The Big Stage

"What in the world!? I'm starting to get butterflies! What do you think, Natsui?" Atsuto asked excitedly. 

"Incredible! Oliver Aiku's clearance and Fukaku's save were phenomenal," Natsui responded, her voice noticeably filled with excitement. 

"He's not the captain of the team known for its strong defense and quick counters for nothing! This is really giving me goosebumps!" Natsui added. 

"Yeah, and the Blue Lock kids had some incredible chances too! They've already had two good opportunities early on. I can't believe I'm expecting even more from them!" 

____ 

Meanwhile, on the sidelines... 

"It seems like luck is not on our side." Anri panicked. "We already missed two big chances. Are we doomed?" Anri's anxiety grows as he turns to Ego for reassurance. 

"Shut up, Anri-chan. You see, when things doesn't the way they're planned, your average Joe will start to panic and find comfort in their source of failure. Such is the mindset of a loser. But a winner sees a 'challenge." 

"This is a big stage that our egoists are not used to yet. The U-20 team has an advantage in this aspect. You see, winners keep winning and are fueled by their past successes, leading to more wins. So that means the first team to score first will be the one to carry that momentum." Ego explained to Anri.

"What is the objective of this match, Anri-chan?" Ego posed a simple question.

"To win," Anri responded.

"Yes. Whether they can get into that mindset quickly will be crucial," Ego said.

"What about the plays that they practiced in training camp? Will they be okay, Ego?" Anri asked anxiously. 

"Eh, I didn't expect any better, at least early on," 

"What?!" Anri's eyes widened with shock, especially with how blatantly Ego said so. 

"Well, practice is just practice, Anri-chan. When you're practicing, all you're really doing is demonstrating your technical skills in a no-stress environment." Ego explains. 

"You see it happen in all fields of performance. There are people who perform well in practice. But fall short when it comes to the real thing." Ego added. 

"Oh, I think I've experienced that for myself. Like messing up at a piano recital." Anri relates it to her own experiences. 

"Yep. The decisive difference between practice and the real deal is the presence of stress." 

"The setting, your opponent, and even your own physical state change your mental state. Your muscles are tensing up. Your thoughts are coming to a stop. When it comes to the real deal, there are plenty of factors that can lead you into a downward spiral." 

"Nothing goes perfectly like it does in practice. And the only way to overcome that stress is by improvising." Ego concluded his explanation. 

"Huh?! So you're not going to give them any directions?! If we don't do anything, at this rate, they'll..." Anri's words are cut off by Ego's interruption. 

"Just shut up and trust in them. When it comes to the real deal, our egoists always deliver." 

_______ 

The game resumed with the U-20's goalkeeper kicking the ball to Sou, starting a fast counterattack as most of the Blue Lock players stayed near the U-20's half after the corner kick. It was an all-out attack. 

As Sou charged forward, he was soon approached by Niko, who was there to try to put a stop to the U-20's counterattack. 

However, instead of trying to dribble past Niko, Sou passed the ball to Itoshi Sae. Itoshi Sae advanced forward as there weren't any blue-lock defenders in front of him. He had a clear chance to score, but he hesitated and chose to pass the ball to his younger brother, Itoshi Rin. 

This was Rin's first opportunity with the ball at his feet, facing only Blue Lock's goalkeeper Gin Gagamaru in a 1v1 situation. Without losing composure, he faked the goalkeeper to the right before shooting the ball to the left. 

Tokimitsu, the savior of Blue Lock, was there to make a slide tackle that blocked the ball, denying Rin the opportunity to score. 

Luckily, Chigiri was also there to pick up the loose ball after he made a mad dash from the other half of the pitch. He then kicked a long cross to Murano, who was around the center circle. 

Murano sprinted forward, only to be met by the lightning-fast Neru Teppei. Murano sidestepped him with surprising agility. "You're even faster than the recordings!" Neru conceded, catching up quickly. 

However, Murano suddenly slowed down before quickly cutting inside with a burst of speed, completely throwing off Neru's balance. 

With space created, Murano spotted a wide-open Shidou in the penalty box. 

"Show the world your explosions," he whispered, pumping his fist as the ball soared towards Shidou. 

And Shidou didn't disappoint. He unleashed a powerful drive shot that tore through the net, 

scoring Blue Lock's first goal of the night. 

_____

U-20 Japan Nation Team vs. Blue Lock Eleven 

Minute 10' 

U-20 Japan 0-1 Blue Lock