Blue Lock : Second Selection. Match 2: 4 vs 4.
Team White (Isagi, Rin, Bachira, Reo) vs. Team Red (Nagi, Barou, Chigiri, Kunigami).
Score: 1 - 2 (Team Red leads).
The digital net was still rippling from Isagi's goal. The score was 1-2, but the psychological damage inflicted on Team Red—and strangely, on Team White's own Rin Itoshi—was far greater than the single point suggested.
Rin stood over Isagi, his face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated loathing. He grabbed Isagi's shoulder, his grip tight enough to bruise.
"You stole it," Rin hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "That was my path. My shot. My goal."
Isagi swatted Rin's hand away casually, as if brushing off a fly.
"It was our goal," Isagi corrected, staring into Rin's teal eyes with a chilling calmness. "You created the space. I filled it. That's how a team works, Number 1. Or are you too busy playing 'King' to notice?"
Isagi turned to walk back to the center circle.
"If you want to score, move faster," Isagi threw back over his shoulder. "Or be a better decoy. Either way, I win."
On the other side, Team Red was fracturing.
"What the hell was that defense?" Kunigami yelled, pointing at Nagi and Barou. "You two ran into each other! You left the middle wide open!"
"Barou got in my way," Nagi said flatly. "I had the angle."
"Shut up, slacker!" Barou roared, veins popping in his neck. "You're the one who drifted into my territory! The King doesn't move for peasants!"
"You're both annoying," Chigiri sighed, flipping his hair. "Just give me the ball. I'm the only one scoring today."
Isagi watched them argue. The grid lines in his mind sharpened.
They are strong individually, Isagi analyzed. But their chemical reaction is toxic. Barou is the cancer. He refuses to synchronize. He destroys his own team's logic just to assert dominance.
And a predictable cancer... is easy to excise.
The King's Predictability
Restart.
Team Red kicked off.
Barou Shoei demanded the ball. "Give it to me! I'll crush them all!"
Reluctantly, Kunigami passed to Barou.
Barou received the ball and immediately turned upfield.
He didn't look for Chigiri on the wing. He didn't look for Nagi making a run.
He put his head down and charged straight at the heart of Team White's defense.
The Villainous Charge.
"I am the King!" Barou screamed, doing a majestic step-over to bypass Reo.
Reo stumbled. "He's so strong... physically, I can't stop him!"
Barou drove forward. He was 30 meters out.
Rin stepped up to stop him. "You're noisy, King."
Barou glared at Rin.
Rin Itoshi. The genius. If I crush him, I prove I'm superior.
Barou prepared to do a Chop Dribble. It was his signature move. A sharp cut inside to open a shooting angle.
Isagi was watching from behind Rin.
He's going to Chop, Isagi calculated. He always Chops. It's his Golden Formula. He refuses to pass, so his only option is to cut inside to his right foot.
It's not a choice. It's a habit.
Isagi moved.
He didn't move to where Barou was. He moved to the empty space on Barou's right.
The space where the ball would be after the Chop.
Barou executed the move. "Die!"
He chopped the ball inside, perfectly bypassing Rin.
"I win—"
SWIP.
The ball vanished.
Isagi Yoichi was standing there. He had been waiting for three seconds.
He trapped the ball calmly under his foot.
"Thanks for the pass, Barou," Isagi said.
Barou froze. "W-What? You... how did you know?"
"You're the easiest player on this field to read," Isagi looked at Barou with eyes devoid of respect. "You have no variation. You have no teammates. You are a King ruling over an empty kingdom."
Isagi turned his back on the stunned giant.
"In my world, you're not a King. You're just a predictable noise."
The Orchestrator of Hell
"Counter!" Isagi shouted.
Team White surged forward.
Rin, furious that Isagi had stolen the ball again (effectively saving Rin from being beaten), sprinted alongside him.
"Don't order me!" Rin yelled.
Isagi ignored him. He drove up the center.
Nagi and Kunigami were tracking back.
Isagi looked at Reo. "Reo! Wide!"
Reo sprinted to the left.
Isagi looked at Bachira. "Bachira! Cross!"
Bachira sprinted to the right.
Isagi had three options.
Pass to Reo (Safe).
Pass to Bachira (Creative).
Use Rin (Lethal).
Isagi looked at Rin.
Rin was making a diagonal run into the box, trying to steal the goal for himself.
He wants to score to wipe away the shame, Isagi thought. He's hungry.
Good.
Isagi drew the defenders (Nagi and Kunigami) to himself.
He wound up his right leg. A shot?
