In that moment, a crisp electronic chime echoed within Yoru Ryoshu's mind.
[Your reckless madness on the pitch drives the evolution of monsters. Countless eyes are fixed upon you. In this environment, there are only two paths: Absolute Success or Total Failure.]
[Main Quests are now active.]
[Main Quest 1: Survival. Lead your current team through the selection and defeat the opposing side. Reward: ??? (Substitute Tier)]
[Main Quest 2: Crushing Hope. Crush the opponent's spirit with overwhelming dominance. Requirement: Scored at least 5 goals personally in a single match.Reward: ??? (Professional Tier)]
[Main Quest 3: Total Domination. Rule the pitch in any future match and shatter the dreams of geniuses. Requirement: Achieve a 3-match winning streak.Reward: Demon King's Eye (Exotic Tier/???)]
Aki licked his lips. These rewards were far more substantial than he'd imagined. He had assumed the system was merely a passive observer of "Emotion," but it seemed the real game was only just beginning.
If he'd known such rewards existed earlier, he might have played a bit more aggressively from the start.
But it wasn't too late.
Looking at the quests, he realized they weren't one-off events; they were cumulative. He wouldn't have to painstakingly grind for every single Emotion Point anymore. One question lingered—since these were quests, was there a penalty for failure? He waited for another chime, but the system remained silent.
Outside his mind, the whistle for the final minutes shrieked.
"Aki... your focus seems to be drifting," Bachira noted, appearing at his left flank.
Aki snapped back to reality, his lips pulling into a jagged grin. "Meguru, it looks like you've decided to team up with these guys to take me down."
Bachira shrugged noncommittally. "I never said anything about 'teaming up.' I only care about whoever is in the position to shoot. Weren't you the one who said it? On this pitch, the one who scores holds the power."
He flashed a sly, knowing smile. "So, Aki... are you afraid that the others are going to steal me away from you?"
The smile vanished from Aki's face. He turned his gaze toward the goal, a predatory hunger glinting in his red eyes. "I can already see the path to my success."
"Meguru, if you can't keep up with me..."
"You'll just end up as another piece of waste discarded by this game."
The next second, Aki's silhouette exploded forward. Bachira followed immediately, his heart racing.
The war between Team X and Team Z had reached a fever pitch. It was no longer a match; it was a slaughter. The ball was a blur, pinging back and forth between desperate players.
In the control room, Ego Jinpachi slurped his noodles, a thin smile playing on his lips as he watched the monitor.
"Isn't this a bit too cruel?"
"A match where everyone is a striker... the process of going from 'Zero to One' is absolute madness. Ego, what exactly are you thinking?"
"Madness?" Ego glanced at his assistant, Anri Teieri. "This isn't madness. Every person on that pitch is a knight fighting for his own glory. On this pyramid of 'Strength,' these players must climb. Every step up requires kicking someone else down."
"Those who fall are exactly where they belong. Whether it's me, the nation, or the world... we only have eyes for the one person standing at the very peak."
Anri let out a long sigh. "You can skip the philosophy. Just finish your noodles, okay?"
She turned her attention back to the screen, watching a player move with uncanny fluidity. "Speaking of which, this guy on Team Z is something else."
"His technique, his reflexes... his level is far beyond the others. I don't remember him being on the original scout list."
Ego looked up, his eyes narrowing as the screen zoomed in on Yoru Ryoshu's face. He let out a dry chuckle. "The list? I told you before, Blue Lock doesn't accept the weak. If someone has the talent, I will find them. He is one of the few exceptions."
"A special guest?" Anri asked, confused.
Ego didn't answer. He simply stared at the screen, a dark, calculating light in his eyes.
Back on the pitch.
The ball finally reached Raichi's feet. He guarded it like a rabid dog protecting a bone, his eyes darting wildly. "Hahahaha! Finally! My turn!"
Thwack.
The ball was nipped right off his toes.
"Nya-ha! You wanna play?" Igarashi laughed mischievously, dribbling toward the goal.
But before the monk could even process his joy, a Team X defender stepped in and ruthlessly stripped the ball away. "This is our last hope for victory. We aren't giving it to a baldy like you!"
As the defender accelerated, Igarashi was left standing in a daze, shouting curses.
Barou was already in position, waiting for the service. He knew that if he could just get his foot on the ball one last time, he could rewrite the ending of this game.
"Is that so?"
A voice, light as a feather, drifted into Barou's ear. Barou's pupils contracted as a shadow surged past him. Aki appeared, a dark, oppressive aura seemingly clinging to his frame like a black mist.
"Little wolf... I'll be taking this one!"
The Team X player with the ball didn't even see him coming.
Aki snatched the ball with thunderous momentum. He was a bulldozer, a force of nature tearing through the center of the pitch. Anyone who tried to block him was bypassed by a flick of his hips or a sudden burst of speed. The threat he radiated had paralyzed the entire field.
"Damn it! Stop him!" "If he scores, we're finished!" Team X screamed in desperation.
Barou's eyes were filled with a murderous light, looking ready to tear Aki apart with his bare hands.
Aki ignored them all. He felt nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure. The insults and the desperation of his enemies acted like a stimulant, a drug coursing through his veins.
He reached the edge of the box.
BOOM!
The ball carved a beautiful, lethal arc through the air. It hit the back of the net and slid down the mesh with a satisfying hiss.
Aki looked back at the stationary Barou. His voice was soft, yet it carried across the silent pitch.
"Game over. The crown has fallen, King of a Fallen Nation."
Barou's fists shook. His pupils constricted into tiny pinpricks of rage and shock. He stared at Aki, teeth gritted, unable to find words for the humiliation.
The stadium fell silent.
Aki turned and began to walk off the field alone, even before the final whistle.
Score: 4 - 2.
Team Z erupted into a deafening roar of triumph. It was the sound of survivors.
Just as Aki reached the tunnel, Barou's voice cracked through the air behind him. "Next time... next time, I'm going to crush you into the dirt!"
Aki paused for a fraction of a second, not bothering to look back. "Is that so? I look forward to seeing if you can even make it back in front of me by then."
Blue Lock Building 5, Match 1:Team Z vs. Team XWinner: Team Z (4 - 2)