Blue Lock : Second Selection. The Aftermath.
Winner: Team White.
The holographic field dissolved into digital dust, leaving the seven players standing on the stark white floor of the selection room. The silence was absolute, a heavy blanket that smothered the heavy breathing of the exhausted athletes.
The automated voice of Blue Lock broke the stillness, its tone indifferent to the drama it was narrating.
"Winning Team: Team White. Proceed to the selection phase."
Aryu Jyubei dropped to his knees, his long hair cascading over his face in a curtain of despair. "No... this isn't stylish. Losing is the ugliest thing in the world."
Tokimitsu Aoshi was curled into a ball, vibrating with anxiety. "It's over! We're going to be sent back! I'm going to lose! My life is over!"
But the eyes of the room were not on the panicked duo. They were fixed on the center, where the fallen King, Rin Itoshi, remained motionless on the ground.
He hadn't moved since Isagi's final goal. His pride, which had been a fortress of solitude and superiority, lay in ruins. He hadn't just lost a match; he had been out-read, out-maneuvered, and out-classed by a player he had dismissed as "lukewarm."
Isagi Yoichi stood over him. The divine white aura had faded, leaving behind the cold, calculating gaze of a tyrant.
"Stand up, Rin," Isagi commanded.
Rin's fingers twitched. He slowly pushed himself up, his movements stiff and mechanical. When he finally looked at Isagi, his teal eyes were bloodshot, burning with a mixture of hatred and confusion.
"Kill me," Rin whispered hoarsely. "If you're not going to pick me, then kill me right here."
Isagi tilted his head, a dark smile playing on his lips.
"Why would I kill a useful tool?"
Isagi turned to the screen on the wall. It displayed the roster of the losing team.
Rin Itoshi.
Aryu Jyubei.
Tokimitsu Aoshi.
Isagi raised his hand and pointed a single finger. Not at the panicked Tokimitsu. Not at the glamorous Aryu.
He pointed straight at Rin's chest.
"I choose you," Isagi stated.
Aryu and Tokimitsu gasped. They were safe—for now—but they were also abandoned. They had been deemed unworthy even of being stolen.
Rin stared at Isagi. "You... choose me? After I tried to crush you? After I insulted you?"
"I don't care about your personality," Isagi walked closer, stepping into Rin's personal space. "I don't need a friend. I don't need a brother. I need a piece that can execute my vision."
Isagi grabbed Rin's jersey collar, pulling him down slightly to eye level.
"You have the best specs in Blue Lock. Your vision is second only to mine. You are the strongest weapon available."
Isagi released him, dusting off his hands.
"So, put a leash on that ego of yours. From now on, you bark when I say bark, and you bite when I say bite."
Rin stood frozen. The humiliation was total. He was being recruited not as a partner, but as a subordinate.
A dark vein throbbed in Rin's temple. The aura around him shifted from despair to a cold, jagged murderous intent.
"Fine," Rin spat, the word dripping with venom. "I'll join your little circus. But listen to me, Isagi Yoichi."
Rin stepped forward, looming over Isagi.
"I will watch you. I will analyze every breath you take. I will steal your vision, your logic, and your god complex. And the moment I surpass you... I will devour you from the inside out."
Isagi didn't flinch. He smiled, widening his eyes in mock delight.
"That's the spirit, Number 2. Keep that hate burning. It makes you sharper."
Isagi turned to his team.
"Reo. Bachira. Let's go. We have the full set now."
The Gate to the Fourth Stage
The gate opened. Team White—now a quartet of monsters—walked through.
Behind them, the gate closed on Aryu and Tokimitsu, who were left to fight for their survival in the 2v2 stage.
The hallway to the Fourth Stage was long and silent.
Bachira skipped alongside Isagi, humming a strange tune. "We got the scary guy! Now we're super strong!"
Reo walked silently, glancing at Rin.
This is insane, Reo thought. Isagi just tamed the top player in Blue Lock. He didn't just beat him; he broke his spirit and reforged it as a weapon. Isagi... he's not human anymore.
They arrived at the waiting room for the Fourth Stage. It was a luxurious space with four beds, a shower, and a large tactical monitor.
