Chapter 2 - Unpolished Gems (2)

As the unpolished gems made their way inside, one person remained still. From the beginning to the end, he stayed silent. 

Finally, he moved from his spot and asked Ego, "Ego-san, was it?"

"Yes, my name's Ego. And yours?"

"Yu Sora…"

"Do you have any questions, Sora-kun?"

"Before I enter this room, I only have one question." 

Ego nodded as he gestured an approval. 

"Are they strong?"

He asked while looking at him as if he didn't answer correctly, he'd kill him immediately. The same madness that Ego displays a little while ago is emanating from him.

Jinpachi Ego displayed a devious smirk on his lips and said, "Well, they aren't at the world level yet but…..

"They are strong in their own right."

Yu Sora smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth with canines and said. "That is enough"

He made his way into the door with calm and leisurely steps. 

Was it a show of confidence, arrogance, or…..

His ego?

— — —

"Was that Sora-kun?" a female voice resounded behind him after Yu Sora left the hall. Ego, without turning his head, replied. 

"Yes, and it seems, a rough jade appeared among the unpolished gems…."[1]

His reply made Anri Teieri, shocked. Because she knows that this man has a very low opinion on the strikers of this country. 

And him to praise a striker of this country that much?

"He was that good?"

"Well he is already good. But I don't know yet if he can survive this project. Talent matters but it needs to be accompanied with other things too. 

"And with 300 participants entering…

"I guess, 300 people is a small sacrifice as the stepping stone for the "true striker" that will soon be born, don't ya think?

"It is the essence and the reason this Blue Lock is created after all."

"Sigh, it is…."

While pushing up the eye-glasses, Ego replied.

"Then let us begin, miss Anri…

"This will become…

"Football's most critical moment."

His eyes, radiating that madness and ego. It is saying that this project will definitely create the football hero of Japan. 

— — —

Yu Sora made his way into the door, after that, they rode a bus and moved towards the Blue Lock building. 

It is a large facility that will accommodate their training and their new living environment too. 

Their belongings such as wallets and phones are confiscated, and gave them a uniform one by one. 

Yu Sora, too, was given a badge with a number of 270 with letter X at the bottom.

"Now go to your designated rooms matching your uniforms letter, we'll announce later when you will change into your uniform." Anri said after she was done distributing the uniforms. 

'It says X…

'So, this room?'

He thought before seeing the room with the words "room X" designated on it. Yu Sora entered the room that matches the letter on his uniform. 

"Let's see what Blue Lock is...."

When he entered, there were already 4 people inside but he ignored them and sat at the side. 

He wasn't talkative to begin with, so he just sat there while studying the room. After a few minutes or so, there are now 12 people inside the room and they heard a mechanical voice saying they have to change into their uniforms. 

Yu Sora hesitated a little before he took off his clothes and changed into the uniform while leaving the people inside flabbergasted at his sudden actions. 

He just thought, 'Well, we're all men here. There's nothing for me to hide.'

(A/N: Heh jokes on you, Blue lock is gay)

As if influenced by him, they too just took their clothes and changed too aside from others who are feeling shy (?). 

They made some murmurs and talked about themselves. Some are familiar with each other and some are not but chose to befriend others. 

Yu Sora just sat there, ignoring everything. Well, there are few people who ask a few questions but his replies were just too uninteresting and short, making it awkward. 

Then suddenly, the screen lit up and Jinpachi Ego appeared. 

"Are you done changing, you unpolished gems?"

'Don't disappoint me, mr. Ego…' Yu Sora thought as he watched Ego. 

"The people in your room will be both your roommates…

"And your rivals.

"We have estimated your potential based on my judgment and calculations….

"Represented by your ranking.

"It is the number attached to your uniforms."

Everyone looked at their numbers and wondered. 

'270? So there are 269 people who are stronger than me here?'

Yu Sora thought with a wide, excited smile on his lips. 

'Ego-san, I think this is going to be fun…'

"Your ranking will change daily based on several factors.

"For Example, going up or down based on the training results of your games.

"And unconditionally, the top 5 players will participate in a certain tournament six months from now….

"They will become the selected rankers for Japan's U-20 National Team playing at the world cup. 

"Also, those who are defeated at Blue Lock, will be permanently barred from Japan's National Team. 

"We are looking for one crucial component here: Ego. 

"That is what we will measure as you live here in this facility. 

"Well now, it is time to play "Tag"

"The player with the possession of 'it'

"Whoever is 'it' when time runs out…..

"Can get the fuck outta here." 

The ball landed on a guy that seemed in a buzzed cut after a month, Yawara Banku. 

A panicked expression appeared on his face but Ego still had more words to say.

"And of course, not using your hands. 

"Those are the rules

"This is just a warm up that pros usually do, 

"Prepare, and attack. This isn't your average game of 'tag'. 

BEEP—

And when that sound rings, the timer starts. 

2:15 seconds.

"Haaa. Don't hate me if I ever…."

"Tsk."

Just as he was about to finish, a man clicked his tongue and interrupted him. 

He's a man with a black hair that stands like johnny bravo. Fades on both sides and also some cross lines. 

He had an annoyed gaze, looking at the man as if he were a bug. He opens his mouth and what comes out from his mouth shocks them, "Just hold that ball, since you're the weakest here, you should be eliminated."

"Huh?! Whaddya say??"

'What are these two doing right now….?'

Yu Sora wondered as these people started bickering among each other. 

"Do I need to repeat myself for a peasant like you?" Barou Shoei, the man who interrupted the guy who held the ball, replied annoyedly. 

"Say that again mother-!"

"Trash."

"Kuhk! You little-!" Then Yawara kicked the ball towards Barou but he used his chest to stop the ball and kicked it with his right foot towards Yawara again. 

He evaded the ball quickly as if he anticipated and somebody was shot instead. 

"The fuck! Wait!" 

Yu Sora watches this unfold with an interested gaze, not long before, the possessor of the ball notices him and kicks the ball towards him with all his might. 

He caught the ball using heading and it landed on his right foot, he looked at them with a playful gaze and said. "Which one of you is the strongest~?"

Yu Sora playfully maneuvers the ball on his feet while waiting for an answer and not surprisingly, Barou steps forward with a tick on his forehead. 

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"No~, none at all." Then with a quick dribble, he drives towards Barou while the people inside the room scatter like he was a plague. 

With the ball on his left foot, it spins in the air before he does an outside foot shot, the ball heads straight to Barou. He tried to evade by going on the left but the ball suddenly curved towards him and hit his cheeks.

"Kuh! You peasant!"

"So scary~."

Yu Sora ran away from Barou and everyone did, he clicked his tongue and drove with the ball. 

Yu Sora is outside his area already and with a quick decision making, he turned to the left suddenly and did a direct shot with his right foot. 

It lands perfectly on his target but wasn't satisfied as he eyed the playful and hateful Yu Sora. 

"I'll fucking crush you, you peasant…." He said while gritting his teeth. 

1:30 seconds.

— —end— —