18. THE TOP 3

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YOU,

Isagi, Nagi, and Bachira all make your way towards the next stage of the second selection—and the first thing you all do is make intense eye contact with the only other team there. Rin Itoshi and friends. You hadn't bothered to remember his two buddies' names, but you did recognise Komi, with whom your eyes met. She looks surprised to see you, and you wonder if she knows your name.

Ego's face appears on-screen as soon as you all step into the room, and he greets you by saying, "Hello again, my little diamonds in the rough. Welcome to the third stage of the second selection. Three-on-three team battles. This match will be set up in a unique minigame format. Both teams will have Blue Lock Man as a goalie, the first team to score 5 goals wins the game. They'll advance—but there's an additional prize."

On the screen, it shows a little video of how the game works—and what will be happening during it. "Winners get to steal a player from the losers, who will make a four-man team. You'll want to choose wisely."

Isagi's eyes widened, and his pupils dilated when his eyes met those of Rin. "We get.. to take an opponent?"

Bachira gasped with wide-eyed wonder, placing a finger on his cheek in thought. "Oh! Kinda sounds like.. that game! What's it called?" His voice was light with amusement, and he turned his head to look at Nagi.

"You mean red rover."

Bachira finger-guns him, and his grin stretches out even wider with his squinted eyes, "Yeah, that!"

"As you progress through this stage," Ego's voice is suddenly all you can hear again, and your attention is diverted back to him, from the others. "You'll acquire more teammates. In order to pass the second selection, you'll have to get to the fifth stage with a force of 5—it's as simple as that."

Bachira raises his hand, brows lifted in surprise, "And what happens to the losing team?"

"They keep going with their remaining members, but if you lose the game of two-on-two and don't get picked by the winners, you're disqualified." Ego chuckles—a deep, rumbling sound that makes you sweatdrop. Though he laughs, his words hold no humour, "Tragic, really." 

"Dominate and steal your enemies in rivalry battle—the only way to keep advancing in Blue Lock," The video of the mini team suddenly cuts out, and Ego's face is now all you can see back on the board. He widens his arms in a dynamic pose—head tilted towards the camera and his soulless eyes peering through his bangs. "Oh, you're also free to choose which team you play against first. But both of the teams must agree to the match-up, got it?"

Bachira hums, and he looks down at the ground—as if lost in thought. Looking at him, it really does look like he's doing some heavy deduction skills. "Good to know. So, more teams of three will show up eventually, and we'll have to be strategic about who we play."

Nagi shrugs, eyes half-lidded, "Sounds like it. If we can steal a player after we win... we should probably choose opponents based on the player we want to take."

Ego's voice booms out—"That's exactly right. Who you choose to battle will be the key to clearing this stage. To inform your choice—I will now announce the latest Blue Lock rankings."

On their sleeves—their numbers all flash and count down until they're at their supposed ranking. You look over at Bachira, who's standing next to you, and his number is 16. Then Isagi must be 15... because he came out just before Bachira. And that means Rin Itoshi is...

You squint at his sleeve, fists bunched up, number one.

"Naturally, there are no fake numbers this time around. These ranks are in the order in which you passed the first stage. If put forth a suitable showing, each of you are players who can turn zero into one on the field. To move forward, you'll need to figure out how to mix your talents to enhance one another. Only strikers who are able to harness their egos will get the opportunity to move on. Use any means necessary to win."

Ego's voice drops to a low whisper before the screen glitches out once again, and fades to a bright white. You stare at the blank white for a few more seconds, then breathe out heavily through your nose, eyes resting on the floor, "What a weirdo."

"So in short, we advance by winning and forming a team of 5," says Nagi.

"Bingo." Bachira snickers, hands resting behind the back of his neck. He rests his eyes, and looks oddly at peace with himself, "Given the circumstances, it sounds like we can take our sweet time picking who we play against. What do you think, Isagi?"

Said male perked up at the mention of his name, but quickly averted the eye contact in favour of closing his eyes—clearly deep in thought. You give him a worried look that he does not catch, but your attention is quickly drawn away to the big, bulky boy on Rin Itoshi's team.

Tokimitsu whimpers, fingers pressed together to stop them from shaking out of control, and face riddled with anxiety, "What a nightmare! I can't stand it... aaaaah... I don't wanna play this game! If we end up blowing it..." He slaps his hands over his ears, eyes wide with worry, "No one will pick me over those two! And if I lose again after that... AAAAAH! I'll be left all alone—this is awful! I don't want it to end here!"

You stare at him with a deadpan expression, eyes narrowed at his trembling figure trying to figure out if he's actually being serious or not. Talk about zero confidence.

"We should play against ranks four through six, that would be fair," Aryu twirls a strand of his hair around his finger, a nonchalant, calm expression on his face. You stare at him incredulously, lips parted in shock at his glowing aura, he's totally gorgeous. "And glam. Beating those losers who just walked in would be much too easy. So sad. Destroying them would be an ugly look."

Your deadpan expression almost seems to grow even more blank at his response—staring at him with a parted jaw. You're in practical disbelief at how these two were part of the top 3 in all of Blue Lock as of this moment. A boy with hair longer than Rapunzel, and another who's so anxious that he might spontaneously implode.

Rin Itoshi steps forward, face as cold and distant as ever, with hard eyes pointed down at the two freakshows he's partnered with. He distinctly told them to shut up, voice contorted with displeasure, "I don't care who we play. I'll win and move on no matter the circumstance. You two don't even need to join in."

