"But Reo, your chameleon ability is very impressive."
"I'd rather not be praised by you, of all people."
Reo shot his exceptionally talented partner a sideways glance. With a copied skill, the highest he could achieve was 99% because it was not his own ability. This would lead to one result: when he used a copied ability against the original user, he would be crushed. For example, if he copied Karasu and went head-to-head with him, the one who lost would only be himself.
However, Reo had already found a solution.
Just copy a stronger person to deal with a weaker person. Simply put, it was "Tian Ji's horse race." This was the football victory formula he had learned from Karasu. Thinking of this, Reo even glanced at Karasu, who had scored his team's only goal.
"What are you looking at, baka (idiot)? Be careful not to get eliminated and not even make the final roster in the end," Karasu reminded him, then also turned and left. The passage for the top six and the others was different.
"Keep up the good work, Isagi."
Well, we were teammates, after all. I should cheer him on a little.
"I'll do so even without you telling me," Reo said, then turned his head to Nagi. "Let's go too, Nagi."
...
On the other side.
The JFU headquarters.
Buratsuta Hirotoshi and the U-20 representative team's head coach, Sotei Hoitsu, were cozied up like a nest of snakes and rats, chatting about how the match tickets had already sold out and they had made another fortune.
Over the past few months, in the Japanese football circle, Blue Lock had become one of the most talked-about topics among fans. Now, their first public appearance had attracted the attention of the general public.
When this match was confirmed, announced to the public, and tickets went on sale, in just one day, forty thousand tickets were sold out. Of course, Itoshi Sae's first acceptance of a national team call-up also contributed to this. The Youth World Cup was just around the corner, and the fans were eager to know just how much stronger the U-20 team would become with Sae.
And Itoshi Sae, at this moment, had arrived at the JFU headquarters.
"Oh, isn't this Itoshi Sae? Welcome to the meeting."
"Please take care of us, Chairman!"
Buratsuta and Sotei Hoitsu opened their arms warmly towards Sae. The latter responded with a cold glare.
Subsequently, his agent also pushed open the door and walked in, complaining that he shouldn't be so assertive, just walking into the JFU without being announced.
Sae acted as if he couldn't hear, turned his head, and asked, "Who are this fat pig and this useless-looking face?"
Ah?!!
Buratsuta's and Sotei's expressions instantly stiffened. Amidst a chorus of "good one!" from the real-world audience, the agent quickly reminded Sae, tugging at his clothes and telling him not to speak carelessly, "This is the JFU President and the Head Coach."
"Is that so? Then that's perfect." Sae still didn't pay them any mind. He said, "I've already confirmed the U-20 team's matches and have personally watched them train."
"I'll be direct. They're completely hopeless!"
"Especially the forwards. They're all trash, no different from overcooked vomit."
Damn it, this kid is a bit too arrogant.
Black lines covered Buratsuta's forehead. Not to mention Sotei, who was standing beside him. This was a clear insult to his coaching ability!
Sae was oblivious and continued, "I accepted the national team's call-up because I could play against the people from Blue Lock. But a team at this club level... you can't even call it a match. It's even more impossible for them to defeat Blue Lock."
Sae had only two purposes for accepting the call-up. To see what the forwards cultivated by Blue Lock were made of. And then, to have a formal match with Tendou head-on. That chance encounter a few months ago was enough for him to remember Tendou. Every time he thought of him, Sae really wanted to have another match with him.
Of course... there was also something he would never admit: Sae wanted to see how his younger brother was doing. After talking to his brother that night, he had not gone home but had found a hotel to stay in. He was a little afraid to face his otouto, afraid that he would see his pitiful state and his heart would soften.
"Then your purpose in coming this time is..."
"I want to personally select one or two forwards. From Blue Lock."
What?!
He wouldn't choose Tendou; if he did, the match would be meaningless. He wouldn't choose his younger brother, Rin, either; if he did, his own efforts would be in vain.
His targets were that Shidou Ryusei, and also...
...
A few days later.
"So far, Team A hasn't lost a single match."
"Yeah, and except for the first match against Team C, all the other matches have been shutouts."
In a room, Isagi, Reo, Chigiri, and others gathered together. Compared to the first day, most of the players had already completed their matches by this time. With nothing to do, besides practicing, they would just watch the matches that took place every 6 hours...
The results moved many people.
Team A had maintained a perfect record so far, shutting out their opponents in most matches.
And this final match. It was again Team A versus Team B. The result was no different. Even though Shidou Ryusei had used all his strength, he still couldn't break through Tendou's defense. The "tentacle beast" had heaven-defying shooting technique and talent, but he lacked a playmaker who could supply him with ammunition and unleash his full potential. If he were in a group with Karasu, his performance might have been better.
It wasn't that Otoya wasn't strong enough, but that they were different types. Otoya was more suitable to be a player who stormed the city walls, not an organizer.
The final whistle blew. Team A 5:0 Team B. A crushing defeat.
"All matches have concluded."
The moment the match ended, Ego, who hadn't been seen for many days, reappeared on the screen.
"The adaptability test is over. In 6 hours, I will announce the starting lineup for the challenge against the Japan U-20 representative team."
Hearing this, the faces of the remaining 35 people in Blue Lock all turned serious, their expressions uncontrollably becoming tense. The feeling was exactly the same as waiting for the results of the college entrance exam.
And then, in this tense wait, 6 hours passed.
Everyone, including Tendou's four teammates, once again came to the central hall.
Why four? Because Shidou and Yukimiya were both gone.
"Huh? Where are Yukimiya and Shidou?"
"I don't know. Are they feeling unwell?"
"Now's not the time to be concerned about them."
"That's right. Compared to the top six, we should be more worried about ourselves."
Chigiri rubbed his palms; sweat was seeping out. His heart was very uneasy at this moment. The others were much the same, their eyes sweeping over those they considered their biggest competitors.
"Nagi, Reo, and Chigiri's weapons are sharp enough, but I scored goals. If it's based on the goal-scoring standard, my chances of being selected should be higher," Isagi took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm.
And Tendou.
Discovering that Shidou and Yukimiya were missing, he had already realized something.
"He took two people at once?"
In the original story, Itoshi Sae, dissatisfied with the U-20 team's forwards, had chosen Shidou from Blue Lock. But this time, he had even taken the One-on-One King, Yukimiya.
"Is it because my appearance made him feel a sense of crisis?"
...
Get 30+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"