Blue Lock - Conqueror!

The air in the room was tense, every striker in rapt attention as Ego Jinpachi's massive figure loomed on the screen before them. The digital glow from the screen cast sharp shadows, amplifying the already suffocating pressure in the room.

Yukimiya Kenyu, ever composed, raised his hand, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses.

"Umm… Mr. Ego, just a simple question for future reference… but why am I ranked 7? What's the difference between me and Rank 1?"

The room fell into a hush. All eyes turned toward the screen, waiting for Ego's response. The man's piercing gaze met Yukimiya's, his usual unnerving smirk playing across his lips.

"Hmm…"

Ego mused, his tone both dismissive and taunting.

"You want to know the levels between you and the top six, huh? Fine. The answer is simple, yet the implications are massive."

"You are all strikers"

He began, his voice ringing with cold clarity.

"And in Blue Lock, what matters most is your ability to score. Your rankings are determined by the number of goals you've netted from the First Selection until now. Goals are the currency of greatness here."

A murmur rippled through the room, a mix of tension and anticipation filling the air. Yukimiya's brow furrowed, and the others leaned in, eager to absorb every word.

Ego's smirk widened, as though relishing their discomfort.

"Let's break it down"

He continued.

"The gap between you, Yukimiya, and those above you begins with the smallest margin. Ranks five and six differ only by a few goals, nothing extraordinary. But…"

His tone grew sharper, more cutting.

"Rank four? That's where the real leap begins."

The room collectively stiffened. Ego's eyes gleamed behind his glasses.

"Rank Four's position shot up because of one thing—he scored against the World Five. Not just a fluke either. He outsmarted Dada Silva, not once but twice."

The room erupted in low gasps and muttered disbelief.

"What?! He scored against the World Five?"

"Silva?! Are you kidding me? That guy is a wall!"

Even among the sharpest talents in Blue Lock, such a feat felt monumental. Their recent match against the World Five was still fresh in their minds—an overwhelming reminder of just how massive the gap was between them and the true elite of Football.

Yukimiya's lips pressed into a thin line, processing the information. But what sent shivers down everyone's spine wasn't just the revelation about Rank Four—it was the realization that there were still three ranks above that.

All heads turned toward the white-haired genius, standing casually with his usual detached expression. Nagi barely looked fazed, his slouched posture and lazy gaze giving no indication that he'd just been outed as one of the top talents in Blue Lock.

"That guy…"

Barou growled, his fists clenching at his sides.

"He scored against Silva? Twice?!" [A/N: Nagi had only scored a single goal. That was Barou's conclusion after carefully analyzing Ego's cryptic remarks.]

"He's still only Rank Four?"

Chigiri whispered, his ruby eyes widening in disbelief.

The tension was palpable now. Ego's grin only grew, feeding off their reactions.

"Impressive? Sure. But that's only Rank Four. The top three—well, let's just say, their achievements make even Nagi's feat look… ordinary. If you want to know what separates you from Rank One, Yukimiya, then prepare yourself. The gap isn't just in goals—it's in greatness."

The room fell silent again, the weight of Ego's words hanging over them like a storm cloud. Every striker in that room felt it—an unspoken challenge. The air crackled with the unrelenting drive that defined Blue Lock.

Yukimiya's jaw tightened, his hand slowly lowering as he processed everything.

"I see…"

He muttered, determination sparking in his eyes.

"Good"

Ego said, his smirk now razor-sharp.

"Because if you truly want to climb, you'll need to stop asking obvious questions and start scoring goals. Real goals. Against the giants of the world, not just the pawns you've been playing with so far."

As the tension in the room began to simmer, Ego's cold, mechanical voice cut through once more.

"Enough gawking. Top 6, you've earned your rank—now get moving. Your rooms are through that gate"

He said, gesturing toward a towering metallic door at the far end of the room. It opened with a hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor lined with glowing blue lights.

Isagi, Shidou, Rin, Nagi, Karasu, and Otoya exchanged brief glances, some brimming with determination, others with rivalry. Without a word, the six stood up and began walking toward the gate, the weight of their ranks trailing behind them like a storm cloud.

As the gate slammed shut behind them with an echoing clang, Ego turned his piercing gaze back to the remaining 29 players, his smirk vanishing as his expression grew colder.

"Now, for the rest of you…"

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.

.

The six of them stepped into the corridor, their footsteps echoing against the metallic walls as the gate behind them sealed shut. A glowing sign ahead displayed "TOP 6 ACCOMMODATIONS," with an arrow leading to a door that slid open as they approached.

Inside, the room was sleek and minimalistic, illuminated by a soft blue hue. Two separate doors on either side of the main lounge area clearly led to the individual bedrooms they were to share. Above the doors, a digital sign read: Room A and Room B.

"I'm taking Room A."

Isagi's voice cut through before anyone else could speak. Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the door marked Room A and entered, his steps purposeful.

"Hey, wait—"

Karasu began, but he stopped when Nagi, with his usual languid air, yawned and followed after Isagi.

"Room A sounds fine"

Nagi said, brushing past the others.

"Less noisy, probably."

The group exchanged glances, but Shidou suddenly burst into a grin and shrugged.

"I'm in Room A, too!"

He declared, sauntering after them.