His two lackeys both stand up in shock at the comment, each making little quips towards him that suit their whole character archetype vibe. You inwardly cringe at his comment, just because of how rude it really seemed. He paired with some random strangers, just to tell them he didn't need them. Wow.

The pink-haired girl—Komi—gives him a pointedly hard look, brown brows furrowed as she stands up. Her posture is slightly rigid, and she's clearly offended by his comment—even if it wasn't really directed at her. "You can't talk to people like that. Who do you seriously think you are?" Her notebook is tucked safely underneath her tracksuit jacket arm, and she doesn't flinch even as he turns his gaze to her.

Rin twists his head over his neck, a blaring hot gaze directed at the girl—who dared speak up against him, "Don't get it twisted. The only reason we formed a team is because we passed that last stage quickly and ended up here together. You're just stepping stones on my journey. All of you, and Blue Lock as well. I can join the U-20's national team if I win this thing—that's the only reason I'm here—why I'm succeeding. Everything I do is to get on the national team and surpass my elder brother. Crushing him is everything to me. My purpose for playing for soccer."

His words prompt you to scrunch up your nose and turn your head to the side, taking your chances with making a face at the wall beside you rather than him. Wow, venting to strangers.

You look back when you hear Isagi groan, raising a brow at how he breaks a nervous sweat for some reason. He swallows thickly—clenching and unclenching his fists before he speaks, "Right then. Guys... sorry." His entire being just radiates an intense aura—and you're not too sure why.

He starts walking, and the longer his strides become, and the closer they get to Rin and Co., the more you realise what he's about to do. You don't rush after him—only reach out your hand as if it'll reach him from where you stand, glued to the ground, "Isagi, what—"

He suddenly stops, and for a second, you breathe a sense of relief. "You don't care who your opponent is? Then I'll listen to my ego. Play us." That sense of relief is almost immediately replaced with sinking dread at his egotistical actions, and your jaw falls wide open.

Are you kidding me? Is he serious?

Bachira giggles, tilting his head to his side owlishly, and clasping his hands behind his back. He looks far too cheerful considering how Isagi just challenged the top three players in the entire building—but you suppose, that's just how he is. "That's the spirit."

"I like this. Smart move." Nagi shrugs, ignoring how you violently shudder beside him—like you are above to convulse out each of your organs. You give him a dumbfounded look—is he being serious?—then look back to Isagi, at his rigid and flaming body. You let out a heavy sigh, eyes half-lidded as you stare, a hand resting atop your hip.

"You know what? Whatever. I can't say anything anymore."

"Sure," Rin says, blazing hot stare focused on Isagi—who returns his eyes in kind. "I'll beat you."

Tokimitsu shivers just as he usually does—with his crippling, mind-consuming anxiety, and Aryu doesn't even blink a minute out of place when Rin speaks. Komi doesn't miss a beat, eyes widening and lips parted with a frown as she turns to Rin.

"What the hell?! You need to discuss this kind of thing before you agree! It's not like you're the only one—"

"Be quiet, you half-baked manager. You don't matter to me. I don't need you. If it were my choice—you wouldn't even be here right now," he hisses at her with venom in his tone, unphased by the way she gives him a sour look. However—his words do seem to quiet her down, and she obliges to their next actions surprisingly complacent.

Each of the teams walks up to the door leading to the second selection's field, with fingerprint authenticators—they each walk in team by team. You find yourself strolling next to their own team's manager—Komi—silently fuming while staring at Isagi. You don't believe she doesn't notice, but you think she chooses to just stay quiet, for your sake or her own, who knows.

"That stupid... didn't even ask the rest of us." You narrow your eyes at his overconfident figure, brows furrowed deeply and forehead creasing from the amount of glaring you had been doing. Komi peered over at you through her glasses, chocolate eyes slanted and expressive as she talked.

"You can say that again." She retorts—and by then, you notice the way she's glowering at Rin, pink, glossy lips curved down and clearly unhappy. "I mean, would it kill him to at least discuss it first?"

She spits out the words like it'll kill her to say it nicely—and you can already feel the tension forming within their group. It's abundantly clear that each of their views on the other clash—and perhaps, you think, that will be their downfall.

"True." You nod your head, and both of you make a silently mutual decision to stay silent, even as each of your teams walks onto the field—taking their respective positions as you and Komi take your seats on each end of a silver bench.

Your bag (which is significantly lighter now that you don't have to carry eleven water bottles, instead, there are now a total of three) lay beside your feet, and your notebook is taut on your lap. You pass shinguards to Nagi, who gives you a shoulder pat and a nod of his head as a silent thanks—pulling up his shorts to slide them onto his knee comfortably.

The familiar speaker blares noise, "In the second selection, we're using smaller fields customized to the number of players. The goal sizes have also been adjusted. Blue Lock Man will serve as your keeper and is equipped with the same skills as before. The winners move on to the next stage and steal a player from the other team. If you lose, you go back to the previous stage, minus one. It's three on three—first to five wins!"

Isagi holds the ball under his foot, then, kicks to Bachira.

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note: I'm publishing chapters a little quicker now because i have written up to chap 34 now. lol. kind of just want to get it all out now so i can focus on the manga. 

u-20 arc is going to be a ride. whole arc is about the game. i will have to write at least 20 chapters of said game. i am not crying right now (lie).