Chapter 12: Desire
"Understand?"
Without the slightest change in tone, Naruhaya Asahi ordered the useless monk standing before him to remove his jersey.
At this moment, Igarashi Gurimu finally understood what it meant to "sit on the bench": he wouldn't be needed for the next match.
Although he felt a sense of rejection and humiliation from the team, the moment he realized he could easily skip the match, the monk immediately answered:
"Yes!"
As soon as he spoke, he took off his No. 13 jersey and handed it to Naruhaya Asahi.
The other Team Z members watching the peaceful exchange couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Inside the monitoring room, Anri Teieri, watching the scene unfold, immediately asked Ego Jinpachi, who was slurping instant noodles beside her:
"Mr. Ego, is this allowed?"
"Well, sitting on the bench can help players reflect on field positioning and information. Don't make a fuss."
Ego's pitch-black pupils shifted toward Naruhaya Asahi — whose personality was completely different from what his file described, or rather, whose personality had only recently changed.
"By the way, Anri, did you find anything on his recent records?"
"Yes."
Anri handed Ego a document — the admission list for a U.S. global selection program for youths under seventeen.
"After the 21st World Cup, American player Arthas and his coach launched a training program called 'Star of Tomorrow', submitted to the U.S. Football Federation. Because Arthas used his own reputation and five billion dollars as sponsorship, the program was approved."
"Naruhaya applied online at the beginning of August this year and received a free plane ticket to the U.S. After winning the preliminary elimination round, he was accepted into the talent list."
"At the beginning of September, because of the U.S. talent-introduction policy, Naruhaya brought all his brothers and sisters to the special residential district Arthas built for players' families. Their schools and workplaces were arranged as well. On November 10th, the Japan Football Union sent a summons letter to him through UPS International Express, and only recently did he return. But… the return records have one strange issue."
Hearing "strange," Ego slurped his noodles and asked:
"What's strange about it?"
"No matter what resources I used, I couldn't find any record of his return — no flight, no ship, not even his name on the list of people re-entering the country."
Ego looked completely unfazed.
"Huh? That's nothing. Just ask him directly."
---
Back in Team Z's dorm, everyone was discussing breakfast.
Raichi Jingo shouted loudly:
"Only our breakfast is the best!"
Behind him stood the bread faction — Igarashi Gurimu, Chigiri Hyoma, Imamura Yudai, and Isagi Yoichi.
Imamura gave support:
"Breakfast should be bread."
Opposing them was the rice faction.
Bachira Meguru immediately countered:
"No way, nothing beats rice!"
Behind him stood Iemon Okuhito, Kunigami Rensuke, and Gagamaru Gin.
The debate heated up:
Imamura (bread faction):
"Bread has more variety!"
Raichi (bread faction):
"You eat rice for lunch and dinner — breakfast should be bread, dumbass!"
Bachira (rice faction):
"Breakfast needs rice. Bread's bad for digestion!"
While everyone argued, Kuon Wataru walked in fresh from a shower, towel drying his hair.
"Hahhh~ that shower felt great—"
Before he could finish, everyone rushed up to ask whether he was rice faction or bread faction.
Flustered, Kuon answered:
"I… eat cereal with milk."
This angered both factions.
Raichi immediately grabbed his hair:
"You traitor!"
Bachira pulled his clothes:
"You were hiding a cereal-eater!?"
Imamura cursed him:
"May you turn into yeast."
The noise was deafening.
Watching highlight clips of his idol, Naruhaya Asahi walked in and asked:
"What the hell are you guys doing?"
Raichi, seeing their "commander" arrive, immediately asked:
"Naruhaya, for breakfast do you eat rice or bread?"
Everyone gulped.
This was top-secret intel — what did the powerhouse tyrant eat to gain so much strength?
"Breakfast? I don't eat breakfast."
After answering, Naruhaya kept watching videos and walked back to his futon.
The others were petrified.
Raichi, sweating profusely, didn't dare treat the tyrant the same way he treated Kuon. He saved face:
"Oh, skipping breakfast… sounds stylish."
"Y-yeah… not all breakfasts have to be rice, hahaha…"
Bachira also scrambled to save face.
The two suddenly became best friends.
After encountering the cereal faction and the fasting faction, both bread and rice factions began to appreciate each other more — at least their choices were normal for most Japanese people.
Naruhaya didn't care about any of this. As long as no one disturbed him while he analyzed Arthas's attacking techniques.
His American friend Mike had sent him tons of resources, saying that after the World Cup, the U.S. had erupted into a massive soccer craze. Even someone like him — who had never watched the World Cup — had been personally recommended by his school's cheer captain.
Mike shared everything the cheer captain gave him:
All of Arthas's matches since arriving in the U.S., in three editions — detailed, collector's, and legendary.
School administrators and cheer staff owned all three.
Fan-club members owned collector + detailed.
People like Mike, who failed to join the fan club, only had detailed.
American media was broadcasting nonstop football news. Even Hollywood stars were lining up to take photos with players.
Seeing all this, Naruhaya asked whether the American Football League sold any official Arthas merchandise. He was willing to buy it at a high price.
Mike responded bitterly:
"My dear Japanese friend, don't even dream about it. Since Mr. Arthas is still underage, the league doesn't sell any merchandise."
Naruhaya felt his soul leave his body.
Mr. Arthas… I desperately want official merch from you…
Damn the American Football League!
