"Hey Kira, I wanted to ask — why did you choose me?"
Walking through the corridor to the next area, Ikki looked at Ryōsuke with confusion, curious about the reason for his selection.
"Because you were the most suitable choice." Ryōsuke replied with a smile, "Baro is too self-centered, and his style of soccer hurts team morale, so I ruled him out immediately. Mikage has strong abilities overall, but his mindset is easily swayed by his surroundings, making it hard for him to stay focused during matches. As for you, Niko — while your physical abilities and offensive skills may be lacking — you possess something the other two don't: a broader perspective and excellent field control. Plus, your personality makes you easier to work with, making you a better teammate than the others."
What he said was true — among the three members of the Red Team, only this level-headed player was truly suited to being a teammate.
"I see." Ikki nodded, turning to study him intently.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, after facing off against Ryōsuke twice, he knew exactly what his opponent was capable of.
This guy was an absolute monster. Ikki wanted to use this opportunity to learn how he had become so strong.
Soon, their group arrived at the new floor — a space only accessible to teams of four. Like the previous building, it had complete facilities: a cafeteria, bathhouse, training grounds, and gym.
"Looks like we're the first ones here." Ryōsuke observed, scanning the empty space. They had finished their match quickly, securing a clean 5-0 victory.
Shortly after, another team walked in.
Rensuke looked their way expectantly, hoping to see Yoichi's team had advanced.
His face lit up when he first spotted Meguru, but as the others entered behind him, his smile slowly faded.
Rin Itoshi, Jūbē Aryū, and Aoshi Tokimitsu.
"What?" Rensuke's eyes widened as he watched them arrive, immediately grasping the situation.
Yoichi's team had lost, and Meguru had become the winners' 'prize'.
"Bachira, what happened?" Rensuke hurried to his side, concerned about his former teammate's elimination.
Ryōsuke wasn't surprised by this result. After all, Rin was the strongest overall player in Blue Lock, and both Jūbē and Aoshi possessed physical talents far beyond normal. The gap between the two teams was like heaven and earth — and in the original story, Yoichi's team had lost to Rin twice.
Yet Ryōsuke wasn't worried about their elimination. The stronger the opponent, the more they would evolve.
Rin ignored everyone and walked straight up to him.
"Don't waste time, let me kill you, you insect." Veins bulged on his forehead as he glared at Ryōsuke with intense discomfort.
It grated on him that this insect was once again "ahead" of him, finishing the match faster than he had.
"I'd like to, but I suggest you look at the notice on the wall." Ryōsuke pointed to where it clearly stated that matches between teams must be separated by less than twenty-four hours.
"You're just prolonging your death sentence. Enjoy your extra day of pathetic existence." After his threat, Rin stormed off to his assigned room.
On the side, Ikki stood nervously silent, well aware of the arrogant player's terrifying abilities. The pressure emanating from him was suffocating — his killing intent wasn't for show.
Only a monster like Ryōsuke could remain calm facing someone like Rin.
Ikki couldn't help but wonder who was stronger between the two.
"...That's what happened..."
Meguru explained the match to Rensuke, who swallowed hard.
The combination of Yoichi, Meguru, and Hyōma was formidable, yet they'd been thoroughly crushed.
Just how strong was this Rin Itoshi?
"Though it's frustrating, there's nothing we can do about it." Meguru turned to Ryōsuke with anticipation, "But now I'm on another team, so we'll be opponents in the next match, right? I'll be giving it my all."
"Good luck then." Ryōsuke responded with a smile, "But in the end, we'll definitely be the ones who win."
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Blue Lock, Monitoring Room.
Jinpachi pushed up his glasses, focusing on the five people before him.
They had different skin colors and came from different countries — but all were top players in this world.
He had paid them handsomely to come to Blue Lock, wanting them to compete with the Project's members to show them what real skill gaps looked like.
These five players' abilities were extraordinary, completely overwhelming compared to those in Blue Lock.
"One hundred million each, plus one million bonus for each goal scored, as agreed." Jinpachi said.
"To be honest, this is like money falling from heaven." A bearded Western man spoke with nonchalance, though his credentials backed up his attitude.
Adam Blake, England National Football Team player, nicknamed the 'Goal Junkie' with his incredibly powerful physical abilities — for him, dealing with these seventeen or eighteen-year-olds would be child's play.
"Playing against a bunch of kids, but if there's money in it, I don't mind." Next to him stood a muscular black man with dreadlocks known as the 'Heavy Tank' — Dada Silva, player of the Brazil National Football Team.
"We shouldn't look at it that way." A youthful-looking man spoke up — Pablo Cavazoz, a star player from the Argentina National Football Team who had already made his mark in international matches.
