Extraordinary // Blue Lock Fanfic

4: Team Z vs. Team X

Meanwhile outside of Blue Lock

A magenta-haired prodigy was being interviewed by the Soccer Journal.
"I'm Nihei from Soccer Journal. I'd like to get some material for a story today.
To get right to it... until recently you were playing for the youth team associated with the world renowned team Real Madrid. However due to their regulations you weren't able to play on a top team and returned to Japan. So now... do you think we'll ever see you play in a domestic league?", the journalist questioned.

"I'd rather drop dead.", answered the stoic Itoshi Sae.
"If I played soccer here, I'd be better off playing with some German college students."

"Umm.... Itoshi, you were chosen as one of PIFA's best new eleven players... As a midfielder, you're a young athlete who's sought after by club teams all over the world. Don't you have any aspirations to someday wear the rising sun... and represent Japan?", Nihei tried getting anything interesting out of the prodigy of a midfielder.
"I'm not interested in the slightest. I can never become the best in the world playing for a puny country like this. My dream is to win the Champions League. There's not a single forward in this country who can receive my passes. I was just born in the wrong country.", Sae remained firm, further criticising Japan as a useless country in regards to football.

"Ah.. thanks for your precious time...", Nihei thanked with a look of 'He's conceited'.
"Thanks for your hard work. My manager will handle the rest.". Sae replied before leaving the room.
In the hallway he met up with his manager who criticised him for his harsh attitude.
"Itoshi... you can't do this...the press is gonna hate you...", Giraud Dabadie exclaimed.

"I don't care about that. I just came back because my passport expired."
On their way out, they saw the crowded event room which piqued his interest.
It was a press conference for the Blue Lock Project.

"... So we've gathered 300 of the most outstanding high schoolers and are training them as strikers to lead Japan to a world cup victory...
We call it the Blue Lock Project.", the chairman explained.

However most of the reporters were doubtful.
"This is indeed a revolutionary project... however is it really necessary to disrupt these students' high school lives?"
"And supposing you were able to produce a single world-class striker... Where's the proof Japan would win the world cup?"
"It sounds like you don't mind wasting the lives of 299 for the sake of a single person... Aren't there any parents opposed to this?!"

While the chairman became even more nervous and tried appeasing the crowd, Teieiri Anri remained firm.
"Wasting their lives? Damn right! This insane project is necessary for Japanese football to advance to the next level!! Don't you want to see the moment when a hero is born in the world of Japanese soccer?!", Teieiri Anri exclaimed full of conviction.

"In the history of Japanese football, we've come so close to standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's best. However in order to take that extra step... Japanese soccer in its current state must die.

The dream of our predecessors was to 'enter the world cup' as well as to prove that Japanese football could compete with the world. And at some point that dream we had, served its purpose..! Now is the time for us to find a new dream....!!
Right now Japanese football is on the verge of a new stage! And it's gonna be those 300 high schoolers who will play the leading parts! Not us adults.
Do you have the courage to dream of winning the world cup?

All of it is in Blue Lock!", Anri ended her passionate speech.
Everyone in the hall looked at her with wide eyes.

"Itoshi... we need to leave to catch our flight to Spain.", Sae's manager reminded him.
"Cancel it."
"Huh?"
"I'll see for myself what kind of striker this puny country can produce.", Sae exclaimed.