The large screen turned off and, as everyone discussed among themselves, one person suddenly made a move.
His expression was stern, and though his build was tall and slim, his muscles were clearly defined. He placed a nearby soccer ball at his feet and kicked it, sending a perfect high-arcing shot through the air above the hall.
"What a beautiful shot," Yoichi couldn't help but praise from the side.
At that moment, the same person kicked another ball — this time a low-curving shot...
The two balls collided with pinpoint accuracy in mid-air.
"What?!"
"Is this for real...?"
"Incredible technique."
While the move left almost everyone dumbfounded, Ryōsuke calmly shifted his gaze to that person, fully aware of who he was.
Rin Itoshi, younger brother of genius midfielder Sae Itoshi, was considered Blue Lock's most talented player in the original story.
However, in Ryōsuke's eyes, he was also something of a fanatic.
In the original story, Rin had come to Blue Lock to surpass his brother Sae. He possessed an unreasonable arrogance and looked down on everyone else — though he certainly had the skills to back up his pride.
"Open the door, warm-up's over." Rin said coldly, then walked through the doorway with an indifferent expression.
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"Interesting."
Meanwhile, Sae Itoshi sat at home, repeatedly watching video clips of Ryōsuke's matches in Blue Lock.
He had caught the recording of Ryōsuke's match against Team X, and his interest piqued, he'd had his agent request all of the first-round selection match footage from the Japan FA president.
Sae watched them over and over — something he had never done before.
"Forward, defender, midfielder... this guy is practically omnipotent on the field, completely dominating the game. Fascinating. I've never seen a player with abilities like this…" He muttered, his eyes fixed on the screen, "If I could play a match with this person, it might be very interesting. Perhaps he's the only one who could perfectly receive my passes."
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Back at Blue Lock, after bidding farewell to his teammates, Ryōsuke entered through the door.
Following the guidance, he arrived at an open square field.
A humanoid hologram materialized before him, and a goal projected onto the wall.
This was Blue Lock's latest technology — BLUELOCK MAN.
{T/N: Yes, it's all in capital letters like that.}
It was an AI hologram system loaded with data from world-class goalkeepers that could replicate their saving movements. More than just a projection — the soccer balls in Blue Lock contained microchips that simulated real physical collisions when they made contact with the hologram.
This first stage of the second selection round had a simple objective: score 100 goals within 90 minutes, with increasing difficulty as more goals were scored.
However, for Ryōsuke, this wasn't a challenge but an opportunity for practice.
Fuse: Skill — Kick — Shoot — Goal!
Like a shooting machine, he fired ball after ball into the net.
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"Kira's speed is incredible!"
In the monitoring room, Anri couldn't contain her amazement. Though she had witnessed his tremendous ability before, his speed still surpassed her expectations.
"He's completely at ease." Jinpachi shifted his gaze to the others on screen.
Most participants were struggling against BLUELOCK MAN, which matched an elite goalkeeper's skill — not to mention the steadily increasing difficulty.
Yet Ryōsuke remained perfectly relaxed, treating the test as mere practice.
"Though his philosophy conflicts with mine, I must admit I'm looking forward to his future performance."
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Before he knew it, Ryōsuke had completed the assessment. The holograms vanished, and the sealed door opened — revealing the second stage at the passage's end.
He walked through the corridor into another hall, where a screen embedded in the wall displayed a simple message:
[Form teams of 3 to proceed.]
{T/N: Different from cannon, but okay.}
This was the true content of the Second Round of selection.
"However..." Ryōsuke surveyed the empty room.
He was alone.
"Looks like... I finished too quickly." He sighed and found a spot to sit.
Minutes later, the entrance door opened, and a familiar figure entered.
Rin Itoshi.
"What a boring test." Rin muttered as he strode into the hall, "Form teams of three? What a waste of my time, having to wait for these insects..."
Mid-complaint, he noticed Ryōsuke's presence, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
He had assumed he'd be first, never expecting to find someone already there.
Rin glanced at Ryōsuke's name badge but dismissed it — in his eyes, everyone else was mere small fry.
Just then, a third person entered.
He was tall with long hair, muttering to himself: "AI, I suppose that's pretty stylish."
Ryōsuke's gaze shifted to that person — Jūbē Aryū, who possessed extraordinary physical abilities.
"Hey, it's just us here, let's head out. Don't waste my time."
Upon seeing Ryōsuke and Jūbē, Rin immediately commanded them in an authoritative tone.
He didn't care who his teammates were — there happened to be three people present, so he was ready to form a team.
"What a stylish statement." Jūbē nodded. He wasn't particularly bothered by Rin's words, nor did he object to teaming up with him.
But at that moment, Ryōsuke spoke up with a smile, "When did I agree to team up with you?"
