In Team V's locker room
"Partner! Wasn't that sliding tackle I pulled off just now super cool?"
"I've decided! From now on, I'm gonna be a defender. During the match, I saw that Shingen Tanaka guy step up for his shot, all confident—"
"Then I slid in and sent him flying! The look on his face—I'll never forget it! Just thinking about it makes me feel amazing!" Putian Daiwa said, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Hah? You addicted to being a defender now? Did you forget you're supposed to be a forward?"
"With you around, Ryūma, why would I bother being a forward? I'll just focus on defending! My tackling's pretty solid anyway, so I'll keep working on it!"
"Even if I get eliminated from Blue Lock, you won't. You're too good. Even if you did get knocked out, you'd still stand out above everyone else!"
"Hey Partner… if—just if—you ever build your own team in the future, could you save me a spot as a defender?"
"Oh? Clever move, kid. Alright then—when I make it big, I won't forget you."
"Really? I knew I followed the right guy! From now on, I'll dedicate myself to defending and stealing the ball!"
While Ryūma Banjō and Putian Daiwa were chatting, Yo Hiori returned after changing and said,
"Ryūma, if you ever form a team, could you save me a spot as a shadow striker?"
"Of course, Yo Hiori! If I ever create my own team, you'd be absolutely essential!"
In truth, in the team Ryūma Banjō envisioned, Yo Hiori was indispensable. Ryūma valued his playmaking ability immensely.
But deep down, the shadow striker role was actually one he imagined for Rin Itoshi and Yoichi Isagi. Both possessed extraordinary vision—able to predict the flow of the match from the movements of everyone on the field.
If either of them played shadow striker for him, Ryūma believed he'd be unstoppable!
Just then, Ego Jinpachi's voice boomed from the big screen, cutting through their conversation.
"Yo! All you diamonds in the rough, the second match in Building 5 is over!"
"Team X crushed Team Y with a score of 9–0!"
Hearing this, Ryūma Banjō froze for a moment, then smirked, his eyes gleaming.
"Interesting. So there are other monsters here besides me and Rin, huh?"
"Blue Lock just keeps getting more fun!"
Putian Daiwa was about to speak, but Ego cut him off.
"How does it feel? That unforgettable rush of winning a match where your very future is on the line?"
"But think carefully, everyone. In that game, only Rin Itoshi and Ryūma Banjō scored goals. And Ryūma Banjō sealed it with a hat trick!"
"Didn't you feel it? The moment Ryūma scored his first goal, your doubts disappeared—you stopped hesitating, stopped believing you could lose! That's the power of a single goal!"
"That is what it means to build soccer from zero!"
Putian Daiwa nodded vigorously, his expression serious.
"Exactly! When my Partner scored that first goal—even though it had nothing to do with me—I felt my blood boiling! All the nerves I had before kickoff vanished!"
Ryūma Banjō chuckled at Daiwa's goofy look.
"Seriously? It wasn't even your goal—why are you so hyped up? But… building soccer from zero, huh? Well… as long as I keep scoring, that's all that matters!"
Ego raised his hands, sketching a zero and a one in the air.
"Not wrong, but you still don't get the key point. The real question is—how do you turn zero into one?"
"Let's talk about Japan. Japanese people love fulfilling the roles given to them. Take one of the few sports where Japan is globally competitive…"
"Baseball."
"In baseball, offense and defense are separated by turns, and there's no physical contact like tackling. Everyone has a fixed role. That fits perfectly with the Japanese mindset. That's why Japan is so strong in baseball!"
"But soccer is different! The field is open, players move freely, offense and defense switch constantly, and there's physical contact everywhere."
"In this sport, simply playing your assigned role won't win you the game. To win, you need independence—your own individual ability!"
"So, diamonds in the rough, change your mindset!"
"In soccer, scoring a goal means dismantling the opponent's structure. That makes strikers destroyers!"
"A goal is revolution on the field! It shatters the enemy's order and strengthens your team!"
"Never let your 'role' confine you!"
"To turn zero into one—master technique, dribbling, heading, speed, shooting. Arm yourselves, strikers!"
"Read the game, dismantle the opponent's structure, and strike with your own unique weapon!"
"Think hard! With your body and mind, discover what only you can do! Remember—your weapon is the spark that ignites the revolution of scoring!"
Fired up by Ego's words, Ryūma Banjō grinned.
"Hey Rin! Let's see whose weapon is stronger—yours or mine!"
He waited, but no answer came. Ryūma turned to Rin's spot.
"Huh? Where'd he go? When did he leave? Why didn't you guys say anything? Don't tell me I was performing for thin air just now!"
"You laughing, Hiori? Huh? Putian Daiwa, you're laughing too?"
"No, Partner! I just remembered something funny, that's all."
"I was thinking about that joke the triplets told me that night. I wasn't laughing at you, really… don't mind me, Ryūma! Pfft… b-but you did look super cool just now!"
Putian Daiwa was clearly struggling to hold back laughter, while Yo Hiori was already on the verge of bursting out.
Seeing them both about to crack, Ryūma forced a grin.
"Oh~ is that so? Well, I didn't get enough of a workout in the match earlier. Since you two are here, come on—practice with me!"
...
A few days later, in Building 5's cafeteria…
"Huh? Partner, you're eating three steaks all by yourself? That's extravagant!"
Ryūma Banjō boasted as he devoured the meat.
"What can I say? I scored a hat trick in my first match. No point saving up points, so I might as well enjoy some steak!"
Just then, he spotted Rin Itoshi eating quietly in the corner. Ryūma walked over, pretending to bump into him by chance.
"Well, what a coincidence, Rin! You're here too? Wait—you already know I scored a hat trick in my first match?"
"Oh~ so you were at that game? Makes sense then~"
That's right. For the past few days, every time Ryūma saw Rin, he couldn't resist bragging about his hat trick—and even worse, he'd say it in a condescending, "older brother" tone.
"Don't get discouraged, Rin. Not just anyone can score a hat trick, you know~"
"Tch! Get lost. You're bragging about three goals against a bunch of kids? You're barely older than them yourself."
Rin's retort secretly thrilled Ryūma—finally, a reaction! For days Rin had just ignored his boasting, leaving him unsatisfied.
"Huh? But~ but~ if you can't even score three goals against kids, that's baby level, right?"
"Don't get me wrong, Rin! I wasn't talking about you—it was just an analogy!"
That was the last straw. Rin stood up, grabbed Ryūma by the collar with one hand, and snapped,
"You bastard! You looking to die?"
Seeing the situation about to explode, Yo Hiori rushed in to calm things down.
"Rin, don't do this. Ryūma didn't mean any harm. He's just happy about winning and wanted to share it with you…"
Even as he said it, Hiori winced—it was obvious the word "show-off" was practically written on Ryūma's face.
But Ryūma, with Rin gripping his collar, didn't get angry. Instead, he pointed his thumb at Rin and laughed.
"Oh? He's mad!"