WATCHING A BUNCH OF BOYS play tag is surprisingly entertaining. While hearing the desperate shouts and the thumping of the soccer ball, [Name] relaxes on her desk chair with her arms resting on her table—hand against her face as she analyzes everything and the purpose of this exercise.

'It's clear that the runners need to have tactical awareness...and the "its" need to have good dribbling and aim to hit their target head on...'

'He's so extra...' [Name] muses. 'But it is required.'

She watches as Kunigami (she got his name after looking at his file) shoots the ball extremely hard, trying to hit the bald one, but fails and instead hits that boy she saw earlier. Seeing this, she straightens up and grimaces. "That must hurt...is he okay?"

'I wonder what this boy will do next? Will he crumble under pressure...or will he survive?'

Isagi Yoichi didn't have anything striking about him. He was average: in both looks and skills. But his eyes that day still burned in [Name]'s mind at that moment.

That hidden egoism.

The egoism of a striker.

She leans forward to see more, a small smile on her face.

'Amuse me, Yoichi.'

Currently, it seemed like hell for Isagi Yoichi right now, as he had the ball and only a little amount of time to get rid of it.

'Damn...! Only 50 seconds left! Is my career really being decided on this dumb game?! What're they even testing here?! What's this have to do with "Ego"...?! Shit...my legs are getting tired...Shit...! Shit! There's no time left!' Isagi keeps running, 'Damn it...I don't wanna lose...! I don't want it to end like this!'

'I still want...to keep playing soccer...! I won't...let my dream end like this...! No matter what...I want to win...!'

Suddenly, a laugh cuts in.

"You little...bastard." An orange haired male utters, as a brunette with yellow highlights held onto him from the back, "Get off me! Hey!!"

"Lookie here, a chance~!"

Igarashi points at the two, "Go there, go there!"

"I told ya fair and square...!" The orange haired male grips the male's arm and throws him, "So play by it!!"

"Whoa?!"

Then, he lands on Igarashi.

"Gah-!"

"Ouchie ouchie..." He groans with a grin.

"Get off already!" He exclaims, before he felt a sting on his ankle, "Ah, shit...Wai...Timeout..."

"Go!! Isagi!! Take the shot!! Do it now!!" Kira yells to his new friend, seeing Isagi standing in front of him.

"H...Hey...H-Hold on...Don't come...I said don't!!" He wails, waving his hands around, "Look, I'm sorry for aiming at you earlier! I don't want it to end like this, so please!"

Isagi only stays quiet, 'I can win...I can survive...If I...just tag him...but...'

"Stop...I beg you..."

'That will end Igarashi's football career. No...I have to do it. I have to shoot.'

21 seconds left on the clock.

'Otherwise, I'm the one who'll lose! Am I stupid...? What am I doing now?! I can't chicken out at Blue Lock...'

'And then...I understood for the first time what it really meant. That every time I win...There are others who lose. And for me to accomplish my dreams...I have to...'

His leg hikes back, ready to kick as Igarashi panics.

'...Completely destroy the dreams of another.'

Isagi seems to be in a trance, not sure what to do.

"But..."

"...That's not it..."

'If I pass, well probably score that goal...'

'Since I'm 299th...My plan is mainly to run away and not get hit...'

'I wanted to win...'

'If I do this, nothing about me will have changed.'

"I didn't come to trample on others...I came here...to become the best in the world!!" Isagi declares. 'So I need to defeat those who are stronger than me...! Or else nothing will change!!'

He changes his course, as the black haired male with under-lights stood in front of him.

"I like you." The other boy points at Isagi, making his eyes widen.

"That's right~ If you wanna defeat someone..." He rushes to the ball, and takes it, shocking Yoichi.

"Huh...?!"

"It should be the strongest player~!"

Bachira Meguru. Rank 290.

The screen switches from Isagi's profile to Bachira's profile. The boy sprints to the group huddling against the wall of the room with a wicked smile on his face. However, he was going for a specific someone...

A certain "Jewel of Japanese Soccer".

"Me?!" Kira shrieks, teeth clenched.

"Kira...?!" Isagi gasps.

Bachira only grins from ear to ear, like a predator singling in on its prey.

He kicks the ball, which Kira dodges by jumping.

Bachira retaliates by jumping as well, stretching a leg to kick Kira, to which Kira once again dodges.

Kira breaks into a sprint as Bachira lands before the airborne ball. He stares up at it, looking for the opportunity to end this.

With that, Bachira spins and kicks the ball over with his feet as he handstands.

And as Kira smiles, thinking he is safe...

The ball lands before the one and only...Isagi Yoichi.

Isagi stares at the ball with a look of awe on his face. His eyes were clouded with a certain darkness and that slightly scared Kira.

"Isagi..." Kira drawls with wide eyes, sweat dripping from his face.

Isagi only gazes at the soccer ball as if he was possessed or entranced while he murmurs. "The...strongest guy..."

Bachira grins manically, "Boom!"

Pow!!

In a second, the ball collides against Kira's face, effectively sending him to the floor with a nosebleed due to impact.

Isagi widens his eyes at what just happened and as Kira gained awareness from the hit...

The timer buzzes loudly throughout the room, signaling that the game is officially over.

LOSE: KIRA RYOSUKE

And that is when the chaos seizes for now.

"Good job, you unpolished gems. Let us continue to the results. The player we will get rid of is—Kira Ryosuke! Lock off!" Ego says firmly.