With that, the teams split. Inside Room A, Isagi sat on one of the simple single beds, stretching his arms over his head. Nagi flopped onto the bed, immediately pulling out his phone, while Shidou leaned casually against the wall, his wild grin plastered on his face as he watched Isagi intently.

"So, Rank 1"

Shidou began, his voice laced with excitement.

"I've been dying to ask—those four goals against the World 5… how the hell did you pull that off?"

Isagi didn't even look up.

"I just did what I had to, Also how do you know that I scored four goals?"

He said simply, his tone flat.

Shidou raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with such a bland answer.

"Reo told me back there and C'mon, don't give me that boring crap! Four goals against those monsters? That's insane, man! Was it luck? Or did you plan it all out?"

"Planned"

Isagi replied curtly, leaning back against the wall.

Shidou let out an exaggerated groan.

"Man, you're killing me here! At least tell me which one was your favorite."

Isagi gave a faint shrug, his eyes closing as if to signal the end of the conversation.

"All of them."

Shidou blinked, then let out a laugh, the sound echoing in the room.

"You're really playing hard to get, huh, Isagi? Fine, keep your secrets. But don't think I'm not gonna beat you next time we face off. I'm taking that Rank 1 spot."

"Good luck"

Isagi replied, his tone nonchalant but with a sharp edge that made Shidou's grin widen even further.

Nagi, who had been scrolling on his phone, finally chimed in.

"Shidou, can you be quiet? You're too loud."

Shidou turned to Nagi, his grin unwavering.

"What's wrong, Nagi? Feeling jealous because you didn't get the ball enough?"

"Not really"

Nagi replied, his tone as apathetic as ever.

"Isagi carried me anyway."

Shidou's laughter boomed again, filling the room.

"Oh man, this is gonna be fun. Room A—Rank 1 and the guy who got carried by him. And me, the only one who's actually gonna push you guys to the limit."

Isagi opened one eye, giving Shidou a sideways glance.

"You can try."

Shidou's grin stretched even wider, his golden eyes gleaming.

"Oh, I will."

The tension in the room lingered, but it wasn't the hostile kind—it was the charged, competitive energy of three strikers who all knew that they would eventually clash again.

Isagi glanced over at Nagi, who was sprawled on his bed like a lazy cat, eyes fixed on his phone as his thumbs kept moving on the screen. The faint sounds of the game—explosions, coins clinking, and a victory jingle—floated through the room.

Not wanting to miss out, Isagi grabbed his own phone, the competitive fire already lighting in his chest. He opened the game app and gave Nagi a hopeful look.

"Wanna team up?"

Nagi's eyes flicked up briefly, his expression immediately flattening.

"No."

The response was so blunt it made Isagi flinch.

"What? Why not?"

"You're reckless"

Nagi replied without missing a beat.

"Last time, you got my character killed. Like, a lot."

Isagi winced at the memory. He had been terrible—rushing into battles, falling into traps, and somehow managing to attract every enemy in sight. Nagi, patient as he usually was, had lost his cool halfway through and hadn't let Isagi touch the game since.

"Come on"

Isagi pleaded.

"That was ages ago! I've gotten better... probably."

Nagi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but before he could refuse again, Shidou's voice cut through the air like a bolt of chaos.

"What's this? Gaming sesh without me? Rude!"

Shidou, who didn't even own a phone, leaned over Isagi's shoulder with exaggerated curiosity.

"What's the deal? Yoichi begging to play and Nagi being his usual stingy self?"

Isagi groaned.

"Shidou, not now."

"Definitely now"

Shidou shot back, plopping himself down between them.

"Let's settle this like men. Nagi, let the poor guy play. I need some entertainment, and watching Isagi fail is top-tier comedy."

Nagi sighed, clearly outnumbered, and reluctantly handed over a teammate slot.

"Fine. But don't ruin it this time."

"Yes!"

Isagi cheered, determined to prove himself.

As the game started, the room descended into a mixture of chaos and hilarity. Isagi tried his best, but it wasn't long before his character was once again falling into traps and triggering enemies left and right.

"Isagi, You are doing it again"

Nagi groaned, his tone caught between exasperation and disbelief.

"Giving the enemies a chance"

Shidou said with a laugh.

"How generous of him!"

"Shut up, Shidou!"

Isagi snapped, though he couldn't help but laugh when Shidou mimed tripping over invisible obstacles.

Nagi, despite his usual calm demeanor, joined in on the roasting.

"Maybe you should stick to Football. Reflexes like that won't even help you cross the street."

"I'm trying!"

Isagi shouted, frantically tapping his screen.

Shidou cackled, practically rolling off the bed.

"This is gold. Keep going, Yoichi! Maybe you'll discover a hidden talent for sabotaging your teammates."

Their boisterous laughter and playful commotion echoed through the hall, a chaotic symphony of energy that seemed to ripple through the air. Suddenly, the lively atmosphere was pierced by the sharp chime of an announcement. A calm, authoritative voice crackled over the intercom, cutting through the noise and drawing everyone's attention.

'Isagi Yoichi,' 

It called,

'please report to the Medical Department.' 

The room fell into a hushed silence, the weight of the message settling over the once jubilant crowd.

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30 minutes before the announcement

Control Room

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