How?
How have I been brought to my knees without even scoring once?
I'm supposed to be the king of the field.
I... used to play the lead on the field.
Y-You're amazing, Barou-kun.
I had talent.
I'm so happy you're on my team!
Everyone else was in a supporting role.
You all need to move so I can score.
Sure thing!
We're invincible now!
They're happy even though they're just the supporting cast.
Why do they even play soccer?
I am the king.
I gave up trying to understand others, and pursued my own style of soccer.
Then, it hit me. I didn't like soccer because I got to feel like a king.
And it obviously wasn't because I loved kicking a ball around.
I liked it because I could grab someone who'd dedicated their whole life to soccer
and drag them off the stage and out of the spotlight with my goals.
I found myself playing to taste that exhilaration.
I know, more than anyone...
that it's a feeling of incomparable joy,
only available to the truly strong.
If they score next, we lose, Isagi.
It's our ball. Let's go get one.
Yeah, let's start our comeback here—
Go on!
For real?!
A direct shot?
Ah, damn it!
Kunigami, the loose ball!
Right!
Let's go, Reo! Time for a swift counter—
Just you try it, Kunigami Gains-kun.
Man, he was on me fast!
Over here, Kunigami! We can't lose it so close to the goal!
Nice, Reo. All yours!
What?
He read my movement?
I won't...
let you have it all your own way!
Loose ball.
It's finally here.
My big chance to become the lead.
The ideal zone for my shot is wide open.
If I eat up the last few meters with my first touch,
I can hit a precise shot toward goal!
You're one step short, King.
I'm faster.
Bastard.
If I take a touch, he'll catch up to me!
Damn, damn, damn!
What do I do? Do I shoot even though I'm not in range?
Damn it!
My ideal zone is right there!
I'm one step...
too short.
Give me the ball.
That was a nice pass, donkey.
You need to move so I can score.
What is this feeling?
This despair that's gripping my heart?
Is it defeat?
I didn't make that pass myself.
It was forced out of me.
In that moment, I lost to Isagi Yoichi.
Don't stand in my way.
Or I'll kill you.
You have no talent.
Do you want the king to personally crush you?
Go back to sleep, average Joe.
I'll decide what I do.
I'd rather die than play for someone else.
You all need to move so I can score.
In that moment, he was the lead,
and soccer didn't exist to serve me.
I wasn't a king at all.
Isagi's unstoppable right now.
The next play will be the last.
Keep Isagi from getting the ball at all costs.
Right. I don't think we can stop him if he gets it.
It's our ball at the restart, so we'll kick off the last play.
We will score the next goal and win.
If they take the ball from us, we lose.
In that case, let's use my speed.
Right now, that route gives us the best possibility of scoring.
Okay, that's the general plan, then.
If we want to bet everything on the last shot, it's our best option.
We will win this.
Yeah.
It's all I'm here for.
It's their ball at the restart.
Before anything else, we have to get the ball.
Yup.
But we gotta watch out for Chigiri.
Even if we mark him, he can outrun us in a foot race.
And if he controls it like he did earlier, his speed won't drop at all.
If we start our sprints at the same time, there's no way we can beat him.
In that case...
We have to stop him before that.
You have a plan?
Yeah, I'll stick on Reo and—
Wait, hold on.
Do we want to share this with him?
It's easier to defend with three of us, and if we concede next, we're done.
It's pointless saying anything to a dethroned king.
You and I will decide how this last play turns out.
All right.
Their defense is focused on blocking the route to Chigiri?
While the route to Kunigami is pretty much wide open?
Which means they don't care if I pass it that way.
Damn. I want to use Chigiri's speed,
Dribble
but like this, any pass to him will put him at a disadvantage.
Pass
Disadvantage
And Nagi is laser-focused on marking Chigiri.
They've seen through our tactic completely.
Kunigami!
So I'm not a threat, huh?
But what do we do?
Any less-than-perfect pass is too risky.
Should I try beating Barou?
No, that's also way too risky.
Reo, go again!
It won't work. Kunigami and I can't go on the attack here.
No. What the hell am I thinking?
I'm gonna beat this guy!
