Chapter 141: The Neo Egoist League
The window for choosing a league slammed shut in a heartbeat. Everyone had locked in their path to evolution.
"Selection time is over. All players, proceed to the room corresponding to your chosen environment immediately," Ego's voice crackled over the speakers.
Kira said his brief goodbyes to Bachira and the others before heading toward the entrance to the Italy stratum.
"Style recognizes style. I knew I'd find you here."
Aryu drifted toward the door with his usual grace.
"Aryu!" Kira felt a surge of confidence. Having a former teammate he could trust made the transition into this unknown territory a lot easier.
"The most glamorous players always end up under the same roof," Aryu added, flicking a strand of hair behind his shoulder.
"Well, well. It looks like the two captains are on the same page for once."
Oliver Aiku was leaning against the doorframe, looking as laid-back as ever. He gave Kira a casual wave as if they were old friends meeting for a drink rather than rivals entering a war zone.
"Still got that white hair, huh, kid?" A voice spat from behind Aiku. It was Shuto Sendo, looking like he was still nursing a massive grudge from the exhibition match. He was flanked by the former U-20 keeper, Gen Fukaku. Sendo looked like he wanted a piece of Kira right then and there.
"Small world, Aiku. Where's your shadow, Niou?" Kira asked, completely ignoring Sendo's posturing.
"People have their own paths. Just like your fan club isn't here either," Aiku replied with a knowing smirk.
The two captains shared a silent moment of mutual respect. Kira was secretly thrilled. With Aiku anchoring the backline, he wouldn't have to waste a single thought on defense. He could dedicate every cell in his body to the hunt.
"Kira."
Ikki Niko arrived at the door, his eyes hidden behind his signature bangs.
"I'm not losing to you this time. I'm going to find a way to crush you from the inside out."
"I'll believe it when I see it, Niko. Just try not to turn into my sidekick while you're at it," Kira replied, flashing a sharp grin.
"Tch... I should have known you'd be here."
The atmosphere in the hallway suddenly grew heavy. Shoei Barou stepped into view, his alpha energy practically vibrating off his skin. He looked at Kira like he was an insect in his kingdom.
"The King has arrived. Try to keep the noise down," Kira quipped.
Barou just scoffed and looked away, clearly not interested in small talk. The final two players to round out the group of nine were Hajime Nishioka and Yukio Ishikari. Once the roster was set, the heavy steel doors hissed open, and the group stepped into the Italy stratum.
"Welcome, you diamonds in the rough. Welcome to the land of tactical warfare and the lethal counter-attack."
A massive hologram of Ego Jinpachi flickered to life in the center of the room.
"Whoa, what is this? Some kind of high-tech projection?" Sendo asked, looking like he'd never seen a flat screen before.
Kira was impressed. The facility looked like it had received a multi-billion dollar facelift. Ego was clearly playing with some serious capital now.
"The top-tier club in Italy is Ubers. You will be training alongside their U-20 squad," Ego announced. The Ubers crest—bold black and white stripes with a massive 'U'—appeared on the screen.
"Finally! The Florence Cathedral! This is going to be so glamorous," Aryu said, his eyes sparkling. He looked like he was ready to pack his bags for Europe.
"Wait, are we actually going overseas?" Niko asked, looking skeptical.
"Hardly," Ego's hologram said, a hint of excitement touching his voice. "It's the exact opposite. I've brought the world to you. I have built the five elite environments right here within Blue Lock."
"I have scouted eleven world-class rising stars from the top clubs of each league to act as your benchmarks. England has Manshine City. Spain has FC Barcha. France has P.X.G. Germany has Bastard Munchen. And Italy, of course, has Ubers."
"Your next goal is to fight your way into the starting eleven of these teams. And from this point on, I am stepping back. I will no longer be your coach."
"Instead, your guidance will come from the master strikers of these clubs. Let me introduce your mentor."
Ego paused as a man stepped onto the stage in the hologram. He was a fit, professional-looking European with a calm but commanding presence.
"From Ubers: The Crown Messenger. The man who leads every team he joins to a league title. Marc Snuffy."
Aryu practically gasped, pointing at the screen with both hands. Kira remembered Aryu mentioning Snuffy before—the guy was his absolute idol.
"The other rooms have their masters as well," Ego continued. "Manshine City has the Perfect Hero, Chris Prince. FC Barcha has the Master of Dance, Lavinho. P.X.G. has the Prodigy, Julian Loki. And Bastard Munchen has the world's best striker, Noel Noa."
Ego adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming. "Now, listen to the rules of Phase Two."
"First, you will train under your master. You must earn their respect to be selected for the starting eleven, which will be a mix of Blue Lock players and the club's original youth members."
"Once the rosters are set, you will compete in a round-robin tournament against the other strata. This is a war between five philosophies."
Aiku's eyes sharpened. "Interesting. So we finally get to go head-to-head with the guys who went to the other leagues."
"Exactly," Ego confirmed. "But these matches have special rules. They are three-goal-cap matches. The first team to three wins. There are no limits on substitutions. And most importantly, each team can use their Master Striker for exactly three minutes per match. This is the Star Change System."
The room was buzzing. The prospect of playing alongside or against the best strikers on the planet was a high that even the U-20 exhibition couldn't match.
"This is also the final selection for the U-20 World Cup," Ego added. "After every match, I will release a ranking based on market value. At the end of the tournament, the top players on that list will form the official Japan U-20 squad."
"This is the project that will give birth to the world's greatest striker. This is the Neo Egoist League!"
Ego's hologram vanished, leaving the players to process the madness.
"He really knows how to stir the pot," Aiku said, a wild grin on his face. "I knew Blue Lock was crazy, but this is a whole different level of insanity."
"I came here to beat you, Kira. I guess I'll just have to settle for outperforming you on the same team," Niko said, walking over to Kira and offering a fist bump.
"Don't hold your breath, Niko," Kira replied, meeting the bump.
Marc Snuffy, who had been watching them with a quiet smile, suddenly gestured to his ears. He began speaking in English. "Listen up, kids. Put on your translation earpieces before we start."
"What? What's the foreigner saying?"
"Is he saying his ears hurt?"
"I bet he wants us to clean them for him. That's a veteran power move," Sendo said, sounding like a total moron.
Aiku looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment. "Sendo, shut up. You're making the National Team look like a joke."
"He's telling us to put on the earpieces Anri gave us," Kira said, pulling his own out of his pocket and fitting it into his ear as a demonstration. The others followed suit, fumbling with their gear.
Snuffy watched them with an appreciative look, his gaze lingering on Kira for an extra second.
"Welcome, boys. I am the master of Ubers. My name is Snuffy," he said, his voice now crystal clear through the translation tech.
"Before we get into the drills, I have one question for you."
"What is football to you?"
***
The nine members of the Italy stratum: Ryosuke Kira, Shoei Barou, Jyubei Aryu, Oliver Aiku, Ikki Niko, Shuto Sendo, Hajime Nishioka, Gen Fukaku, Yukio Ishikari.
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