"Noel Noa, the world's best striker who outshone Messi and Ronaldo to claim the Ballon d'Or, once said:"
"'Instead of assisting a teammate to win 1-0, I'd rather score a hat-trick and lose 3-4. That feels much better.'"
"Eric Cantona, the greatest player of the 20th century, said:"
"'The team doesn't matter, as long as I stand out enough.'"
"Pelé, the three-time World Cup champion and King of Football, said:"
"'The world's best forward, the world's best midfielder, the world's best defender, and the world's best goalkeeper—no matter which position you ask about, the answer is always me!'"
"These are the words of epoch-making strikers. They were all 'Sophisticated Egoists.'"
"So, Ego Jinpachi, I believe you."
As Kira Ryosuke spoke, he walked toward Ego, eventually standing right beside him in front of the gate.
"I want to be the sole hero standing atop 299 corpses!"
The crowd below erupted once more.
"Kira Ryosuke is so arrogant!"
"Even for him, that kind of big talk is looking down on everyone else."
"Hey, hey, does this brat really think we're nothing?"
In the crowd, Shidou Ryusei stared at Kira on the stage with a frenzied look, as if he were eyeing a gourmet meal. Itoshi Rin simply gave a cold, bored evaluation: "Utterly tedious."
Isagi stared at Kira. Why? Why can he stand up there and say those things with such confidence when I wouldn't even dare to think about defeating everyone else? Compared to him, do I lack even the basic resolve?
"Hahaha! Excellent! To think there are still people like you carrying the future of Japanese football," Ego Jinpachi laughed like a manic preacher. A moment later, his face turned deadly serious as he resumed his interrupted speech.
"Imagine this..."
"It's the World Cup final. 80,000 spectators are in the stands. You are on that pitch, the score is 0-0, and it's stoppage time in the second half. In the final attack, you break free from the defense and receive a pass from a teammate. You are 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper. Six meters to your right, there's a teammate. If you pass to him, it's a guaranteed goal!"
"In that moment of immense expectation, with the championship on the line—can you still, without hesitation, take the shot yourself? Only that kind of sophisticated egoist can move forward!"
Bang.
As the others were immersed in the scene Ego described, imagining themselves as that striker, the doors behind Ego slid open. Kira didn't hesitate; he turned and walked into the darkness, leaving only his silhouette for the crowd to see.
"Discard common sense. On the pitch, you are the protagonist. View your own goals as supreme joy and live only for that moment. That is a 'Striker,' isn't it?"
Ego's voice echoed behind Kira like a siren song. Kira ignored it, walking forward and counting down under his breath.
3... 2... 1.
The sound of hundreds of footsteps thundered behind him. Just like the original story, they were all coming. But this time, Kira was leading the pack.
Outside the gate, Isagi Yoichi's body trembled. Why did no one ever tell me this? Watching Kira's back vanish into the crowd, he wondered if Kira had always viewed himself as the protagonist of his own life.
"I'm going too!" Isagi sprinted to catch up, shouting at the top of his lungs, "I am—a 'Striker'!"
A while later, buses arrived at the Blue Lock facility, carrying 300 high school students. One after another, boys filled with hunger stepped off the vehicles. At the reception, a woman in a professional suit, Anri Teieri, directed staff to hand out skin-tight blue jerseys.
"Phones and wallets will be confiscated!"
"What? That's inhumane!" the students complained as they surrendered their devices.
"Once you have your clothes, enter the room corresponding to the letter on your uniform, change, and wait for instructions," Anri commanded.
Kira looked at his jersey: Z289. This ranking was just Ego's way of psyching them out; the real rankings would be revealed later. His rank was exactly the same as the original story, despite his performance in the finals.
This is tricky, Kira thought. In Team Z, everyone wants to be the protagonist. If I don't get them to fall in line, we'll lose matches just like the original timeline. I have no intention of losing.
He found Room Z and pushed the door open. Eleven players were already inside, and they all stopped to look at the last arrival.
"Kira!" Isagi called out, looking relieved. "I'm glad we're in the same room."
Kira was confused. Isagi arrived before me? In the original, he was the last one. It seemed his presence was already causing a butterfly effect.
"Hello, Isagi. I'm relieved to see you too," Kira replied with a smile. Suddenly sensing something, he jerked his head to the side just as a shirt whistled past his face.
"Ah... sorry, it flew out of my hand," a muscular, honest-looking boy apologized while changing. It was Kunigami Rensuke.
"Watch your step," Kunigami added. Kira looked down and saw Bachira Meguru sprawled on the floor, fast asleep. He had almost stepped on him. How can this kid sleep at a time like this?
Kira and Isagi claimed the last two lockers and began to change. As soon as Kira finished, a boy with a shaved head approached him eagerly.
"You... you're Ryosuke Kira, right? The rising star? Is it really you?" It was Igarashi Gurimu. Kira gave a polite, albeit awkward, response, knowing this guy wouldn't have any attributes worth stealing.
"I'm Igarashi Gurimu. Is Isagi your friend? My family runs a temple..."
As Igarashi droned on, Kira stood by, waiting for the first selection to begin.
"Unpolished gems, are you dressed?"
Ego Jinpachi appeared on the room's monitor. He explained the ranking system again, noting that the top five players would earn a spot on the U-20 World Cup roster, while those eliminated would be banned from the National Team for life.
The room filled with anxious murmurs. Kira noticed Isagi looking at his rank—299—with a look of despair. Kira suppressed a smile, knowing the trick Ego was playing.
"Now, the entrance exam begins," Ego announced. "It's time for a game of 'Tag'!"
Kira tensed up. In the original story, this was where the old Kira was eliminated by Isagi. This time, history will not repeat itself.