"'Luck' isn't just coincidence."
"It's an unspoken rule on the field—something that only happens to those who are prepared."
"If you can't understand that, then you don't deserve to survive in the world of competition!"
Yoichi Isagi stood frozen, still processing what Rin Itoshi had just said.
Right then, Jinpachi Ego's voice interrupted everyone's thoughts.
"Hey—diamonds in the rough~"
"First, congratulations on clearing the second round of selection!"
"So, what exactly is 'luck'?"
"Hmm..."
"That's a question worth exploring."
"Come on, step inside first!"
"As your reward for clearing this stage, I'll explain it to you—"
As Ego spoke, a mechanical door in front of the five players opened with a sharp hiss.
One by one, they stepped through, waiting for his lecture to begin.
...
Second Selection Clearance Room...
The moment Ryūma Banjō entered, he scanned the room, muttering inwardly:
(Damn, one giant screen wasn't enough? They had to add three?)
(Alright, guess Isagi's personal lecturer is already in position!)
Still grumbling to himself, Ryūma walked to the center of the room and sat down on a stool—like a model student waiting for class.
He stared at Ego on the screen, ready for the "lesson."
Ego didn't bother with any buildup and got straight to the point.
"I'll tell you all about the mystery of 'luck' in the world of football!"
(The mystery of luck!?)
Hearing that, Yoichi Isagi blinked in confusion before shouting,
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"There's no mystery to it!!"
"'Luck' is just 'luck'!!"
"What else could it possibly be besides coincidence!?"
Ego scratched his cheek with his finger, smirking mockingly.
"Mm!"
"Only those mediocre losers twist reality with their soft, soggy brains to fool themselves."
Isagi was so stunned by Ego's biting sarcasm that he could only sputter out,
"What!?"
"Shut up and listen!"
Ego clenched his right fist and smacked it into his left palm with a loud clap to grab everyone's attention.
"First, let me ask you a question."
"Have any of you ever been hit by pigeon shit?"
Everyone froze, their faces blank.
"Huh?"
"What??"
"Pigeon poop???"
As confusion spread, the display on the giant screen changed, and Ego's calm voice continued.
"It's a nasty feeling, right? And people only realize it after it hits them."
"They look down and see a bunch of pigeon droppings on the ground, then look up and realize—there are pigeons sitting all over the power lines."
"But if you'd noticed all that earlier, you could've avoided getting hit."
"So, can you still call that 'bad luck'?"
Seishiro Nagi leaned toward Ryūma and muttered quietly,
"Ryūma, getting hit by pigeon poop sounds gross."
"Yeah, and this example's... uncomfortably accurate~"
Ego paused for a moment before continuing,
"Let me ask another question. Hmm... for example—"
"The lottery booth at a summer festival!"
"If a shady vendor didn't put a single winning ticket in the box, and someone draws a 'Thank you for playing' ticket—"
"Can you really say they were just 'unlucky'?"
Yoichi Isagi still looked baffled.
"So... what exactly are you trying to say?"
This time, Ego didn't mock him, but explained patiently,
"What I'm saying is, 'luck' isn't everywhere—it only favors those who stand where it will fall."
"The same goes for the pitch. Think of a match as ninety minutes of constantly intertwining 'inevitability' and 'coincidence.'"
"Improving your shooting, dribbling, and passing accuracy—using tactics and formations—those are all deliberate actions."
"The purpose of all that is to trigger the inevitable result—a goal!"
"Think back..."
"Creating '1' from '0,' increasing reproducibility, discovering the formula for your own Weapon."
"Everything you've learned in Blue Lock was meant to raise the inevitability of scoring."
"But when both sides' 'inevitable actions' clash, the unwanted 'coincidences' occur."
"And that's where 'luck' is born."
Ego pointed toward the footage on the screen.
"This final moment illustrates it perfectly—"
"After Ryūma Banjō dribbled past three defenders and passed to Rin Itoshi,"
"These five players either slowed down or stopped moving."
"Except for Yoichi Isagi, who anticipated both Rin's and Ryūma's movements, everyone else made a split-second decision to just watch the shot's outcome."
"Then Rin's shot was blocked—and at that exact instant, one player had already started repositioning."
"That's right—Ryūma Banjō. He predicted the rebound would land right in front of him."
"He bet on the possibility that Rin's shot would be blocked, and kept running."
Isagi frowned, even more confused.
"Wait, hold on!"
"It's true Ryūma scored because he didn't stop running—"
"But the ball landing there was pure chance, right!?"
"A deflected ball could've gone to anyone!"
Ego nodded calmly.
"True. But for the others, that was only the possibility of gaining possession."
"For a striker, that's the same as drawing a 'Thank you for playing' ticket."
"Now, imagine if Ryūma had also slowed down or stopped like the rest."
"The ball might have still flown in his direction."
"But even if it did, the defenders around him would've immediately interfered."
"By the time he controlled the ball and took a shot, it wouldn't have been a Direct Shot opportunity."
"No pigeon poop would've fallen there—so Ryūma accelerated and leapt toward the ball."
"He charged to the very spot where, when 'luck' struck, he could score in a single move."
"He placed himself at the position where, if luck appeared, his own strength would turn it into a winning ticket—and waited for that luck to arrive!"
Nagi nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Ryūma.
"I get it now, Ryūma. You chose to get hit by pigeon poop, so you unlocked your goal potential!"
"Uh... Nagi, maybe think about what you're saying?"
"Well~ sure, there's luck involved, but I'd say it was more of a reflex."
"The instant Rin's shot was blocked, I just knew where the ball would fly."