In the sterile, dim hallway of Blue Lock, Ryu stared down at the sleek, jet-black bodysuit in his hands.
Tight fit. Aerodynamic.
Stamped across the chest—"Z289."
So this is what Ego's all-in gamble looks like.
A smirk curved his lips.
How far would a madman go to forge a monster capable of shaking the world?
The answer was stitched into every fiber of this suit.
To Jinpachi Ego, football was no longer a sport.
It was an obsession.
A laboratory.
A battlefield.
And Ryu?
His finest experiment.
Crimson eyes narrowed, glowing faintly under the harsh hallway lights.
Click.
The door creaked open.
Inside, tension hung thick like static. Every player turned, eyes locking on him.
Then—
"It's you…"
Isagi Yoichi's voice cracked the silence like a snapped crossbar.
The air shifted—not for what Ryu had done, but for what he was.
His presence warped the atmosphere.
The disdainful words, the cold stare, the weight behind every syllable—all came rushing back like ghosts.
Dozens of wary, hostile eyes fixed on him.
Except one.
Bachira Meguru lay snoring peacefully on the floor, drooling on his sleeve.
Ryu clicked his tongue, amused. Typical.
He stepped inside, surveying the room like a predator entering fresh hunting grounds.
"Yo…" His voice low, cool.
"Looks like you all remember me."
His gaze snapped to Yoichi. He closed the gap with casual menace.
Standing face to face, he tilted his head. Crimson eyes gleamed with malice—and amusement.
"Fate's funny, huh?"
"Maybe the universe sent me here… just to crush your pride."
Yoichi's breath hitched.
Those eyes again.
The same abyss he'd felt earlier—now inches away.
He took a step back. Involuntarily.
Why does it feel like I'm being swallowed whole?
A heavy weight settled over the room.
Even those who'd never spoken to Ryu could feel it.
This wasn't normal tension.
This was predator energy.
A system alert blinked behind Ryu's vision:
["SkullEmo" feels threatened by your presence. +150 Emotion]
["MidfieldPrincess" is now obsessed with your eyes. +250 Emotion]
["NarrativeOverlord" says: If this guy isn't the protagonist, I'll eat my cleats. +600 Emotion]
[Total: 102,900]
Still rising.
He was evolving in real time. And they had no clue.
Suddenly, the massive wall screen crackled to life.
A familiar dead-eyed face appeared.
Ego Jinpachi.
That twisted Mona Lisa smile chilling to the bone.
"All changed into your uniforms? Good."
"You are not just teammates anymore… you are opponents."
"Your numbers are not random. They represent your ranking. From 1 to 300."
Gasps filled the room.
Eyes flicked down to chests, then to each other.
Isagiclenched his fists.
He stared at his number: 299.
Then, slowly, he turned.
Z289.
The second-highest-ranked player in the entire facility stood just feet away.
Hands in pockets. Smile like he knew something no one else did.
This guy…
Top ten already?!
What kind of monster is this?!
Ryu, of course, knew better.
He didn't buy the numbers.
Ego didn't pair them by strength.
No—this was chaos.
Fire forged in fire.
He scanned the faces.
No, there was Nozomi Kira Ryosuke.
The sacrificial lamb.
Ejected before the game even started.
Replaced by Ryu.
And he didn't care.
Not even a flicker of sympathy.
Ego's voice returned.
"Those who rise to the top five will advance."
"Those who fall… will never again play for the Japanese national team."
A cold sentence.
A guillotine hanging over them all.
You're either reborn… or erased.
The screen faded.
And then—
Thunk.
A soccer ball dropped from the ceiling.
Everyone's heads snapped to it.
A new screen flashed:
[Igarashi Gurimu – Rank Z300]
"Tag," Ego's voice echoed ominously.
"The person holding the ball is 'it.'"
"You have 136 seconds."
"When the timer ends, whoever is 'it'… is eliminated."
"Good luck."
Lights dimmed.
The timer began.
[2:16 → 2:15 → 2:14…]
Igarashi stood frozen, staring at the ball like it was a live grenade.
Then—
"No way… I'm not going down like this!!"
He roared and sprinted forward.
The crowd scattered like fish fleeing a shark.
But one figure didn't move.
Ryu.
Still. Calm. Watching.
As Igarashi closed in, ball at his feet—
BOOM.
A blur.
Like black lightning, Ryu closed the gap in a single stride.
He didn't just intercept the ball.
He took it.
Stepping over it, foot pressing down with a loud thud, Ryu looked down at the shorter player.
His crimson pupils gleamed like twin suns eclipsed in shadow.
"Since we're here to become stronger…"
"…why would you run?"
The screen updated:
[Now 'It': Ryu Sanada]
Gasps echoed.
Everyone stared.
He took the ball willingly?!
Even Igarashi stammered, stunned.
"Y-You… do you even know the rules?! If you're still 'it' when the clock hits zero—"
Ryu didn't flinch.
He raised his head and grinned.
Not wild. Not unhinged.
Just certain.
"That's what makes it fun."
To be continued.