Chapter 2 – The Blue Lock Project

Kira stood silently in front of the building, his eyes scanning the address on the entrance. He double-checked the location, confirming he was in the right place. "Seems correct," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible, as he walked towards the front door. With a steady hand, he pushed it open, revealing a large, spacious room beyond.

Inside, the atmosphere was a mix of anticipation and indifference. Several people were already gathered, some engaged in conversation, their voices a low murmur that filled the room, while others kept to themselves, lost in their own thoughts. A few glanced in Kira's direction, briefly acknowledging his presence before returning to whatever occupied their minds. It was clear that the arrival of one more person was of little consequence to them, which suited Kira just fine.

Kira made his way towards a quiet corner of the room, carefully navigating through the small clusters of people. As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to the journey that had led him to this moment.

'It's been 13 years since I recovered the memories of my past life,' Kira reflected, the surreal nature of his situation washing over him once again. The realization that he had died and been reincarnated still felt like a dream—something far removed from the realm of his previous beliefs. He had never been the type to entertain notions of the supernatural or the mystical. To be given a second chance at life was beyond anything he had ever imagined. In his first life, he believed there was only one shot to pursue his dreams, to live the life he desired.

'Still, I am thankful nonetheless,' Kira thought as he reflected on his second chance at life. 'I died too early, but now I'm already four years older than I was in my past life. And this Blue Lock project will help me achieve my dream of becoming a professional football player.'

After finishing dinner with his mom yesterday, Kira's mind was still occupied by the weight of the letter. The curiosity gnawed at him, so he decided to call his coach to get more information. His coach was well-connected within Japan's sports community, someone who understood the inner workings of the industry. Kira knew he could trust his coach to provide insight into this mysterious program.

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Flashback

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The phone rang a few times before the familiar voice of his coach answered. Kira wasted no time, asking about the letter and whether the Football Association had released any public information about the special training program.

"Hello, Sir?" Kira began.

"What is it, kid?" his coach responded, his tone gruff and slightly irritated, as if he had been interrupted from something important.

Kira wasted no time getting to the point. "I got a letter from the Football Association. They mentioned a special training program, something called the Blue Lock project." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Do you know anything about this, Coach K?"

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, followed by the sound of paper shuffling, as if Coach K was looking for something or perhaps considering his response. "Hmm... All I've heard are rumors," Coach K finally replied, his voice a bit more thoughtful. "From what I understand, it's a project to develop players for the national team."

Kira listened intently as Coach K continued, "They say this project is aimed at training and producing skilled players who can compete against the world's best. It's a response to our defeat at the World Cup's Best Sixteen."

Kira considered this for a moment before asking, "Really? Do you think this program will be a good addition to my resume when I go pro? Or does this program allow you to go pro immediately?" His voice carried a mix of curiosity and ambition as he sought his coach's perspective on the potential impact of participating in the program.

Coach K's response was quick, laced with irritation. "You already know that the J-League won't allow teenagers to get a professional contract unless they finish high school and get accepted into a university. So why are you asking again?"

Kira could hear the frustration in his coach's voice, knowing this wasn't the first time they had discussed the issue. But before he could respond, Coach K continued, his tone growing more agitated. "Bullshit bureaucratic rules and people, pushing their weak agendas and killing potential talents like you, content in their stagnation."

Kira couldn't help but smile at his coach's fiery response. "You seem to be more angry about this than I am, Coach," he said teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I hate seeing talent go to waste! Especially by stupid people!" Coach K shot back, his frustration palpable.

The two of them continued to talk for a while, venting their shared discontentment and frustration with the rigid system that stood in their way.

After discussing the matter for a while, Kira felt confident in his decision. "I think I'm going to participate in this project," he concluded.

Coach K paused for a moment, considering Kira's words. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of concern. "It might not be what you expect it to be."

Kira, undeterred, responded with calm certainty. "If it doesn't meet my expectations, I'll just quit and train with you again," he said, his trust in his coach evident.

Coach K took in Kira's words, sensing the determination behind them. The conversation wrapped up on a note of mutual understanding, with Kira ready to take on the new challenge and Coach K prepared to support him, no matter the outcome.

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End Flashback

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'I really hope I'm not disappointed by this,' Kira thought to himself, uncertainty lingering in his mind.

Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed, plunging the space into darkness, save for a single spotlight that illuminated the stage. On the stage stood a man—tall, skinny, and pale, with an unusually long neck. His black hair was styled into a short bob cut with straight bangs, and dark circles under his eyes gave him a perpetually exhausted yet intense look. He wore black-framed eyeglasses, black jeans with a belt, and a black shirt adorned with a bolo tie around his neck.

"Cough... ahem... aaa... Congratulations, you unpolished gems," the man spoke, his voice light yet commanding, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. The atmosphere shifted instantly, the room falling still at the appearance of this enigmatic figure.

"According to my personal judgment, the three hundred of you are the best strikers under eighteen," the man continued, his words hanging in the air. "My name is Jinpachi Ego, and I've been hired to give Japan a World Cup victory."

As Ego finished his introduction, a wave of murmurs and whispered conversations spread through the room. "Do you know this guy?" some asked, turning to the person next to them. "Nope," others replied, sharing the same confusion. Ego's abrupt introduction and bold claims left the crowd bewildered, including Isagi, who had just arrived moments before.

'Wait, did he say... a World Cup victory?' Isagi thought to himself, the gravity of Ego's words beginning to sink in, stirring a mix of excitement and doubt within him.

"I'll say this plainly. Only ONE thing is necessary for Japanese football to become the best in the world," Ego continued, his voice cutting through the whispers and murmurs in the room.

"THE BIRTH OF A REVOLUTIONARY STRIKER," he declared with conviction. "With the three hundred of you here, I will conduct an experiment to create the world's best striker."

As he spoke, Ego gestured towards a large screen that suddenly lit up behind him. "Look, this is the facility created for that purpose—BLUE LOCK!" he explained. The screen displayed a blueprint of the Blue Lock building, revealing various areas within the facility: a cafeteria, football pitches, training rooms, and more. The sheer scale of the facility hinted at the intensity of the program ahead.

"Starting today, you'll be living together while undergoing a special training I've devised," Ego continued, his voice steady and authoritative. "You can't return to your homes, and this marks the end of your previous football careers."

The room was silent, the weight of Ego's words sinking in. Then, his voice took on a more intense, almost obsessive tone. "But I promise this... Whoever survives Blue Lock and outlasts the other two hundred ninety-nine... WILL BECOME THE WORLD'S BEST STRIKER!" he finished, his eyes blazing with a crazed obsession, as if he truly believed in the miracle he was proposing.

The room remained hushed, the magnitude of Ego's declaration hanging heavy in the air. His unwavering confidence and the focused clarity in his eyes left no doubt—he fully believed that Blue Lock would produce the revolutionary striker Japan needed.

"That concludes my explanation. Thank you," Ego said, his voice returning to a calm, composed tone as he stepped back, leaving the room to absorb the gravity of what had just been revealed.

Silence reigned in the room as everyone tried to make sense of the information they had just been given. Jinpachi Ego's explanation was so outlandish and ambitious that it defied their understanding. It was as if the man before them was speaking a foreign language.

"What the hell is he talking about?" someone muttered, breaking the silence.

"Is he serious?" another whispered, voicing the disbelief that many felt.

Isagi, standing among the crowd, couldn't believe what he had just heard. 'What's up with this guy?' he thought, trying to grasp the full meaning of Ego's words.

The tension in the room built until finally, someone from the crowd decided to speak up. "Hey, what kind of nonsense is this!? Some of us are preparing for the Nationals here. We can't abandon our team like that!" the player shouted, his frustration echoing through the room.

This outburst seemed to open the floodgates. The crowd quickly grew more animated, voices rising in agreement with the bold statement. Several players began to demand that Ego bring out someone more trustworthy, someone who could offer a more reasonable explanation.

Meanwhile, Kira stood back, observing the chaos with a critical eye. 'World's Best Striker? From this soft-ass country?' he thought, skepticism coloring his mind. He scanned the room, focusing on the players who were now complaining the loudest. 'Yeah, right. As if these kids will ever make it to the pro league,' Kira mused, his disdain for their lack of ambition evident in his thoughts.

The room buzzed with discontent, but underneath it all, a sense of curiosity and tension lingered, as each player grappled with the shocking proposition laid before them.

