Chapter 2: Let the journey begin... With the game of TAG!

We see Izuku seated in one of the buses, gazing out the window until something caught his attention. In front of the buses stood an immensely large building. It was an awe-inspiring place capable of accommodating far more than 300 players, and if the projections were accurate, it seemed to be larger on the inside, complete with basements and other facilities.

In Izuku's point of view:

"So, that's Blue Lock," he thought to himself, observing the colossal structure. "This is the place I've been training for. Let's see if all that effort paid off."

A few minutes later, the buses came to a halt near the entrance of the building. "Finally!" As Izuku stepped off the bus, he watched a beautiful woman instructing everyone to form a line and await their turn to be called.

Items like phones and wallets were confiscated from us.

"Next... Midoriya Izuku," announced a woman named Anri Teieri, or at least that's what her nametag suggested. She handed me a uniform and instructed me to wait in line. As I picked up the uniform, I noticed the number 291 and the letter Z inscribed on the sleeve.

"So, I'm 291. Bullshit! I know I'm far better than most people on the other teams." He thought to himself. After a while of waiting, Anri halted and surveyed us. "Alright, now each of you will proceed to the room corresponding to your uniform, and we'll notify you when it's time to change into your uniforms."

Just as she had said, I entered the facility and embarked on a journey through this labyrinthine complex.

In the third-person point of view:

As Izuku walked through the hallways, the interior of the building presented a stark contrast to its exterior, resembling more of a prison than anything else. After a while, he stumbled upon a door labeled 'TEAM Z.'

Upon entering the room, Izuku was greeted by several unfamiliar faces. Nine individuals, including himself, were present, with four of them standing and one lying on the floor, fast asleep.

"I recognize Chigiri, Kunigami, Raichi, Kira, and the sleeping one must be Bachira," Izuku thought to himself, making his way towards an empty locker while disregarding the curious gazes he received. As he began changing his clothes, he noticed that everyone's attention had shifted towards the door. "There he is, the protagonist, Isagi Yoichi," he thought, unfazed by the idle chatter. Completing his change of attire, he headed towards an empty corner, fully aware that the game of tag was about to commence.

Suddenly, the screen flickered to life, revealing Ego with noticeable bags under his eyes. "Have you finished changing, you unpolished gems?" Ego asked, pointing towards the room's occupants. This was the first time they had heard from him in a while. "Hey, hey..." Ego attempted to capture their attention. "The people in your room will serve as both your roommates and your rivals."

With this simple statement, Ego managed to instill tension in each and every person, except for Izuku, who understood what was happening. "We have evaluated your potential based on my judgment and my peers' calculations, which is reflected in your rankings," Ego explained, displaying various biological metrics specific to Isagi. "It is the number assigned to your uniforms." This revelation startled everyone in the room, their expressions shifting to utter horror. "Through it, you can gauge your position among the 300 players in this facility."

"Your rankings will fluctuate daily based on various factors, such as you're training and match performances," Ego informed the entire facility. "And without exception, the top five players... will compete in a certain tournament six months from now... they will become the strikers for Japan's U-20 national team, playing at the World Cup."

This time, Ego's words managed to surprise every single person in the room. However, instead of pure shock, their faces seemed to light up as if Christmas had come early.

"Also... those who are defeated at Blue Lock... will be permanently disqualified from Japan's National Team," Ego continued, symbolizing his statement with an image of a player falling from a crumbling floor while clutching a football. "We are seeking one crucial element here: 'EGO.' It is what we will measure as you live in this facility. So, it's time to play a game of tag." A ceiling panel opened up behind Chigiri and a brown-haired boy. "You have 136 seconds (about 2 and a half minutes). Whoever is struck by the ball is 'it,' and by the end of the timer, the last person tagged will be eliminated." A ball dropped from above. "And remember, no using your hands."

Ego's face vanished, replaced by a cartoonish image of Igarashi, and the timer began counting down: 2 minutes and 16 seconds, 15, 14...

"What?" exclaimed a startled baldheaded boy, presumably Igarashi, if Izuku's memory served him right. "What? This isn't soccer," protested a boy resembling Katsuki, who Izuku believed to be Raichi.