I will force open...
the route to Chigiri!
Not yet.
Draw him in.
I don't need to get past him.
A clear path is all I need.
One moment will do!
I see it!
Run!
Okay!
I win, Isagi Yoichi!
Leave it all to me!
This guy...
Where's he going?
He's charging down my pass. Surely he's not...
Knowing he can't beat Chigiri for speed, he's trying to... intercept my pass himself?
Nice pass, Reo.
That's what we were waiting for.
Huh? You're kidding.
This whole situation was part of his plan?
If he doesn't get a touch on the ball, Chigiri will get it and it's game over.
Reach it.
They've taken such a huge gamble in the last minutes of the match?
Aw, man. That was super close.
L-Loose ball!
Let's go, donkey.
Bring it, King!
Once I'd accepted this thing called defeat,
it became crystal clear to me that this field is shining for his goals.
Strangely, I'm fine with it.
Maybe because I'm no longer the lead.
This way!
I'm here, too!
This guy...
Hold up, you bastard!
I won't let you have it all your own way, genius!
You again, Meddling Missy?
I've never felt like this before.
They're taunting me with all these routes to scoring.
And showing me that, in my supporting role, I can make a pass and we can win.
I can be a vital piece in our next goal.
You two are shining too damn bright for me.
Damn. So that's what it was about.
All of the supporting cast who have fed me passes up to now...
This is how they felt.
This sense of defeat can only be salvaged...
by entrusting the goal to the supreme strikers!
We can win with my pass.
So this is what being a "team" means.
This is how I create a chemical reaction with them.
For the defeated man in the supporting role, this is his reason for existing.
What's this?
What's going on?
What's clinging to me?
Is this the future that awaits me after this pass?
I see.
Entrusting the goal to them...
might indeed salvage me from this sense of defeat.
But that's just escapism for those with broken dreams
who can't bear to deny the lives they've led so far.
That's right. It's nothing but a loser's excuse.
I refuse...
to live in a future...
like that!
A chop feint?!
And acute-angle dribbling?!
The path I need to see is...
Barou!
Didn't know he could do that.
Tch. This is bad.
If he passes to Isagi, we're done for.
Which way?
Is he looking to dribble past me?
No, that motion can only be a pass!
What? Consecutive chops?
He used Isagi as a decoy?
A lightning dribble with cutbacks that don't lessen the power of his run!
Is this guy for real?
He's evolving at this point in the match?!
Go to him, Chigiri! Barou's not gonna pass now!
I can see it! I can feel it!
Now that I know defeat, what I need to see is...
not some legitimate route that entrusts the goal to the lead,
but the route that only exists for my goal. This...
twisted path!
He used Isagi to disguise his next move?
Hidden behind the light you're throwing out...
Now it's time for me to devour you!
These guys are devouring each other!
This is Barou's awakening.
Devouring each other to get ahead...
This is our chemical reaction!
Wow, is he gonna pass them all?
I won't be reduced to a supporting role.
Move!
If you're the lead, I'm more than happy to play the villain who devours your light!
Holy hell, dude.
Welcome back, King.
This twisted path is my new kingly way.
I am...
the king!
Episode 18
The Stage for the Lead
Final score: 4-5.
Blue Lock Second Selection, Third Stage: 3v3 Rivalry Battle.
Barou!
Team White are the winners.
Isagi Yoichi.
Oh. High five denied.
Nagi Seishiro.
Barou Shouei.
First of all...
Take it back.
Am I a "donkey"?
Sorry. I was wrong.
You're seriously amazing, man!
Tch. Being around you throws me off my game.
Nice shot.
Victory! We won.
Hey, Nagi, you're...
Get off me, bastard.
Seriously though, those chops were awesome.
Why didn't you say you could do that?
Can it.
It just came to me.
How?
Tell me more about yourself.
I always thought the field belonged to me and me alone.
It was me versus all the rest.
But you two were the first ones to steal the lead role away from me.
So in order to survive in Blue Lock,
I found a way to dominate the field as the villain.
That's all there is to it.
Well, the other team was pretty strong.
If they'd been mediocre, you wouldn't have felt that way.