Ego remained completely unfazed by the rising complaints in the room. With a sharp retort, he cut through the noise, "If you want to participate in the Nationals, then piss off!" His words were direct and biting, immediately silencing the players who had been grumbling.

His voice grew more irritated as he continued, "You'd rather become the best high school player in this country's backwater football scene than being the best in the world?" The room fell silent, the weight of his retort pressing down on everyone present.

Without warning, Ego posed an unexpected question. "Let me ask you, what is football?" He paused briefly before answering his own question with disdain. "A sport in which eleven people combine their skills? Treasuring bonds? For my friends' sake?"

"WRONG!" Ego's voice rose to a fanatical pitch, his tone electrifying the room. "At its core, football is a sport in which you score more goals than your opponents!" He declared, his conviction unwavering. "Whoever scores the most goals is the best!"

His statement hung in the air with a finality that left no room for argument or rebuttal. The players were captivated, some shocked, others intrigued, but all were silent.

Ego continued, using examples to drive his point home. "Take Noel Noa, for example," he said, causing Isagi to perk up at the mention of the legendary striker's name.

"He beat out Messi and Ronaldo to take the Ballon d'Or this year," Ego explained, his voice steady and assured. "Do you know what the best striker in the world said?" Ego's eyes gleamed as he quoted, "Instead of assisting my teammates to win 1-0, it feels better to pull off a hat trick and lose 3-4."

There was a pause as the room absorbed the implications of this statement. Ego seemed almost possessed as he continued to expound on what it takes to be the world's best striker, giving examples like Eric Cantona, Robin van Persie, and finally, Pele.

"HOW ABOUT IT? AWFUL, RIGHT?" Ego's voice boomed with an almost maniacal energy. "But these guys are number one! They were all revolutionary strikers!" A creepy smile began to creep up his lips, a mixture of pride and narcissism. He seems to be enjoying the moment. "All of them are peerless egotists. What Japanese football lacks is EGO!"

Ego scanned the crowd, his eyes locking onto different players, daring them to refute his claims. He stared straight into their eyes, his gaze intense and unyielding.

"If You're Not The World's Top Egotist, You Can Never Become The World's Best Striker," Ego declared with absolute certainty as he finished his speech. "And I want to create someone like that in this country."

The room was left in stunned silence, each player grappling with the radical philosophy Ego had just laid before them. The challenge had been issued, and it was clear that only those who embraced this mindset would survive the trials of Blue Lock.

'What an ego,' Kira thought, impressed by the speech delivered by Ego. The atmosphere in the room had noticeably shifted. The earlier confusion and doubt were giving way to anticipation and excitement, as the players began to weigh their decisions about participating in this high-stakes program. 'He has charisma and presence that lures these impressionable kids,' Kira continued to reflect, watching the crowd. 'Even those who were complaining earlier are now starting to think about their heroes, the professionals they admire, and their own desire to reach that same level of success.'

Sensing the shift in mood, Ego took the opportunity to act. He turned and opened a door behind him—a large double door with handles on both the left and right sides. "Those who have a world-class ego may proceed ahead," Ego called out, his voice once again commanding the room's full attention.

Kira found himself caught in a dilemma. On one hand, this project seemed like a chaotic gamble, led by a madman who believed he could produce a world-class striker for Japan. On the other hand, the sheer scale of the facility and the immense budget behind it suggested that this was a serious, well-funded effort. The potential was undeniable.

'To participate or not to participate?' Kira's mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons. 'There's still so much I don't know—what's the training schedule? What will we be learning? What are we expected to achieve?' His brain worked overtime, trying to process all the unknowns.

But most importantly, the real question came down to this: 'Do I want to take this chance, a chance that could potentially fast-track me to a pro career, or do I walk away?'

Suddenly, Kira's thoughts crystallized. His eyes snapped into focus, and an intense aura radiated from him. Determination surged through every part of his being as he made his decision, clear and unshakable.

'OF COURSE, I WANT TO PARTICIPATE!' Kira declared to himself with unwavering conviction. 'As Maradona said, Football is life.'

A wide smile stretched from ear to ear as Kira stood up. Without hesitation, he began walking toward the open doors behind Jinpachi Ego. As Kira moved, Isagi dashed past, running straight for the doors. His sudden movement sparked a chain reaction, and soon, the rest of the players followed, rushing toward the entrance with renewed energy and purpose.