Chapter 65: Becoming Enemies!

Quickly, Kira informed the other four about teaming up with Nagi.

"We happen to have four people, which means if we assign one person to you, Kira, the remaining individuals can form a team."

As Isagi Yoichi spoke, he looked around.

"So, how should we allocate the rest of us?"

"Well, I have my own idea."

At that moment, Bachira Meguru, who was standing nearby, suddenly raised his hand and said, "I don't intend to be on the same team as Kira! The previous matches were mostly about Kira showing off! This time, I'm prepared to perform on my own!"

Upon hearing Bachira Meguru's words, Isagi Yoichi fell into contemplation.

He couldn't rely on Kira all the time; he had to grow on his own.

With Kira's guidance, his own training, and the recent shooting assessment, Isagi Yoichi had used his spatial perception ability to comprehend a new technique shooting immediately upon receiving the ball, known as the Direct Shot.

Although his progress was slightly slower than in the original work, Isagi Yoichi had indeed successfully grasped this technique. However, he hadn't had the opportunity to use it yet.

His mindset was similar to Bachira Meguru's. He wanted to see what level he could reach without Kira and what he could accomplish.

"Then I'll team up with Bachira," Isagi Yoichi said very seriously. "I also want to see my true potential though I know I'm still far behind you, Kira, I'll do my best to catch up!"

Kira looked at Isagi Yoichi with a firm expression and nodded.

Although Isagi Yoichi didn't have much chance to showcase his abilities in the first round of selections, he trained intensively with Kira every day, receiving guidance from him. Both his physical fitness and technical skills had advanced further than in the original timeline.

He would definitely shine in the upcoming matches.

"I also want the opportunity to see who's the fastest person in the Blue lock."

Chigiri Hyoma also smiled and bumped fists with Kira, thus confirming the two teams.

Isagi Yoichi, Bachira Meguru, and Chigiri Hyoma formed one team, while Kira, Nagi, and Kunigami Rensuke teamed up.

Kira turned his head to look at Kunigami Rensuke. In the original work, he was defeated in this round.

Although Kunigami Rensuke's strength was not bad, he still lost to stronger opponents.

Moreover, in the Blue lock, there was a round called the revival match, where eliminated individuals entered to compete for the sole revival spot.

Although Kunigami Rensuke successfully passed the revival match, he was ultimately corrupted by the ideology of Ego. He started off righteous and honorable, but later became selfish and self-serving.

Kunigami Rensuke had a good relationship with Kira, and he was generally a very kind person. Being on Kira's team could change that.

"Well, let's get ready."

"Let's go!"

The six of them passed through the gate together and headed to the next room.

Inside the hall, Reo sat on the ground with a gloomy expression, his eyes filled with a sense of loss, as if he had lost his soul.

But at that moment, a figure appeared in front of him.

"It seems like your teammate was taken away by Kira, that genius with terrifying ball control skills."

Reo looked up and recognized the person's identity.

Niko Ikki.

"What's it to you?"

Reo just raised his head slightly, his gaze locked onto the person in front of him.

"Don't you want to seek revenge on Kira Ryosuke?"

As Niko Ikki spoke, the flames of anger ignited once again in Reo's eyes.

It wasn't just because of Kira, but also because Nagi abandoned him.

That feeling of resentment continued to brew in Reo's heart.

"I want Nagi to know that following that guy was a mistake."

Reo stood up and replied with a cold tone,

"And what about the third person?"

"He's right here. There's another person who despises Kira Ryosuke to the core."

Niko Ikki smiled faintly, turning his head to the side.

Baro Shoei.

....

Kira and the others had arrived in another room.

At this moment, there was only one team present in this space.

It was Rin and his two teammates.

"Do you ants only know how to waste time?"

Rin scanned the crowd with an incredibly arrogant gaze, finally fixing his eyes on Kira.

"The latest Blue Lock rankings have been announced, and the order is determined by the order of completion in the first stage."

Just then, the image of Ego appeared on the screen on the wall.

The numbers on each person's electronic badge on their shoulders changed.

The ranking on Kira's shoulder became "1".

"If you think it's a waste of time, then why are you only in second place?"

Kira retorted with a smile.

Isagi Yoichi, who was standing beside them, nervously swallowed saliva. After all, Rin exuded a strong sense of oppression, but Kira seemed very relaxed.

"Ants, this is just a boring segment."

Rin's mouth twitched.

"Cough, cough."

At that moment, Ego coughed lightly, interrupting their conversation.

"This is the third stage. Among the three-person teams that have been formed, battles will be conducted in the form of small-scale matches. The goalkeepers of each team will be the BLUELOCK MAN. The team that scores five goals first will win. Then, the winning team will select one person from the opponents to form a new four-person team, proceeding to the next stage. The first team to have five members will advance, while the person who is not chosen by any team will be eliminated. This is the decisive battle to conquer the enemy."

Ego paused for a moment, then pointed his finger at the screen.

"Also, you are free to choose your opponents, but it will only be valid if both teams agree..."

Ego quickly finished explaining the rules and was about to close the projection when Kira reached out his hand.

"Mr. Ego, I have one more question."

"What is it?"

Ego pushed his glasses up.

"Regarding exchanging goals for points, it will still be valid in the upcoming stages, right?"

Ego remained silent for a few seconds but nodded.