I guess you're right there.
So that's how this new "chop dribbling" weapon of yours was born, huh?
Yup. You really are amazing.
Whatever.
Villain or not, my dream is to become the world's best striker as the king of the field.
I won't lose to you ever again, Isagi.
Hey, you just called Isagi by his actual name for once.
Huh? Oh.
As if anyone's keeping track.
You're a real pain in the ass, Mr. Hassle Man.
I'm not Mr. Hassle Man. I'm Nagi. Call me by my name, too.
Can it, you pest.
Hey now. That's rude.
Nagi.
Nice game.
Yup.
Isagi\h\h\hNagi\h\h\hBarou
.
Incredible.
Using those chops, he dribbled past three players,
and fired a shot of unmatched accuracy into the top-right corner.
Looking purely at technique, he's one of the top talents in Japan.
Barou Shouei-kun.
Japan Football Union BL Supervisor
Was his awakening in your calculation, Ego-san?
Nope, not at all. That was all his own talent's doing.
Blue Lock Project Representative
Huh?
Listen, Anri-chan.
Defeat is a simple phenomenon that must exist in the world of competition.
Even for the world's best striker, it's impossible to win every single match.
What matters is what you take from the defeat.
A loser is denied by the field they're playing on.
For a fighter, there is nothing worse than that despair.
And yet, many average Joes don't carve this despair into their minds. That's important.
Denied for their powerlessness and lack of talent,
they're afraid to acknowledge their mistakes and unconsciously make excuses,
fantastically unaware they're doing so.
No, this is just the beginning.
That's right! There is no "game over" in life!
In order to not feel like it's all been a waste,
they trick themselves into thinking not giving up is the right answer.
I call it "dream doping."
Live street performance! 15th Anniversary
Their goal used to be achieving their dream, but now their goal is the act of chasing after it.
I have zero interest in the garbage who continue to fool themselves
by clinging onto the ghost of a dream.
If you don't live your life to achieve your dream, it's pointless.
That's why defeat is the crossroads for your dream.
What's needed is the strength to fully realize your powerlessness in that moment.
The ability to feel despair.
There's a path you can only see once you've given up on the path to your dream.
And that path leads to your new potential.
Those who continue to fight in spite of their despair
are bestowed with the power to achieve their dream.
Now, all you losers.
You are at your crossroads.
We were so close.
If that pass had got through, I would've scored and we would've won!
I wasn't good enough.
I didn't stand a chance when they showed their true strength.
That's the reality.
I lost.
Why did I even bother to...
So what do you wanna do, Isagi?
Right. We gotta pick one.
Yeah.
To beat Rin...
and win Bachira back...
the teammate I need is...
So...
Who do you wanna pick?
Teieri Anri's Blue Lock Journal!
Teieri Anri's
Journal\h\h!
Teieri Anri's Blue Lock Journal!
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Teieri Anri's BLUE LOCK Journal\h!
m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100
m 1 0 b -2 -6 4 -9 7 -9 b 12 -9 13 -6 15 -4 b 16 -6 19 -10 23 -9 b 27 -9 28 -6 29 -4 b 30 -7 31 -9 35 -10 b 41 -10 42 -8 43 -5 b 44 -8 46 -11 52 -10 b 56 -9 56 -7 56 -4 b 56 -1 53 0 52 0 b 55 2 56 4 54 7 b 52 10 48 10 45 8 b 43 6 42 5 42 5 b 41 6 42 9 36 9 b 32 9 30 6 30 5 b 29 6 27 8 23 8 b 19 8 18 7 16 6 b 15 5 14 7 11 9 b 9 10 6 10 3 8 b 1 6 -1 3 1 1
Teieri Anri's BLUE LOCK Journal\h!
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05:30 am: wake up, check emails, do morning yoga.
05:30
• Wake up • Check emails • Morning yoga
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Pigeon pose
06:30 am: wake Ego-san, clean Ego-san's room.