"What did you say?" Rin's eyebrow twitched again.
This time he finally looked directly at the "trash". Though his expression hadn't changed, he seemed somewhat irritated.
"You heard what I said. I don't think I need to repeat myself." Ryōsuke stood up, looking straight at him.
Their gazes met.
Though Ryōsuke was usually an easy-going person who got along well with everyone, faced with the extremely arrogant Rin who didn't even know the meaning of respect, he wasn't about to let it slide.
"What a stylish conversation. This guy's face is quite stylish too." Jūbē shifted his gaze to Ryōsuke, the word "stylish" never far from his lips.
"You're nothing but an insect. Watch who you're talking to." Rin stepped forward, as if ready to devour his prey whole.
"What's wrong? And who are you? Since you lack basic manners, maybe you should leave Blue Lock and go back to learn some etiquette. Perhaps elementary school soccer would suit you better." Ryōsuke countered with a smile.
The veins on Rin's forehead bulged like writhing worms about to break through his skin.
But just as tensions were rising, the entrance door opened again and a fourth person, Aoshi Tokimitsu, walked in.
"Let's go." Rin didn't want to waste any more time on the "trash".
He directly led Jūbē and a confused-looking Aoshi, who had no idea what was happening, toward the next area.
Before leaving, Rin turned his head and fixed Ryōsuke with a razor-sharp gaze.
"If I meet you on the field, I'll destroy you. Remember that."
"Oh? You're welcome to try." Ryōsuke simply replied with a smile.
Soon after, Rin left with the other two, and gradually more people arrived. However, since they were from other teams and didn't know him, none of them teamed up with him.
After a while, Ryōsuke finally met two familiar faces: Seishirō Nagi and Reo Mikage.
"Kira?" Upon seeing him, Reo's mouth twitched, hostility flashing in his eyes.
He was ready to completely ignore him, now viewing Ryōsuke as his nemesis — the one who had ended his and his teammate's winning streak.
But Seishirō was entirely different.
He walked right up and greeted him, "Hi, Kira. You're quick."
"Just got lucky, that's all." Ryōsuke returned politely.
"Are you waiting for teammates?"
Seishirō continued asking, and Ryōsuke nodded.
"Why don't we team up then?" He extended the invitation, curious about this guy after their match against Team Z.
"Hey Nagi, you really want to team up with that guy?" Reo's expression filled with doubt.
"Yeah." Seishirō nodded firmly.
"Tch, if that's what you want Nagi, I guess I don't mind." Reo shrugged.
Though he wasn't happy about Ryōsuke, he wouldn't object to his friend's wish.
"Let me be clear though — I know you've got decent skills, but you absolutely cannot interfere with mine and Nagi's chemistry..."
But Ryōsuke cut in, "Sorry, but I'm planning to save at least one spot for my original teammates. Though if it's just you, Nagi, that would be fine."
Truthfully, he had no desire to team up with someone like Reo — both for his obsessive playing style and his arrogant attitude despite having lost.
"What? Those guys are just dead weight anyway, since you..."
Before Reo could finish, Seishirō had already nodded, "Okay, then I'll join your team."
"Huh? Hey, Nagi, shouldn't you be teaming up with me?!" Reo froze before whirling toward him in agitation.
"In the last match, Kira was the best player on the field, better than everyone else combined. I want to try playing with him." Seishirō replied calmly.
"But, but teaming up together was supposed to be absolute!" Sweat beaded on Reo's forehead as he grew flustered.
"Reo, you taught me soccer, and becoming world number one together is absolute. But we lost — we weren't the strongest. So I want to work harder, I want to play with Kira." Seishirō's expression was resolute, his tone steady but final.
After their defeat, he had been contemplating Ryōsuke's words.
He had always followed Reo's lead, accepting his view that other teammates were mere supporting actors — but after facing this guy and hearing his philosophy, his beliefs had begun to waver.
Not only was Ryōsuke incredibly strong, but he could bring out unexpected potential in teammates who "lacked talent". His philosophy challenged Blue Lock's ideology, and Seishirō wanted to discover which path was right.
"With that guy... fine... do whatever you want." Reo spat, his voice trembling with anger.
He raised his head, fixing his nemesis with burning hatred.
Ryōsuke felt no particular fondness for Reo but welcomed the unspoken challenge.
Soon, more familiar faces arrived: Yoichi, Meguru, Rensuke, and Hyōma.
"You're all so slow! I've been waiting for half an hour!" Ryōsuke greeted them with a smile.
"You're just too fast, Kira! How long did it take you to score those hundred goals anyway?!"
"Do we need to form teams of three here?"
"Hey, Nagi? Why are you here? Where's Mikage?"
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