Leaving the field, Tendou led his team members towards the fifth and final stage.
Next, they would face the World All-Star Team, composed of five professional players. This was no joke; compared to the previous two stages, the level was in a different dimension.
Karasu, however, was very happy because he could play football with Otoya again.
"We can fight side-by-side again, Eita."
He enthusiastically slung an arm over Otoya's shoulder.
"Have you been tamed already, Crow?" Otoya shot him a sideways glance. "Don't forget how you ended up on this team."
"Of course, I know. I'll think carefully about that 'comfort zone' you mentioned later," Karasu said nonchalantly. He had a big heart and a rational mind; no stage was big enough to scare him. He would think about his own future path himself.
"Besides, only by staying with the strongest guy will the chances of defeating him be higher."
He had been studying Tendou quite a bit during this time. Karasu had not forgotten what Ego had told them from the beginning. In the end, only one person could emerge from Blue Lock; the remaining 299 were just stepping stones. And right now, Tendou was the forward most likely to emerge.
Karasu had already set his sights on Tendou.
"As long as you haven't forgotten." Otoya didn't say any more. Karasu indeed didn't need him to worry.
It was the "young lady" Chigiri who couldn't stand their conversation. He said, "The one who can defeat Tendou and finally become the world's number one striker is me."
"And also, welcome to our team, ninja."
This was full-on, three-dimensional female-style tsundere.
He's the troublesome type, isn't he?
Otoya silently gave Chigiri a mental X. He was not good at dealing with this type of person.
Reo was much more normal, proactively extending his hand. "We meet again, Otoya. Please take care of me from now on."
"Yeah, please take care of me too."
They were no strangers; they had already played against each other twice and fully acknowledged each other's strength.
...
"You really are an excellent actor. If you were to get into the entertainment industry in the future, you'd be a Best Actor nominee at the very least."
The short-tailed cat floated to Tendou's left, roasting his exquisite performance from just now. Even it found it brilliant. No wonder more and more people were becoming fans of Tendou; his popularity points were increasing with a whoosh.
Tendou ignored this stupid cat that hadn't appeared for a long time. He was thinking about the upcoming match. His team was very strong, definitely at the strongest level in Blue Lock.
Tendou clearly remembered that in the next round of selection, the Neo Egoist League, the few people on his team all passed smoothly and were selected for the U-20 national team. Among them, Otoya was ranked 9th, Karasu was 11th, Reo was 7th, and Chigiri was 6th.
It was worth mentioning that the rankings in the Neo Egoist League were no longer arranged by Ego but by the transfer bids from other football clubs around the world. Whoever had a higher market value would be ranked first. The team Tendou had chosen had both immediate combat power and potential.
Clack!
The gate to the final stage opened, and Tendou's team arrived at the end of the second selection. In front of them was a screen, and Ego's face soon appeared before everyone.
"Congratulations on successfully passing the second selection."
"Tendou Kageyoshi, Karasu Tabito, Otoya Eita, Chigiri Hyoma, and Mikage Reo."
"You should have learned the principle of igniting chemical reactions here. Next is the third selection."
"As I've announced before, you will participate in an intensive training camp with top players from around the world."
"First, in 24 hours, you will have a 5v5 match against the World All-Star Team."
"You frogs in a well, it's time to learn about the world."
Ego looked at the five in front of him with ill intent. The match against the World All-Star Team was an important segment he had specially designed for these kids to see "real" football. He wanted to shatter all their excess emotions like "complacency" and "pride."
After speaking, Ego disappeared.
"Let's go. Prepare for the next match."
Seeing that there was nothing else, Tendou led the others to their new dormitory. Compared to the last time, the treatment was a bit better this time. There were a total of five single beds, and there was even a table in the middle. A television was hanging on the wall.
At this moment, what they cared about was not the beds, but the player profiles of the five World All-Star Team members on the television.
"This is..."
"Luna, the noble son of the La Liga powerhouse club, Real!"
Someone exclaimed, having already recognized the few star players on the TV. One of them was even in the same club as their genius midfielder, Itoshi Sae. The difference was that the noble son, Luna, was on the first team, while Sae was a youth team player.
"And the Premier League's top scorer, Adam Blake!"
Reo and the others were stunned. How did Ego get these people here?
"And the world's foremost free-kick master, the Argentine genius player, the freckled baby Cavasoz."
"The wolf who came out of the slums, Brazil's heavy tank, Dada Silva!"
"And the last one, the 17-year-old who entered the national team and helped his team win the World Cup this year, the French prodigy, Julian Loki!"
With a few words, they had gone over the simple intel of the all-star team players.
Among them, Loki was the most unfamiliar, and at the same time, the most famous. He was only 17 years old, about the same age as them. But he had already won the World Cup, while they were still struggling in Blue Lock.
"To be a French national team player at 17... what a monster," Karasu said, then turned his gaze to Tendou.
Their team... no, it should be said, the entire Blue Lock, and even Japan, the only one who had a chance to compete with Loki was Tendou.
"By the way, Tendou, what are you doing?"
"Looking at the match data. I don't like to fight battles I'm not confident in winning."
At this moment, Tendou was intently watching the World All-Star Team's matches. These five people came from different countries, and their styles of play were also different. Argentina, Brazil, and Spain were what we call the Latin school, focusing on ground play and footwork, their style flamboyant and elegant. The stars who came out of these regions were full of creativity and inspiration.
And the players who came out of regions like the Premier League and Ligue 1 often had a more direct style of play. Their football paid more attention to efficiency; they didn't play flashy tricks. The purpose of getting on the field was to win. At the same time, their strong bodies allowed them to have enough fun engaging in physical confrontations with their opponents. The pirates of the Premier League were especially like this.
Although with the high-speed development of the Premier League, becoming the world's number one league, the days when Premier League teams only played long balls are long gone. Now, the tactics in the Premier League are the richest of all leagues in the world. But in Premier League matches, physical confrontation is still the main theme.
These five people, it was clear that Ego had carefully selected them, preparing for the later Neo Egoist League. To let the players first experience the football of different regions, and then choose a league that suits their own style.
...
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