Kira's rage was valid. I mean, he did get stripped of his dream.

"...What the heck? Do you think you'll win the world cup with this dumb crap...?! With these stupid games...Why was I...?!" Kira mutters while he trembles in anger, "How could you erase the future if a player as talented as me?! I'm the "Jewel of Japanese Soccer"!" He points at Igarashi, "So why don't you expel Igarashi or Isagi instead?! Huh?!"

"Say what?!" Igarashi exclaims.

"Kira...?" Isagi utters, bewildered by the teens behavior.

"What's even the point of this stupid game?! Tag has nothing to do with soccer!!" The white haired male cries.

Ego keeps quiet, before speaking, "At Blue Lock...Everything you do is related to soccer. Have a good look at your surroundings, you sham of a talent."

"Huh...?"

"The area of that room is...16.5 x 40.32 meters...the exact same proportions as a penalty area. About 75% if all goals are scored from this little area. You could say it's the domain of a striker. In other words, in this small space, the positioning skills of a striker mean everything. Therefore, those unable to survive under such conditions...can hardly qualify to be talented strikers."

"So...So what?! Okay, sure, the room's width is exact or whatever! But tag's got nothing to do with soccer!"

"The skill required by the fleeing side...is tactical awareness. In other words, positioning."

"As for the pursuer, what they need is not only accurate dribbling...but the precision to make shots that will hit their target. That's what makes it optimal soccer training. Jeez..."

"That's...That's...How do you expect me to know all that shit in just two minutes?! A game of soccer lasts more than 90!!"

"The average time a player possesses the ball during a match is...about 136 seconds. You are given the exact same opportunity you would have in a real game."

"Th-Then, what'd you expect me to do in just 10 seconds...?"

Ego's eyes broaden, "Is that the same thing you'd say if this were a match?"

"Huh...?"

"Remember, from the time the ball hit you, until the clock ran out...you still had about one second left. There was plenty of time to survive by shooting it at an injured Igarashi. And yet, you wasted that chance. Imagine this. You are in the middle of a match, standing in the penalty area...it's the very last play of the game...your teammate's shit doesn't reach the goal. And instead hits your body. When it happens...you had already given up inside. Which is why you didn't notice...that by sheer luck, the ball had fallen...right before you."

"And if you had just tapped that ball with your knee, you could have been saved from your own mistake. The one who is "it" in tag...That is, the one who has the ball, decides who they want to "win"...but also gets to decide who they want to "lose"."

Kira's eyes shake with rage and sadness. He really couldn't believe that his soccer career was over before it could even begin.

"A striker carries all of the responsibility on his back. A striker is one who keeps on attacking until the very last second. Isagi Yoichi, who, instead of aiming for the injured Igarashi, chose to defeat those higher ranked than him...And Bachira Meguru, with the initiative to aim for the strongest player...are perfect examples of people who, rather than do what was best for the team, had the tenacity and the courage to pursue their own will...That is, exactly...the "Egoism" that I am looking for. And that is why...This is your loss, Kira Ryosuke. Now, lock off!"

[Name] couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Kira as she witnessed his abrupt exit from the game. 'Well...he crumbled. It's kind of sad to his potential go.'

"That's... He... Suddenly... Bachira... came so fast, it...GGRRH!"

"Ki... ra..." Isagi says, making the male turn to him with a heated glare as he bites his lip, blood oozing out of the wound.

"This is wrong... This is... so wrong..."

'Why did I do that?! Why did I kick it?! Did I just end... Kira's football career...?!'

Everyone can only watch him walk out the door.

'So then, why am I... this pumped?! No, wait... it's not my fault... but his...'

He turns to Bachira, who sticks his tongue out, "You... Why the hell did you pass it to me?! If I didn't take that shot... You would've been expelled, wouldn't you?!"

"So? I thought you'd kick it, so I passed it to you. Looked like ya would." He grins happily.

"Huh?"

"I mean, results are everything in this place, right?" He winks at him, "I believe in you, so I won~ Don't I?"

'This guy... is getting me on my nerves...'

"That's... just plain nonsense... from beginning to end..." Igarashi says.

"Nonsense...? It is nonsensical indeed. But then, so is this world. Either you win or you lose. While you're getting excited over your mediocre successes, true strikers... Tread a path of winning or losing everything... Every single day, in order to keep on surviving. How is it? Since you were born... Isn't this the first time you feel true danger?" Ego pipes up.

"Were you scared? That... was just a taste of Blue Lock's essence. You understand that much, right? The football you've played all your lives is for weaklings! Didn't you get those shivers? "Nice... I survived...!"" Ego grins, "That is the feeling of "victory"! So shove it in those brains of yours!"

"Since each time you rejoice in that feeling, your "ego" will steadily grow. And you'll need it to climb to the top and be the best striker in the world. Congratulations. You have passed Blue Lock's entrance test! Your room was designed for no more than 11 people... so from now on you'll cohabitate together. You fated eleven... You may cooperate with each other... and also betray each other... you, and the rivals you'll have to trample... are Blue Lock's "Team Z"."

The door opens and Ego grins.

"While you're here, [Name] Teieri will serve as your manager. Gems need some sharpening, and [Name] is your sharpener. Don't be afraid to ask her for things or for tips."

"That is all," He shuts the TV off.

[Name] looks at everyone and smiles.

"It's nice to meet you all. I hope you're ready for the camp of your life."