Blue Lock: 13 Steps

The Next Stage

Sho quietly yawned as a somewhat tall player with circle-framed glasses approached him. "I watched your tape against Team Z. You seem pretty decent. Wanna join my team?"

Sho must have been too focused on the sliding doors since he didn't notice the relatively tall player approaching him.

"People usually introduce themselves, then ask questions?" Sho suggested, looking towards the black-haired teen.

"Sorry about that, I'm Yukimiya Kenyu. But call me Yukimiya." He replied.

"Alright, do you have anyone else in mind you might want to team up with?" Sho asked.

"Of course, just give me a minute," Yukimiya replied as he walked across the room towards an average-built player with spiky dark purple hair and a peculiar mole under his right eye.

Sho couldn't audibly hear what they said but decided to wait by the sliding doors as Yukimiya talked to the seemingly confident player. A few minutes passed as Yukimiya convinced him to join their team.

As soon as the three verbally agreed to form a team, an oni image of them with their names under it appeared from above them on the flat screen T.V. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Shihoin Sho." Said Sho, clasping his hands together. "Likewise, I'm Karasu Tabito," Karasu replied. They continued making small talk as they walked through the opening doors towards the next stage.

As they went through the dark hallway towards the next stage, Sho randomly looked behind and mischievously giggled to himself—watching both Isagi and Bachira enter the room he was previously waiting in. He turned back to his newly formed team and lightly jogged up to them as the sliding doors sensed their approach, immediately welcoming them to the Third Stage.

The room was currently unpopulated but had a big three painted on the floor as small chairs shaped like soccer balls littered the room. Four Forty-eight inch monitors lined the walls as one immediately turned on. "After six people occupy this room, I'll explain the rules," Jinpachi explained, as he scratched an itch near his cheek.

Immediately after he finished that sentence the, sliding door they previously walked through opened, introducing the second team to make it to the Third Stage.

A tall player with short, flat white hair with a strand of hair in the middle that's dark green walked in with a blank stare but, his expression quickly changed, seeing a familiar face.

"Long time no see, Tabito."

"Oh hey, Eita. How's it been? I couldn't find you back there. You were taking so long I joined up with these guys." Karasu replied as he pointed towards both Yukimiya and Sho with his thumb. Both players kindly waved towards Eita as Eita waved back.

"Where's the rest of your te-?" Karasu asked before he was rudely interrupted by a sudden voice coming from the dark hallway he was previously in.

"We're here." A voice Sho undeniably knew replied.

Yukimiya and Sho took their attention off Karasu's conversation and looked towards the open doors.

"It's nice, knowing I'd be facing you again Bachira," predicted Sho as Bachira came out from the hallway and knowingly grinned towards him. Before the last person on Otoya's team could make their dramatic entrance, Jinpachi voluntarily coughed, gaining everyone's attention.

"Now that I've gained everyone's undivided attention, I'll begin explaining the Third Stage," stated Jinpachi, watching the last player of Otoya's team enter.

"It's a simple three versus three-team battle. The third stage is a mini-game-styled battle with the three you teamed up with. Both teams will have the hologram known as Blue Lock Man as their goalkeeper, and the team that scores five goals first wins, stated Jinpachi, cracking his knuckles.