"Damn it... damn it..."
Meanwhile, in Team V's dormitory, Reo couldn't get over his defeat, muttering complaints under his breath.
Around him, his teammates watched with puzzled expressions. Although they had lost the match, they had still qualified — whether they finished first or second hardly mattered.
But for Reo, this first defeat of his career was an unbearable stain.
"My... my perfect record with Nagi — gone! Damn it! Damn you, Kira!" Reo shouted hysterically, while Seishirō remained stoic beside him.
In his mind, he kept replaying Ryōsuke's movements and words from earlier.
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In 5th Stratum's lobby, players from the other three teams wept with their heads in their hands as they prepared to leave Blue Lock.
Team Z had advanced as group winners with a perfect record, Team V qualified in second place, while the remaining three teams were eliminated.
In a corner of the lobby, Ikki Niko leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching his teammates leave Blue Lock with a grim expression.
As Team Y's top scorer, he had earned the right to stay in the Project. His match against Ryōsuke had shown him his own shortcomings. Determined to remain in Blue Lock, he had given everything in the subsequent matches.
Though his teammates' departure left him feeling guilty and somewhat fortunate, what burned stronger was his frustration — and hunger for revenge.
Even though Team Y had lost two matches total, the pressure Ryōsuke had put on Ikki far surpassed what Team V's three pillars could muster.
"Ryōsuke Kira, I will definitely have my revenge."
On the other side of 5th Stratum, in Team X's training ground, Shoei Baro continued practicing. As Team X's top scorer, he too had earned the right to stay.
He felt nothing for his departing teammates and didn't bother seeing them off. To him, they were merely talentless trash — their worthlessness was precisely why Team X hadn't won a single match.
All teammates were just his accessories and servants — this was his philosophy.
"Ryōsuke Kira, I will crush you and make you my servant!" Shoei snarled through gritted teeth, consumed by rage.
Without realizing it, Ryōsuke had become a public enemy to many.
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Night fell quickly.
After finishing dinner and a long chat with Riko, Ryōsuke headed to the training ground.
Qualifying as group winners was just his first step — there was still quite a journey ahead.
According to the original story, next would come a period of physical training and a simple individual shooting test, followed by the true Second Selection: the Player Draft Battles.
The Draft Battles would pit teams of three against each other. Winners could select one player from the losing team to join their squad. The first teams to gather five players would advance, while those left teamless would be eliminated.
This wasn't just about soccer skills — it would intensify the competition between individuals.
Last round's teammates could become this round's enemies, highlighting the competition's ruthless nature.
"Need to pick teammates... I'll figure out who later." Ryōsuke muttered before opening his system menu.
Between his Competition Points from matches and evening training, he'd accumulated 230 points. Both Thunder Swarm and Rice Spirit had reached 100% mastery — perfect timing for an upgrade.
His dribbling technique and curve shot control still had room for improvement.
〘 Upgrade Successful! Skill: Second Form: Rice Spirit Has Reached LV3! 〙
〘 Proficiency Reseted! 〙
〘 Upgrade Successful! Skill: Third Form: Thunder Swarm Has Reached LV2! 〙
〘 Proficiency Reseted! 〙
With his skills upgraded and mastery reset, Ryōsuke was ready to continue practicing.
"Still training after today's matches! My legs are wobbling!"
"That's why Kira is incredible!"
"We won't let you train in secret!"
Just then, the rest of Team Z entered the training ground.
Though exhausted from the day's battle, seeing Ryōsuke still training inspired them to join him.
"Let's train together then."
"We'll all advance to the next round together!"
"But let me be clear — I'm going to be the world's best forward! You guys can fight for second place!"
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The next morning.
The big screen lit up again, displaying Jinpachi's face.
[Congratulations to all you raw gems for passing the first round of selection.]
He pushed up his glasses.
[However, the Second Round of Selection will have to wait, as matches in the other stratums aren't finished yet.]
"What? We have to wait for them?!" Jingo protested.
[How annoying. While waiting for the second selection, you'll have to accept physical enhancement training. During this period, you cannot use balls. Those who break the rules or can't keep up will be considered withdrawn.]
"You've got to be kidding! Why should we wait for other buildings to finish?!" Jingo jabbed his finger at the screen, his frustration with Jinpachi reaching its peak.
[You've only succeeded in the lowest 5th Stratum, don't get cocky, you trash!]
Jinpachi said mercilessly.
"There's no need to continue with such an obvious lie." Rensuke interjected.
[Oh?]
Jinpachi's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"If you want us to do physical training, just say so. We know there aren't any higher-level buildings — all buildings are the 5th Stratum, all teams are V through Z, and rankings mean nothing." Rensuke's expression was serious.
