"Hey, have you heard?"
At a yakiniku restaurant, Ashito and his teammates were celebrating their recent victory.
They were all members of Esperion Youth B-Team.
The Esperion Youth Team served as the training squad for the club's official team. Only those who excelled in A-Team could qualify for the first team.
B-Team functioned as A-Team's reserve squad — new players would start in B-Team for training, and only the most talented would advance to A-Team.
Despite being a reserve team, B-Team competed weekly in the Tokyo Division League and drew significant attention.
This was unsurprising, as Esperion Club was a national powerhouse, renowned even at the youth level.
"I heard Ryōsuke Kira might be coming to Esperion as an advisor!" Eisaku Ōtomo announced excitedly.
"Ryōsuke Kira? The forward from that U-20 Team versus Blue Lock match?" Ashito's eyes lit up immediately.
He had watched the livestream days ago and had been thoroughly impressed by Ryōsuke's performance. Here was the kind of forward he dreamed of becoming.
"His performance was incredible! Sae Itoshi kept feeding him passes, and he seized every chance, cutting through U-20's defense! Even though Blue Lock's defense was solid, they couldn't contain his attacks! And that final goal — when Blue Lock's defenders tried to trap him, he saw right through their formation and broke free!"
Once Ashito began discussing this topic, his enthusiasm knew no bounds, his admiration for Ryōsuke clearly evident.
"He was virtually unknown before that match! Now everyone knows his name! That's the kind of player I want to become!"
"Come on, you're talking like you're Kira himself." Jun Marchs Asari shook his head with mild exasperation.
"But didn't Haruhisa Kuribayashi just announce he's joining the Blue Lock project?" Eisaku mused, "Blue Lock must be expanding their roster! More top players will surely join... Could Kira be coming to scout players?"
"From our Esperion Youth Team?" Ashito asked, puzzled, "Won't they choose from the Senior Team?"
"Haven't you heard? Blue Lock's second phase is selecting players for the upcoming U-20 World Cup — only those invited by Blue Lock will qualify for the national team!" Eisaku explained.
"Represent U-20..." For Ashito, the position of national team representative felt both distant and sacred.
If Eisaku's words were true, he would have to give his all in front of Ryōsuke!
"By the way, who's stronger — Kira or Kuribayashi?" One of the teammates suddenly asked.
"They play different positions, so it's hard to compare. If anything, Kuribayashi should be matched against Sae Itoshi."
"Ryōsuke Kira is definitely stronger! His performance in that match was unreal! No one comes close!"
"It's obviously Kuribayashi — he's already played professional matches. Kira hasn't even signed with a club yet, and nobody knew him before that one game."
Everyone dove into a heated debate.
Meanwhile, Ashito stayed unusually quiet on the sidelines, though his eyes held an unmistakable spark.
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The next morning, Ryōsuke arrived at the Esperion Youth Team facility in Tatsuya's car.
While not quite Blue Lock's level, the facility was impressive — pristine buildings and vast green fields stretched before them. Few clubs offered such excellent amenities to their lower-tier teams.
As they arrived, several people emerged from the building to greet them.
"You must be Kira. Welcome." A middle-aged man with an intimidating presence spoke first.
Nozomi Date, B-Team's head coach and Tatsuya's former teammate, had a stern, unapproachable demeanor. Yet beneath this exterior was a skilled coach whose leadership consistently brought out B-Team's best performance.
He studied Ryōsuke intently, his brows furrowing slightly. Deep down, Nozomi felt unsure about Tatsuya's decision, believing his colleague might have acted too hastily.
Although this young man had performed brilliantly on the field, it was just one match. Many players could deliver explosive performances but end up being one-hit wonders — mere "loose cannons". The team needed players who could deliver consistently.
Ryōsuke's track record was limited — he had only gained widespread recognition after that single match. Despite having some minor recognition before, he still couldn't compare to Haruhisa, who had developed his career at a powerhouse club from an early age.
Furthermore, Nozomi couldn't understand how Tatsuya had convinced the team's sponsors to join Blue Lock. The project seemed too experimental in his mind.
Having a sixteen or seventeen-year-old Ryōsuke instruct his peers also seemed questionable — unless he could truly match Haruhisa's caliber.
Though Nozomi remained polite and silent, his expression revealed these doubts.
"Hello Coach Date, pleased to meet you." Ryōsuke smiled and greeted him and the other coaching staff members.
Though Ryōsuke noticed Nozomi's skeptical expression, he maintained his politeness and simply offered his greeting.
"Let me first show Kira to his room and introduce him to the environment here." Tatsuya patted Ryōsuke's shoulder and then led him to various parts of the facility.
