When Tendou walked in, there were already seven or eight people in the room. He wasn't the earliest to arrive, but of course, he wasn't the last either.
Finding a locker, Tendou changed into the special Blue Lock uniform. The moment he took off his clothes, the eyes of the other players couldn't help but stare. A body with maxed-out 99-point stats, when reflected in his physique, was the most ideal figure for anyone. Those muscle lines were something that couldn't be achieved even with dedicated training in a gym. This was because gym training often involved protein powder, which made muscles look good but were often all show and no substance, a clear difference from muscles formed through natural training.
Soon after, everyone in Room Z had arrived, including Isagi Yoichi.
"Tendou, you're here too! That's great."
Isagi saw Tendou as soon as he entered the room. That face, full of a noble air, was simply too recognizable. Humans are social creatures; in such an unfamiliar environment, having an acquaintance around always makes one feel more at ease.
"Hey, you're that Kira Ryosuke? Amazing, it's really him."
The room was quiet, with everyone waiting for Blue Lock's next instructions. At this moment, a self-proclaimed dreamer approached Kira Ryosuke.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Igarashi Gurimu."
"I was born into a family that runs a temple, and I absolutely do not want to inherit the family business, so what I just heard got my blood pumping."
"I feel like the chance to change my life has arrived."
He was very forward and sociable, the type of person who could survive in any environment.
"A monk?"
Tendou noticed the number "300" printed on his shoulder. That was his Blue Lock ranking. There were only 300 people in total, so one could imagine how low Igarashi Gurimu's evaluation was in Ego Jinpachi's eyes.
It's worth mentioning that Tendou's rank was 290. However, this ranking was fake; all the other rooms also had rankings from 300 to 289. The true rankings would only be revealed after the next test.
With Igarashi Gurimu taking the lead, the atmosphere in the room livened up.
Tendou didn't speak. He leaned against the locker and sat down casually. Seeing this, Isagi also sat down beside him, waiting quietly. The two of them were like a small team, observing everything around them.
Then.
The screen in the room lit up, and Ego Jinpachi's face appeared before them once again.
"All changed, I see, you uncut gems of strikers."
"Pay attention. The people in the same room as you now are your roommates, and also your rivals who will push each other to improve."
"Based on my own arbitrary and biased judgment, I have quantified your abilities and ranked you."
He once again mentioned his "arbitrary and biased judgment," imperceptibly deepening the players' impression of him. In Blue Lock, everything was decided by Ego Jinpachi.
Isagi looked at the 299 on his own shoulder, and his face fell. There were 300 people in total, and he was ranked 299. Didn't that mean he was second to last? Looking at Tendou, his rank was 290, only 9 places higher than his own.
Are the people here really that strong? Even Tendou can only rank 290th.
Isagi found it hard to believe. Having personally witnessed Tendou's game-winning goal against Kokuo, he couldn't imagine that there were 289 high school students stronger than him.
Ego Jinpachi continued, "This is an experiment. In a few months, the top five ranked players will be able to participate in the U-20 World Cup unconditionally."
A stick and a carrot.
To make these young men give their all, one couldn't just apply constant pressure. The qualification to participate in the U-20 World Cup, also known as the Youth World Cup, was undoubtedly the best reward. The Youth World Cup's popularity might not match the World Cup's, but it was the grandest event for young players. That stage was international, and European football clubs would all be watching.
In other words, performing well in the Youth World Cup could lead to being signed by these football clubs, even the powerhouse teams, and life would be smooth sailing from then on. For young players with uncertain futures, it was undoubtedly the best stage to showcase themselves.
"The Youth World Cup!" Isagi's heart pounded. He hadn't expected that participating in Blue Lock would have such a benefit.
"But..."
There is always a "but" to everything, and Ego Jinpachi was no exception. Before the players could immerse themselves in their joy, he continued, "Those who are eliminated from Blue Lock will be... permanently banned from being selected for the national team!"
...
What?!
The people who had been secretly rejoicing just a moment ago now felt their mood plunge to freezing point. A high "reward" was accompanied by a considerable "risk."
Without giving the players time to digest the information, Ego Jinpachi began the first round of the experiment.
"Alright, it's time for a game of tag."
"The time limit is 136 seconds. The person who is touched by the ball is 'it.' When the countdown ends, the person who is 'it' will be kicked out. Oh, and by the way, no using your hands!"
Thud.
As his voice faded, a soccer ball dropped from the ceiling, and a 136-second countdown officially began on the screen.
The game of tag had begun. And the person initially chosen to be "it" was the 300th-ranked Igarashi Gurimu.
The "monk" who didn't want to inherit his family business immediately sprang into action, ignoring the pleas of others.
"Wait, Igarashi, don't believe his nonsense!"
"But what if it's true? Am I supposed to get eliminated just like that? I don't want to be a monk!"
Igarashi Gurimu refused to listen; after all, he was the one who was "it" now. He stepped on the ball and began to look for a target.
Seeing this, the others all dodged him, running around the room.
Igarashi Gurimu's first target was Isagi Yoichi, who was ranked just one place above him.
Pick on the weakest one!
But Isagi Yoichi was no fool. Faced with the ball kicked towards him, he bent down and dodged it.
"Why are you dodging, you bastard!"
"Only an idiot wouldn't dodge! Go kick someone else, you moron!" Isagi roared back.
If the punishment was real, who could bear it? For them, who played football, the biggest goal was to be selected for the national team.
Seeing that Isagi was a difficult target, Igarashi Gurimu began to look for other targets. Then he saw Tendou, sitting upright, and Bachira Meguru, sleeping where he was.
Compared to Tendou, who looked very tough, he chose the "softer" Bachira Meguru.
"Don't blame me, these are the rules."
He was about to kick the ball at Bachira. But who would have known that Bachira would push off with his hands, flip his body over, and kick Igarashi squarely in the face.
...
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