Blue Lock: Somehow Igarashi did better than me

We were all placed in busses that will take us to the compound. Just like in the manga, when we arrived, we had to turn in our phones and wallets. After that, we received our uniforms.

Looking at my uniform, they placed me in Team V, with rank number 241. Well, not like it matters. After all, these ranks are fake anyway.

I reached my assigned room. The people inside will be my teammates and my opponents. I took a deep breath. I walked in, feeling ready to crush them.

There's only one other person here. I guess I arrived early. This felt anti-climactic. The only other guy in this room had stark white skin and a black crew cut hairstyle. From what I could gleam, his physic wasn't bad but nothing impressive. Not really sure how tall he is seeing as how he's lying down.

I felt disappointment seeing the guy. Oh well, I guess I'll just wait for the players to enter. For now, I got changed into my uniform.

While changing, other people started arriving.

After I finished changing, I sat in the corner of the room. I looked back at the other guy. I noticed he hasn't changed yet. I walked over to him and nudged him a bit. "Hey dude, you should get changed."

He opened his eyes and took a look at me. He let out a snort before he shut his eyes again. I felt a tick mark appearing on my forehead. I nudged him again. "Hey dude, you should get changed."

Suddenly, he swiped his left arm at me. I dodged the swipe. The sudden action surprised everyone in the room. The guy looked irritated. "Shut the fuck up, will you?! You weaklings should be respecting superior guys like me."

I tilted my head at him. "Guys like you? And who might you be?"

He grew irritated. "I'll tell you who I am, asswipe. I'm the ace of Byakko Academy. The greatest striker in all of Japan, better than that fuck face Kira Ryosuke. Bow before, Subaru Raimon."

No one said a thing after his proclamation. Someone even let out a cough.

"Yeah, well, Mr. Ace, you should get changed because everyone else already did." Came a voice said from the other side of the room. He had an irritated face. He was tall, probably standing at 5'10, maybe 5'11. And his hair was a light spiky shoulder-length hair. But the most impressive thing about him is his physique. The dude was built like a brick shithouse. Is he really a high schooler?

Raimon grumbled before he started changing. Wow, where did all that attitude go?

After Raimon finished changing, the monitor in the room came to life. It was Jinpachi Ego. "Hey, hey you unpolished gems."

"The people in your room will be both your roommates... and your rivals."

Everyone started glancing nervously at each other. The tension in the room started to rise. I noticed in his little corner, Raimon had a smirk on his face. Can't wait to crush that face of his.

Uncaring for the building tension, Ego continued. "We have estimated your potential based on my judgement and my peers' calculation... represented by your ranking. It is the number attached to your uniform."

Everyone started looking at the numbers on their shoulders in a new light. "With it, you can gouge your position among the 300 players in this facility."

"And unconditionally, the top five players will participate in a certain tournament six months from now... They will become the selected strikers for Japan's U-20 squad for the upcoming Youth World Cup."

With that announcement, the tension in the room nearly evaporated. Replaced by excitement and resolve. Playing in the youth world cup was a great opportunity for any youth player.

"Also..." Ego's voice turned ominous, "Those who are defeated at Blue Lock will be permanently barred from Japan's national team."

The excitement in the room immediately dissipated. Dread and doom filled the players. They realized the stakes just got higher for them. Now this has become a matter of life and death for their future careers.

"We are looking for one crucial component here, 'Ego'." His gaze hardened. "That is what we will measure as you live here in this facility."

His tone suddenly shifted to a more casual tone as he said his next words. "Now, it is time to play a game of 'tag'."

A ball fell from an opening in the ceiling. "The time limit is 136 seconds. The player with the possession is 'it'. Whoever is 'it' when the time runs out can get the fuck out of here. And of course, no using your hands. Those are the rules."

The screen switched to show the lowest ranked player in the room as 'it'. A Ryu Kendo.

"Hey wait, that's my name." said Kendo. He was even pointing at himself.

Ego continued his explanation. "'Tag' is but one of the many exercises pro players warm up with. This 'egoism test' I have devised will provide great insight into the selfishness behind these strikers... Prepare and attack. This isn't your average game of 'tag'."

With that, Ego's explanation came to an end and the game 'tag' officially begun.

The timer on the monitor continued to tick down. Kendo planted his left foot on the ball. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"My career is at stake." He looked over at everyone in the room. "It's either you or me... So don't hold it against me if you get knocked out."

Everyone started moving around the room to avoid being in Kendo's sight. He then started dribbling towards a space where some players backed themselves into.

