KICKOFF
TEAM W vs. TEAM V
THIRD PERSON POV
Hiori moved forward with the ball from midfield. His eyes scanned quickly, looking for the passing lane to Yukimiya who had already started shifting into space.
Kurona stepped in immediately, shadowing him from the side and cutting the angle.
"This lane's closed closed," he muttered, low enough that only Hiori could hear.
Hiori didn't react. He kept the ball tight to his feet, subtle body feints keeping Kurona from lunging in recklessly.
He waited. One breath. Then a sudden shift of pace.
Hiori dropped his shoulder, pulled the ball back with his sole, and turned inside. Kurona moved to block, but Hiori had already slipped the pass through a tight seam, threading it cleanly toward Yukimiya who received it with no problems.
"The stage is set," Yukimiya said as he fixed his eyes on the goal.
Hibari slid in front of Yukimiya, "Just try it goggles."
"My pleasure, snake eyes," Yukimiya responds as he charges in.
MATCHUP
HIBARI YAKUSHIJI vs. KENYU YUKIMIYA
Yukimiya initiated his offense with a fluid, almost improvisational flow. The ball danced between his feet, a blur of feints and rapid-fire changes of direction that seemed to lack a clear pattern, yet each touch was impossibly precise. He dipped his shoulder, feigned a drive to the left, then, with a barely perceptible twitch of his ankle, spun the ball sharply to his right, simultaneously shifting his body weight.
Hibari's analytical mind whirred to life, processing the incoming data. He extended a leg, calculating the precise angle to intercept, his movements textbook perfect. He anticipated the cross-over, the typical shift in momentum. His defensive form was flawless, honed by a relentless pursuit of order on the pitch.
But Yukimiya's execution defied his calculations. The ball wasn't where Hibari expected.
With a sudden, almost unreadable brush of his cleat, Yukimiya nudged the ball under Hibari's outstretched leg, a sudden ghost of a touch that bypassed the defensive barrier completely.
Hibari recoiled, his eyes widening in a rare display of surprise. He pivoted instantly, a leg reflexively shooting out to hook the ball. His cleat scraped against the ball, a millisecond from regaining possession. He was that close.
A realization begins to set in for Hibari about Yukimiya.
'This isn't a form...it's not derived from theory or practiced drills. Every shift, every feint, it's the raw, unpolished outcome of constant, unforgiving trial-and-error. It's movements born from endless, real-time adaptation, stripped bare of anything superfluous until only absolute effectiveness remains. It's…instincts sharpened to a razor's edge by a ceaseless pursuit of the goal.'
Yukimiya, having threaded the impossible needle, didn't break stride. The ball was already back under his complete command, and he was past Hibari, leaving him a step behind, a flicker of genuine shock on his usually impassive face. The path to the goal, momentarily, belonged to Yukimiya.
Hibari grinned, "Finally. I'll enjoy this..."
Hibari's ego has been stimulated.
Saramadara cut across the field diagonally, placing himself between Yukimiya and the penalty box.
Yukimiya didn't engage in a direct contest of strength. His feet became a blur, a whirlwind of feints and pivots that seemed to accelerate and decelerate simultaneously. He dipped, weaved, and spun the ball around Saramadara, creating a dizzying vortex of motion. Saramadara's calm analysis couldn't keep pace. He shifted his weight, anticipating, but Yukimiya was always elsewhere, an afterimage just out of reach.
In a rapid, almost contemptuous display, Yukimiya's final cut left Saramadara spinning, completely turned around, facing the wrong way as the dribbler surged past.
"Too slowwwww." Yukimiya taunted as he had his eyes set on his last target.
The goalkeeper scrambled. He had anticipated a direct shot, then perhaps a slight curve, and positioned himself accordingly. But the ball sprang from Yukimiya's cleat with a peculiar, upward, unsettling wobble.
It soared through the air, defying predictable laws, a blur that seemed to shift its trajectory mid-flight. The goalkeeper was mislead by the ball's path and began to relax when the ball curved down and in to the left back corner.
TEAM W vs TEAM V
0 - 1
"How fabulous! That goal was truly glam-worthy!" Aryu exclaims while striking a reverant bow before Yukimiya.
Hiori jogged over, "Nice play striker!" The Westerner shouted happily as he patted Yukimiya's shoulder.
Hibari remained at midfield, standing in deep thought. Analyzing his memories of Yukimiya's new dribbling style. His brow furrowed in deep concentration, then, as if a complex equation finally fell into place, his eyes widened at the realization.
Hibari's ego has come out to play.
Yukimiya was already striding back toward the center circle, expression light, a faint smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. He caught Hibari's eye as he passed and cocked his head slightly.
"Awww now what's that look for mastermind?"
Hibari slowly turned his head toward him, a shadowed grin unfurling across his face. His face, usually a mask of calm calculation, had now stretched into a slow, sadistic grin...
"Thank you, Yukimiya," he said, his voice surprisingly calm, almost chilling. "You've given me everything I need to design your collapse."
Yukimiya's smirk faltered. A cold shiver ran down his spine. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, a beat of genuine confusion in his typically composed demeanor. 'What the hell is he talking about?' The triumph of his goal faded, replaced by an unsettling feeling.