"Of course, it's still valid. However, due to the special nature of this competition, if you want to use the points to exchange for a chance to go outside, you'll have to wait until this round of matches is over."

"That's fine."

Kira smiled.

Meanwhile, Riko's team had also successfully qualified for the round-robin tournament. The matches on their side were about to begin. Kira had promised Riko that he would go watch the matches in person, so he had to fulfill that commitment.

"That's all for now. I wish you good luck."

Ego looked at Kira for a few seconds and then closed the screen.

Kira turned his head to look at Rin. He remembered that before their teams were formed, there should have been two other teams that entered this room earlier. However, it was evident that they had all heard of Rin's name and witnessed his strength during their previous gathering, so they gave up on facing them.

"So, which of your two teams will meet their doom? But it doesn't really matter to me. I don't care who the opponent is, the result will be the same. You're just a bunch of random people. I just want to win quickly and continue forward."

Rin stood up, his gaze reaching the pinnacle of disdain.

"This guy is annoying."

 Bachira Meguru clasped his hands behind his head and said with a smile, but an excited expression appeared on his face.

Isagi Yoichi was the same, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Hey, your opponents are us!"

And at that moment, the entrance gate opened once again, and three familiar figures walked in.

Niko Ikki, Mikage Reo, and Baro Shoei.

At this moment, these three individuals stared at Kira with intense hostility, all yearning to exact revenge on him.

"This time, I will definitely defeat you."

"You're just a follower. Let me tell you, I am the king on the football field."

"Nagi, I will make you understand that teaming up with me, Reo, is absolute!"

The three of them erupted with a powerful fighting spirit, as if they wanted to consume Kira entirely.

"Well, that works out perfectly. You can be our opponents in the first round."

Kira smiled as he spoke.

The match was set, and Kira's team would face Reo's team, while Yoichi and the others chose Rin's team as their opponents in the first round.

Following the instructions, Kira and the other six individuals arrived at the designated field, underwent identity verification, and received teams of different colors. Kira's team was the white team, while their opponents were the red team.

Once everything was prepared, they stepped into the new competition field.

Due to the reduced number of players, the size of the football field had also been reduced.

Kira looked at the three members of the red team: Ikki, Reo, and Shoei. In the original work, they were originally three completely different teams, but now they had formed a team due to a shared emotion: their hatred for Kira.

In a sense, this team of theirs was like an "Avengers" seeking revenge against Kira.

"the red team is surprisingly well-suited."

Rensuke commented from the side.

While Ikki and Reo possessed offensive abilities, they both leaned more towards organizing the attack. On the other hand, Shoei was someone who needed all his teammates to revolve around him. He would never pass the ball to others and insisted on being the one to finish the attacks. It was precisely because of his personality that his previous team had mediocre results and frequently experienced internal strife.

But now, his teammates had been replaced by the more selfless players, Ikki and Reo

"However, no matter what, the ones who will emerge victorious in the end will be us."

Kira replied.

"Yes, we must win."

Nagi responded in a calm tone. Rensuke also wore an expectant smile on his face.

"Let's settle this fair."

"3rd, the match between the red team and the white team is about to begin, with the white team taking the first kick-off!"

As the whistle sounded, Kira and his team launched their offensive.

Kira quickly dribbled the ball, directly approaching the opponent's half. The one marking him closely was Reo.

"I will make Nagi realize that choosing you was the biggest mistake!"

Reo stood in front of Kira, not giving him any chance to pass. At this moment, his focus intensified as he carefully observed Kira's movements while maintaining a certain distance to prevent him from easily breaking through.

After ten days of training, Reo had improved his skills significantly. He had always regarded Kira as his imaginary enemy, constantly studying his videos, hoping to seek revenge someday.

But he never expected the opportunity for revenge to come so soon.

"Well, do your best."

Meanwhile, Kira had already made his move.

Thunderclap Flash!

In the next moment, Kira's body leaned forward abruptly, like a bullet shot from a gun, charging forward!

"Damn it!"

Reo shouted in frustration. He felt that Kira's speed had become even faster than before, but the initial distance intentionally given allowed Reo some reaction time.

He immediately leaned backward, shifting his weight backward, in order to keep up with Kira's speed.

However, in an instant, Kira suddenly stopped his forward movement, swiftly turned around, and used one foot to flick the ball, instantly creating distance between him and Reo. He then accelerated again and directly bypassed him.

The combination of explosive speed and superb dribbling skills made it impossible for anyone to defend Kira one-on-one.

But at that moment, Kira caught a glimpse of a figure appearing on his side.

Niko Ikki.

Ikki possessed excellent ball sense and vision. In the moment when Kira evaded Reo, Ikki sensed his attacking route and attempted to intercept from Kira's blind spot.

However, Kira reacted even faster. He turned around once again, shielding the ball with his back, not giving Ikki any opportunity. At the same time, he observed his surroundings and immediately noticed Nagi in an unmarked position. He quickly passed the ball, with a high arc.

It was a deliberate move by Kira, making it easier to avoid the opponent's interference.

And Nagi would definitely be able to receive it.

"It's a challenging pass, but I can receive it."

Nagi leaped high, using his foot to hook the ball an extraordinary control!

He then adjusted his body mid-air and took a shot!

goal!

1-0!

The white team scored first!