Proyect: Bland King - Ayanokouji Kiyotaka en Blue Lock

Kuon: Let us toast team Z's victory in our second game. Cheers!

With Isagi's point, the team bought a delicious steak for dinner. 

Kuon: Dig in everyone!

The only person who didn't grab a piece, was Ayanokouji, since he didn't want to use his points on steak. 

Raichi: Talk about being stingy, hehehe. 

Ayanokouji: I'm sorry. I'd prefer to save my points. 

Isagi: But for what?

Chigiri: Isn't it obvious? He's saving them for a cell phone. He needs another goal to get three points and three points gets him a phone so he can communicate with his girlfriend.

Ayanokouji: (Chigiri has incredible intuition. But why did he narrow it down to a girlfriend. Isn't it plausible I could have wanted to call my parents?)

Kunigami: Who do you really need to call, Ayanokouji? 

Chigiri: A girlfriend like I said, obviously. It's written all over his face. 

Everyone: EHHHHH!!!!!

Igarashi: Hey, Ayanokouji! Is that true?! You have a girlfriend waiting for you?!

Naruhaya: Lucky bastard. 

Ayanokouji: I guess you can call it that. She doesn't know I'm in this experiment so it would make her feel better if she knew where I was. 

Igarashi: So what does she look like? Does she have big t-

Kunigami hit Igarashi's head with the side of his hand. 

Kunigami: Don't go bombarding Ayanokouji with questions. He and Isagi won us the game today. You're making him uncomfortable. Let's just eat. If he wants to talk about, he'll talk about it. 

Igarashi: You're speaking my language! I missed you, meat. You taste so good!

Naruhaya: Mmmm, delish, delish. 

Gagamaru: Hey, stop hogging all of the meat for yourself and give a piece to me. 

Kuon: Ok, everyone. We're going to do this potluck style. We'll get to taste each other's side dishes so no fighting. 

With a large tray and stand, Kuon set it up so team Z could each experience their favorite side dishes from the options presented there. Everyone began to dig in and the morale of the team increased with each bite during their celebration. 

Lemon: Natto's not so bad every once in a while. 

Ayanokouji: Oh, salmon. 

As the team ate together, conversations began to resurface once again. 

Kunigami: So, Ayanokouji, how much is your standing jump? You went like a meter in the air to score the first goal. 

Kuon: And I thought my ability was jumping, hehehe. 

Ayanokouji: My vertical jump is 116 cm. 

Igarashi spit out his food. 

Igarashi: EH?!

The person he spit his food on, Raichi, didn't seem all too thrilled. 

Raichi: Fucking loser. Close your damn mouth when your eating!

*SMASH*

Bachira: That first goal of yours was definitely a super goal, Ayanokouji. Here, you're the only one not eating this awesome steak so have a bite. 

With a fork, Bachira attempted to feed Ayanokouji a piece. 

Ayanokouji: No thank-

Not taking no for an answer, Bachira smiled and forcibly put the steak in his mouth. 

Ayanokouji: It's... delicious. 

Bachira, using the same fork, takes another piece and points it at Isagi. 

Bachira: Your turn, hero! Here's your reward! Say, 'ah'!

Isagi dodged Bachira's attempt. 

Isagi: Um, I can feed myself. 

Bachira: Don't be shy, take it. PASS!

Isagi was tackled on the ground and forcibly given the steak to which he ate. 

Kunigami: So Ayanokouji's weapon is more than just free kicks and Isagi's weapon is being able to 'smell' a goal. And thanks to Isagi's goal, we won. That's a fact.

Raichi: Hmph. I refuse to acknowledge that. 

Kuon: Well, whatever the case, we won! We'll survive this, team Z!

...

...

...

The team retired for the night. They planned on training in the morning right before their match in the afternoon. A little into the night however, Ayanokouji heard footsteps leaving their room.

He darted his head around and noticed it was Kuon with his reliable notebook. He peeked over and quietly went around the room outside of their sleeping area because voices were heard there. 

Ayanokouji: (Where are you going so late, Kuon? Strange.)

He also noticed that Isagi and Chigiri were also awake since their weren't in their sleeping bags. 

He decided to investigate. Ayanokouji left the room quietly and peaked into another room where Chigiri and Isagi were speaking. Just as Ayanokouji was about to follow Kuon, Isagi saw him from the corner of the room and exclaimed his name to which he answered and partook in conversation and entering the room. 

As for Kuon, he took this opportunity, albeit very risky, to meet with the enemy. He walked for a couple of minutes, somewhat paranoid at the possibility one of his teammates was carefully observing them. 

Eventually, he arrived at his destination. 

Knocking softly once, Kuon waited as the door swung open and a player on team W came out. He had a shaved head like Igarashi and a large smile. He was the highest ranked player in his team, the younger brother of the Wanima twins. 

Wanima: You took your time, didn't you?

Kuon: I thought they would all crash quickly but they were more annoying to deal with than that. 

Wanima: So, you have what we need?

Kuon smiled and handed over his notebook. 

