Chapter 5: The Door to Blue Lock
Darkness.
The lights inside the massive hall suddenly shut off, plunging the room into pitch blackness. Confused murmurs spread through the crowd.
Then—
Click.
A single spotlight beamed down onto the front stage.
A tall, thin man stepped into the light. He wore black-rimmed glasses and a sleek, custom-tailored suit. His head was clean-shaven, shaped oddly like a watermelon, and his posture—razor-straight.
"Ah… good evening."
His voice was calm, yet cut like a knife—precise, arrogant, impossible to ignore.
"Congratulations, rough diamonds."
The room fell silent.
Ego Jinpachi had arrived.
The man who once stood beside the world's greatest striker—Noa.
The man who vowed to rebuild Japanese football from the core.
The man destined to become the ultimate sculptor of ego.
Yūshin Seiichi licked his lips, staring at the figure on stage.
This is him… Ego Jinpachi.
"Everyone in this room was chosen by me. 300 strikers, all under the age of 18."
Ego spread his arms wide.
"You're here because you have the potential to become the world's best."
Seiichi leaned over toward someone nearby.
"Captain Sakata… aren't you a defender? Why'd they pick you?"
"Haha… before you joined Rikkai, I played as a striker," Sakata Kaixing replied with a sheepish chuckle. "I've always had a striker's instincts."
"Well, don't lose in the first round, old man," Seiichi smirked.
"Shut it," Zeya muttered, annoyed.
Ego stepped forward, his glasses gleaming under the spotlight.
"From this moment on, forget everything you've learned about football."
He paused, letting the words sink into the crowd.
"Teamwork? Friendship? Playing for the collective good? Burn it all."
Gasps rippled through the hall.
"In this world, only one thing matters—who scores the goal."
He began pacing the stage slowly, voice rising with intensity.
"The striker is the hero. The star. The one who changes fate with a single touch."
"Yet… in this country, we worship 'team play' over individuality. We raise kids to pass instead of shoot. To sacrifice instead of dominate."
He stopped.
"And what has that gotten Japan?"
He spread his arms mockingly.
"Zero World Cups."
Murmurs swept across the crowd. Even the most confident among them felt a chill.
"I say this now: the one who doesn't think he's the best striker in the world has no place here."
"From now on, this is not your school. This is not your team."
"This is Blue Lock."
He pointed at the screen behind him.
"A facility where 299 strikers will be discarded, and only one will emerge."
"The one who survives…"
"…will become the core of Japan's national team. The one to lead us to World Cup victory."
Then his gaze swept across every face.
"So ask yourselves—"
"Do you have the ego to become the world's number one striker?"
The Japan Football Association hired me for one mission," Ego added, raising his voice. "To help Japan win the World Cup."
The room erupted. Gasps. Doubts. Laughter.
"World Cup…?" someone scoffed quietly.
Japan reaching the World Cup quarterfinals was already considered miraculous. To win?
Impossible.
But not to everyone.
Seiichi's eyes gleamed with fire.
Yes. The World Cup. If we want to be the best, we must win everything.
Behind Ego, a massive screen powered on.
A glowing, steel-blue pentagonal structure appeared on-screen.
"This… is Blue Lock."
Suddenly—
Kira Ryōsuke raised his hand and stepped forward.
"Excuse me… I can't agree with this."
Everyone turned.
"I can't abandon my team. We've trained years for Nationals."
The crowd began to stir.
"He's right! I've got teammates counting on me!"
"This is my final tournament!"
"This is too much, too fast!"
Zeya rolled his eyes.
"Idiots. Nationals is a playground. A toddler's trophy. Real football is played outside your comfort zone."
Seiichi raised both hands with mock sympathy.
"If you're scared, leave. No one's begging you to stay. But don't pretend you're world-class when you haven't even stepped onto the stage."
"What did you say?!"
"You think you're better than us just because you're famous?!"
But Seiichi already understood Ego's point—he'd lived this before.
In his previous life, Japan had players with talent.
What they lacked—was a core.
Someone who could dominate. A Messi. A Ronaldo. A Noa.
A centerpiece.
But sometimes… a core comes in pairs.
He glanced at Zeya.
Like Iniesta and Xavi. Like us.
Ego's voice rang again, sharp and final:
"If you don't have the ego to become the world's number one striker… then get out."
His eyes locked on Kira.
"Only the strongest egoist can reach the top."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Seiichi grinned.
In my past life, maybe I would've agreed with Kira. But not anymore. In here—ego is survival.
Even if I have to devour Zeya.
Suddenly, the massive doors behind Ego slid open with a low hiss.
"Those of you who understand… enter Blue Lock."
Tap… tap…
Isagi Yoichi stepped forward first, eyes blazing with determination.
I'm a forward. This is where I belong.
Then another player moved. And another.
A tide of determined athletes surged through the gates.
Ego smiled.
"Perfect."
Only four players remained.
Ego tilted his head.
"Hm? Four geniuses. Any questions?"
"Nagi," Mikage Reo muttered urgently. "Let's go."
"I dunno, Reo…" Nagi Seishirō yawned. "Suddenly feels like too much work."
"You can't be serious."
But Ego ignored them and turned to the final two.
Yūshin Seiichi.
Yūshin Zeya.
His eyes lit behind his glasses.
These two… I've waited three years for them.
"You two. Any hesitation?"
Zeya glanced at Seiichi. He could sense something was coming.
Seiichi exhaled, then stepped forward.
"Mr. Ego… I have a request."
"…Go ahead."
"Separate me and Zeya. Put us in different blocks."
!!!
The room tensed.
Even Ego blinked.
Did he figure out my ranking algorithm? No… Impossible.
Not even Anri had full clearance.
"…Fine," Ego said, voice intrigued. "I'll allow it."
"Thanks." Seiichi nodded. "Let's go, Zeya."
Zeya hesitated for only a moment…
Then followed.
I trust him. I always have.
But why separate?
Seiichi had his reasons.
He and Zeya had unbeatable chemistry. Together, they were dominant.
But that wasn't enough.
He wanted to evolve individually.
Could they become monsters on their own?
This wasn't about winning.
This was about ascension.
As they reached the gate, Seiichi turned back toward Nagi, his expression sharp and cold.
"Genius… don't mistake talent for dominance. In my eyes, you're just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered."
"…What did you say?!"
Reo stepped forward, furious.
"Nagi's going to be the best in the world!"
"Then tell him not to disappoint me," Seiichi muttered, walking through the gate without looking back.
And with that, for the first time in their lives—
The Yūshin twins entered Blue Lock, separated.