"Make yourselves at home," Isagi said, throwing his towel onto a bed. "We wait here until an opponent arrives."
Rin immediately walked to the farthest corner of the room. He sat on the floor in a lotus position, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. He refused to acknowledge the presence of the others. He was a statue of hate.
Reo sat next to Isagi. "So... what now? We have the strongest team on paper. Who could possibly challenge us?"
"We wait for the survivors," Isagi said, lying back on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "The losers from the 3v3 stage will drop down, steal a player, and climb back up. It will take time."
24 Hours Later.
The wait was excruciating.
Bachira spent the time juggling a ball and trying to poke Rin (who threatened to kill him).
Reo spent the time analyzing the tactical board, trying to figure out how to integrate Rin into their formation.
Isagi spent the time sleeping. Or at least, he looked like he was sleeping. In reality, he was simulating matches in his head.
Rin is the puppet master. I am the God. Bachira is the Monster. Reo is the Copycat.
If we synchronize, no one can stop us.
But Rin won't synchronize willingly. I have to force him.
BZRT.
The electronic lock on the entrance gate buzzed.
The room went silent. Even Rin opened one eye.
"Opponent Found," the automated voice announced.
The heavy steel door hissed open. Steam poured out from the corridor, obscuring the figures standing in the threshold.
Four shadows emerged from the mist.
Leading the pack was a figure Isagi knew well. A boy with white hair, walking with a slouch that couldn't hide the predatory tension in his shoulders.
Nagi Seishiro.
To his right, a giant with a jagged hairstyle and eyes like a wild beast. The King of the Field.
Barou Shoei.
To his left, the speedster with the long red hair, looking sharper and more dangerous than ever.
Chigiri Hyoma.
And bringing up the rear, the fallen Hero with the orange hair and a scowl etched onto his face.
Kunigami Rensuke.
Isagi sat up slowly.
Nagi. Barou. Chigiri. Kunigami.
The Revenge Squad.
Nagi stepped into the room. He didn't look at the luxury. He didn't look at Rin.
His gray eyes locked onto Isagi instantly.
"Found you," Nagi said.
The lazy genius was gone. His eyes were dark, circled by shadows of exhaustion and obsession.
"Isagi," Nagi said, pointing a finger at him. "I crawled back from hell. I played with trash. I gathered the rejects."
Barou stepped forward, cracking his neck loudly. "Don't lump me in with you, slacker. I'm just here to devour the 'God' and the 'Number 1'."
Chigiri flipped his hair, smirking. "You woke me up, Isagi. Now I'm going to run right past you."
Kunigami glared, his fists clenched. "I'm taking my pride back. And I'm taking my spot."
Isagi stood up and walked to the center of the room.
The pressure in the room was suffocating. Eight of the best strikers in Blue Lock were crammed into one space.
Team White: Isagi, Rin, Bachira, Reo.
Team Red: Nagi, Barou, Chigiri, Kunigami.
Isagi smiled. It was the smile of a dungeon boss welcoming the challengers.
"So," Isagi said, looking at Nagi. "You survived the trash can? I'm impressed."
"I didn't just survive," Nagi said, stepping closer until he was face-to-face with Isagi. "I learned. I learned what you said. Logic. Positioning. Obsession."
Nagi's aura flared—a black skull enveloped in grey mist.
"I'm not a noob anymore, Isagi. I'm the one who's going to clear this game."
Rin stood up from his corner. He walked over to stand beside Isagi.
"More lukewarm trash?" Rin muttered, looking at Team Red with disdain. "A collection of losers thinks they can beat me?"
Barou turned his glare to Rin. "Shut up, eyelash-freak. I'll break you first."
The air crackled.
Isagi looked at his team. Rin, the hateful genius. Bachira, the excited monster. Reo, the vengeful copycat.
Then he looked at the enemy.
This is the perfect test, Isagi thought. Before I face the World Five... before I face Julian Loki... I need to crush the rebellion.
Isagi opened his arms wide.
"Welcome to the Fourth Stage," Isagi declared.
"Let's see whose ego is stronger. My Order... or your Chaos."