Chapter 4: Successfully Entering Blue Lock

“Ryūma, you really believed I’d pass the ball to that spot? Weren’t you afraid I might just turn and hit someone else to keep myself safe and advance?”

Yo Hiori walked up to Ryūma Banjō with a puzzled look.

“Of course! I trust that as a fellow genius, you’d pass it to me so we could challenge stronger opponents together. Besides, isn’t Blue Lock all about results? Our teamwork just now was a perfect success!” Ryūma Banjō replied with a grin.

As they spoke, Rin Itoshi approached, his face cold as ice.

“Hey. That pass just now—were you trying to get yourselves killed?”

“Don’t be mad, Rin. You just looked bored, so we thought we’d spice things up. Honestly, you should be thanking us.”

Ryūma Banjō smirked shamelessly at him.

Just as Rin was about to fire back, Jinpachi Ego’s voice boomed from the large screen.

“How does it feel, you diamonds in the rough? The world-class strikers you idolize risk everything in battles like this every other day.”

“For the first time in your lives, you’ve staked everything on victory. How does it feel? Terrifying, isn’t it? Feels like your skin is crawling, doesn’t it? That’s the reality of Blue Lock.”

“And all of you trembled, didn’t you? Thinking, ‘Thank God I survived.’ That is the taste of victory—burn it into your memory! Each time you savor it, your ego grows stronger, pushing you closer to the peak: becoming the world’s greatest striker!”

“Congratulations! You’ve passed the test to officially live in Blue Lock.”

“There are 11 of you in this room. From now on, you’re one team—sometimes helping each other, sometimes betraying each other, sometimes crushing each other’s dreams. You are Team V of Blue Lock!”

...

Day Three in the Dormitory

“This running test? Please, it’s just a stroll for me. Come on, Hiori, you’re falling behind! And Rin—sweating that much already? Don’t tell me you’re running out of steam?”

Ryūma Banjō grinned smugly, practically begging for a punch.

Panting, Yo Hiori said, “Ryūma, how do you have so much stamina? We’ve been running forever and you’re barely sweating. That’s impressive.”

“You crooked-eyed idiot. Keep talking and I’ll sew that mouth shut,” Rin said with a chill in his voice.

Ryūma blinked. “Crooked eyes? You mean my heterochromia! Shows what little you know.”

With that, Ryūma stepped off the treadmill and headed for the vertical jump test.

“Partner, want some water?”

“Huh? Why are you calling me partner?” Ryūma asked, taking the bottle from Putian Daiwa.

“If you hadn’t snatched that ball at the last second, I’d have been eliminated for sure! My dream is to join the national team!”

“So from today, I’ll be your partner. You can count on me.” Putian Daiwa’s eyes shone with emotion.

Ryūma stared at the guy, who was a full head taller than him, and sighed.

“I didn’t do it to save you. And I’m not looking for tag-along partners either.”

“You’ve clearly watched too many gangster flicks if you think repaying a favor means pledging yourself to someone.”

“No, really! I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but without you, I’d be gone. So if you ever need anything, I’ve got your back.”

Seeing Daiwa’s earnest expression, Ryūma shook his head helplessly.

“Fine. Do what you want.”

...

Cafeteria, Building 5

“Man... being ranked higher has its perks. Just look at this steak—time to dig in!”

Ryūma’s eyes shone at the sizzling meat.

“Partner, want some of my tempura?”

When Daiwa held out the delicious food, Ryūma’s eyes sparkled. In his foodie mindset, anyone willing to share their meal couldn’t possibly be a bad guy.

“Ahem, alright. I’ll admit it—you’re my partner. Just keep up the good work.”

“Really? Thanks, Ryūma! I’ll do my best!” Daiwa replied happily.

At that moment, Yo Hiori came over with a tray of oden.

“Want some oden? Ryūma, Daiwa.”

“Give me a skewer, Hiori! You really are my best partner!” Ryūma said eagerly.

“Then let’s trade. You can have my tempura, Hiori.”

Daiwa handed over his tempura in exchange for two skewers of oden.

Watching Daiwa trade away his own food, Ryūma scratched his head awkwardly.

“Ah... too bad I already finished my steak. Next time I’ll share it with you, Hiori.”

Hiori didn’t seem to care about the steak. Instead, he asked curiously,

“By the way, it’s been a few days already. When does the next phase start?”

“Soon, I guess.”

Ryūma answered aloud while thinking to himself,
(I remember in the original manga, the next phase started about four days after Nagi moved in.)

That night, a mechanical female voice echoed through the dorm.

“Physical test results have been tallied. Please return to your rooms immediately to check the latest rankings.”

Back in the room, nearly everyone was gathered. Seeing Rin’s arm display the rank of 221, Ryūma sighed.

“Of course he’s got the highest rank. And me? 222. Damn Ego... Three twos? What’s that supposed to mean, that I’m a fool?”

“Haha, don’t worry, Ryūma. At least you’re not ranked 250th,” Yo Hiori said with a smile.

“Hmph! Easy for you to laugh, Hiori. I’d take your 223rd place over this cursed 222 any day.”

As Ryūma spoke, he thought to himself,
(These rankings are just Ego’s tricks to rile us up. What really matters are the overall Blue Lock rankings later.)

Right on cue, Ego’s voice rang out from the screen.

“Good work, you rough diamonds! How’s life in Blue Lock treating you?”

“Not bad. Steak every day. But the sleeping setup? Not a fan. Everyone crammed into one room,” Ryūma said honestly.

Ego continued, “Of course your conditions are worse with low ranks! Let me explain. Blue Lock has 25 teams in total, from Team B to Team Z. They’re spread across five buildings, five teams per building.”

“After the tag game, one person was eliminated from each room. That leaves 275 players.”

“Teams are assigned by ranking: 1st to 11th make up Team B, 12th to 22nd are Team C, and so on. That means your Team V is housed in the lowest tier—Building 5!”

“What? We’re stuck in the lowest building? Ryūma, the others must be insanely strong. We’ll work harder! We’ll climb higher!” Hiori said, his fighting spirit burning.

Watching Hiori’s determination, Ryūma shook his head inwardly.
(Damn it, Ego. Look what you’ve done to this kid!)

Ego’s voice continued, “The higher your rank, the better your dorms, meals, and training. In Blue Lock, skill makes you king. If you want comfort, keep winning and climb up!”

“Now... let the first selection round begin!”