Ryōsuke had revealed these facts to everyone. Even without his insight, many would have figured it out.
[How did you reach that conclusion?]
Jinpachi asked curiously.
"Because I don't believe there could be over two hundred people stronger than Kira."
As Rensuke finished speaking, everyone's gaze fell on Ryōsuke.
To them, that young man's strength was unmatched. Though Seishirō and Shoei were remarkably strong, they couldn't compare to him.
Therefore, everyone believed there couldn't possibly be over two hundred people in Blue Lock stronger than Ryōsuke.
[So that's how you figured it out.]
Jinpachi smiled, but his expression quickly turned serious.
[That's right, since you know, there's no need to hide it anymore. The rankings mean nothing. What I'm going to do next is give you intense physical training to crush your pathetic confidence — even without rankings, you're still just trash. Now shut up and train until I say stop!]
"Bring it on!"
Rather than being intimidated by his threatening words, Team Z's members grew more energized.
[Very well, let's see if you can keep up.]
After Jinpachi finished speaking, the screen went dark.
'If I remember correctly, the physical training should last ten days.' Ryōsuke thought to himself, 'Without being able to touch a ball, it'll be hard to practice Rice Spirit and Thunder Swarm skills since they require actual soccer practice. I'll have to rely on the Competition Space to improve them, but I can still focus on other physical training. This is a good opportunity to work on my overall fitness.'
[All Team Z members please proceed to the fitness room for physical testing.]
A cold announcement echoed through the room. Everyone followed the instructions and headed to begin their training regimen.
High-speed long-distance running, flexibility training, jump training — the intensity of these exercises was extreme. This wasn't just a test of physical endurance but also of willpower. Falling behind meant elimination.
When pushed to extreme fatigue, most people lose their appetite completely — ironically, right when they need food most to replenish their energy. Many would quickly become sick if they tried to eat.
However, this level of training barely fazed Team Z's current members.
They had been training at high intensity with Ryōsuke almost every day and had already adapted to this rigorous style — compared to their usual routine, Jinpachi's physical training wasn't particularly challenging.
Even Yoichi, who had the lowest physical capabilities, managed to keep pace.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
Ten days passed swiftly, and everyone received word that physical training was complete.
[All personnel, gather in the lobby.]
Jinpachi's voice came over the broadcast at 6 AM sharp.
"Finally, it's over!" Jingo shouted excitedly.
Though Team Z's members had handled the intense training well, what they craved most was getting back on the field to compete.
Ryōsuke opened his system interface.
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 50 〛
〚 Current Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Level: 3 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 150 Competition Points 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | Level: 3 | EXP: 73.7% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Second Form: Rice Spirit | Status: Upgradable | Level: 3 | EXP: 50.3% 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Third Form: Thunder Swarm | Status: Upgradable | Level: 2 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 100 Competition Points 〛
— — — — — — — — — —
During the training period, his skills had improved remarkably. Both Thunder Swarm and Thunder Breathing had reached 100% mastery, making them ready for upgrades.
He could only earn 20 Competition Points per day through training, which he primarily spent on Competition Space training time to practice his skills. Once matches resumed, he would be able to upgrade his skills directly.
"Everyone, let's head out." Ryōsuke closed the system interface and led Team Z toward their destination lobby.
The spacious pentagonal hall had doors embedded in its five walls. As they opened, players from all five buildings streamed in.
Only 125 players remained, with more than half having been eliminated from Blue Lock. Most wore expressions of exhaustion after ten grueling days of physical training that had pushed them to their limits.
This was precisely what Jinpachi had intended.
Only Ryōsuke's Team Z maintained their energy.
"Hey, it's exactly as Kira said." Yoichi surveyed the crowd.
Just as Ryōsuke had predicted, there were no higher-level buildings or rankings — everyone came from the '5th Stratum,' all ranked above 200.
[Well well, my dear raw gems, thank you for your hard work in this physical enhancement training.]
The central screen illuminated, revealing Jinpachi's lean figure.
[Currently present here are 125 first-round qualifiers from five stratums. Of course, some have already discovered that among you, there are no players from higher-level buildings...]
His gaze lingered on Ryōsuke as he spoke.
After a lengthy speech about forwards and individualism, he finally reached his main point.
[You will now proceed to the second selection — five stages, with an advancement system where you must pass each stage to continue to the next.
Once you pass the second round of selection, you'll have the chance to train with world-class players I've chosen.
Those who are mentally prepared should proceed alone through that door — the first stage is a solo battle, and once you enter, there's no turning back.]
Everyone's attention turned to where Jinpachi indicated: a black door that seemed to await their voluntary entry into hell.
The words "Second Round Selection" were clearly inscribed above the door.
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