"Hey wait!"

"We could talk about this."

"Stay away from me."

Kendo shot the ball, but everyone there was able to evade the ball just in time. Kendo cursed. He looked at the timer to see only a minute left. He cursed.

Someone in the room gave an idea. "Why don't you take out the strongest guy in the room?"

"It's gotta be Subaru Raimon, right?"

The guy jolted. "No wait. I'm just ranked 245. I'm not the strongest here."

"Then who is it?"

I appeared from Kendo's blind-spot. "That would be me."

My sudden appearance surprised him. I took the ball from his possession. The monitor changed to show my name being 'it'.

Kendo, realizing he's no longer 'it', immediately backed away from me. I gazed at everyone in the room. I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. 30 seconds left on the clock.

I started dribbling around the room, causing everyone to panic and run. I let out a laugh at their expense.

"Bastard! We're fighting for our lives here and you have the nerve to laugh at us," yelled Raimon.

"Why not? You were laughing earlier too, weren't you?" I pointed out his hypocrisy.

I looked at the clock, only 10 seconds. "You wanna know the fun part about being strong, Raimon?"

He glanced at the clock, seeing only five seconds left. He smirked, probably thinking I'm going to get kicked out. "What's that?"

[Skill Activated: Fa Jin]

[Stats updated:]

SHO: S

I unleashed a thunderous shot. Raimon, unprepared for how fast the shot was, couldn't react in time and was smacked right in the face, the impact causing him to fall on his ass. Just as one second was left on the clock.

The monitor changed to Subaru Raimon being 'it'. Silence fell over the room as a whistle was blown, signalling the end of the game.

Subaru Raimon is eliminated from Blue Lock.

I walked over to Raimon, my face squared off to his. My gaze boring into him. "The strong gets to decide how the weak die."

At that moment, Ego appeared on the screen again, clapping his hands. "Good job, you unpolished gems. Let us continue to the results."

"The player we'll get rid off is—Subaru Raimon! You are expelled!!"

That seemed to jolt him out of his shock. "Wait a fucking moment, you useless asswipe! Why do I have to get eliminated and not the weaker players? Besides, what was even the fucking point of that game? That had nothing to do with football!" 

"Shut up and just get lost already, dickweed." I said as I pulled him up. My strength caught him off guard and he was easily lifted off the floor. I pushed him towards the door. "The weak have no right to stay here. So, leave!"

That finally broke the straw on the camel's back. It's as if he lost his soul, Raimon started walking towards the door listlessly.

I'm gonna be honest with you, chief, that felt great. I had to suppress my smile else everyone thinks I'm some sort of sadist.

"You are correct Shizuka Haiji. The weak have no right to stay in a place where only the strongest gather. You showed initiative by taking the ball yourself and exploited someone when they believe they were at their safest. As you said, that is the fun part about being strong. That is exactly... the 'egoism' I was looking for."

His gaze then swept over the entire room. "How was it? Since you were born... Wasn't this the first time you felt genuine danger? Were you scared? Shocked? That was just the taste of the essence of Blue Lock."

The collective spines of everyone in the room shivered.

"You understand all that much, right? The football you've played all your lives is for weaklings!"

"Didn't you get those shivers? 'Nice... I survived!' That is the feeling of 'Victory'! So shove it in those brains of yours!"

Everyone felt a tense atmosphere settle in the room.

"Each time you rejoice in that feeling, your 'ego' will steadily grow."

I think I heard someone audibly gulp.

"And you'll need it to climb to the top and become the best striker in the world."

"Congratulations. You have passed Blue Lock's entrance test!"

The tense atmosphere dissipated at that proclamation.

Some pumped their fist.

The shoulder hair guy nodded, I think more to himself. I know this dude; he was in the same team as the original Haiji in the third selection. I just can't remember his name at the moment.

While others let out a sigh of relief.

However, Ego's voice took on a serious tone again. "Your room was designed for no more than 11 people. So from now on, you'll cohabitate together. You fated eleven... you may cooperate with each other... and also betray each other."

"You, and the rivals you'll have to trample... are Blue Lock's 'Team V'."

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{Authors note}

Thus marks the end of the entrance test. I have already planned on the match ups and players our protagonist will trample for the first selection, just haven't written them down yet.

In any case, look forward to those matches. My release schedule is sporadic, based on whether I feel like writing that day or if I finish my chapters on time. On time being 2 am in my country. Anyways, ciao~