"Ryan… that shot Isagi took
how did you manage to block it?"
Bachira asked from inside the corridor, eyes shining with curiosity.
Ryan, walking ahead, turned and gave him a look.
"Even an idiot could figure that out.
Isagi… he lacked one thing
luck.
Lady Luck simply wasn't on his side."
Chigiri joined in, confused.
"Luck? Can something that uncertain actually count as a reason?"
Ryan grabbed his head dramatically.
"You too, Chigiri? Seriously?
Listen, luck isn't something that appears out of nowhere.
It manifests for people who act toward their desired outcome.
On the field, luck is inevitable.
If you don't even understand that much,
you're not qualified to survive in football."
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the speakers.
"Ah, my precious gems of talent
congratulations on clearing the Second Selection!
Luck, hmm? A delightful topic indeed.
Come, step through the next door, and I'll explain it to you."
It was Ego.
The door to the next room opened.
The players entered.
"What role does luck play in the world of football?"
Ego asked the group.
Kunigami frowned, clearly not following.
"Luck is just… luck. If it happens, it happens. What else is there?"
Ego scoffed.
"A brain made only of muscle truly is hopeless.
Let me dumb it down for you."
"W–What?!"
"Shut up and listen.
Let me start with a question."
He continued:
"Have any of you been hit by pigeon droppings?
Disgusting, isn't it?
After you get hit, you notice:
there are droppings at your feet,
and pigeons perched right above you.
If you had looked up earlier and avoided that spot would you call it bad luck?"
"…What the hell is he talking about?"
"Something about luck…
but it sounds more like he's giving a lecture on pigeons."
Ego ignored them.
"Next question:
if a festival lottery has no winning tickets in the box,
and you draw a 'thank you for participating' slip can you call that bad luck?"
"Where are you going with this?!"
"Luck isn't something that exists everywhere.
It only appears where it can appear.
Football is the same."
He stepped toward the projector screen.
"In a 90-minute match, countless 'probabilities' and 'inevitabilities' occur.
Your training in Blue Lock has sharpened your shooting formula
increasing the inevitability of your goals.
But when your inevitability collides with the opponent's inevitability
something unpredictable is born.
That is the epicenter of luck."
Ego continued, analyzing the match:
"Before the fourth goal, during Red Team's attack
Player #7 (Nagi) used a feint to shake off his defender and shot the ball.
At that moment, five players slowed down or stopped
to observe the shot's trajectory.
Only one
Player #15 (Isagi)
continued accelerating forward.
Yet even he underestimated the field.
Only one player moved differently.
Player #6 Ryan Hoshino.
Instead of slowing
he instantly sprinted toward the goal.
He predicted #7 would shoot,
predicted the shot would aim for the upper corner,
and his gamble paid off.
Maybe his dynamic vision calculated it.
Maybe instinct guided him.
But he got there.
He blocked the ball."
Bachira raised his hand.
"Wait, wait fine, maybe the first save wasn't luck.
But the second shot?
That was pure coincidence!
How could Ryan possibly know the ball would bounce toward Isagi,
and that he'd shoot again?"
Ego smirked.
"Ah, that is where you misunderstand.
You're only thinking in terms of 'My Ball.'
Yes, Isagi could have been the first to the ball…
if he had been faster.
If Player #15 had accelerated more earlier,
he would have reached the position
where probability becomes inevitability.
From there, even Ryan couldn't have blocked his shot.
But his speed was lacking.
So he reached the ball in a less advantageous position
one where Ryan's speed allowed him to defend.
That position…
is what I call the "Thank You For Playing" zone."
Aryu nodded, enlightened.
"So Isagi failed to run into the place
most likely to be hit by… pigeon droppings
thus lowering his chance of scoring."
Chigiri grimaced.
"That metaphor is disgusting…"
Ego continued, unbothered.
"Of course, the ball might've gone to an enemy player too,
and then they could have scored.
Matches are thrilling precisely because
they hinge on such razor-thin margins.
But spectators merely watch from afar
they don't seize luck.
They aren't prepared for it.
By the time they react, it's already too late.
A true striker elevates himself
so he can always stand at the place
where luck will descend.
Those whom Lady Luck smiles upon…
are those who can smell opportunity
before it even appears.
Football absolutely involves luck and coincidence.
But if you insist the result of this match was purely chance
then you are still a second-rate player.
Raise your head.
Walk forward.
Become the kind of striker
who can face fate head-on."
Ego finished.
Bachira stared at Ryan, eyes wide.
"Ryan… I didn't expect you to be that insane."
Ryan burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Of course!
But the mushroom-head got one thing wrong."
He grinned wickedly.
"Even if Isagi had shot earlier…
I still would've blocked it."
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