Chapter 76: Team World Five
"Yo. Hello, hello, my little diamonds in the rough."
"Congratulations on passing the Second Selection. Come on in. It's time I explained to you exactly what 'Luck' really is..."
Jinpachi Ego's voice rasped through the speakers lining the corridor.
Hearing his voice, Kira and the others dropped their discussion and pushed open the heavy doors, stepping into a room lined with screens on all four walls.
The face of Jinpachi Ego, complete with his signature black-rimmed glasses, loomed large on the displays.
'Yo, Ego. Long time no see,' Kira greeted him silently in his head.
He noticed the dark circles under Ego's eyes looked particularly heavy. Kira guessed the man had probably worried himself sick arranging the upcoming match. After all, hiring active national team players from around the world cost a fortune.
"I heard your little debate about 'Luck' just now. It's the perfect opportunity for me to lecture you on the mysteries of luck in the world of soccer..."
Isagi looked confused. "What do you mean? Isn't luck just... luck? What else could there be?"
"Hmph. Only losers and mediocrities with mush for brains use that excuse to twist reality and comfort themselves..."
"Huh?" Isagi felt like he was being personally attacked.
"First, let me ask you a question. Have any of you ever been hit by bird shit?"
Ego asked a question from the screen that left everyone scratching their heads.
Then, he launched into a long-winded explanation.
Standing to the side, Kira felt his eyelids drooping.
Having lived two lives, he had figured out this principle long ago. Lady Luck only smiles upon those standing exactly where she intends to descend.
If the ground ahead and the leaves above are covered in bird droppings, then walking near there increases the probability of getting hit.
It was just like some of the scam lottery tickets in his previous world where the winning prize didn't even exist in the pool. In that case, were the participants just 'unlucky'?
No. Every gift bestowed by fate has a price tag marked in the shadows.
'Luck' only continues to fall equally upon those who are truly fighting for it.
On the screen, Ego was still rambling on.
Kira glanced around the room and noticed that Bachira was also spacing out. The two locked eyes for a second and shared an awkward, knowing smile.
Kira estimated that Bachira hadn't absorbed a single word of Ego's lecture. That guy only cared about playing soccer happily; he had no patience for grand philosophies.
Isagi, on the other hand, was listening with intense focus.
With that kind of hunger for learning, he deserved to improve so quickly.
After some time, Ego concluded his speech.
"If you have done everything humanly possible, then stand tall."
"Face the 'coincidences' that lie on the path ahead..."
"Accept them calmly, and carve them into your heart."
Isagi looked like he had just received a divine revelation. After a long silence, his eyes hardened with resolve.
"I need to upgrade the common sense inside my brain and become a brand-new version of myself..."
"To defeat Kira and Rin!!!"
Kira clapped lazily from the sidelines. "Wow. So amazing, Isagi."
Rin rolled his eyes at Kira. He couldn't tell if the guy was genuinely encouraging Isagi or just mocking him.
"Alright. Regardless, you five are the first team to clear the Second Selection..."
"Next up is the Third Selection."
"Twenty-four hours from now, you will play a five-on-five match against the Team World Five!!"
"It's time you amateurs stop mistaking your playground for the professional world."
With those final words, Ego vanished from the screen.
In his place, the images of five players in white jerseys appeared.
"No way. So stylish~. These guys are all world-class professionals."
Aryu's eyes widened in genuine shock.
They were actually going to play against them?
"Aryu, do you know who they are?" Bachira asked, finding their faces familiar.
"That's Spain's national team star, the 'Scion' of the top-tier club Real Madrid, Leonardo Luna," Aryu said, pointing to a handsome man on the screen.
"And this one is England's national representative, the Premier League's top scorer, Adam Blake. They call him the 'Goal Junkie'."
"What about him? That guy looks kinda cute." Bachira pointed to a player with a boyish face.
"That's Argentina's national star. He's in his twenties and kicks some of the best free kicks in the world. Pablo Cavasoz, the 'Freckled Baby'."
Kira recognized this star in this life as well. He was an absolute mainstay for Argentina. His beautifully aesthetic free kicks had gone viral across every short-video app.
"Wow... so cool..." Bachira found himself unconsciously drawn to the guy.
"That braided black player is the Brazilian national born in the slums, Dada Silva. Nickname: 'Heavy Tank'," Aryu continued his introductions.
"With those muscles... if he crashed into me, I'd shatter into pieces, wouldn't I?"
Bachira didn't even want to imagine the scene of a collision with that man.
"But the guy in the middle... I can't recall who he is right now. He looks stylish, but I don't have an impression." Aryu looked confused. He didn't recognize the buzz-cut black teenager in the center.
"His name is Julian Loki. A supernova who has just started making waves in the French league."
Rin looked at the person on the screen, paused as if remembering something, and continued.
"He is seventeen years old this year, and he has already been selected for the French National Team."
"So stylish~. Selected for the national team at seventeen?" Even a narcissist like Aryu wore a face full of disbelief.
"Not only that, he's an undisputed starter," Kira added.
"Huh?" Isagi's jaw dropped wide enough to fit an egg. "Isn't he the same age as me?"
"Comparing yourself to others really is infuriating."
"But, that means if I beat him, I'll get recognition from the whole world, right?" Aryu flipped his long hair, showing his usual effortless confidence.
"Are we really going to play against a group of people like this?"
Isagi felt like he was dreaming. These were superstars he could usually only see on TV.
The height any one of them had reached was the ultimate destination the boys in Blue Lock dreamed of.
"Hmph. I'll crush them all." Rin said coldly, then turned and walked away.
Kira watched Rin's retreating back. He could tell that even Rin was starting to feel nervous.
This might be the only chance in their lives to face opponents of this caliber this early in their careers.
Kira, however, was looking forward to it.
Using the Trial Cards of these five players... Muehehehe that was going to be incredibly fun.
***
Nighttime.
Physical Training Room.
Rin was shirtless, practicing yoga.
Suddenly, he sensed something was off.
He turned his head to find Isagi watching him with a goofy grin.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah... well... I'm imitating you," Isagi stammered.
Isagi was currently struggling to follow along with Rin's yoga poses.
"And us too, Rin."
Hearing this, Rin turned his head to the other side. Kira, Bachira, and Aryu were all there.
"Why are you messing around with them? Are you an idiot?"
Seeing Kira there too, Rin was genuinely at a loss for words.
"I brought them here to steal your body maintenance secrets... after all, we have to face those World Select players later." Kira grinned shamelessly, making it impossible for Rin to stay calm.
"Do whatever you want." Rin replied, clearly annoyed.
And so, the five players who had just advanced gathered in the training room.
Following Rin's lead, they began to practice yoga together.
It was their way of alleviating the anxiety before tomorrow's match.
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