"Is this the second stage…?"
Isagi looked around the room.
He saw Nagi and Reo
and noticed the screen showing "Teams of 3 Required."
So Nagi and Reo are here too… because it's teams of three
"Yo, Isagi."
Bachira stepped out of the doorway and waved.
"Bachira."
They bumped fists.
"That was fast! We meet again already."
"Good work getting through. Congrats."
Bachira then noticed the "Form a Trio" prompt.
"So the second stage… we just need to form a team, plus there's another te "
"Huh?"
"It's you and me
and we need one more, right?"
This guy really assumes I'm teaming with him…
They both looked at each other
and laughed at the same time.
"You're thinking of the same person, right?"
"Yeah. If there's anyone I'd feel safest teaming with… it's definitely Ryan.
But I don't see him in here."
"If you're looking for Ryan, he already went to the next stage."
"…Reo?"
Nagi and Reo walked over.
"Yeah. I wanted to team with him too…
but he rejected me."
"So who did Ryan team up with?"
"Zero-zero-zero?"
"Chigiri and Kunigami."
"Ah… them?
Didn't think they'd get ahead of us that fast."
Nagi turned to Isagi.
"So are you and Bachira teaming up?"
"Ah, yeah. Why?
Though we're still searching for our third."
Reo's expression grew serious.
"I want to team with you, Isagi Yoichi."
"Huh? You want to team with me?
Shouldn't you be with Reo?"
Isagi glanced at Nagi
who gave him a soft, resigned smile.
"After losing that match… I kept thinking.
What would I be like without Reo beside me?
So now… I want to leave Reo's protection.
I want to try fighting alone."
"And besides
you were amazing in that match.
So I want to team with you."
Isagi recalled Nagi's incredible skill earlier
and made his decision immediately.
"Let's do it, Nagi."
The three of them walked to the fingerprint gate.
As it opened, Nagi glanced back at Reo.
"See you later, Reo.
I'll be waiting ahead."
Reo waved lightly.
"Yeah. And make sure you're ready
I'll show you a new version of me."
Walking through the passage, Bachira held out a fist.
"Let's do our best, guys."
Nagi bumped fists with him.
Isagi followed.
"Please take care of us."
Nagi nodded.
"It's a lie to say I'm not lonely.
But being with you two…
I'm more excited.
Blue Lock is a place where we're supposed to follow our selfish desires, right?"
Isagi thought to himself
Yeah…
Only selfish monsters can survive here.
And if we're all truly selfish…
we'll meet again up ahead.
So for now
"Nagi. Please take care of us."
Isagi held out his fist.
"Let's crush everyone."
Nagi bumped fists again.
Bachira grinned.
"With the three of us
we're totally unbeatable."
Isagi nodded.
"Let's go. We're winning this."
They stepped through the gate and entered a new room.
No one else was there yet,
so they grabbed stools and rested while waiting.
Before long
another team walked in.
Silver hair with sea-green highlights.
One with glasses.
One with purple hair.
Bachira waved cheerfully.
"Nice to meet you~!"
The green-bangs guy waved back.
"Yo."
The glasses guy bowed.
"Let's have a good match."
The purple-haired one snorted.
"Tch. No need for greetings in this situation."
Then Ego appeared and explained the rules.
After the briefing, Eita Otoya spoke up.
"Oi. Wanna match?"
His two teammates didn't say anything,
but their silence was basically yes.
"Let's do it, let's do it!
I've been itching to play!" Bachira said excitedly.
"Wait Bachira, shouldn't we think this through?
We should at least ask each other first, right?"
Isagi panicked as Bachira instantly agreed.
Nagi shrugged.
"I don't care either way."
Bachira looked at Isagi.
"What, Isagi
you think we're gonna lose?"
"…No.
I just thought
never mind.
Let's do it."
They arrived at the field.
Isagi's team wore red.
Eita Otoya's team wore white.
Red had kickoff.
The whistle blew.
Isagi passed to Bachira.
"Let's get started!"
Eita Otoya barked orders.
"Yukimiya! Cover the kappa-head!"
