Sayonara

Sho wasn't sure how long he stood there, looking at Chigiri while he ran up to his teammates and celebrated with them.

One thing he knew for sure was that he hated that twisting feeling of his stomach and the distaste left in his mouth.

"We tried our best, right Sho."

The heterochromatic eyes of Sho blinked in surprise at the sound of Junichi's voice. He loosened his balled-up fists and steadily turned around.

Junichi grinned at him. He was slightly exhausted as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "You're not upset, Junichi? Both you and Team W won't be able to play in Blue Lock anymore." Sho ushered the rest of Team W as he broke the news to Junichi.

"I thought I'd be more upset but to be honest, after watching you play I knew I couldn't cut it," Junichi admitted. A sudden crackle was heard from the big television against the wall as it displayed the score of their fourth match and Team V's third match.

The rest of Team W crowded both Sho and Junichi as some of them began to either cry or scream in angst at their untimely end. As they let out their pent-up emotions Sho turned to Team Z celebrating, high-fiving each other, and was met with a dreadful memory he wishes he forgot.

The memory of defeat during the Nihon Sageru Tournament resurfaced. He vividly remembered the cries of happiness from Shutoku's players and the heartbroken looks on his teammate's faces, easily comparing it to this moment.

"I'm so tired of this," Sho aimlessly spoke as he patted his teammate's backs and peeked over his shoulder in disdain at Team Z's joyfulness.

A few more minutes passed until their cries were stifled. Team Z was long gone from the field, now celebrating the rest of their victory in their locker room. "Come on, let's get off the field and get some food," Sho declared as he held his stomach and walked off the field.

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In Fifth Stratum's Dining Hall, Sho walked along the concrete walls until he found his name with a metallic button next to him leisurely pressing it. After nearly 3 minutes a warm bowl of rice and General Tso's chicken passed through a small hole in the wall.

Since no one else on Team W wanted to eat, Sho found a quiet corner in the dining hall and ate by himself. Many thoughts of his new weapon crossed his mind as he aimlessly grabbed another piece of chicken with his chopsticks.

After 10 minutes, Sho finished his food in peace and deposited it back into the small hole in the wall, and then went on his way out of the cafeteria.

"Don't you dare mock football!" Was heard from across the dining hall as Sho backpedaled from the exit. He stealthily leaned against a nearby vending machine and peaked past it.

Sho noticed Isagi confronting Team V but was more interested in the player that latched onto another's back. 'Nagi.' Sho predatorily stared as he remembered Nagi's extraordinary weapon from tape. A ripple pattern momentarily flashed over his eyeballs but immediately reverted to his normal heterochromatic eyes.

Soon after he finished snooping around, Sho walked over to most of Team W packing their bags. "Why are you guys packing so soon? I thought you guys had a few more days?" Sho said as he shut the sliding steel door behind him.

"That's what we thought but Ego just broke the news to us and said we had to pack up and leave by tonight."

Nearly 30 minutes went by as everyone finished packing and sat by their futons and talked to one another about the small number of matches they did play together. Everyone was surprisingly in high spirits as they all faced the television.

"Since you're the first team to be eliminated, you'll follow the yellow arrows on the walls over by the dining hall," Jinpachi exclaimed without remorse. "As for you Shihoin, Sho, you'll have two free days until the end of the first selection."

Junichi and the rest of Team W haphazardly looked at Sho as they folded up their futons and slowly made their way out of the room.

"Win it for us."

Junichi said as he walked past Sho. Sho stood there speechless, not knowing what to say to them as the once full room felt so empty.

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Forty-eight hours passed since Junichi and the rest of Team W left. Sho was currently laying in a pool of his sweat, having just finished an intense workout.

The T.V in the Fifth Stratum's gym unexpectedly turned on as Sho's attention averted from his sore arms to the voice of Teirei Anri as she presented The First Selection's standings.

"All games of the Fifth Stratum concluded! The final results of the five-team round roulette are as follows. In first place, we have Team V with its 11 players. In second place, we have Team Z with its 11 players. Lastly, the top three scoring players from their respective losing teams. In third place, we have Shohei Baro with eight goals. In fourth, we have Team W's own Shihoin Sho with five goals, and last but certainly not least we have Ikki Niko with three goals. With this, the 25 players from the Fifth Stratum have officially passed Blue Lock's First Selection!"

A rumble was heard from Sho's stomach as he unsteadily got up and used the wall as support to walk towards the dining hall.

Sho didn't want much to eat and simply ordered some white rice to go. As he patiently waited for his white rice to heat up, he overheard the cries and whimpers of the rest of the Fifth Stratum as they left Blue Lock. Sho paid them no heed. Grabbing his white rice, he unhurriedly left for his room.

A pre-recording of Jinpachi Ego played on the T.V as he entered Team W's empty room.

" - undergo extreme physical training for ten days. During this time you won't be allowed to touch a football. If you break this rule or if you can't keep up with the training you'll be expelled. Remember you're the bottom of the bare-."

With Sho's sweaty clothes still on, he face-planted onto his premium bed and drowned out the sound of Jinpachi's voice as he fell asleep.

Almost six hours went by until Sho sleepily shot up from his bed, immediately noticing the same sweaty clothes he had on from yesterday. He glanced up towards the clock as it read 6:05 in the morning and immediately took initiative by grabbing his training suit and walking out of his room towards the showers.

'Hopefully, everyone is still asleep.' Thought Sho while entering the shower room, closing the steel door behind him.

Sho walked past the lockers and peeked into the showers, making sure no one was in them. After he verified no one was in them, he quickly undressed and deposited his clothes into an empty locker.

A sudden stream of cold water shot out of the showers and onto Sho's greasy hair as he turned the handle to hot. Chills were sent through every part of his body as he tried to relish in the coldness but soon welcomed the incoming warm water.

While he relished in the heat of the water, Sho began to mentally prepare for the long arduous week ahead of him.

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Every waking second of those ten hellish days was spent working on his body. From lifting heavy weights to running miles upon miles. Even trying weird techniques to improve his core. He barely had five hours to sleep before his alarm would blare and, Jinpachi would set more training goals to complete till the end of the day.

The same annoying ring was suddenly heard throughout the Stratum. "As of right now, The First Selection of Blue Lock has finished on all strata. All participants that have passed, please put on your training suits and head to the center of the basement of your Stratum."

Immediately Sho rushed the rest of his shower and ran for his training suit, sloppily putting it on. Shutting the steel door behind him, Sho ran down the hallway and followed Team Z as they walked down the stairs towards, The Second Selection.

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What did you think about the new dialogue format, YAY or NAY?

theirs a lot of words in this chapter so please lemme know where I fucked up. <3