5 hours left until the regulars announcement.
||Central Dining Room||
"Rin, you okay?" You ask while carrying a tray of food in your hands.
"Yeah. My nose stopped bleeding. Never mind that, where'd that antennae freak go?" Rin asks, still munching on his food.
"They took him to the 'Punishment Room'." You stole some of his food with your chopsticks.
"Oi..." Rin grew an irk mark, watching you walk away while eating his food.
"...Bitter." You made a disgusted expression while you walk to a random seat.
||♡||
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
"Have you reached a decision, Ego-san...?" Anri walks in the room.
"...Yup. 'Too many cooks spoil the broth.' Anri-chan..." Ego scratches his head.
"Huh?" Anri tilted her head to the side in confusion and curiosity.
"In order to seize victory... There are certain talents that get cut away." He explains.
Suddenly, Anri's phone rang.
"There's someone on the line for you! Ego-san!" Anri informs.
"Who is it? At this fucking important time?"
"It's president buratsuta...!" Anri said, earning Ego's full attention.
||Central Room||
TIME LEFT UNTIL REGULARS ANNOUNCEMENT
00:00:09 LEFT
"Ugh... I'm so nervous!" Nanase place his hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.
"Take care of your heart, don't leap out." Hiori said.
When the timer reached zero, a door slide opened, revealing someone's figure.
"Good work out there, you unpolished gems... I believe this makes it the second time that we're meeting directly...?" Ego spoke. "Greetings."
"For starters, I'll reiterate. Football is a sport where you score goals."
"'Goals' are the entire reason a striker exists. That's why with the third selection's tryouts... I decided to form a team centered around the one with the highest goal rate."
"Steel your hearts and listen hard. I'm about to announce the eleven players who will play against Japan's U-20."
"First, the number one player... Itoshi Rin."
"With an average of 2.5 goals per match, this team will be centered around you in an aggressive offense oriented formation."
"The type of team that might suffer 5 goals but win by scoring 6. This is the only way a Blue Lock Team made up of strikers can win."
"'Destruction begets destruction.' you will lead the team embodying this theme."
"And the following the player's whose names I will call, will become the ammo to escalate that destruction."
"First, the goalkeeper. Gagamaru Gin."
"With the ability to react to balls at an instant's notice and overall flexibility, your physical attribute numbers make you the top candidate for goalkeeper. You will be this team's guardian."
"Next, the two center backs..."
"Aryu Jyubei, Niko Ikki."
"A right sided center back that can overwhelm players with height and reach, and an intelligent left center back with high spatial perception and ball stealing ability."
"And on either side of those center backs, we'll have two dribbles that boast speed and technique."
"For the right side back, Chigiri Hyoma."
"And left side back, Bachira Meguru."
"Moving on, ahead of these four in the defense line, the midfielder who will transition to our offense..."
"Karasu Tabito."
"As the player with the best ball keeping sense in Blue Lock, with your analytical ability to see through goals, you will be the beating heart of this team."
"From here on our, I'll announce the attackers. First, the ones who will tear down the enemy's walls from either side, the wings..."
"Otoya Eita."
"Yukimiya Kenyu."
"The right wing with the speed and stealth to get behind their opponent, and the left wing with the ability to overwhelm any opponent in a one on one."
"And finally, in between, at the heart of the offense will be these last players..."
"First, the player who with his superior ball control scored goals that went above and beyond feasible."
"Nagi Seishiro."
"I repeat, with Itoshi Rin at its center, this team's formation specialises in aggresive offense."
"Meaning it needs to be able to maximise Itoshi Rin's performance."
"Among all the players who interacted with him, the one who was able to bring our the best numbers, who repeatedly 'coexisted' and 'asserted' himself as Itoshi Rin's shadow, as the ideal partner to Itoshi Rin..."
"The last piece is you... Isagi Yoichi."
"!?" Your eyes widened.
"These are the top 11 who will face the U-20 Japan Team."
Wait a damn minute...
Why weren't you chosen?
"I have a question, Ego-san. Why is Shidou-kun and L/N-chan not one of the members?" Yukimiya raises his hand.
"Both of then scored plenty of goals, and their rankings are one of the highest in Blue Lock, are they not?" He asks.
"...Yes. Excellent question."
