1 Takeyama Keisuke
In the World of Football...
It is possible to produce elite goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders. However, the same cannot be said of strikers.
After all, a first-rate striker is one...
Who appears in Football's Most Critical Moment.
...
"Goooooaaaalll!!!Gooooooaaalll!!!Takeyama Keisuke has scored once again to complete his hat-trick! He's taken Fukurodani Academy to Nationals single-handedly once again!!"
"Takeyama Keisuke Japan's own Kaka has taken Japan's attention away once again having already done it before by winning nationals single-handedly while still being a 1st-Year!!!"
"God has given us Japanese our new genius, just like Itoshi Sae, he's been scouted by Real Madrid and AC Milan already, and soon he'll take the football world by storm!!"
...
"Congratulations Takeyama-kun, another hat-trick added onto your tally. But I must how do you feel about now having Kira-san as your teammate in the U-18 team?"
A 16-year old boy with long dark hair tied in a bun and golden eyes measuring at a height of 182cm with a lean build can be seen standing in front of a reporter.
The boy contemplated his answer before replying with, "Well, I must congratulate Kira, but unfortunately I won't be able to play with him any time soon, because after nationals I'll be joining the U-20 team."
"Huh? W-what do you mean you'll be joining the U-20 team? Ahhh!! Imagine the headlines I'll get from this,'16-year old Genius joins U-20 National Team before having played Pro, Second Coming of Kaka'." the reporter exclaimed with excitement in their voice.
"Well, looks like you got your next headline your welcome, but really I need to get going," Keisuke said before walking off to go with the rest of his team.
"Gather round team! I must congratulate you guys for reaching nationals once again, but we couldn't have done with the most important element, TEAMWORK!!!!"
'Huh? But I did all work you stupid, worthless coach.'
"And we can't forget Takeyama-kun, good job kid!"
"Good job, Takeyama-kun!!"
"You did it again, Takeyama-kun!!"
"Man, you sure are the best!!"
...
"I'm home!!"
"NII-CHAN!!! How was it? Did you win? How many goals did you score?"
"Hey, Sumi-chan to answer your questions all I have to say is I'm The Strongest," he replied while picking up Sumire.
"Maa,maa, kei-chan don't go acting all smug in front of your sister you know it's a bad influence for her," said a woman with blue hair and black eyes.
"Ah, your Mother is right Keisuke, we don't need another smug troublemaker," said a man with black hair and blue eyes.
"It doesn't really matter does it, after all she'll also be strongest just like me, right?" replied Keisuke with a smug smile while carrying his little sister to kitchen.
"YEESS!! I'll be the strongest just like Nii-chan!!" yelled out Sumire.
"Of course, let's go eat, but before that Kei-chan you got a letter in mail from the JFA," said his Mom with a letter in hand.
"Mr. Keisuke Takeyama, Selection for a Player Improvement Project..?" read out Keisuke while opening the letter.
'Huh? A new challenge, might as well indulge myself'
...
Japan Football Union
'Huh? Where am I supposed to go? Wait, isn't that Itoshi Rin...?'
"Hey, Itoshi-kun would you happen to know how to get in?" asked Keisuke walking up to Itoshi Rin brother of Japanese Genius Itoshi Sae and future teammate.
"Tch, of course such a lukewarm person can't use common sense."
"Maa, maa don't tell you're still mad about me beating you in nationals, are you?" Keisuke asked while putting his arm around Rin.
Pushing his arm off, Rin walked away.
"Good Luck, Lukewarm-kun!"
...
"Isn't that..."
"It's him..."
"There's two of them..."
"Takeyama Keisuke and Itoshi Rin"
"Look at how much attention we got, Lukewarm-kun," whispered Keisuke.
"Tch..."
...
A tall and slender man with glasses stepped onto the stage.
"Tch, Test, One, Two."
"Congratulations, you unpolished gems."
"All you under-18 strikers have been chosen solely based on my criteria and biases to be here today. All 300 of you."
"I am Jinpachi Ego. My job is to make Japan a team capable of winning the World Cup."
'Eh? World Cup?'
'Really?'
"I'll put in simple terms. Japan only requires one thing to become the strongest powerhouse in Football. And that is the creation of revolutionary striker. From you 300 players gathered today. I will forge the best striker in the world through a certain project."
'Best striker in the world? Impossible.'
"Look here. For this purpose we have built this facility... called 'BLUE LOCK'."
"Starting today all of you will live in this building, and follow, down to the letter, my personally designed training game regime. You will not be able to go back home, and as of now, can consider your football careers as you know them, over."
"But I will say this: If you manage to survive on Blue Lock, and defeat the other 299 players around you...
You, the last player standing will have become the best striker in the world."
"That is all for the details. Nice to meet you all."
"Oi, Lukewarm-kun did you just hear that...?"
"Hey! Sorry, but... I can't just agree with what you just said now."
'Ryosuke Kira'
"For most of us, our team is our main priority... Particularly those of us who'll participate at nationals."
"There's no way I can accept those terms. I... I will not throw away my own team.
'What team?'
"That's right...! I'm also playing at Nationals!"