Ryōsuke would be staying on-site, with room and board included. The cafeteria offered buffet-style dining with unlimited portions and diverse menu options — far superior to Blue Lock's previous setup.
'Oh right, I should have told Jinpachi earlier that the cafeteria must be improved for the second phase!' Ryōsuke thought to himself.
After introducing the facility's amenities, Tatsuya took him to the field.
"A-Team isn't here right now, but B-Team is training. Want to take a look, Ryōsuke?" Tatsuya had grown familiar enough to change how he addressed him.
"Yes." Ryōsuke quickly followed him to the field, where B-Team members were practicing tactical positioning.
"Gather round." Nozomi said expressionlessly, "This is Ryōsuke Kira, who will be B-Team's advisor for a while. I'm sure you've all seen him in the match livestream. Everyone, please welcome him with applause."
As applause filled the air, all eyes turned to Ryōsuke while players whispered among themselves.
"So this is Ryōsuke Kira? He's so handsome!"
"Can't believe we're seeing him in person!"
"I want to see his skills with my own eyes! I've only watched him on TV before."
Curiosity, admiration, and aspiration filled the hearts of these B-Team players. Though Ryōsuke was around their age, he had already made it to the national stage — likely matching Haruhisa's level.
Outside the field's fence, family members and reporters gathered to watch. Even though these were just B-Team members, the Esperion name carried tremendous prestige. Parents anxiously monitored their children's performance, while reporters sought potential sports stories, hoping to discover tomorrow's rising stars.
When Ryōsuke appeared, every head turned.
"Wait, is that Ryōsuke Kira?"
"Oh my god, it really is! Has he joined Esperion?"
"No, they said he's here as an advisor representing Blue Lock."
Camera flashes lit up the scene.
"Hello everyone, I'm Ryōsuke Kira, pleased to meet you." Ryōsuke greeted everyone while scanning the crowd.
He immediately spotted Ashito. Though already in high school, the boy's face still held a hint of childishness — not particularly tall, with fluffy hair and bright, eager eyes that made him stand out.
"First, regarding Kira's purpose here," Nozomi announced gravely. "As an advisor, he'll help with your training and development. Additionally, he will conduct selections for Blue Lock, choosing suitable candidates who may ultimately join the U-20 national team and represent our country in the World Cup."
"Just as Ōtomo predicted..."
"I really want to be chosen..."
"Haruhisa Kuribayashi is also participating in the selection, right?"
B-Team members buzzed with excitement. Since Blue Lock had abandoned its elimination system and exemption policy, there was nothing to fear.
Getting the chance to represent the national team would be a tremendous honor!
"As you've probably all heard, some A-Team players are injured, so B-Team will exchange some members with A-Team." Nozomi continued, "Therefore, your match this Saturday is extremely important. Coach Fukuda will personally observe and make selections based on your performance. I'm sure Kira will do the same, so do your best — Kira, do you have anything else to say to these players?"
He turned his gaze toward Ryōsuke.
"This would be a good opportunity for you to get to know our youth team players." Tatsuya said with a smile while patting his shoulder.
"In that case, I'll say something." Ryōsuke cleared his throat, then walked in front of the players and smiled, "It's my honor to visit Esperion Youth Team. I'm here to learn, and if anyone has questions, feel free to ask me anytime. I'll do my best to answer. For Blue Lock's second phase, we need to select some 'diamonds in the rough'. Whether you're from B-Team or A-Team, my selection criteria will be based on the soccer potential you demonstrate — I might choose many players, or none at all. Also, there's no need to be too formal when we interact, just be natural—"
After saying this, he slightly narrowed his eyes, his smile growing wider.
"To help us get to know each other better, let's let soccer do the talking! If any of you are interested, come challenge me to a one-on-one right now. This way, I can better understand your technical characteristics and make future guidance easier , I can see each person's potential."
"What?"
Everyone present exclaimed in surprise, completely caught off guard by his suggestion.
Nozomi's brow twitched slightly; he too was surprised by Ryōsuke's directness.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya's face broke into a smile, "Indeed, this makes it interesting! I approve!"
Ryōsuke had chosen this approach partly because it was a quick way to understand the players' abilities and technical characteristics. Having received requests from Jinpachi and Tatsuya, he needed to take this seriously.
Moreover, through this opportunity, he could demonstrate his own abilities, gain influence at the Esperion facility, and build better relationships with everyone.
The players looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.
"You go first."
"No way! The opponent is Ryōsuke!"
"There's no way to win this match..."
Except for one person, who raised his hand high in the crowd.
"I'd like to have a match with Kira-senpai!"
The speaker was Ashito.
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