Kuon: All of our tactics are in their and the strength and weaknesses of our players. I'll even come meet you and tell you any new information tomorrow or tactics we come up with. All I ask is that you let me score three goals so I can be the top goal scorer. You get the victory and I get to pass through all the same.

Wanima: As long as all this is correct, I'll make sure you get your goals. Having an extra player against the other team is going to be fun. 

Kuon: Hehehe, yeah, we'll crush them. 

Wanima: Now get the fuck out of here before you're caught. The plan is a complete dud if one of your teammates finds out. 

Kuon smiled. 

Kuon: They won't. They're all dumbass egoists who only think for themselves but they don't have the abilities to win. So I'm returning the favor. I'll cherish the moment I crush them. 

Suddenly, a cold chill ran its fingers through Kuon's neck. He turned around in complete fear but noticed no one around aside from himself and Wanima. 

Wanima: Didn't ya hear me? I said fuck off. 

Kuon: Ah, right.

Kuon returned to his room and quietly snuggled inside his sleeping bag. He saw that Ayanokouji, Chigiri and Isagi were all sleeping in their sleeping bags so he let a sigh of relief and slept for the night. 

...

...

...

Anri: A progress report on this project to the JFU is almost due. So how are we doing, Ego-san?

She picked a pair of underwear off the floor and placed it in a laundry basket. 

Ego, on the other hand, was taking the water out of his ramen. 

Ego: Hold on a moment, Anri-chan. I am about to experience bliss. 

Anri: Again with the ramen? Don't you eat anything else?

Ego: It's overcompensation. My dietary regimen when I used to play meant I couldn't eat it, so now that I can I only eat this stuff. 

Anri continued towards the sink and cleaned his dirty dishes and cleared his trash. 

Anri: At least clean up a little and do your laundry. Seriously...

Ego: I refuse to do anything that can be done by others. And my contract says I don't have to do anything unrelated to soccer, right?

Anri: Well, anyway, is Blue Lock's first selection process going well?

Ego: Yeah it's going really well. Just you watch, it's time to add some spice. 

...

...

...

During training in the morning, Isagi received the ball in the penalty box and attempts a shot but it hits the post. 

Igarashi: Okay, Isagi, you missed so you're done!

Raichi: Ha, you suck, that's a fluke. 

Recovering the ball that deflected off the post, Ayanokouji controlled it and hit the ball with the side of his shoe, curving the ball right into the goal and right past Lemon. 

Lemon: Your shots are curving even more. I can't predict where they'll end up. 

Raichi: Tsk, no need to show off. 

Kuon: Come on, let's continue with our practice. 

Taking a small break, Isagi drank water and contemplating on his teammates.

He looked on as Ayanokouji received a pass from Bachira and hit the ball again, perfectly curving the shot in the same position, where Lemon failed to block it yet again. 

Isagi: (Everyone else really is better than me. Just look at Ayanokouji. He's ranked at the bottom and yet he's our top goal scorer. And not to mention all my teammates' stamina is off the charts.) 

He sighed. 

Isagi: (I now know that my weapon is 'smelling' a goal. My spatial awareness, in other words. But I'm not exactly sure how to use it.)

And then the heated conversation between himself and Chigiri last night, replayed in his mind once again. 

Isagi: (I pissed Chigiri off by saying something unnecessary. I drag everyone down in practice. Something needs to change.) I don't want this to end with me only scoring a fluky goal. 

Ego: Hello there, diamonds in the rough. 

Ego face appeared in a large black screen inside the training area. He was eating his ramen noodles with sauce and mayo. 

Ego: Yup, sauce and mayo is the perfect combination. 

Kuon: Ego...

Igarashi: Those noodles look yummy. 

Gagamaru: Yummy.

Naruhaya: Yummy. 

The three had drool salivating and coming from their mouths. 

Ego: So the sixth round just finished. Here are the results and the table. 

In first place was Team V with 6 points and a +12 goal difference. Second was team W with 3 points and a -1 goal difference. Third place was team X with 3 points and a +/- 0 goal difference. Team Z finally appears in 4th place with a -3 goal difference. And in last place was Team Y, the team they just beat and they had 3 points as well with a -8 goal difference. 

Isagi: (Team V's got a huge lead.)

Kuon: Which means if we don't win the next game against Team W, we're in trouble. 

Ego: And here's some spice. Your player rankings are being adjusted based on your achievements and play so far. As a striker, you must prove your worth in goals. 

The numbers on each of Team Z's uniforms fluctuated until they stopped and their ranks appeared on the screen above.

----------------------------------------------------- 

265 [Ayanokouji Kiyotaka]

266 [Isagi Yoichi]

267 [Kunigami Rensuke}

268 [Bachira Meguru]

269 [Gagamaru Gin]

270 [Kuon Wataru]

271 [Raichi Jingo]

272 [Lemon Okuhito]

273 [Naruhaya Asahi]

274 [Chigiri Hyoma]

275 [Igarashi Gurimu]

----------------------------------------------------

Ego: Which means the top-ranked player in Team Z's team is you... Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. 