Nagi slid in. "Block it!"
Isagi didn't shoot. He chopped the ball softly into the path of Rin.
A perfect through-ball.
It was a gift. A pass on a silver platter.
Rin received the ball. He was 1-on-1 with the keeper.
He wanted to reject it. He wanted to scream, I don't need your charity!
But his ego refused to miss a goal.
Rin smashed the ball into the bottom corner.
Drive Shot.
GOAL.
Team White: 2 - Team Red: 2
Rin didn't celebrate. He kicked the post in anger.
"DAMMIT!" Rin screamed.
Isagi walked up to him, clapping slowly.
"Nice shot, Rin. You eat what I feed you like a good boy."
Rin spun around, grabbing Isagi by the collar again.
"Don't mock me! I scored that!"
"I made you score that," Isagi whispered, his face inches from Rin's. "I stole the ball. I drew the defense. I gave the pass. You just pulled the trigger. You're my weapon, Rin. Accept it."
Rin released Isagi, shoving him away.
"I will kill you. I swear on my brother's name, I will kill you."
"Get in line," Isagi smirked, glancing at the fuming Barou and the obsessed Nagi.
The Fracture
Score: 2 - 2.
The game was tied, but Team Red was falling apart.
Barou was hyperventilating with rage. "He read me... he called me predictable..."
Chigiri was annoyed. "Barou, pass the ball next time! I was open!"
Kunigami was frustrated. "We need teamwork, not hero ball!"
But Nagi Seishiro was quiet.
He looked at Isagi. Then he looked at Barou.
Isagi beat Barou because Barou is predictable, Nagi analyzed. Barou refuses to change. He refuses to pass.
If I want to beat Isagi... I can't be like Barou.
I have to be the one who devours the King.
Restart.
Team Red kicked off.
Barou demanded the ball again. "Give it here! I'll kill him this time!"
Kunigami hesitated. "Barou, don't lose it again."
"Shut up! Give it!"
Kunigami passed to Barou.
Barou charged.
Isagi moved to intercept again. Same pattern. He'll try to force his way through.
Rin moved to trap him.
The trap was set. Isagi and Rin were closing in on Barou. The King was about to be checkmated.
Barou saw them.
They think they can stop me? I'll just break them!
Barou prepared to dribble.
But suddenly, the ball disappeared from Barou's feet.
Not by Isagi.
And not by Rin.
"Huh?" Barou looked down.
Nagi Seishiro had stolen the ball from his own teammate.
"You're in the way, King," Nagi said, his voice cold.
"Nagi?!" Barou roared. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"You're too slow," Nagi said, dribbling away from Barou. "Isagi read you. If you keep the ball, we lose. So... I'm devouring you."
Nagi turned toward the goal.
Isagi's eyes widened.
Friendly fire?
Nagi stole from Barou?
Logic update: Nagi has abandoned cooperation. He is using Barou as a sacrifice.
Nagi was free. The defense (Isagi and Rin) had been focused on Barou. By stealing the ball, Nagi had bypassed the trap entirely.
"I'll try something new," Nagi whispered.
He approached the box. Reo was the only defender left.
"Nagi!" Reo shouted, heartbreak and anger mixing in his voice. "I'll stop you!"
Nagi looked at Reo.
"Move, Reo."
Nagi didn't feint. He lifted the ball with his toe.
Juggling Dribble.
He flicked the ball over Reo's head.
Reo jumped, but Nagi was faster. Nagi ran around him and caught the ball on his chest.
"I don't need a partner anymore," Nagi said.
He volleyed the ball.
Two-Stage Volley.
It was a dipping shot that dropped violently.
GOAL.
Team White: 2 - Team Red: 3
The Awakening of the Chaos
The stadium went silent again.
Barou was trembling, staring at Nagi. "You... you stole my prey..."
Nagi didn't look at Barou. He looked at Isagi.
"Isagi," Nagi said. "I found a new formula."
Nagi pointed at Barou.
"I don't need him to pass. I just need him to be a nuisance. I'll use his selfishness as my decoy."
Isagi stared back. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
He evolved again, Isagi thought.
He realized that in Blue Lock, teammates aren't friends. They are resources.
Nagi Seishiro has become a true Egoist.
Isagi smiled. The challenge was escalating.
"Interesting," Isagi said. "You learned how to eat your own kind."
Isagi looked at his own team. Rin was fuming. Bachira was excited. Reo was devastated.
Okay, Nagi. You want a war of cannibals?
I'll show you who has the biggest teeth.