What kind of stupid rule is 'only adult players can have merchandise'!?
He sent Mike a "soul-leaving" emoji; Mike sent one back.
Clearly, Mike — no, the entire fanbase — shared his frustration.
Across the ocean, Mike hugged his soccer ball and typed excitedly:
"To be honest, I was only into basketball before. But after the soccer craze hit school, well… you know."
"But ever since I watched the World Cup final, I realized I almost missed the highlight of my life. Murderous Football — I swear, Mr. Arthas's two goals kicked straight into my heart. I fell in love with soccer. Do you understand that feeling!?"
Naruhaya understood perfectly.
The superhuman 'Murderous Football'!
That strike carried such force it nearly uprooted the nails anchoring the goalframe to the ground.
And the most terrifying part was — this wasn't a one-time miracle.
He unleashed it twice in one match.
From the opening of that scene to the moment Arthas collapsed unconscious, every sudden twist in that final filled Naruhaya's veins with fire.
Because of that match, the amnesiac Naruhaya developed a desire:
To stand on the pitch and fight for the ball alongside Arthas.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the internet, Mike excitedly shared that he had just passed his school's football tryouts. He promised that when next year's Star of Tomorrow program reopened, he would sign up without hesitation. His dream was to one day stand under the national flag and raise the World Cup Trophy like Arthas.
Naruhaya realized he needed to fully understand U.S. football and league activities; otherwise why didn't he know about this program that allowed close contact with Arthas?
But since Mike had given him so much intel, Naruhaya sent him his most sincere blessings.
Chirp, chirp~
The dorm screen suddenly lit up — Ego's face again.
"Hey, can you hear me, Naruhaya Asahi?"
Naruhaya pulled out his earphones and replied:
"Yes, do you need something from me?"
A rare moment — Ego actually called him by name.
The entire Team Z fell silent, ready for gossip.
During mealtime, Ego slurped his noodles and asked:
"I found your record of leaving the country, but no record of you returning. Can you explain?"
"Leaving the country? Sorry, due to an accident I lost my memory. I don't know any of the details."
"Huh? ×10"
The most shocked of all was rank-300 Igarashi Gurimu. He'd assumed Naruhaya, without a club, was secretly trained by Japan… but he was actually amnesiac?
"What a joke — you're that strong even with amnesia!?"
The others felt the same.
His six-sided stats were ridiculous — and that was him forgetting everything.
Isagi Yoichi immediately asked:
"Then how did you come to Blue Lock?"
"When I woke up from amnesia, I found the summons letter in my pocket. It said 'Japan Football Union,' so I followed the date and ended up with you guys."
He took apart his phone case and showed them:
A wrinkled summons letter inviting Naruhaya Asahi, and a personal ID card showing his face.
Seeing the documents, everyone finally understood how he arrived despite losing his memory.
Ego, who had experience abroad, wasn't surprised.
Still slurping noodles, he asked:
"What do you still remember? Do you need medical assistance?"
Naruhaya hated being touched by strangers — especially in a place full of egotists — so he refused:
"No need. I remember my parents seem to be gone. I should have one older sister, two younger sisters, two younger brothers. That should be correct?"
"Yes. Slurp~"
Ego added mayonnaise and seasoning to his noodles.
"Do you remember your identity?"
Naruhaya set his phone down, supporting his body with both hands.
"With how quickly I adapted to Blue Lock, and my physical ability compared to everyone here, I must have been professionally trained. So — a football player."
He then grumbled:
"Judging by Team X and Team Y's performance, I'm stronger than most of them. Why are they ranked above me?"
Ego sprinkled chili powder on his noodles.
"Rankings are based on your recent performance. Because you left the country, the data available on you is from three months ago."
Naruhaya scoffed:
"Three-month-old data? What, did I have some miracle encounter that turned me from rank 297 garbage into rank 265?"
Still, since rankings came from physical data and the first selection was halfway done, he didn't obsess too much.
Two more teams defeated, and he'd reach Building 4.
Behind him, former ranks 298 (Iemon), 299 (Isagi), and 300 (Igarashi) felt their hearts pierced by thousands of arrows.
Heh… was he calling them garbage!?
Ego continued:
"Do you remember why you left the country?"
"No."
Ego finally put his noodles aside — afraid of laughing so hard he'd choke.
He pressed his dark-ringed eyes and asked seriously:
"Let me confirm one more time — Naruhaya, are you absolutely sure you don't want medical treatment?"
Naruhaya held firm:
"No need."
"Excellent."
The moment the screen cut off—
Ego twisted in his chair and burst into wild laughter.
"HA—HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Anri nearly jumped.
"What happened, Mr. Ego?"
"Anri… how many were selected in Star of Tomorrow?"
"Over four thousand players, narrowed to three."
A brutal ratio.
She genuinely struggled to imagine how someone from a football-weak country like Japan managed to defeat international elites in the preliminaries.
"And our Blue Lock project?"
"One chosen from three hundred."
Three hundred high-schoolers' lives rewritten… for one world-class striker.
"In that case… Naruhaya Asahi is a gift from heaven. I want to see with my own eyes — between a player nurtured by Arthas and one trained by Blue Lock, whose program produces the stronger result."
Ego's monochrome eyes were gradually swallowed by a thick, pitch-black darkness — as deep as an abyss, threads of writhing black intertwining endlessly.
This was his desire — the desire to create the world's greatest striker.