Ego Jinpachi's words were like a bomb dropped into the hearts of the crowd.
An experiment with over 300 people, where only one could remain until the end. This kind of battle royale experiment easily reminded people of the classic film Battle Royale. In that movie, a group of young people are thrown onto a deserted island, randomly given weapons, and forced to kill each other without rules. The last one alive is the winner.
The players here obviously didn't have to go that far, but the thought of the brutal scenes from the movie made them swallow nervously.
Kira Ryosuke wasn't very interested in this plan. He was someone who was about to enter the U-18 national youth team, and he quickly voiced his objection.
"I'm sorry, but your explanation is not sufficient. I cannot agree to this."
"We all have teams that are very important to us. Some of us even have to participate in the national tournament. I can't just abandon my team to participate in some ambiguous experiment."
When he mentioned the national tournament, he paused for a moment. After all, he had already been eliminated and had no Winter Cup to play in.
His words quickly resonated with the others, who voiced their agreement.
Tendou did not. His gaze was fixed on a corner of the meeting room that no one else was looking at.
Huh? 300 forwards participate, and only one remains at the end? Doesn't this mean...!
'Winner winner, chicken dinner!'
'What is this nonsense? Just pick 300 people, eliminate 299 of them, and you can become the world's number one? The little Japanese are a bit too fanciful, aren't they?'
'Exactly! How many people has Ronaldo eliminated? Far more than 299. More like 29,999.'
'LMAO, so you're saying Ronaldo is the world's number one striker?' 'Who else? Your dwarf? How many Champions Leagues do you have to be talking so loud?'
'The Royal Dogs are at it again, hyping up a tap-in merchant as the world's number one. I suggest A-Wei-Luo (derogatory for Ronaldo) go sign up for diving right now. With his skill, he'd definitely have a chance at an Olympic gold medal.'
'The moment someone mentions the Champions League, the Messi-syphilis fans start changing the subject. The dwarf's filial sons are so cute.'
Yep, still the same familiar flavor. As expected, the moment "world's number one" was mentioned, the fans of Ronaldo and Messi started fighting.
What's the plot? Who gives a damn? The most important thing is to flame these "eyesores" into submission.
Ego Jinpachi, of course, had no idea that his words had triggered a world war on the internet. Listening to the chatter below, he calmly scratched his head. Then, as if greatly disappointed, he said, "Is that so? You're all beyond saving."
"Get lost!"
Unexpectedly, Ego Jinpachi waved at the 300 people as if shooing away livestock.
"Anyone who wants to leave can leave now. The door is right behind you."
"Is winning a high school tournament in this football-weak nation more important than becoming the world's number one striker?"
"Hmm?"
That "hmm" was like a questioning of their souls. The people who had been arguing incessantly just a moment ago all fell silent.
"The thought that people like you are shouldering the future of Japanese football makes me despair."
"Listen up. Japanese football's organizational ability is first-rate. But aside from that, everything else is undoubtedly second-rate."
Years of playing a possession-based style had greatly improved Japan's technical skills. The most direct proof of this was that, despite having no forwards, they used their ground-based penetration play to go toe-to-toe with Belgium's golden generation before being narrowly eliminated 2:3.
"Let me ask you, what is football?"
"Is it 11 people working together with all their might? Cherishing friendships? Selfless dedication? Fighting for your teammates?"
"None of that is it. Let me teach you. Football is a sport where you have to score more goals than your opponent."
"The one who can score goals is the greatest!"
Ego Jinpachi finally threw out his football philosophy, which was completely contrary to what the Ichinan High coach had instilled in Isagi.
Egoism!
This theory shared a similar tune with the fan-acknowledged belief that "a striker can't become a superstar unless he's selfish."
"You've offended me. Please take back your words. There are many players on the national team whom I respect." Kira Ryosuke clenched his fists, demanding an apology from Ego Jinpachi.
Tendou turned off the screen. For a moment, he couldn't tell if this guy was being sincere or just acting.
Kira Ryosuke patted his chest hard and said seriously, "We grew up watching the 11 players on the national team fight together with unity."
Probably acting.
To so easily say "we" was a move to evoke a sense of resonance from the others. He truly was a master manipulator, just like his idol, LeBron James.
"Not bad." Tendou secretly gave Kira Ryosuke a thumbs-up. He didn't dislike this kind of "smart" guy.
"However, it seems this guy gets eliminated right at the start."
Tendou suddenly had another idea.
Why not just keep this guy around? He looked like the type who could stir up a lot of trouble.
"It's decided then."
Tendou had already made a decision in his heart. Just then, Isagi's gaze happened to shift over to him. He noticed the smile at the corner of Tendou's mouth and felt a strange chill run down his spine.
"The national team?" Ego Jinpachi asked sarcastically. "Do those guys have a World Cup?"
"I'm the man who's going to make Japan the number one team in the world. Rather than assisting a teammate and winning 1-0, I'd rather score a hat-trick myself and lose the match. That's more exhilarating."
"These are the words of the current world's number one striker, Noel Noa, who surpassed Messi and C-Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or."
Ego's words made one thing clear to Tendou. Noel Noa did not exist in the real world. He had no real-life counterpart and was a product that existed only in the world of Blue Lock.
Why? Because the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo over the Ballon d'Or was too terrifying. For a full 10 years, the Ballon d'Or was basically passed back and forth between the two of them. This year was a turning point. The "shepherd boy" (Luka Modrić), due to his outstanding performance in the World Cup and leading Croatia to a historic final, finally ended their 10-year reign over the award.
"...So? Are those words outrageous? Are they terrible?"
"But it's a guy like that who became the number one striker in the world today!"
"The player I want to cultivate in this country is exactly like that. One who stands on the corpses of 299 others, the one and only..."
"Which way do we go?"
Before Ego Jinpachi could finish his sentence, Tendou had already walked up onto the stage and asked. While everyone else was still stunned by Ego's words, Tendou had silently walked onto the stage.
"This kid." Anri Teieri, watching from the shadows, was taken aback. "He's the Ichinan striker who scored a brace in the final moments to win the match against Kokuo."
"Tendou Kageyoshi!"
When Ego Jinpachi saw him, Tendou's file immediately appeared in his mind.
In the match against Kokuo, Tendou had displayed physical talent that had even caught his attention. Ego had once compared Tendou to that demon child from Norway. It was just a pity that Tendou's technique with his feet was too poor; he had unrivaled athletic ability but nothing to match it.
Tendou's 70-meter run was different from others; he used his unique athletic ability to compensate for his lack of footwork. At first, he felt it was a bit of a shame. Having athletic ability without the matching technique meant he couldn't become the ideal striker in his mind.
Then, he read through Tendou's file and was surprised to find that this ridiculously handsome kid had only recently started playing football. He used to play basketball and had won the championship in every competition he had ever participated in.
And Tendou's reason for joining the Ichinan football club also left him speechless. It was written: "I got tired of looking at basketball championship trophies. I'm here to see what's different about a soccer one."
From that moment on, Ego Jinpachi knew.
"This guy is an out-and-out genius!"
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