"Got it."
Bachira dribbled forward as Yukimiya pressured him.
"Excuuuse me, coming through~!"
"Sorry, I can't let you."
Bachira's legs danced around the ball at high speed.
"Scissor feint… fast!"
Then he split man and ball
completely bypassing Yukimiya.
"Sorry… he got past me."
"Tch. Can't you be serious for once?" Eita Otoya snapped.
He moved in to block.
"Hold it right there, kappa-head!"
"Heheh~ Catch me if you can!"
Then Isagi ran in.
"Pass to me, Bachira!"
Bachira shaped to pass toward Isagi.
"Looks like I'm doing this "
And instantly withdrew his foot
megging Eita Otoya cleanly.
"Wha !"
As Bachira charged into the box,
Karasu appeared out of nowhere, sprinting from behind Isagi.
He overtook Bachira and cut in front.
Bachira jumped in surprise.
"Whoa
didn't see you there."
"Your dribbling's pretty sharp."
"Thanks!"
Bachira used Karasu's unstable balance
and spun him with a Marseille turn.
One-on-one with the keeper
he fired.
And scored.
GOAL!!!
"Nice one, Bachira!"
Isagi shouted.
White team kicked off.
Eita Otoya passed to Yukimiya.
With the ball, Yukimiya accelerated immediately.
Bachira moved in to defend.
Yukimiya feinted right, turning his whole body
then planted his left foot hard
and exploded right with a sharp tap.
He blew past Bachira.
Bachira's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Omoshiroiiiii~ (Interesting!)"
Isagi was struck in awe.
A master-level feint that forces the opponent's weight to shift,
then exploding into a sprint…
His close-range dribbling is insane.
His speed the moment he changes direction is unbelievable…
He's dangerous in 1v1s.
"The essence of soccer is 1-on-1.
And in that domain
I'm the strongest in Japan."
"Strongest in Japan, huh…
I've met someone stronger than you, glasses-boy."
Nagi slid in to defend.
Isagi watched them face off
and was shocked again.
Don't let appearances fool you.
This guy's a short-range warrior who relies on physique and speed.
If Bachira is finesse and creativity…
this guy is brute force
a budget version of Ryan.
"Right here
slowpoke."
Yukimiya blasted forward and left Nagi behind.
"This is my 1v1
the Emperor's Dribbling."
"Man… you really are like a weaker Ryan…" Isagi muttered.
Yukimiya neared the box.
Isagi panicked.
He was too far to stop Yukimiya.
Because he and Nagi had wasted time clashing,
Bachira was the only one who could reach him in time
and they could trap him together.
But right as Bachira reached him
and Isagi was only a step away
Yukimiya shot.
Isagi's eyes widened.
A mid-range shot from there?
No
there's no angle!
Bachira is blocking your shooting lane!
The spinning ball curved past Bachira
and soared upward.
Isagi exhaled in relief.
Too high. He skied it
Then
the ball suddenly dipped sharply,
swerving outward.
"What kind of shot is that…?
It's dropping fast while curving…
A spiral shot?!"
It was about to go in
but Nagi slid in from the side
and headed it away at the last instant.
Yukimiya sighed.
"Wow.
Pretty fast recovery."
Nagi passed to Bachira.
He dribbled forward,
passed Yukimiya,
and used a one-two with Isagi to break through.
Karasu stepped in front
but Bachira held the ball long enough
for Isagi to adjust his positioning.
Then he crossed into the box.
Nagi arrived first
but Eita Otoya got behind him and blocked.
"Don't even think about shooting, white-hair."
Nagi ignored him.
Instead of trapping to shoot,
he flicked the ball forward.
Eita Otoya blinked.
"…At this distance…
and this timing
this is YOUR range, Isagi."
Isagi appeared behind them
and struck the ball clean.
"Nice pass, Nagi."
The weight was perfect.
Minimal motion.
Maximum focus.
The ball brushed past Eita Otoya's hair
and rocketed into the net.
GOAL!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash
~> Bonus Chapter every 300PS!!