Chapter 146: P.X.G
A few days later, the air in the Blue Lock Central Stadium locker room was thick with the scent of liniment and raw tension. The Ubers squad had arrived early, every player vibrating with the kind of nervous energy that preceded a war.
"First off, the man between the sticks. Canali, you've got the start in goal. Gen Fukaku, you're on standby," Snuffy announced, his voice cool and detached as he mapped out the day's strategy.
Gen Fukaku felt a sharp sting of frustration. As the former U-20 goalkeeper, he'd expected to walk into a starting spot, but the reality of the Neo Egoist League was a punch to the gut. The Ubers academy keeper outclassed him in almost every metric. He was stuck on the bench, a backup in a world that only valued the elite.
"Moving to the backline. Lorenzo, you're the heart of our defense," Snuffy continued. "We've all seen your vision and your physical dominance. You know exactly how much weight is on your shoulders today, right?"
Lorenzo flashed his signature gold-plated grin, radiating a twisted sort of confidence. "The backline is my territory, Coach. Consider it a dead zone for the other team. OK?"
Snuffy gave a satisfied nod. He trusted Lorenzo's instincts. As long as the eccentric defender stayed locked in, the opposition was going to find out that trying to score on Ubers was like trying to run through a brick wall.
"The wing-backs will be Aryu and Aiku."
"Ready!"
"On it!"
Aiku and Aryu exchanged a glance, their pulses quickening. Making the Starting XI for the first match was a massive win. Aiku felt a surge of pride; the former U-20 captain wasn't about to let his reputation die in this new environment. He'd held onto his spot, and that was all that mattered. With Aryu's massive reach and vertical dominance paired with Aiku's legendary defensive IQ, they were the perfect shields for Lorenzo. This was the strongest defensive wall Ubers could muster.
"And at defensive mid... Ikki Niko."
Niko's eyes sharpened behind his bangs. He'd made the cut. Kira watched the selection process with a calculating eye. Snuffy wasn't playing favorites or respecting seniority; he was putting the best players on the pitch, period.
The fact that he was starting so many Blue Lock players in the debut match showed he was a man who prioritized results over everything else.
"The rest of the midfield will be Abdi, Drago, Peron, and Rico."
The four players Snuffy named were all Ubers academy products. Kira had spent enough time training with them to know their faces, but they were still largely unknown quantities to him. They were efficient, professional, and perfectly integrated into the system.
Snuffy paused for a second before announcing the final two names. "Finally, leading our attack. Our dual strikers: Shoei Barou..."
"And Ryosuke Kira."
Sendo's face crumpled. He'd been cut from the starting lineup, and in that moment, his dream of marrying a Hollywood star felt like it had drifted another mile out of reach.
"That's the squad. Stick to the tactical blueprints we've drilled. I've got a few more specifics to emphasize before we head out," Snuffy said, his tone commanding as he began the final briefing.
Kira and the rest of the team hung on every word. This was the debut of the Ubers philosophy, and in this league, the first impression was everything.
"Alright, employees. Time to get to work. Go out there and earn your paycheck," Snuffy said, clapping his hands.
"YEAH!"
The roar from the locker room was deafening.
***
The tunnel felt like a pressure cooker. As the Ubers squad emerged onto the pitch, Kira's eyes immediately swept across the opposing side. He spotted Rin, Nanase, and Tokimitsu. They'd all secured starting spots.
But then his gaze shifted to the bench, and he froze. Shidou Ryusei was sitting there, leaning back and waving at him with a manic grin.
'What the hell?' Kira thought. 'Shidou isn't starting? Are you kidding me?'
He looked closer. Karasu and Zantetsu were on the pine too. If freaks of that caliber weren't in the Starting XI, then the P.X.G academy players must be absolute monsters. Kira felt a thrill of genuine curiosity. He'd heard Snuffy and Loki's scouting reports in his head earlier, but seeing the talent gap in person was something else entirely.
"Hey, Rin. Long time no see," Kira said, offering a casual greeting to the cold-eyed striker.
Rin stared through him, his expression as frozen as a winter morning. He didn't say a word. Typical Rin.
"Hey, Kira! It's been a while!"
Nanase, on the other hand, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Good to see you, Nanase. Congrats on making the start," Kira said, and he meant it. Nanase's technical skills had always been a bit rough around the edges, so seeing him in the lineup meant he'd been grinding like a madman.
"Rin and I have been putting in work to take you down, Kira. Watch out!" Nanase chirped.
Rin shot Nanase a lethal glare, and the boy instantly shut up. Kira just smirked. The pre-game pleasantries were over.
"The Neo Egoist League match between Ubers and P.X.G is officially underway."
The buzzer screamed through the pitch.
***
P.X.G had the opening possession, and they moved with a terrifying level of fluidity from the first second. Rin was the focal point of the attack, but the French squad's chemistry ensured he was always supported by a numerical advantage.
Kira tested their perimeter, trying to pick off a pass or disrupt the flow, but their ball movement was surgical. Realizing he wasn't going to get a cheap turnover, Kira dropped the high press and retreated toward the center circle. Ubers was built for the counter-attack. His job was to wait for the defense to do their work and then explode into the space they created.
He noticed Nanase was acting like Rin's shadow, a dedicated bodyguard clearing lanes and providing an outlet. Even more surprising was Nanase's footwork; he was using his left foot for high-precision passes that he never could have pulled off before. The kid had found his niche.
"Shut him down!" Niko shouted from his position, directing the defense as Rin drove deeper into their half.
Drago and Peron moved in to sandwich the ace. Rin had Tokimitsu and Nanase wide for an easy outlet, but he ignored them both. Instead, he fired a hard, low pass backward into the midfield.
An European boy with a youthful face—the number 6—stepped into the path of the ball.
'Who is this kid?' Niko's instincts flared. The boy gave off a vibe that was dangerously composed. Niko tried to close the gap, but he was too far out.
The number 6 didn't even take a touch to settle. The moment the ball hit his laces, he unleashed a booming long-range pass. Niko's head whipped around. The ball soared over the entire Ubers midfield, a perfect arc that eviscerated their legendary defensive structure.
It was a masterpiece of a delivery.
Rin, who had ignited into a sprint the moment he released the back-pass, was already at the drop point.
'Crap,' Niko thought, his heart hammering. Rin was in his kill zone. Was Ubers really going to concede in the first five minutes?
Rin trapped the ball with clinical perfection, his eyes locked on the corner of the net. He wound up for the strike, but then a voice cut through the air.
"Nice lashes..."
A disjointed, spindly leg lashed out from nowhere. Lorenzo had ghosted into the lane, sniping the ball right off Rin's foot before he could pull the trigger.
Rin's eyes widened in genuine shock. He stared at the man with the gold teeth.
'Who the hell is this? How did he read that?'
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