"And why do we have to live all together...!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Who the hell are you, anyway?!"
"Let's see someone we know!"
'Well, they do have a point I'm not gonna waste my time in some stupid scam.'
'But, becoming the best in world...?'
'What a Joke.'
"I... see. All of you are really fucked in the head, huh. Get lost, then. If you're thinking of leaving, go right ahead."
'Huh?'
"Your teams are what now...? You'd really choose your teams over becoming the best striker in the world...? You'd rather be a high school champ in this shithole of a country...?"
"HUH?"
"When I look at all of you, I cringe at the thought of Japan's Football future. You get it? Japan is the best country in the world when it comes to organizational skills in football, which most people attribute to our innate national character."
"But before you get any ideas, in everything else... We're second-rate. I want to know something... What is Football to you?"
'Complete Dominance!'
"A sport where you try to score goals in teams of 11 members...? 'Our bonds are important?', 'I will play for my teammates'?"
"Well, that's wrong. That way of thinking is exactly why Japan lacks Football skills. I will show you what it's all about...
Football is, at its core, a sport about scoring goals even at the expense of your teammates."
"The best player is the one that scores the most goals... If you want to play pretend Football instead, then get lost already."
'This guy is... Amazing!'
"...How insulting. Take those words back... Players like Honda, or Kagawa, and many others... All of those who shape Japan National Team's lineup...
The value of team play instilled in the national team is the same part that's part of us!"
'Kira...'
"They are our Stars! You're WRONG."
"Hm? Honda...? Kagawa...? Hmm...?"
"You mean the squad that has yet win a single World Cup? I don't care about that trash. Aren't I talking about becoming the best team in the world? Come on."
"Let's talk about Noel Noa, for example. He managed to win the Ballon d'Or over astounding players like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."
"He's talked about as if he's the best striker in the world... And in his words 'I feel better losing 3-4 after scoring a hat-trick, than winning only by 1-0 with an assist' and, one of the best Football players of the 20th century, Eric Cantona said this: 'When seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea'."
"Pele arguably the best Football player in history, and the winner of three World Cups, once said: 'The best forward? The best midfielder? The best defender? The best goalkeeper? To all of those questions, I always answer that is me'."
"SO! Whaddya think?! Awful aren't they?! But they can say it because they are the best! All of them are revolutionary strikers!!"
"Their extraordinary 'Egoism'... is the one thing that Japan's football lacks. You will not become the greatest striker in the world, unless you have the ego to match."
'That feeling I had in Spain... Was that it?'
"My purpose here, is to create such a player in Japan... From the corpses of 299 players... One Hero will rise in all his glory!!"
'Impossible... Or is it? Why do I feel so excited?'
"Alright, you unpolished gems... Let me ask you last question."
"Imagine this... You are at the very Finals of the World Cup... Playing under the eyes of 80,000 spectators in the stadium... You are on the very field...
The score? 0-0. It's the stoppage time of the second half... The very last play. A teammate has managed to pass the ball to you... It's 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper."
"There's a teammate six meters to your right. If you pass it to him, you'll probably score that goal... The hopes of all of Japan lie on your shoulders... You are at a turning point at the World Cup Finals... Without hesitation, you shoot. If you desire that rebellious 'Egoism'... Then step through the gate."
"Football is a sport to develop you all as strikers. Think of literally everybody else on the field as supporting you. Throw away your common sense. When you're on the field, you are the star."
'Those words... all those shitty coaches thinking solely on teamwork... that's right I am the star... I'm the one who won nationals all by themselves not anyone else... I'm the one going to Europe you shitty teammates.'
"Your greatest joy is scoring points, and nothing else. You live for the excitement of the very moment. Now that's a 'Striker' don't you think?"
'This guy... is the changing the shape of my fate... I am a Striker!'
"Goodbye Lukewarm-kun, you can challenge me next we see each other, because if not I'll hunt you down, Good Luck!!!" Keisuke yelled out while running forward with a maniac smile on his face.
"Shut up! You lukewarm player, I have to step on you first before I reach my brother! You stepping stone!" Rin exclaimed before chasing after Keisuke.
'It was something he has said.
In the World of Football...
It is possible to produce elite goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders. However, the same cannot be said of strikers.
After all, a first-rate striker is one...
Who appears in Football's Most Critical Moment.'
...
"300...
Everyone decided to participate... It seems."
"So the gears have started to turn. From now on, I will follow your every order. The future of Japan's Football is in those 300 players... I will leave this in your hands, Mr. Ego," stated a woman with brown hair and eyes.
"...Perhaps, we'll have to sacrifice 299 players for this... But that will create one true striker above them all. That's the Essence of Blue Lock."
"It is..."
Jinpachi Ego then stood up while smiling at the empty space and said, "Then let us begin, Miss Anri... This will become... Football's Most Critical Moment."
~~~~~
Hi, this is just a preview for my blue lock story that'll I'll start in the summer. I'm gonna pile up chapters in the meantime so any questions or suggestions you have make sure to aske them in the comments. I'll try to have the 1st selection completed by June. Enjoy!
