On the large screen, Jinpachi Ego began explaining the rules for the first round of selection.
"In the first round, the 55 players from building 5, split into five teams, will compete in a round-robin format. Only the top two teams by points will advance to the second round—it's a life-or-death battle!"
"Listen closely! At its core, soccer is a game about scoring goals! The positions and tactics you cling to are nothing more than roles that evolved throughout the game's history."
"In soccer's earliest days, every player on the field was a forward! You must return to soccer's origins—wipe your minds clean and recreate the game from scratch!"
"Forget everything you thought you knew! Implant new concepts deep into your brains!"
"For Japan to rise to the top of the world, what we need most isn't the teamwork of eleven players—it's the rise of a single hero!"
"Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar—just one player of that caliber can push football's evolution to limitless heights."
"To stop them, teams built new defensive systems. To overcome those defenses, new tactics were born! A single player can transform a team, a nation, even the world! That is football!"
"Now—are you ready to fight?"
After listening to Jinpachi Ego's sermon, Ryūma Banjō looked around at his teammates.
"Well, you all know the rules now. After these last few days of training and scrimmages, it should be clear—among our eleven, Rin and I are the strongest."
"So when it comes to positions, we'll decide. Any objections?"
He turned to Rin Itoshi.
"What about you? Any objections to my plan, Rin?"
"Doesn't matter. I'll win no matter what. Don't get the wrong idea—you just happened to end up as my teammates."
"Who you are doesn't matter. Even if it were a different group, I'd still win." Rin replied coldly.
"Alright, Rin's just shy. What he really means is that no matter what, he'll lead you to victory."
"Our promise is this: follow our lead, and we'll take everyone through the first round with ease."
Ryūma ignored Rin's murderous glare and kept going.
"Hiori, you're good with this too, right? With your playmaking ability paired with me and Rin, advancing will be a walk in the park."
"Yeah! I don't know how well Rin and I will connect, but I believe my link with you won't lose to anyone." Yo Hiori answered with a smile.
"No problem, big bro! Whatever you say goes!" Putian Daiwa added.
"We're good too. As long as we advance, we'll follow your lead."
That came from the triplet brothers, whose impeccable coordination made them specialists in triangle offense. Their near-telepathic connection left a strong impression on Ryūma.
The remaining four teammates echoed, "No problem, we'll follow your lead too."
(These side characters are easy enough to manage. Not like Nagi's team—where everyone has their own agenda. Actually, in Nagi's team, everyone more or less wants to be the star.)
Ryūma thought to himself, then addressed the group.
"Triplets, stick to your style. Push forward with your triangle offense whenever you get the ball. If you can't break through, pass to me or Rin."
He looked at the remaining four.
"You—big guy. You're in goal. I'm not expecting miracles, just put pressure on them so it won't be easy to shoot."
"You three, read the field and adapt. Our tactic is simple: everything revolves around me and Rin. That way, we won't lose."
"Alright, enough talk. Let's go!"
Their first opponent: Team W.
Eleven players in black uniforms came into view. Ryūma thought to himself:
(Hmm… all generic faces. Wait? That guy with the heavy beard and afro—that's Shingen Tanaka.)
(And that dark-skinned, white-haired big guy—that's Kyohei Shiguma! In the second round, I teamed up with him and Daiwa. So these two were already on the same team in the first round?)
"This match just got interesting. At least now I'm excited. Let's go, brothers!"
Then a mechanical female voice rang out, announcing the rules.
"All rulings on fouls and incidents in the first round of selection will be determined by video assistant referees! Now, building 5, first match: 45-minute halves. Team V vs. Team W."
Kickoff!
"I'll test their strength with the first attack! Here I come, mortals!"
The moment he spoke, Ryūma charged forward with huge strides, dribbling at full speed. He blew past three W Team players in the front line before they could even react.
He surged into midfield.
"What the—so fast! Dribbling with such big strides without slowing down? Isn't he afraid of losing the ball?"
"Damn it! Can't react! Someone stop him!" the W Team shouted.
"Tch! He blew past our frontline in an instant? You're not getting through, kid!"
It was Shingen Tanaka, stepping in front to block him.
"Hey, Tanaka. Let's see what you've got." Ryūma smiled at him.
Just then, Yo Hiori appeared on Ryūma's left. "Ryūma, one-two!"
"Well, well! A one-two against them? You underestimate me, Hiori. Time to accelerate!"
Grinning, Ryūma exploded forward like a bullet.
Before Shingen Tanaka could react, Ryūma feinted a right-side break, then suddenly cut left and blasted past him—charging into Team W's defensive third, closing in on the penalty area.
In training, Ryūma focused on honing his shooting techniques and the dribbling skills of the prodigy Loki. He still wasn't at Loki's level, but against average players, it was no contest.
"Damn it! Stop him, Shiguma! Everyone else, close in and take the ball!" Tanaka shouted.
"Oh? Three of you? You think highly of me. But you really think that'll stop me?"
A grin spread across Ryūma's face as his heterochromatic eyes began to shift color. (A signature Blue Lock special ability—whether real or imagined, the author decided to include it to keep the Blue Lock vibe.)
"Try it. You won't get past me!" Kyohei Shiguma said, laser-focused.
(Right side? Is he breaking through there? No—the right's sealed by me and my teammates. He can't. The only way is left.)
(Huh? Still the right? Forcing it? No—he's passing to Hiori on the right!)
Shiguma lunged forward to cut off the pass, unknowingly exposing the right flank.
"Fell for it! Big guy—speed up!"
Ryūma seized the opening, bursting past the triple coverage and driving into the box.
(What? He tricked me into thinking he'd pass, just to draw me out? And he exploited that split-second gap? This guy's a monster!)
Shiguma snapped out of his shock and shouted, frustrated. "Sorry, Tanaka—it's on you!"
"Don't even think about getting through! Everyone else, mark that Yo Hiori guy! Don't let Ryūma pass!"
Tanaka rushed back in front of Ryūma, thinking:
(I was careless earlier. Not this time. Even if I have to foul him, I'll stop this arrogant brat!)
"Who said I was trying to dribble past you or pass?"
Without slowing, Ryūma used the momentum of his run-up. He hopped forward with his left foot, swung his right arm wide back, and with the inside of his right foot, struck the ball dead center with pinpoint accuracy.
"BOOM!"
The ball curved through the air like a crescent moon, bending past Team W's defenders—just like the devastating Crescent Moon Blade.
Before the goalkeeper could even move, the ball blasted into the net!
The big screen flashed: GOAL!!
V Team 1:0 W Team