06:30
• Wake Ego-san • Clean Ego-san's room
m 1 0 b -2 -6 4 -9 7 -9 b 12 -9 13 -6 15 -4 b 16 -6 19 -10 23 -9 b 27 -9 28 -6 29 -4 b 30 -7 31 -9 35 -10 b 41 -10 42 -8 43 -5 b 44 -8 46 -11 52 -10 b 56 -9 56 -7 56 -4 b 56 -1 53 0 52 0 b 55 2 56 4 54 7 b 52 10 48 10 45 8 b 43 6 42 5 42 5 b 41 6 42 9 36 9 b 32 9 30 6 30 5 b 29 6 27 8 23 8 b 19 8 18 7 16 6 b 15 5 14 7 11 9 b 9 10 6 10 3 8 b 1 6 -1 3 1 1
Mumble Mumble
m 1 0 b -2 -6 4 -9 7 -9 b 12 -9 13 -6 15 -4 b 16 -6 19 -10 23 -9 b 27 -9 28 -6 29 -4 b 30 -7 31 -9 35 -10 b 41 -10 42 -8 43 -5 b 44 -8 46 -11 52 -10 b 56 -9 56 -7 56 -4 b 56 -1 53 0 52 0 b 55 2 56 4 54 7 b 52 10 48 10 45 8 b 43 6 42 5 42 5 b 41 6 42 9 36 9 b 32 9 30 6 30 5 b 29 6 27 8 23 8 b 19 8 18 7 16 6 b 15 5 14 7 11 9 b 9 10 6 10 3 8 b 1 6 -1 3 1 1
Ego-san in the morning (LOL)
07:30 am: breakfast.
07:30
• Breakfast
Have boiled water ready for Ego-san's instant cup noodles!
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09:00 am: check the health data of each player, meeting with Ego-san.
09:00
• Check the health data \h\h\hof each player • Meeting with Ego-san
Don't argue with him. He'll rebut everything, so just accept it!
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Lock off!
Y E S \h!
10:00 am: check the progress of the selection.
10:00
• Check the progress \h\h\hof the selection
10:30 am: update the personal data on each player.
10:30
• Update the personal \h\h\hdata on each player
Process player data on running distance, form, muscle mass from body suits, and data from games, so Ego-san can check growth and changes!
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12:30 pm: lunch.
12:30
• Lunch
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Don't forget the hot water!
I'll continue to work hard in the afternoon so we can win the World Cup!
Our target is winning the World Cup!
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1:30 pm: study soccer.
13:30
• Study soccer
Read all the books on tactics and mental training!
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And snack time.
• Snack time
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Depending on mood, gummies or choc
3:00 pm: check the progress of the selection.
15:00
• Check the progress \h\h\hof the selection
15:30
3:30 pm: meeting with Ego-san.
Everything About Soccer
Dawn of Japan's Soccer
Soccer Encyclopedia
Strategies for Scoring
• Meeting with Ego-san
Mostly criticism, but he occasionally says something insightful, so don't miss it! Trust Ego-san!
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Chemical reaction
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6:00 pm: write up reports for the JFU.
18:30
• Write up reports \h\h\hfor the JFU
(progress, expenses, etc.)
19:30
7:30 pm: check the health data of each player.
Everything About Soccer
Dawn of Japan's Soccer
Soccer Encyclopedia
Strategies for Scoring
• Check the health data \h\h\hof each player
8:30 pm: end of business day.
20:30
• End of business day
Remove makeup and relax in comfy clothes!
Everything About Soccer
Dawn of Japan's Soccer
Soccer Encyclopedia
Strategies for Scoring
m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
Tracksuit from \hhigh school ♥
9:00 pm: dinner!
21:00
• Dinner
Everything About Soccer
Dawn of Japan's Soccer
Soccer Encyclopedia
Strategies for Scoring
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Hot water!
I'm beat.
Now that I look back on it, he only eats instant cup noodles.
I'm concerned about his health.
I want him to eat something healthy for a change.
Ego-san!
Want a late-night snack of stir-fried veggies?
I have broccoli salad, too.
Seven Spice Blend
Hm.
Food like this isn't bad every now and then.
Yum.
You ruined everything, you jerk!
Keep it together, Anri.
Th-That's good to hear.
Good night.
All this is for the sake of winning the World Cup.