Blue Lock: Phantom Striker

The tension in the training hall was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Twelve players, each with their own ambitions, stood in a wide, dimly lit room with nothing but a single football resting at its center. The artificial lights above cast sharp shadows on the sleek floor.

Team Z, twelve aspiring strikers, thrown into a merciless battlefield.

And at the front of the massive screen was the man responsible for it all. Jinpachi Ego.

Ego pushed his glasses up, his smirk ever-present. "Welcome, you unpolished gems. You're here because you think you have the talent to be Japan's best striker. But let me remind you, football is a game of ego. The one who scores is the one who survives."

A brief pause. Then, the screen flickered, revealing a single word.

"TAG."

Confused murmurs broke out among the players.

"A game of tag?" Kunigami Rensuke muttered, arms crossed. His sharp eyes scanned the screen with skepticism.

"What does this have to do with football?" Gagamaru Gin asked, tilting his head.

Bachira Meguru, on the other hand, grinned. "Sounds fun."

Ego ignored their murmurs. "Here's how it works. The ball will be placed at the feet of the lowest-ranked player. Isagi Yoichi, number 300."

Isagi's breath caught as he looked down.

Sure enough, the ball was right there.

His foot hovered over it.

A realization struck him like lightning.

"I'm It."

Ego's voice echoed throughout the hall. "The game will last 136 seconds. The player who holds the ball at the end of the game loses and is eliminated from Blue Lock."

A heavy silence.

Then, panic erupted.

"Wait, wait, wait. ELIMINATED?!" Kira Ryosuke's calm demeanor cracked as he took a step forward. "You mean we're already kicking someone out?!"

Ego smirked. "That's right. A striker's worth is measured by how willing they are to crush their opponent. If you hesitate, if you hold back, you fail."

The countdown appeared on the screen.

3…

2…

1…

"Begin."

Isagi didn't move.

For a fraction of a second, the world slowed.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

The ball was at his foot.

His rivals were scattered before him, some poised to run, others already sprinting away.

Every instinct screamed at him to think, to calculate his next move.

"No time to hesitate!"

He swung his foot.....

And blasted the ball toward Kunigami!

Kunigami barely had time to react before he spun, dodging at the last second. The ball slammed into the wall, bouncing back toward the center.

"That was close," Kunigami muttered, his sharp gaze locking onto Isagi. "You're fast, but that was too obvious."

Isagi didn't have time to reply. Bachira pounced.

"Heh, nice shot, Isagi!" Bachira grinned as he snatched the ball with a flick of his foot and sent it straight at Gagamaru.

Gagamaru's instincts kicked in as he dived to avoid it, rolling across the floor in a way that shouldn't have been possible for someone his height.

The ball ricocheted off the wall, and suddenly, everyone was moving.

The hall turned into a battlefield of strikers trying to outmaneuver each other.

Kunigami powered through with sheer strength, deflecting passes and dodging shots with precision. Gagamaru used his flexible body to avoid attacks that should've been impossible to dodge. Bachira, unpredictable as ever, danced around the chaos, grinning like he was having the time of his life.

And in the middle of it all.....

Kira was barely breaking a sweat.

He stood at a distance, analyzing, avoiding unnecessary movement. It was like he believed he was above this.

"He's waiting it out," Isagi realized. "He thinks the weak ones will get picked off first."

Isagi grit his teeth.

That arrogance… It pissed him off.

The clock was ticking.

10 seconds left.

The ball bounced toward Isagi again.

His pulse spiked.

He had to pick someone.

He had to choose who to eliminate.

His gaze locked onto Kira.

For the first time, Kira's calm expression faltered.

Isagi's lips curled.

He's mine.

A deep breath.

His body coiled like a spring.

Then....

BOOM.

The ball vanished from sight.

A split second later---

THWACK.

It struck Kira square in the stomach.

The impact shook the room.

There was no sound. No warning.

A shot faster than the human eye could track.

The Soundless Bullet.

Kira staggered back, his eyes wide in disbelief.

The buzzer rang.

"Time's up."

Silence fell over Team Z.

And then---

Kira had lost.

The screen flickered to life again.

Ego smirked. "Congratulations, Isagi Yoichi. You've survived Round One."

Kira's fists clenched. "This… This isn't football!"

Ego's eyes gleamed. "Oh? Tell me, what part of football isn't about eliminating the weak?"

Kira had no answer.

Ego gestured to the screen, where an image of the penalty area appeared.

"This is the penalty area, the most ruthless battlefield in football. Inside this box, hesitation means death. The world's best strikers do not pass. They do not wait. They take their shot."

His smirk widened.

"And today, Isagi Yoichi took his first step toward becoming a true striker."

Isagi's fingers curled around his jersey.

He wasn't sure if Ego was right.

But for the first time in his life--

He felt like a predator.

And it felt good.

In the dark control room, Ego leaned back in his chair.

Anri stood beside him, arms crossed. "So, your gamble on Isagi paid off."

Ego sipped his tea. "Of course. The boy's got hunger. And that shot....." He smirked. "...Soundless Bullet. That wasn't just instinct. That was pure, calculated ego."

Anri exhaled. "Kira was a more polished player. Eliminating him this early—"

"He was weak," Ego cut in. "Polished? Sure. But weak. He thought football was about 'fair play.' He hesitated. And now, he's gone."

Anri glanced at the screen, where Isagi's face was displayed.

"And if he fails?" she asked.

Ego's smirk widened.

"Then he wasn't worth my time."

He leaned forward.

"But if he survives… he'll be the monster I've been waiting for."