 2nd and the other dude is 3rd.

"You here at those who can change 0 to 1 on the field. This will be a survival battle, where you clash the 1s and mix them and heighten them to their limits. Those who grasp the chemical reactions between egos will be the striker who can claim all. Do anything to win..." Ego trailed off.

-From here on, be a fight to rob each other's friends and rivals.- 

"Some brutal rules again." I commented. "So in other words, win and gather 5 players." Nagi said.

"That's it, there's no hurry to choose an opponent. What will we do, Isagi?" Bachira asked.

I thought about it. -Wait for new enemies or...- My eyes fell onto the other group.

POV - ITOSHI RIN

I just stood there with (F/N) by my side. 

"What should I do? What should I... Ahhhh. I don't want to do this. If we lose, I definitely won't be chosen. If I lose the next ones, I also won't be chosen. And I'll end up alone and... I don't want to do this anymore. These negative thoughts..." Tokimitsu muttered.

(F/N) and I side eyed each other. -What the hell?- 

"If we do this, we should go up against rank 4-6, right? It would be stylish. And if we win against those potatoes I will not look beautiful at all." Aryu commented.

I irked. "Shut up. It doesn't matter who our opponents are. I just want to win quickly and go forward." I said.

I looked at the other dudes on my team. "You guys are here to meet the numbers too." I said.

"Huh? You..! Your face might be stylish but who do you think you are ignoring me?" Aryu asked.

"Wait wait, don't fight." Tokimitsu said as he got between us and I felt (F/N) hold my arm.

"You ignore me and not the scrawny looking dude by your side?" Aryu asked. That was my breaking point.

 "Don't you ever talk shit about him, you hear me? Don't misunderstand. I've played with (M/N) long enough to know that he's a good player. But the rest of you, we only happened to team up together because we completed the 1st stage fast." I said. I looked at the 2 dudes. 

"To me, you guys are just stepping stones along with this Blue Lock shit. If you keep playing, you will get into Japan's U20 team. I'm just using this system so that I can represent Japan and overcome my brother. To crush Itoshi Sae is what my soccer is all about." I continued.

Aryu proceeded to come closer to me and point at me. "Even the way you word things is stylish. I guess you are good enough to be my teammate." He said.

"Ahhh! To be a part of a team with such amazing players. I feel like I'll be a dead weight." Tokimitsu commented.

"Hehe. You seem like you want to murder someone, Rin-n.. Rin." I looked down at (F/N) to see her smiling at me. 

"You're fine with whoever you play, right?" We both looked at the dude who asked me. "What?" I asked. "Let's do this!" 

(F/N) nudged me. "This dude has an interesting ego. I like it." She muttered.

"Yeah, anyone is fine." I nodded. We all agreed to the match which brought us to the field.

(F/N) was to play after a few minutes since she was called to go to the dude behind all of this since he wanted to talk to her. 

-Did her secret get out? How? It was only us who knew about it.- I just hoped that she won't be kicked out of Blue Lock, I just got to reunite with her.

POV - (L/N) (M/N)/ITOSHI (F/N)

I slowly walked the halls of Blue Lock, I was kinda scared to be honest. 

-Did they find out that I'm a girl and now I'm getting kicked out? It hasn't been that long since I came to Blue Lock.- 

Once I made it to the room that Ego-san was in, I knocked on it.

"State your name and business?" A voice asked. "Uhm. (L/N) (M/N). You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"Ah. Come in." I pushed the door open and was met with a dark lit room with monitors in it. 

Teieri-san was also in the room. 

"Welcome. It is nice to meet you in person, (L/N) (M/N). Or should I say Itoshi (F/N)." I froze.