Chapter 9 – First Selection

The day began with an announcement for Team Z to gather in their room for the next program. After the staff recorded their physicals and conducted tests, the team waited for the briefing. Isagi and Bachira were the last to arrive, slipping into the room just as the monitor lit up with Jinpachi Ego's face.

"Are you enjoying life in Blue Lock, you unpolished gems?" Ego began, his voice cold and taunting.

Raichi, his frustration boiling over after three days of grueling physical tests and a disappointing scrimmage, was quick to react. "Are you kidding me? This place sucks! Can we really improve our football in this shitty place?!"

Naruhaya, equally fed up, chimed in. "He's right! I wanna eat real food!"

Ego, unfazed by the outbursts, rebuffed them sharply. "Your life is shitty because you're all shitty at football, idiot."

The bluntness of Ego's remark silenced the room momentarily as he continued. "Allow me to explain a little about Blue Lock."

"All of you are split into teams in order of rank. There are 25 teams, divided into five wings of the facility, just like the one you're in now."

"With Team A at the highest rank, Team B second, Team C third, and so on,"

 "Your Team Z is in the lowest-ranked wing," Ego continued, the weight of his words heavy. "Additionally, your team is also at the very bottom."

 "Seriously!?" Raichi snarled, his anger directed at the rest of the team. "Don't lump me in with this trash!"

"Look who's talking, trash," Kunigami shot back.

Kira also pile on, amusement dancing across his face. "Nine straight swiss cheese!" he laughed, further rubbing salt in the wound.

"Come on, let's calm down... guys," Kuon said, stepping in as the peacemaker, trying to defuse the brewing tension between Raichi, Kunigami, and Kira.

"If you want a better life in Blue Lock, be better at football!" Ego interjected, his voice sharp and unyielding. "Now then, let me explain the first selection."

 "You will be playing in a round-robin tournament. The top two teams will clear the selection. Among the losing teams, only the top scorers will be allowed to proceed in Blue Lock."

"Simple enough," Kunigami said, nodding as he processed the rules.

"And since we already played a scrimmage yesterday, we'll just have to adapt to Kunigami, right?" Imamura added, looking to the rest of the team for agreement.

"Tch!" Raichi grumbled.

"Guess we just have to figure out who plays in the other positions," Kuon said, his voice steady, trying to keep everyone focused.

Ego wasn't finished. "Remember this—football is a game of scoring. The positions and tactics that have been imprinted on your brains are just roles that were created as part of football's evolution," Ego said, his voice echoing in the room. "You need to return to the starting point. Rebuild it from zero in your heads."

'Rebuild from zero...?' Isagi thought, his mind racing as he tried to grasp the weight of Ego's words.

 "What Japan needs to win the World Cup isn't teamwork. It's For Just One Person To Be A Hero," Ego declared, his tone dripping with intensity.

Isagi felt a chill crawl up his spine as the image of himself on the World Cup stage flashed in his mind. The thought of being that one player—the hero—stirred something deep within him. Kunigami, standing nearby, shook with excitement, and the same energy rippled through the rest of the team.

"Are you ready for battle?" Ego's voice cut through the tension as he concluded his presentation. "Do you want to win the World Cup? Show me your EGO in Blue Lock!"

The monitor shut down, leaving a countdown clock ticking away, showing "2 hours" with a caption reading Team X vs Team Z. The weight of the upcoming match settled over Team Z, and everyone turned toward Kunigami, waiting for him to assign positions.

"Okay, everyone. I've decided we'll play in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with me as the forward," Kunigami began, his voice steady as he outlined the plan. "For goalkeeper, I appoint Gagamaru since he stopped the most goals in yesterday's scrimmage."

Nods of approval followed.

"No objections,"

"Nice choice,"

"I don't mind," Gagamaru said calmly, accepting his role.

Kunigami continued, "In the midfield, Kira will be the main man in the middle. I want you to assist me in scoring goals."

"Sure," Kira replied nonchalantly, though there was an intensity in his eyes.

"To support Kira will be Isagi, Naruhaya, and Bachira," Kunigami explained. "And for defense, we'll have Raichi, Chigiri, Imamura, and Iemon. Kuon will play as the second striker."

The team accepted Kunigami's strategy, nodding in agreement. Anxiety crept into the room as they began to internalize the challenge ahead.

"We've just gotta win, right...?" Chigiri voiced, seeking confirmation as the reality of the match set in.

"Piece of cake!" Raichi boasted, his confidence unwavering as usual, though there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice.

Isagi, on the other hand, was battling nerves. 'I didn't expect us to be playing a match this soon. Plus... Rebuild football from zero...?' he thought, exhaling slowly to calm his racing heart. The pressure of the game and Ego's words weighed heavily on him, pushing him to focus.

Everyone had their own way of preparing. Some players paced, others stretched, while a few murmured quiet mantras to settle their nerves. Kira, however, remained still, sitting on the bench in the locker room, his expression calm and distant as he blocked out any distractions around him.

'This first match will be the most important for the structure of the team,' Kira thought, his mind already strategizing. 'Let's make sure we at least pull a draw because winning now could be detrimental moving forward.'

His thoughts shifted to a scenario where the team could pull off a last-minute goal, uniting them in desperation. He smirked slightly to himself, already envisioning how it could play out.

'For now, we follow the plan,' Kira concluded, his mind scheming as he prepared for the upcoming game.