"Shidou Ryusei had an average of 2 goals per match during the tryouts. Demonstrating the makings of a striker second only to Itoshi Rin."
"His behavior outside of matches cannot be overlooked. But it is also true that his physical abilities are extremely high."
"However, all the goals that he scored were a product of his own skill."
"In other words, during the tryouts, Shidou Ryusei was unable to spark a chemical reaction even once with Itoshi Rin."
"And given that flagrant display of violence at the end of the match... If he were to do such a thing during the U-20 match, he'd get a red card, putting our team at an overwhelming disadvantage..."
"So for those reasons, I made the decision that Itoshi Rin and Shidou ryusei should not stand on the same pitch."
"And above all, none of you would be able to handle the egoist Shidou Ryusei."
"Oh, wait. Let me correct that." Ego adjusted his glasses.
"All of Shidou Ryusei's goals were scored on his merit alone. Someone who could understand his thoughts and raise the level of his play..."
"...is possibly only L/N Y/N alone or even none." Ego explains.
"But it would be a waste not to make use if his abilities." Yukimiya pointed out.
"Indeed, that's why if this team were to find themselves in a pinch... He'd be a joker that would replace Itoshi Rin."
"As a powerful drug that could completely reverse the flow of the game with his job would be to switch with Itoshi Rin in time if need."
"And L/N Y/N will be switch with one of you as well to assists Shidou Ryusei. I was going to experiment their chemical reactions..."
"At least, that was the plan..."
"But right after I'd finalised the roster, I got a call."
"It was from Buratsuta, the president of the JFU. He said that Itoshi Sae was dissatisfied with the forwards in Japan's U-20."
"If we don't accept Itoshi Sae's conditions, he would refuse to play, and the match itself would have to be cancelled. In which event, Buratsuta threatened to simply go ahead and shut down Blue Lock."
"And the condition he had wad that Itoshi Sae got to pick one person from Blue Lock to add to the U-20 team."
"Itoshi Sae chose not any of you here. But Shidou Ryusei instead."
"Wait, wait. Back to L/N. Why can't she play from the start to end? It would be more advantageous for us that way, would it not?" Karasu furrowed his brows.
"It might seem to you that way. Think about it. Blue Lock's already a laughing stock, meaning that the U-20 Team won't take any of you seriously."
"If L/N were to play from the start, sure they would underestimate us even more. But... it would be more affective if we bring her out at the last second."
"They would think that we have no other choice but to sent out a girl on the field and let their guard down... once again."
"I'm good with that. I'll beat their sexist ass up!" You grinned.
"Well, at any rate, this team was always going to center around Itoshi Rin or Shidou Ryusei."
"In my head, these were the only two viable options for Team Blue Lock."
"Itoshi Rin's playstyle involves his surroundings and synergies with them."
"Where at present, Shidou Ryusei will possibly only link up with L/N Y/N."
"They may both have an individualistic pressed to choose between those two different egoisms...."
"I chose Itoshi Rin, and Itoshi Sae chose Shidou Ryusei. As for which one of us chose correctly.... That will be determined in 15 days, infront of the entirety of Japan."
"Additionally, including those on the bench, the team can register 23 players."
"In the remaining 12 players have not yet been set in stone. Those of you who didn't make it this round, show what you can do and seize a spot on the bench."
"That marks the end of the regulars announcement."
"If you lose this battle, Blue Lock will be dismantled, and your future will be crushed along with it."
"We have 15 days left. In that remaining time, in order to whip into shape a battalion to pulverised the Japan U-20 Team."
"Venture forth with the resolve to risk it all, you unpolished gems. There is no longer any room for failure."
"Hmph. How lukewarm of you, four eyes. To me, this match is just another stepping stone for becoming the best in the world." Rin furrowed his brows.
"Oh?"
"Right on. I've been all in with my life since the moment I set foot in here♪" Bachira grinned.
"For real. I'm no idiot who'd back out when I'm this far in." Karasu smirked.
"Honestly it's pretty hype." Otoya admitted.
"I'm looking forward to it." Yukimiya smiled.
"Yeah, I wanna play already." Nagi said.
"Excellent show of egoism, Blue Lock's Eleven. We will now commence your last training camp." Ego grinned.
'Why do I feel like nothing good is going to happen with that mad man grinning like that...' You sweat dropped.