"The first selection will involve all of you in Building 5. It's a five-team round-robin. A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss is 0 points. Only the top two teams will move on to the second selection in this survival match. The rest will leave Blue Lock. And those who are kicked out will forever be ineligible for the national team. However, the top scorers from the three losing teams will advance to the next selection. If more than one player has the most goals in a team, we'll go by fair play points, and the player with the least penalty points will progress. Will you prioritize your own goals or the team's victory? The karma of a striker is put to the test in this first selection. This is a battle about creating soccer from zero. The first match starts in two hours. It will be Team X versus Team Z," says Ego.
"So the 11 of us on Team Z will play as a proper team? We're all forwards, though," says Chigiri, a long red hair player.
"Why don't you be the goalie? You have the face of one," says Raichi to Iemon.
"Don't. I can't say no when people ask me to do something," replies Iemon.
The rest of the team argues for certain positions as Ego begins to speak up.
"Listen up. Soccer was originally a sport all about scoring. You've been stupidly imprinted with the notions of positioning and tactics, but all those roles only evolved. Soccer initially started with every player being a striker. So play soccer as it was originally. Create soccer from zero with your brains."
"Japanese soccer has improved incredibly in the last quarter-century, even compared to the world standard. Just one more step, and we'll be on par with the world's top teams. Soccer fans around the world can see that happening. That's how much Japan has improved. But to take that extra step, it's time for current Japanese soccer to die. The dream of simply playing in the World Cup has served its purpose. So now is the time to dream a new vision for Japanese soccer," says Anri from the JFU building
"Abandon what you've believed to be common sense until now. Shove new notions into your brains. What we need right now for Japan to become the best in the world isn't the players' teamwork. What we need is one hero. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar... Soccer can evolve endlessly if a hero like that exists. To stop him, new defensive systems are created. To top him, new tactics are born. One person's play can change a team, a country, or the world. That's the kind of sport soccer is," says Ego.
"This is a new stage for Japanese soccer. The main characters are not us adults, who have forgotten how to dream, but these youngsters, who are still nobodies. Do you have the courage to dream a new dream of winning the World Cup?" says Anri.
"Are you ready to fight?" says Ego with his signature crazed look
"It's all there...In BLUE LOCK!" says both Anri and Ego.
In the JFU building, Sae looks with widened eyes.
"This press conference is over," says Anri.
"What bullshit!" "Is this how you treat young talent?" "JFU's gone crazy!" the reporters yell out.
"Sae, we'd better get going. The flight back to Spain is..."
"Cancel it."
"What?"
"I want to see what kind of idiots are going to be born in this country with my own eyes," says Sae as aura leaks from his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in Building 5
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
"Damn it! Isagi won!" Raichi cries out.
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Blue Lock: Natural Selection
FanficNatural selection. The theory that only the strong survive, and the weak perish. (Y/N) and Joey play for a chance to cement their names in their school's history. As Joey parts ways with the team, he declares he'll return to team up with (Y/N) to be...
