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“It's a shame, really.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Eh?” Anri questioned, “Why wouldn't it? It's clear that there's something wrong with him... Something that doesn't allow him to become the best one out there. He's one of the players who most improved since the start of the first selection, but what did even happen during his match against the top five?”
Jinpachi's silence was falsely mistaken, or maybe not really, as a sign to continue her speech.
“He bursted out… apparently threw up… and then… fainted.” She tried to explain, her hands moving along her words to convey better the meaning behind her reasoning. “I know he's not the physically strongest, but… do you think it may be related to something more… um….”
“More related to his mentality?”
Anri let out another interrogative hum, making Ego groan in what seemed to be a mix of annoyance and bother.
“You're not looking at the bigger picture. But I didn't really expect you to do so, Anri. Come on, just think a little, the more he improves, the more desperate he gets, and the bigger his fall ends up being. Do you still think it has something to do with his physical condition?” Ego didn't even give enough time to Anri for her to voice her thoughts before continuing, “Of course not, don't be a dumbass. Anxiety. He gets anxious to stay on the top. And that anxiety turns into fear… and that fear escapes as anger. It's a vicious cycle, I observed him long enough to know this is the missing puzzle piece he lacks; control over his own feelings.”
Anri's brows were pulled down together in distress when hearing her boss. “Then, why do you not agree? It is truly a shame! If it wasn't because of the fact he's too afraid, he would be way b— Ow!”
Ego sighed, pulling down the fingers he used to flick Anri's forehead– the woman was just mumbling too much nonsense, and he couldn't be bothered enough to let her continue rambling. “Not at all, Anri. Not at all. Is that same anger, fruit of his fear, that's going to get him to the top… so, let's start using this to our advantage already. I already knew this would happen, that's why I specifically told the top five to tease him a little bit.” The younger woman's eyes widened, not expecting that reveal, but the crazed man didn't care about her reaction at all, “I didn't expect the consequences to be so… aggravating, yes, that's true. But that just was the confirmation I needed to start already. The best confirmation I could ever get.”
“Start…” Anri surely was confused, “The what?”
But Ego didn't reply. Instead, one of those eerie, extremely rare wide grins of him fed her doubts.
“Start the start. Anri, the true Blue Lock project begins now.”
