Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

Shinichi was carefully settled into the hospital bed.

Although there were no professional medical staff around, leaving it to Anri to assist Ego with his examination, the medical equipment provided was top-notch.

In fact, it was likely more advanced and comprehensive than what some smaller hospitals could offer.

This allowed Shinichi to clearly understand the extent of his physical injuries.

"Multiple muscle strains and overuse injuries throughout the body. If you keep pushing like this, there's a high risk of knee and ankle damage," he read briefly before tossing the medical report aside.

It wasn't something he intended to dwell on for long.

After all, soon, such concerns would be irrelevant.

The competition was already in the past—though he was bitter about the loss, Shinichi wasn't one to linger on what was over.

"What's most important now is my reward," Shinichi thought to himself as he half-reclined on the bed, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. "That special reward that cost me two selections… If my timing is right, it should be about time for it to be fulfilled."

As he pondered, the phone on his bedside table suddenly vibrated twice.

Picking it up, he opened the latest message.

With each word he read, a slow smile spread across his face.

Finally, the stage for his legendary story was set.

All that was left was for him to deliver a flawless performance.

Tap… tap… tap…

A series of footsteps echoed clearly in the room.

Shinichi closed his eyes and reclined on the bed with a relaxed expression. "I figured you wouldn't be able to sit still for long. So, tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"Ego Jinpachi?"

Standing at the doorway, Ego looked at Shinichi with an expression that shifted unpredictably. After a long pause, he let out a sigh. "Shinichi, just who exactly are you?"

"Japan has officially announced its reintegration with Britannia. The current Prime Minister of... no, it's now the Governor of the Japan Overseas Autonomous Province under Britannia, has resigned in disgrace. The successor, who has no prior political achievements, happens to share your surname, Shinichi. Moreover, the president of the Football Association is also stepping down, and the next president seems to share your surname as well…"

"And before all this, Blue Lock had already arranged a match with the Football Association. Was all of this part of a plan you devised? You entered Blue Lock, led a group of rookies to defeat the old U-20 national team under the previous president, symbolizing the rise of a new power. This, in turn, paved the way for people to accept the new president with the same surname as yours?"

"How could that be?" Shinichi shrugged. "You were the one who invited me here, weren't you? As for government affairs, how could a young guy like me possibly get involved?"

Shinichi wasn't lying.

Before all this, he was just a kid who had used his knowledge from a previous life to earn a modest fortune.

Still underage, he indeed had no capacity for political involvement. But some things defy logic—after all, he had conveniently received that special reward.

Yes, the so-called special reward was none other than gaining control over all of Japan for a year.

And if his achievements during that period were significant enough, the tenure could be extended indefinitely.

As for the sudden appearance of relatives sharing his surname, despite his "tragic" backstory of being orphaned, they were nothing more than puppets fabricated by the system.

Public opinion, however, had already started to speculate that they belonged to some previously unknown yet massive family.

But that wasn't all.

If his accomplishments reached a certain standard during this period, he would unlock an additional reward—the authority of Britannia's Football Association!

And yes, in this world, Britannia exists. Unlike in the world of Code Geass, there are no nobles or mechas in this version of Britannia.

...

The most extraordinary aspect of the control granted by the system was its ability to rationalize any action he took, no matter how outrageous, as long as the resulting achievements and legend were sufficient.

In other words, even if he were to suspend and investigate everyone in the system on a single day, there would be no resistance.

Naturally, there was no reason to refuse such power.

Shinichi planned to use Blue Lock as a springboard, first securing victory in the U-20 Youth Tournament to accumulate enough merit to claim control over Britannia Football Association.

From there, over the next few years leading up to the World Cup, he would build a team entirely of his own creation from scratch, with the ultimate goal of winning the World Cup.

By then, he would become the founding emperor of his own football kingdom, established from the ground up in a nation devoid of football glory.

This was the legendary journey Shinichi had envisioned for himself—a challenging yet brilliantly promising path.

"So, isn't this ideal? There will be no more fools like Hirotoshi hindering our progress, and the government will fully support us. If you truly want to create the best in the world, then focus on assisting me properly."

Shinichi smiled as he looked at Ego, whose expression was still a mix of emotions.

"Well, what's your decision?"

"If I had known you could even control the Football Association, I wouldn't have refused your request to acquire more shares just to maintain Blue Lock's independence. Instead, I would've asked for more funding," Ego said, his composure restored. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Football Association. Just be ready."

"Yes, yes," Shinichi replied nonchalantly, reclining back into the bed and closing his eyes. Finally, he drifted into a hazy sleep.

...

"What? You want me to give up my position as captain?" In a cramped, windowless office, Oliver Aiku stared in disbelief at the disheveled and dejected former national team coach, Hoichi Yasumori.

Struggling to keep his composure, he shouted angrily, "And hand it over to someone we've never even met? Just because his uncle is about to become the new president of the Football Association?"

"Calm down, Aiku. This is beyond our control," Hoichi said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

He had moved to this stifling office—typically used to punish those who displeased the former president, Hirotoshi—to maintain a presentable image in front of the important visitor expected today.

Even without windows, the room felt oppressively hot. "You know the country's recent actions. Everything has to be aligned with the plans for reintegration with Britannia. The Kanzaki family, including the incoming president, appears to be immigrants of Britannia."

"We don't have a choice. Among all departments, the Football Association is the only one where an outsider from the Kanzaki family was parachuted in as our superior. And today, their young heir is coming. To show our sincerity, these things must be done."

Oliver Aiku clenched his fists tightly.

Having long accepted the harsh realities of the system, he understood that many matters weren't as straightforward as they seemed.

Even within the Football Association, results weren't the only priority.

Under the previous president, a bloated and greedy man, profit had always taken precedence over achievements.

And now, when faced with the interests of the national government, he had no room to resist.

Yet, the frustration still burned deep within him.

Despite understanding the situation, a part of him still yearned for change—still held onto a faint hope of correcting the mistakes of the national team.

But now, even the recognition he had worked so hard to earn was being stripped away so effortlessly.

Outside the door, a steady rhythm of footsteps grew louder until they stopped just outside the office.

"Is this the place?"

Shinichi entered, his jet-black hair tousled, his gaze briefly landing on Aiku, who stood to the side clenching his fists tightly, before shifting away indifferently.

"Ah, are you Mr. Shinichi? What brings you here?"

"I'm here to collect the captain's armband."

"Oh, oh, of course! That's exactly what we're handling right now... Aiku! Hurry up and hand it over to Mr. Shinichi!"

Aiku lowered his head, his expression obscured, biting his teeth so hard it seemed they might break.

Using every ounce of strength, he pulled the captain's armband from his chest.

The lightweight piece of cloth now felt as heavy as a mountain, and his hand trembled uncontrollably as he extended it toward Shinichi.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"?"

"If it's the captain's armband," Shinichi replied, not taking it from Aiku's outstretched hand, "nothing carries more weight than the recognition of the previous captain, wouldn't you agree?"

Turning on his heel, he started walking away. "Although, your acknowledgment doesn't matter much to me. If you don't want to come along, that's fine."

"But if there's still a shred of ambition left in you—if you want to witness the birth of a new era—then follow me."

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