Chapter 139: The Restart
The bowling battle between Blue Lock and the U-20 finally came to a head. Thanks to Shoei Barou pulling a legendary turkey—three strikes in a row when the pressure was highest—Blue Lock snatched the win by a hair.
The U-20 guys were absolutely fuming. They couldn't win on the pitch, and now they couldn't even win at a damn bowling alley.
Aiku, ever the graceful loser, just shrugged it off. "Alright, alright. I know when I'm beat. Dinner is on the U-20 tonight. What's the move?"
"Seriously? You're actually paying for all of us?" Bachira's eyes lit up. He was already doing the math on how much he could eat, though he tried to act polite. "Man, I was just thinking about what I wanted for dinner."
"What, you think the National Team is broke?" Sendo snapped, looking annoyed. "We lost the bet. We pay. That's how it works."
"How about Korean BBQ?" Nagi suggested, his voice as flat as ever.
"Yes!"
"BBQ sounds perfect!"
"Nagi, for once in your life, you actually had a great idea."
Aiku turned to Kira, looking for the final say. "You're the captain. You good with that?"
"You're the one with the credit card," Kira replied with a grin. "Lead the way."
"Actually, sorry guys. I can't make it to the after-party. I've got plans," Isagi said, checking his watch with a look of apology.
"What? Come on, Isagi!"
"You're really gonna bail now?"
Isagi just gave them a wave. "Have fun for me. I've gotta split. Catch you guys later!"
Kira considered following Isagi's lead and heading home early, but he realized he didn't have anything waiting for him but a quiet room. Might as well spend the night hanging out with the guys and eating on someone else's dime. He decided to stay.
"Alright, it's settled!" Aiku clapped his hands. "BBQ it is!"
"Hell yeah! Aiku for President!"
"Thanks for the meal, U-20!"
"Meat... I need meat!"
The Blue Lock crew was vibrating with excitement. They even managed to drag a protesting Barou along with them, refusing to let the 'King' dine alone.
***
While the players were living it up, the atmosphere at the Blue Lock headquarters was significantly more professional.
Anri and Ego weren't on vacation. They were currently locked in a high-stakes remote conference with club managers and executives from the most elite teams across the globe. The massive screen in the meeting room was a grid of faces—men of every nationality, all wearing expensive suits and expressions of calculated greed.
"Ego-san, you're asking for a lot. Can this actually be a commercial success?" A bald executive from a top European club asked, looking skeptical. Ego's latest proposal was clearly making him uneasy.
"The project is revolutionary, sure, but the risk is astronomical," a middle-aged white man said, puffing on a cigar as he watched the screen with a predatory glint in his eye.
"Precisely. If we're going to invest, the ROI needs to be guaranteed. We aren't in the business of charity."
"Yeah, if it doesn't move the needle financially, it's a waste of our time."
The consensus was clear: they wanted to see the money.
Ego adjusted his glasses, his expression one of total boredom. He had expected these vultures to circle the moment he mentioned an expansion.
"Don't get it twisted, gentlemen. This isn't just a business deal," Ego said, tapping a finger on the table. He waited for the silence to settle before continuing.
"This is Phase Two of the Blue Lock project. It's a global takeover. We're moving beyond a simple training camp and into the realm of super-entertainment. Think of it as the 'Big Bang' of the football world—a televised evolution that will create the world's greatest striker while the entire planet watches."
"Just imagine the ratings. Imagine the jersey sales. Imagine the brand power when the winner of this project steps onto your pitch."
The executives on the screen shifted in their seats. Ego had hit the one thing they all understood: profit. The greed in the room was palpable. The hook was set.
***
Two weeks later.
Kira had made the most of his break. He'd spent his days sleeping in until noon, his afternoons running through the local parks to keep his conditioning sharp, and his evenings grabbing dinner with Chigiri, Bachira, or Isagi. It was the first time in months he felt like a normal teenager.
But the two weeks vanished in the blink of an eye. His phone buzzed with the notification he'd been waiting for: Blue Lock was restarting.
"You got everything, Ryosuke?" Rinko asked as she watched him pack.
"Yeah. All set," Kira said, zipping up his suitcase. He stood there for a second, mentally preparing himself for the transition back into the ego-chamber.
"I can't believe you're leaving already. It's only been two weeks," Rinko sighed, her expression soft with a hint of sadness. "Who knows when I'll see you again?"