The number on Ayanokouji's sleeve was now 265 and everyone stared right at him in shock that the lowest ranked player now became their best player. Isagi Yoichi also got some scowls for his ranking since he jumped all the way up to 266. 

Ayanokouji: (Looks like the rankings are finally updated.)

Raichi: Damn it. 

Ego: Finding your weapon is the first requirement of being a striker. The next step is to polish your weapon and improve it. Make it stand out. 

Isagi: (That's the next step.)

Ego: Let's take the world-famous Argentinian striker, Lionel Messi as an example. His weapon is his unique and graceful speedy dribbling and how fast he swings his leg on his left-footed shot. In those aspects, he's the most prominent player on the planet. This is why he continues to reign as one of the world's best strikers. Each of you has a different weapon. So naturally, how you polish it will also be different. Just copying Messi won't make your weapon shine. Find your one-of-a-kind play and make it stand out. Your talent is a fierce gemstone that turns into worthless complacency if you don't polish it. 

With that, he took his leave and the screen switched to the next game which will start in 8 hours.

Kuon: All right, We have 8 hours before the match begins. Let's hold a meeting about team W a bit later. We're all exhausted so we should all take a few hours to ourselves and then come together to finalize our strategies. 

Everyone: Yeah! 

...

...

...

In their discussion room, Lemon led the conversation regarding their next opponent.

Lemon: Our next opponent is Team W. They have one loss against team V.

Isagi: So just like us, if they lose again, they're done. 

Lemon: But they got the better of Baro's team X, who beat us 4-1. We should consider them stronger than us.

Igarashi: Well, we are team Z after all. 

Naruhaya: I wonder what their playstyle is like.

Lemon: Well, one thing we do know is that team W's key players are these two... the Wanima brothers. 

Chigiri's eyes perched up and stared at the screen. 

Ayanokouji: (Ah, right. Wanima Jun-ichi was Chigiri's teammate. He must know all too well of Chigiri's trauma. I only know through some extensive research on my end so he can use this as an advantage since not many people know. Then again, if I just score another goal or two, I'll go through as the top goal scorer and none of this matters. But I guess I'd prefer to have someone like Isagi or Bachira supporting me in the next selection.)

Lemon: Their forte is their combination play. When they beat Barou's Team X, these two scored 4 goals. Their distance perception, their timing for initiating moves, and their give-and-gos are formidable weapons even if you know they're coming. 

Isagi: But it requires both of them to use their weapons. 

Lemon: That's right. So, we split them up. That's the key to defeating team W. 

Raichi: But why is Lemon in charge of this meeting? It's usually Kuon's job, right?

Lemon: Yeah, but Kuon isn't back from the bath yet. Can't I do it?

Naruhaya: Yeah, sure, our plan for beating them is becoming clear. Right, Gagamaru?

Igarashi: Man, he's taking a long time in the bath. Maybe he passed out?

The sliding door opened revealing Kuon returning with his face completely red and a towel around his neck. 

Bachira: Welcome back, coach. 

Kuon: Sorry I kept you waiting...

Igarashi: Oh, he's alive. 

Kuon: I was thinking about what to call tomorrow's operation and lost track of time. How's it all going? 

Isagi: We were doing some analysis on the monitor. 

Kuon: I see. 

Igarashi: So you did almost pass out. Don't go dying on us or we'll have 10 players out there, idiot!

Drinking cold water, Kuon cooled himself off. 

Kuon: In the next match, we'll put into practice what we learned last match. Operation: 'Next Up It's Me Nine' only uses each person's ability for 10 minutes, so our coordination was low and we wasted time when that weapon wasn't viable. So this time... we'll go with a front three of compatible weapons and rotate the formation three times at 30-minute intervals. This new operation lets us all shine like stars in a three-shift, front three pattern. We'll call it...

Pumping out his fist, Kuon gave yet another cringe name. 

Kuon: ...Operation: 'Southern All Stars.' 

 Igarashi: That's so lame. You took that long to come up with that? Your taste in names is the worst.

Gagamaru: I think it's great. I like that band. 'Erotica Seven' is a good song. 

Kuon smiled. 

Kuon: Gagamaru, you get it?!

Lemon: By the way, will I be staying at goal?

Raichi: What do you want us to do? We're winning. 

Igarashi: Why are you even bringing that up now?

Isagi: I'm grateful to you, Lemon. 

Lemon: Isagi, thank you. 

Isagi then asked Chigiri. 

Isagi: Chigiri, how about you? Are you ok with staying on defense?

Chigiri: If you have time to worry about others, use it to think about how you're going to score.

Isagi: Oh, sorry. 

Ayanokouji: (Makes sense he's acting like this. I've seen hundreds of examples of trauma through injuries whether it be in martial arts or in soccer similar to how Chigiri is feeling. I know if I tore an Achilles tendon, I might feel subconsciously chained to the ground for the rest of my life.)

Kuon: Alright! We've researched our opponent, and we're becoming more like a team! We're gonna win, Team Z!

Isagi: (Yeah! We'll win, no matter what!)