"My body doesn't have a monster in it," Ryan said, voice calm under the moonlight, "but I do have something else… something even scarier than a monster."
The three of them Ryan, Bachira, and Isagi passed the ball lazily back and forth across the empty field.
"Something scarier? Tell us!" Bachira said eagerly.
Ryan lowered his head, pretending to grow serious.
"In my right leg… lies a sealed demon of soccer. All my power comes from it. But using that power comes with a terrible price."
Bachira's eyes sparkled.
"Whoa, so that's why you're so strong! What's the price?!"
Ryan nodded solemnly.
"Every time I use its power… my romantic luck increases. More girls start hitting on me. They ask me out, drag me on dates… I spend all my time with them and then I have no time to train. Without training, I get weaker. Terrifying, isn't it? So I try to use it as little as possible."
Bachira gasped dramatically.
"That's awful! You have to be careful, Ryan. I don't want my rival turning weak from… too much love."
Isagi, standing off to the side, silently regretted every life choice that had brought him here.
These two sound like elementary schoolers playing superheroes.
He sighed. I should've just stayed in bed.
Then suddenly, Ryan stopped the ball under his foot.
The playfulness vanished from his face.
"Bachira," he said, his tone dropping low, "has it always been your monster that controls the way you play?"
Bachira tilted his head, thoughtful.
"Hmm… yeah, I guess you could say that. It's been with me since I was a kid."
Ryan's crimson eyes gleamed.
"Do you know the difference between a King and a Steed?"
Bachira blinked.
"What are you talking about?"
Ryan's expression hardened.
"I'm not asking about legs or species, idiot. I mean this, imagine two beings, equal in form, skill, and power. One becomes the King who commands the fight; the other, the Steed who adds strength to that command.
The difference between them…"
He paused, his voice cutting through the cold night air.
"…is instinct."
Both Bachira and Isagi froze, stunned by the sudden weight in his words.
And as Ryan spoke, his eyes seemed to spiral the pupils narrowing into hypnotic swirls, the same kind of gaze Isagi had seen in monsters before.
"The answer," Ryan said softly, "is pure instinct, da yo."
Up in the control room, Jinpachi Ego watched through the monitors, his face reflecting the screen's glow.
For once, the man who saw through everything was speechless.
So this kid… has already started to grasp it, Ego thought, a grin creeping across his face.
He's not just a monster. He's thinking like a predator who's already looking down on the food chain.
Bachira stood frozen, mind spinning.
He's right… All this time, it's been the monster controlling me. I've just been the horse carrying it not the one steering it.
Nearby, Isagi clenched his fists.
Ryan's last word instinct echoed in his mind like a spark.
Instinct… if I can find that inside myself… I'll get stronger. I know it.
Bachira finally looked up again, smiling genuinely this time.
"You know, Ryan… I'm really glad I came here.
I'm glad I met you."
Ryan turned to him with mock alarm.
"Whoa, whoa hold up. Are you confessing to me? Sorry, man. You're a great guy, but I only like girls.
Also, I'm kind of scum. I've got three girlfriends already… and still flirt with other women."
Isagi, standing nearby, froze.
Did he just casually admit to being an absolute degenerate? Should I… leave?
Before he could decide, a voice boomed through the loudspeakers.
"Attention, all Blue Lock players. Physical assessment results have been updated. Please return to your rooms to check your latest rankings."
Isagi exhaled in relief.
Saved by the broadcast.
He bolted off the field, leaving Ryan and Bachira behind.
Back in the dorm, everyone was awake, crowding around the digital ranking board.
Ryan's new rank flashed on-screen: No. 265.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. Guess I'm moving up in the world."
He knew the numbers didn't really matter Ego had said it himself:
The rankings were just fuel, a way to spark rivalry and keep the players hungry.
Blue Lock had five towers, each ranking its own set of sixty players from 300 downward.
No one here was even close to the "top 100" yet.
Still, as Ryan looked at his number glowing on the wall, he grinned.
"Two hundred sixty-five, huh?
Fine. I'll start from here…
and climb to the very top."