It was a heavy night above the Blue Look building.
A dark, starless sky.
A cold wind whistled through the metal corridors like a harbinger of a hurricane.
But inside the halls…
It wasn't the cold that unsettled the players.
It was Igo's words that still echoed in their minds:
"The next mission will change everything."
They knew one thing:
Tomorrow… would not be like yesterday.
---
◆ Scene 1: Asaf — Between Dream and Fear
After the mission was announced, each player returned to his room.
But Asaf couldn't sleep.
He sat on the edge of the bed in the darkness, clenching his hands tightly.
He could hear his heart pounding like war drums.
"Why am I so anxious…?
Isn't this what I wanted?
A chance to become a real striker…"
But something else was speaking inside him:
> "If I fail… it's all over."
Asaf stood up suddenly.
He didn't want to think.
He doesn't want to back down.
— "System… Open the Skill Board."
A dim blue screen appeared before him:
[Talent Board]
Level: 6
Skills:
— Instant Reading (Lv2)
— Perfect Touch (Lv1)
— Instant Acceleration (Lv1)
Asaf stared for a long time:
— "I need more… much more."
---
◆ Scene 2: Isagi — The Mind That Never Stops
In another room…
Isagi also couldn't sleep.
He was analyzing.
He paced back and forth, gesturing with his hands, as if he were playing a game inside his mind.
— "The upcoming competition isn't just a game… Ego is testing our vision… our decisions… the moment we make the difference."
He stopped abruptly and said in a low voice:
— "Asaf… Pachira… Nagi… Ryo… Chigebri…
Each one of them has something I don't yet have."
But his eyes filled with a newfound determination:
— "But I have something no one else has… my will to read the future."
---
◆ Scene 3: Pachira — The Monster Keeps Him Up at Night
Pachira was in bed, covered with the blankets, but he couldn't stop smiling.
— "Yah… this is so much fun… I feel like tomorrow will be delicious."
Then suddenly… he imagined the monster.
That entity he only saw in his mind.
He smiled even more:
— "Monster… you're awake, right?
You want to fight them too?"
He didn't hear an answer, of course… but his heart pounded.
He knew the monster was… even more excited than he was.
---
◆ Scene 4: Nagi and Ryo — The Night That Changed Their Relationship
Nagai was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, fiddling with his fingers as if he were holding an imaginary ball.
Rio entered the room slowly:
— "Nagi… are you awake?"
— "Yeah… who sleeps on a night like this?"
Rio sat down next to him and said in a quiet voice:
— "Tomorrow… is going to be tough. And I want… I want you to know something."
Nagi turned to him:
— "What is it?"
Rio took a deep breath:
— "Whether we're on the same team… or on separate teams… I won't stop. I won't accept being left behind by anyone."
Nagi looked at him for a long time.
This wasn't the Rio he was used to…
This was a different person.
— "Yeah… you seem to want to win even more than I do."
Rio chuckled softly:
— "Maybe… this time I'll be leading the way."
---
◆ Scene 5: Chigberi — Running in the Dark
As for Chigberi…
He was in the outside arena, running…
And then running…
And then running even more.
The air was cold, his breath came in gasps, his feet ached…
But he didn't stop.
— "If I don't run now…
I won't catch them tomorrow…"
He collapsed to his knees, exhausted.
But he laughed.
— "Yes… pain is good… it means I'm getting closer."
---
◆ Scene 6: Ego — The Thread That Moves Everyone
In the control room…
Ego was looking through the transparent glass.
He watched the players on the screens.
He saw the nervous Asaf…
The excited Pachira…
The thoughtful Isagi…
The changing Nagi and Ryo…
Chigebri punishing himself by running.
He smiled broadly:
— "Yes… this is what I want.
This is what I created the Blue Lock for."
Then he pressed a button, and a new message appeared on the screen:
"Next Stage:
Soccer Intelligence Test."
He chuckled softly:
"Let's see…
Who among you has the brain of a true attacker?"
---
◆ Final Scene: Dawn of Destiny
With the first light of dawn… the hall doors opened automatically.
A loud voice echoed through all the rooms:
"All attackers must assemble in the main square within ten minutes."
Asaf jumped up.
His heart was pounding in his chest.
Finally…
The stage that would determine everyone's fate had begun.
He raised his head and mumbled:
"This is my day… and I won't let anyone take it from me."
He walked out of the room with steady steps.