Chapter 7

<Reo>

'Damn... Katsu, you're taking Nagi's spotlight!'

Reo looked at Katsu as he passed the ball back to him to start. Watching as Katsu pulled a roulette on the first defender and a double nutmeg, passing through the midfield before shooting the ball in a curve with a fast spin that reminded him of his long pass to Nagi before.

The GK jumped to block it, but it suddenly curved the opposite direction, gaining another point for Team V.

Score: 2-1

Katsu told him that he wouldn't let Nagi shine this match, it bothered him to no end that someone he would consider a new friend was outright denying the showcase of his treasure but ultimately what would he do?

'What if... I stop him?' The thought was odd, why steal the ball from your own teammate? It was so selfish, it would make him an egoist, right?

Something seemed to click as he looked at the yawning form of Nagi. 'If I do that, Nagi can shine!' He thought with a resolute expression before seeing Katsu trap the ball just a few meters away from him.

Reo's body moved instinctually, Katsu was about to use his fast-impact shot but Reo closed in and denied him of the goal, using his heel to pass the ball behind him to Nagi, who's eyes sharpened for a second before expertly trapping the ball, the sound of the whistle then sounding out as his foot shot the ball forward.

Score: 3-1

The first 45 minutes were up as Reo looked at the sudden smile coming off of Katsu.

"Did my words and actions stoke your ego a bit? Good, that's all I'm letting you have." Katsu said, his eyes seeming to flow with 'aura' for a split second in Reo's eyes before they returned to normal.

'What did I just see?' Reo was doubting what he saw was real but Katsu, let him have that? He was used just like Barou was just a few minutes ago?'

After Break

<Katsu>

Reo had a complicated look on his face for the entire break before the match restarted, the score 3-1 with another 45 minutes on the clock.

I let him take the ball, and I let him pass to Nagi. There would be no way to stoke Nagi's ego right now since I'm not an obstacle to him yet, he hasn't felt the feeling of losing yet and won't see me as his biggest challenge, Reo on the other hand...

Both now and after he accepts playing on his own, his ego was still focused only on supporting Nagi and making him shine. With that thought in mind I positioned myself in a way to give a clean opening to Reo to let him do the actions he did.

There was a reason for me doing this, I just want a future challenge.

If I stoked Reo's ego now, could I make him evolve earlier? Or even in a different way then cannon? The one motivation I had to let that play happen was pure curiosity, the same type of curiosity that made me start playing soccer in the first place.

I never had any interest in the sport, but then I ended up in this world, I played because I knew this is what the plot revolved around but also for my own curiosity.

Would I have what it takes? To become the best striker? Or even… something else? Following the same actions someone else did when they wanted to become a striker?

I was moved by my own curiosity before I found genuine enjoyment in the sport, even if I did play at a higher level than my peers growing up. I focused only on my own enjoyment in this sport and that hasn't stopped since I entered Blue Lock.

Looking over the field, I looked to see Barou glaring at me again as the match restarted.

While he charged me his teammates all rushed as well, wildly passing between them in an attempt to confuse us, while it worked on the rest of my team it didn't work on the person they needed it to work on, me.

The ball was passed to Barou, who had just passed me as I took a large step back and trapped the ball under my foot without looking, only turning my head to look at Barou before my foot shot out, hitting the middle of the ball and sending it to the top left of the goal.

Score: 4-1

'Railgun.' I thought, seeing Barou's glare turn harsher as their team restarted quickly, in a futile attempt to keep the game disorganized as I only moved behind Barou, the ball being passed to him as I subtly knocked him off balance, making the ball hit the goalpost as he ran back, the ball going to land in his zone as I followed before abruptly stopping and turning my back to him.

He looked on in slight confusion before his eyes widened as I jumped up, my foot kicking the ball behind me as it slammed with heavy force onto the ground in front of the goal, bouncing into the goal as I scored with a clean bicycle kick.

Score: 5-1

"Damn... I love the rush when I do that." I looked back at Barou, seeing his eyes narrow as I believed that this was enough for this match, the rest of the game being a futile attempt for Barou to score against us as I suddenly changed plays and sent passes for my teammates, only giving it to them in the perfect spot as the match ended like this.

Score: 8-2

I let Barou score one last goal, our team's defenders unable to really stop him as I allowed his ego to flare up a bit. With this match the total amount of goals I had scored through these games was 9 and I was going to add just a bit more to that number with the final match for our team and for the First Selection.

When we had gotten off the field and went back to our team room Ego had showed up, giving a speech about turning 0 into 1 before a timer replaced his face on the monitor.

Time Before Final Match:

20: 37: 48

Final Match:

Team V vs Team Z