"I'm 'it' first because I have the lowest rank? Fine, let's do this. No hard feelings," declared Igarashi, placing his foot on the ball and looking towards Isagi. "Hey, wait," called out the brown-haired boy shown earlier. "You actually believed what he said."

"What if he was serious?!" retorted Igarashi. "I'm going through with this. If I lose, I'll become a temple monk for the rest of my life."

Isagi recalled Ego's words: 'Anyone who loses will never play for Japan.' Igarashi sprinted towards the players in the corner. "Hey, stay away from me!" one of them shouted.

"Sorry, Isagi-kun!" replied the monk boy with a menacing grin on his face. "What?" yelped Isagi as the monk boy kicked the ball towards him. "Amen!" the monk yelled before striking the ball. Everyone in the corner scrambled to avoid being tagged. Isagi narrowly evaded the ball.

As they both ran in the same direction, Isagi and Kira crossed paths once again. "This is ridiculous," Kira commented disapprovingly. "I'm here to prove him wrong." Igarashi kicked the ball once more, missing another group of people. The ball rebounded off the wall and landed near Izuku, who observed the game of tag with a sense of boredom and indifference.

In Izuku's point of view:

As the ball landed near me, I contemplated whether I should take a shot at someone. Before I could think it through, I noticed Igarashi closing in on me. With a smile, I took a step back and swiftly launched the ball directly at him, hitting him square in the head.

From a third-person perspective:

Steadying himself, Igarashi glanced at Izuku, about to say something before abruptly stopping. He realized that the ball had landed close to the still-sleeping Bachira. Igarashi stared for a moment, then grinned. "He's still asleep. Gotcha!" He took a step forward, assuming a kicking position. However, before he could even move, Bachira, now awake, placed both hands on the ground, executing a handstand before delivering a powerful kick to Igarashi's abdomen.

Blood trickled from Igarashi's nose as he exclaimed, "Hey, that's a foul!" He attempted to wipe it off while continuing to speak through his discomfort. "If this were a game, that'd be a red card." He half-yelled, half-moaned, feeling the pain coursing through him.

Bachira, now standing and rubbing his eyes, let out a yawn. "Weren't the only rules 'no using hands'? Good morning." While Igarashi recovered from the devastating kick, a hand rested on Bachira's shoulder. "Hey, I'm not a fan of dirty play. Let's play fair." "Mr. Straight-Laced, huh?" Bachira replied, casting a sidelong glance at Kunigami.

Suddenly, the ball collided with the side of Kunigami's face. "You left yourself wide open. Amen!" exclaimed Igarashi cheerfully, his foot still raised in the air. Kunigami's veins bulged, and he appeared ready to unleash his wrath on someone. "Bastard, I'll obliterate you," growled Kunigami, gearing up to strike Igarashi's face with the ball, just as his own had been moments earlier.

Anticipating retaliation, Igarashi locked his arms around Isagi. "Here!" he shouted, while Isagi struggled to free himself to no avail. "Hey! Let go!" exclaimed Isagi, but before he could do anything, the ball, propelled by Kunigami's left foot, shot forth like a bullet, striking Isagi square in the stomach. Spit flew from Isagi's mouth as his eyes bulged, with blood vessels becoming visibly prominent on his face.

Collecting himself, Isagi focused on the timer and realized there wasn't much time left. He scanned the surroundings, seeking his next target.

In Izuku's point of view:

I was beyond bored. I mean, seriously bored. Coming here was supposed to be exciting, but A) they confiscated my phone, and B) this game of tag is utterly dull. Knowing Kira would be eliminated soon, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Swiftly stealing the ball from Isagi, I lofted it high enough to reach my stomach. I readied my right foot and launched the ball directly at Kira's face.

Kira, clearly caught off guard, managed to narrowly evade the ball. But I had anticipated this move. I sprinted toward him, waiting for the ball to rebound off the wall. As soon as it did, I struck it once again, this time aiming for his stomach.

Upon impact, it was evident that Kira wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon. Usually, you can recover after being hit by the ball in the stomach, but not from a distance of less than 5 meters.