"Don't worry, Sis. As soon as they let us out again, I'm coming straight home. You know I can't live without your cooking for long."
"You say that now, but as soon as you meet some girl, you'll forget all about me."
Kira felt his face heat up. "What are you even talking about?"
"I saw that photo you posted on Instagram. The girl with the long red hair? She's a total babe. You should bring her by."
Kira stared at her, completely deadpan. "Rinko... that's Chigiri. He's a guy."
"Stop lying. There is no way that's a guy. I've been looking at that photo for ten minutes. She's gorgeous."
Rinko pulled up the photo on her phone—a group shot from Shibuya.
"Look at the neck, Rinko. That's an Adam's apple," Kira said, pointing at the screen.
"Wait... seriously? No way. That's... okay, wow."
Rinko looked genuinely confused as she processed the information.
"I'm out of here, Sis. See ya."
Kira gave her a wave and headed out the door, beginning the journey back to the facility.
When he arrived at the gates, he realized things had changed. The quiet, secluded entrance was now a mosh pit of reporters and camera crews. The moment they spotted Kira, they swarmed.
"Kira! Can you give us a quote on the details of Phase Two?"
"What are your goals for the next stage of the project?"
"How does it feel to be the face of Japanese football?"
Kira didn't answer. He kept his head down and pushed through the crowd, practically diving into the security tunnel to escape the madness.
Inside, the facility looked different. The walls had been repainted, the floors were polished to a mirror sheen, and the entire place felt like it had been upgraded to a professional-tier complex.
He walked into the main meeting room and saw that most of the guys were already there.
"Yo, Kira!"
"The man of the hour finally shows up."
Bachira and Chigiri waved him over. Kunigami was standing nearby, giving him a firm, respectful nod. Kira scanned the room and saw that almost every survivor from the original Blue Lock project was present.
Then he saw a face he didn't expect to see in a Blue Lock tracksuit.
"Bead-eyes?"
Kira spotted Teppei Neru in the crowd. He looked around and realized the room wasn't just Blue Lock players.
"U-20? What the hell are you guys doing here?" Isagi asked, voicing the question everyone was thinking.
"Technically, we're the former U-20 now," Aiku said, stepping forward with his usual easy confidence. "Ego invited us to join the project. Well, he only invited the starters. He said he wanted to see if we had enough ego to survive the next stage."
Kira raised an eyebrow. The plot was thickening.
"Tch. I'm still waiting for a rematch on those bowling lanes," Niou grumbled, crossing his massive arms.
"Hmph. Keep waiting, peasant," Barou muttered from the corner.
"Hey, Rin. You just gonna stand there by yourself? Not gonna say hi?"
Kira spotted Rin leaning against the far wall, eyes closed, looking as antisocial as ever. Rin opened one eye and looked at Kira with a gaze that could freeze boiling water.
"I'm not here to make friends, Kira. I'm here to bury you."
"Still charming as ever, I see. Glad to see the break didn't soften your edge."
"Step aside, Rin. You're blocking the view."
The chaotic voice of Shidou Ryusei cut through the room as he shoved his way between Kira and Rin. He looked at Rin with a look of pure provocation.
"Back off, you pink-haired freak. Unless you want to leave this room in a body bag," Rin hissed.
"Oh, I'm shaking. Come on then, you little shit. Let's see if you can actually back up that talk for once."
Kira sighed as the two of them started to square up. "Here we go again. Someone grab Isagi. We're gonna need help pulling them apart."
The room was a powder keg, ready to explode.
"Welcome back, you diamonds in the rough. How was your vacation?"
The massive screen flickered to life, and Ego's face appeared, looming over them.
"As you've probably noticed, the U-20 National Team is under my full control now. The losers from the exhibition match have their uses, so I've decided to merge the rosters. We're going to build a brand-new U-20 squad from the ground up."
"We have exactly 100 days until the U-20 World Cup."
"And by the time we're done, the world will know that Japan doesn't just play football. We dominate it."
Aiku didn't seem bothered by the 'loser' comment. He just smirked.
Phase Two had officially begun. The goal was the world stage.
***
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The countdown to the U-20 World Cup has begun, and with that, I'm excited to announce that the NEL Arc has officially started. If you're ready… LETSSS FUCKING GOOOOO!!!
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