"I really envy your country, having so much money to waste on a project that's bound to fail." A frivolous-looking man said while tilting his head carelessly. His name was Leonardo Luna, "The Scion of Real Madrid". a world-renowned player on the Spain National Football Team.
"However, there's one thing I must make clear beforehand." Jinpachi pushed up his glasses, his expression turning serious, "If you lose even one match, you won't get a single penny."
"Oh? Mr. Ego, do you think there's any chance we could lose?"
Among the five stood a young black man with a buzz cut. Though he was the youngest, his eyes shone with the intensity of a lion, and his speech carried an air of politeness.
Julian Loki, a rising star who had just made his mark in the French league with Paris X Gen and played for the France National Football Team, was the same age as the others in Blue Lock. Yet his abilities were terrifying, and his potential for growth exceeded even the other four.
"Originally, I thought it impossible — even after ten thousand matches, you would win overwhelmingly. But now, after noticing certain things, my thinking has changed. Even if the possibility is minuscule, there exists someone in Blue Lock whom even you cannot underestimate." Jinpachi said.
"There couldn't be such a person."
The other four spoke in unison, but Julian merely narrowed his eyes.
"Mr. Ego, who might this person be?"
"You'll find out soon enough." A meaningful smile crossed Jinpachi's face, "After just one round against them, you'll know exactly who I'm talking about. And if my estimates are correct, you'll be taking the field sooner than expected."
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Meanwhile, Ryōsuke and the others followed the broadcast's instructions to their room.
The four-person rooms were considerably better than the other areas — more spacious, with separate beds, and more lavish cafeteria food. Their personal luggage had already been delivered.
"Kira, do you play games?" Seishirō asked, taking out his phone.
"No, I don't really play mobile games. I'm going to train later."
After saying this, Ryōsuke left the room and headed to the gym.
Rensuke, already used to his training obsession, quickly followed. Ikki, wanting to catch up to Ryōsuke, trailed behind them.
Seishirō was typically lazy and rarely participated in training, relying instead on his natural talent for matches. However, seeing that monster heading to train, he decided to change his ways and experience the joy of soccer. He put down his phone and joined them at the gym.
After arriving, Ryōsuke immediately began training after warming up, with Rensuke following closely behind. Ikki started with some lower-intensity exercises while carefully observing that guy, hoping to learn from his workout routine.
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Several hours later, Ikki completely broke down.
He came to a stark realization: Ryōsuke wasn't human at all!
The training intensity he set for himself was even more insane than what Jinpachi had arranged for them — it was something normal people simply couldn't endure. After forcing himself to keep up for a while, he ended up vomiting from exhaustion.
"Kira... didn't you just play a match with us today? Aren't you tired..." Hugging the iron bucket, Ikki sat on the ground, completely drained.
Although his physical condition had improved considerably after ten days of intensive training, he still couldn't compare to a monster like that guy.
"It's not bad, since we only needed to score five goals, and the field was relatively small, so it didn't take much energy." Ryōsuke said while running at high speed on the treadmill, barely out of breath.
Compared to the training plan set by Riko, this level wasn't particularly difficult.
"Monster..." Ikki couldn't help but sigh again.
During the match, he hadn't even participated much in the attack, just helping to defend against this monster, and he was already exhausted.
But for Ryōsuke, that match hadn't posed any pressure at all. How frightening...
To be able to maintain this level of practice for so long, just how strong was this guy's willpower?
"Since the first day he came to Blue Lock, Kira has maintained this terrifying intensity of training. We... we can't compare..."
Rensuke was also getting exhausted and had to stop to rest, while Seishirō sat nearby, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel.
"Training really is such a hassle..." He sighed and immediately took out his phone, planning to secretly play for a moment during the break.
But at this moment, Ryōsuke suddenly appeared in front of him and snatched his phone away.
"Hey, I wasn't ready yet."
"No slacking off until training is finished." Ryōsuke said with a smile, but his tone carried a hint of authority that couldn't be defied.
Without realizing it, he had started to take on some of Riko's coaching style.
"Is this level too much for you? Get up and run three kilometers as a break!"
"Running three kilometers as a break?" Ikki's hand holding the bucket trembled slightly.
Originally, he had wanted to learn Ryōsuke's training methods, but in the end, he found he couldn't keep up at all — this training intensity was literally killing people.
But before he could hesitate, Ryōsuke had already grabbed him and thrown him onto the treadmill.
"Come on, Niko, just think of the slow three-kilometer run as a break. You can eat more at dinner later. And Nagi, I saw your hand — no phone until training is done."
Time after time, the advice of a monster echoed throughout the gym area.
"Your stamina is too poor, so you need to improve significantly in this area. Absolutely no slacking off."
"Hey Niko, don't throw up on the treadmill, Mr. Ego might make us pay for it!"
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