"Damn, Bachira, you're not half bad," Ryan said, brushing a few drops of sweat from his neck.
"For a second, I thought this building had a leak, turns out it's just me sweating. Guess I'll need a shower later."
He clapped Bachira on the shoulder, grinning.
"I acknowledge your strength. You've got what it takes… to be my underling."
"Really? Awesome!" Bachira's eyes lit up like a kid's.
The two faced each other like master and disciple, but everyone else lying on the grass looked anything but cheerful.
Yoichi Isagi watched Ryan , not a scratch on him, breathing steady, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow and couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He just fought ten people in a row… and won every time. He's not human. He's a monster among monsters.
He replayed it in his mind: Ryan's speed, his strength, his sheer physical dominance.
There was no chance to even see his technique every duel ended in a single move.
Just thinking about having to compete with someone like that made the future seem hopelessly dark.
But that despair ignited something in Isagi.
He clenched his fists.
If I don't get stronger, even if Ryan carries me now, I'll be useless later. I'll just get cut.
"Alright! Enough lying around. Get up, everyone. The boss has something to say!"
Raichi's shout jolted the group into action. They scrambled to their feet, lining up in front of Ryan.
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"Ahem. I assume no one's got a problem anymore?"
Heads nodded so fast it was almost comical.
"Good. Since I'm your boss now, I'll lead you to the top of " he paused, pretending to think,
" Suzuran! No wait… the top of Blue Lock! Speech over. Dismissed. I'm off to shower and nap."
After dismissal, Isagi approached Ryan alone.
"Ryan… can you tell me how to become strong? I want to survive here. Please teach me."
Ryan turned, a mock-solemn look on his face.
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I shall show mercy and grant you wisdom."
"If you want to get strong, you need a strong body first. Every day 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and run 10 kilometers."
Isagi blinked.
"That's… physically impossible."
"Of course it's hard," Ryan said, folding his arms. "But if you want to grow stronger, you've gotta suffer. You don't want to get eliminated, right, Yoichi Isagi?"
"No. I don't! Thank you, Ryan, I'll do it. I'll follow your training."
"Good!" Ryan said with fake emotion, wiping away imaginary tears. "Go, burn your youth brightly!"
He watched Isagi leave, smiling.
"Ahh… youth. So pure. So naïve. So… doomed."
The Third Day in Blue Lock
By the third day, Team Z was deep into training.
"Hey, Isagi! You call that running?" Raichi barked, grinning as he jogged past.
"You wanna be the world's best striker? You'll collapse before you even score!"
He had been running for 1 hour 13 minutes at 20 km/h, while Isagi was already gasping after 42 minutes.
Ryan, who'd been running for over two hours, chimed in casually.
"Raichi, you're too loud. And dude, be a little nicer to your teammates. As a romance master, I'm telling you rude guys don't get girls."
"Tch, fine…" Raichi grumbled.
"Good boy~," Ryan teased. "Obedient men are good doggies."
Next came the vertical jump test.
Ryan: 80 cm.
Isagi: 60 cm.
Kuon: 68 cm.
Kuon had thought his jump was decent until he saw Ryan's.
The difference was absurd.
That night, Ryan woke up, bladder screaming.
After relieving himself, he noticed Isagi sneaking out of the dorm.
"The hell's he up to this late?"
He followed quietly and soon spotted Isagi and Bachira on the pitch, a soccer ball between them.
"Oi, what are you two doing out here in the middle of the night? Don't tell me you're still practicing."
"Hehehe," Bachira giggled. "Wanna join us?"
"Why not? I'll grind you both into dust."
The three warmed up under the dim field lights.
As Ryan stretched, something popped into his mind.
"Hey, Bachira. Back during tag… what did you mean by 'monster'?"
Bachira's grin softened into something distant, almost eerie.
"When I play soccer, it comes out and talks to me.
It tells me to go wild. To score. To shine.
That day, it told me to steal the ball and that you, Ryan, have a monster too.
I just… follow that voice. That's all. You can hear it too, right? The monster inside you?"
Ryan chuckled.
"Hear it? Nah. I just do whatever I feel like doing. No voices, no monsters just me."
He looked up at the moonlit sky, his smirk fading into quiet confidence.
"If I wanna do something, I do it.
That's all there is."
And at that moment, three monsters stood beneath the same Blue Lock sky
each with a different voice in their soul,
each destined to devour the other.