Chapter 3 – Invitation to Blue Lock
"You boys are back~! Hurry up, wash up, and get ready for dinner!"
Minako, the warm-hearted mother of the Yūshin twins, greeted them with a bright smile as they walked in, drenched in sweat from their evening training.
My two little boys… all they know is football and training, she thought, watching them with a mix of pride and worry.
At this age, shouldn't they be out with friends, doing normal teenager things?
Not at all like their father—who, at their age, had already charmed her heart without even trying.
Sometimes I really worry about them.
After washing up, the family of four gathered around the dinner table. The aroma of grilled fish, rice, and simmered vegetables filled the air.
"How are your plans going?" asked Yūjin Morino, the twins' father, his voice calm but firm as always.
He sat like a general presiding over the family table, his posture straight and his gaze sharp.
No one knows how he ended up with Mom, Seiichi often thought. She's too cheerful for a guy like him.
Seiichi and Zeya quickly buried their faces in their food, pretending they hadn't heard him.
This was the third time that month their father had asked that question. The last two times, Seiichi had dodged it with some smooth-talking.
But not this time.
Bang.
Yūjin placed his chopsticks down and lightly smacked the table. His expression was stern now, eyes fixed on his sons.
"I gave you everything. The best coaches, the best equipment, time, support. And you've repaid it with excellence. But now—now you're stalling."
He leaned in.
"You've been offered contracts from clubs. Academies in Europe. Even the U-20 national team came knocking. And you rejected everything."
"If you don't want to go abroad yet, fine. But if you're just going to waste time in high school leagues bullying kids who aren't even at your level… then what's the point?"
"If you're not playing football, then focus on school. You can't have it both ways."
Seiichi and Zeya both winced and exchanged glances. Under the table, Zeya elbowed Seiichi, and Seiichi returned the gesture. Classic twin standoff.
The tension in the room thickened. Their father's forehead veins pulsed.
"Aha! Right!" Minako suddenly stood up, clearly trying to change the subject.
"Let's not talk about serious things while we're eating!"
Then her eyes lit up with memory.
"Oh, I almost forgot! A girl came by today. Short red hair, seemed like she was from the Japan Football Association. She dropped off a letter for you two."
She left the room quickly and returned with a crisp, sealed envelope.
Here we go, Seiichi thought, his back straightening instantly.
Zeya reached out and took the envelope from their mother, slicing it open cleanly with a flick of his finger.
Inside was a formal notice.
Yūshin Zeya. Yūshin Seiichi.
You have been selected as Designated Enhancement Players by the Japan Football Association.
Check-in Location: [REDACTED] – Blue Lock Training Program.
"It's here," Seiichi said softly, his eyes shining. "Finally."
Zeya passed the letter across the table to their father.
Yūjin read it thoroughly. Twice. Then once more for certainty.
"You're really going to this?"
Zeya said nothing. He was waiting for Seiichi's answer.
This had to be the Blue Lock Seiichi had told him about—the one from the other world. The program where only the strongest would survive, where evolution was forced, and limits were broken.
He just hoped it was worth it.
If it wasn't, and Seiichi had bet their lives on the wrong thing…
Then he'd never forgive him.
Seiichi stood up, one foot on his chair, and pointed to the ceiling with a stupid grin.
"Yes, Dad! This is the first step for Zeya and me to stand on the world stage!"
Morino blinked, his stoic mask cracking slightly.
"…I respect your decision."
Later That Night
Seiichi lay on his bed, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
Transcendent Vision…
He had unlocked that skill early in their second year—an ability to "see" plays several seconds in advance. It was like watching a simulation of space, movement, and outcome play out in real time.
Zeya hadn't developed it, but that didn't matter.
Because his brother had something scarier: pure instinct and monstrous explosiveness.
As long as the ball reached Zeya, he would score.
Together, they were more than players.
They were weapons.
Even if they weren't yet at the level of the New Generation World's 11, they were undeniably dangerous inside Blue Lock.
Not even Itoshi Rin will be a problem.
But why Blue Lock?
Because of cannibalization.
That brutal process of devouring others—stealing their strengths, evolving from their weaknesses. A training ground of ego, ambition, and destruction.
It's the fastest way to shatter your own limits.
Seiichi picked up his phone.
He typed.
"I'll become the world's number one midfielder."
"You'll become the world's number one striker."
"We won't break our promise."
He hit send.
A response came immediately.
"Obviously."
Zeya's reply was short, but full of fire.
Seiichi smirked.
"Let's go, Zeya… It's time to enter Blue Lock."