Glancing around, I noticed everyone was in shock. Isagi seemed on the verge of saying something, but his words were interrupted by the sound of an alarm, signaling the end of the timer.

In the third person point of view:

The timer reached 0:00, and the screen displayed Kira's tear-stained face with the word "Lost" flashing across it. A sound accompanied the screen change, revealing Ego clapping with an expression that rarely wavered from neutrality.

"Good job, you unpolished gems," Ego remarked, his applause coming to a halt. He continued, "Let us proceed with the results. Losers lock off. Kira Ryosuke, you are disqualified."

Kira gasped, and a heavy silence enveloped the room as everyone's eyes turned towards him. "This is utter nonsense," he muttered to himself. "Don't toy with me. How can my entire future in soccer be shattered because of a stupid game?" Kira's voice escalated as he slowly rose to his feet, a small pool of blood forming beneath him. "I'm the crown jewel of Japanese soccer! Are you telling me that all these losers are superior to me? And what does this dumb game of tag have to do with soccer?"

Ego nonchalantly scratched his head in response to the outburst. "In Blue Lock, everything is connected to soccer. Look around you, Mr. Mediocre Elite," he remarked, twirling his finger in the air. "The room you are in is the same size as the penalty area. Approximately 75% of all goals are born within these boundaries. If you cannot excel in this environment, then you lack the talent of a striker."

Upon hearing those words, Kira's pupils trembled. "S-So... So what?" he stammered, tears streaming down his face. "Tag has nothing to do with soccer!" he cried out. "If you're the one evading, you need a keen sense of interpersonal space, tactics, and positioning. If you're the one giving chase, your dribbling and accuracy must be precise, and the quality of your kicks must be exceptional. That's what makes it an excellent soccer training drill, you coward."

Kira vehemently refused to accept his defeat. "Even so, how can you possibly judge me based on just two minutes? A soccer match lasts 90 minutes!" he protested.

Ego calmly responded, "On average, the total amount of time any player spends on the ball in a 90-minute game is approximately 136 seconds. You squandered the opportunity that was equally given to all of you. Consider the fact that when Midoriya kicked the ball at you, there was still plenty of time remaining, but you chose to lie there crying. This kind of attitude is not welcomed here, Kira Ryosuke. Lock off."

Kira's mental state had deteriorated to the point where he became utterly useless, refusing to accept his defeat. As Isagi approached to console him, Kira's gaze turned towards him, filled with anger that seemed capable of causing harm. Before Isagi could utter a word, Kira abruptly stood up, gathered his belongings, and walked away. He glared menacingly at Midoriya as he exited the room, and the automatic gates closed behind him.

"Why did you go after him?" Isagi questioned, his gaze fixed on Midoriya. All eyes in the room turned towards Midoriya, awaiting his response. Midoriya proceeded to explain his decision, saying, "I came here to become the best striker in the world. Instead of targeting you or Igarashi, I went after the 'strongest' player here. In hindsight, he didn't prove to be much of a challenge. You should be grateful that I didn't eliminate you in an attempt to expose the weak link. I pursued him because it seemed like he wasn't taking this seriously. That's all." Isagi remained silent, acknowledging that Midoriya had made a valid point, especially since the ball was stolen from him.

"Is this nonsense going to continue?" mumbled Igarashi, his gaze cast gloomily towards the floor. To his surprise, Ego responded, "Nonsense? You're right. That's the world of 'win or lose.' Those world-class strikers you admire so casually put their careers on the line every day. How does it feel to fight for your future for the very first time? Does it scare you? This is the norm in Blue Lock. Are you shaken? Did it make you think, 'All right! I survived!'?" Ego's expression suddenly darkened. "That's what victory feels like. Remember that feeling. Each time you experience that satisfying sensation, your ego will grow, propelling you to become the greatest striker in the world. Congratulations, you have passed the Blue Lock dorm admission."

As a sense of optimism began to lift the mood in the room, Ego interrupted their cheers. "There are 11 of you in this room. You will live together, work together at times, and at other times, betray each other. You will be rivals, wrecking each other's dreams... Welcome to Blue Lock Team Z."