Hibari kicked the ball to Kurona who immediately passed it back as he knew what was coming.
KICK OFF RESTART
TEAM W vs TEAM V
MATCHUP
HIBARI YAKUSHIJI vs. KENYU YUKIMIYA
Hibari didn't waste a second. He initiated his personal strategy, a rapid, almost imperceptible sequence he called X-Axis Shift.
It began with a seemingly simple forward push, then a lightning-fast, almost invisible feint, dragging the ball back and across his body. His footwork was a blur, not chaotic like Yukimiya's, but systematically deceptive.
He exploited the very fluidity Yukimiya used, creating angles that didn't exist, drawing Yukimiya into committing to air. Yukimiya lunged, anticipating a sudden burst, but Hibari had already pivoted, the ball smoothly transitioning to his other foot, leaving Yukimiya momentarily unbalanced and facing the wrong direction.
Before Hibari could fully break free, Aryu, moving with long, elegant strides, swooped in. His towering frame created an imposing barrier, his long legs ready to block any escape route, trapping Hibari between himself and the recovering Yukimiya.
Hibari's eyes, cold and sharp, flickered between the two defenders. This was a new variable, but a predictable one.
He feigned a sharp cut directly into Aryu, drawing the taller player's massive reach forward. Just as Aryu committed, Hibari performed a lightning-fast, almost imperceptible stop-and-go. The ball vanished under his foot, only to reappear on the other side of Aryu's outstretched leg. As Aryu overshot, his body provided a momentary, unwitting screen, blocking Yukimiya's line of sight and recovery.
When Aryu finally stumbled to a halt, and Yukimiya spun to find the ball, Hibari was already gone, surging into the now open space created by their double-teaming collapse.
"Be seeing you." Hibari said calmly over his shoulder, not even glancing back as he accelerated toward the open field.
He had used their very attempt to cage him to dismantle their defense simultaneously. The path forward was wide open.
Three defenders, reacting with practiced speed, assembled in front of Hibari, forming a formidable wall. Hibari's mind briefly considered a pass to Kurona, a logical, efficient choice. But then, a profound shift occurred within him. It was as if a palpable darkness descended, engulfing only him, pulling him out of the flow of time itself. The challenge before him had ignited his ego, transforming the sterile pitch into his personal domain.
In this frozen moment, Hibari saw it with chilling clarity. Chains, heavy and metallic, descended from an unseen ceiling, wrapping around the limbs of the three converging defenders. They stood before him, not as opponents, but as disobedient dogs, their forms now bound, their defiant stances rendered futile by the invisible shackles. They had made the grave mistake of challenging their master.
"I see now," Hibari murmured, his voice echoing in the suspended silence of his perception. His pupils dilated, reflecting the cold, hard glint of steel. He reached out, not physically, but with the absolute authority of his will, and took hold of their chains.
Time snapped back to reality, but Hibari was irrevocably changed. His previous calm was replaced by a chilling intensity, a palpable aura of absolute command. "I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DAMN MUTTS NEVER DISOBEY AGAIN!" he declared, his voice cutting through the air, resonating with a terrifying conviction.
The defenders visibly flinched, a ripple of unease passing through their formation. Hibari charged forward, the ball a mere extension of his foot, and they immediately surrounded him, attempting to close the space. Hibari moved with an impossible blend of speed and control, his feet weaving a complex, impenetrable barrier around the ball. He stalled, feinted, and pivoted, each movement a calculated deception, preventing any of the three from ever making contact with the sphere. Their desperate lunges met only air.
One defender, frustrated by the futility, charged recklessly, abandoning his disciplined formation. Hibari met him with a subtle shift, a sudden stop that left the defender overshooting wildly, his momentum carrying him past..
With a contemptuous flick of his foot, Hibari sent the ball through the space the falling defender had just vacated.
"Sit like a good boy," Hibari drawled, watching the player stumble and fall onto his backside.
The remaining defenders, their earlier confidence shattered, scrambled to close the gap. But Hibari was beyond their reach. His gaze, colder and more intense than ever, had already locked onto the goal. Their panicked movements were just more variables in his perfect equation. He took one final, precise touch, adjusting the ball with micro-calculations, setting the stage for the inevitable.
Then, he unleashed it. His body became a conduit, every muscle, every angle calibrated for the ultimate strike. This was the culmination of his Shot Architecture, a masterpiece of control and design.
The ball sprang from his foot with an uncanny, engineered trajectory. It began its flight perfectly straight, then, with an almost imperceptible curve, it bent around one desperate lunge, before suddenly dipping with an impossible arc that defied the very air.
The goalkeeper, a figure of panic now, had committed to the initial straight path, then wildly adjusted for the curve. But Hibari's shot was not meant to be read. It was a calculated deception, a path designed to mislead. The ball seemed to slow, then accelerate, then drop, precisely where the goalkeeper wasn't, an inescapable bullet aimed for the corner.
A super goal.
A whistle echoed throughout the field.
TEAM W vs TEAM V
1 - 1
Hibari looked over his shoulder at the Team V players, "Roll over and die. You damn peasants."
Hibari was then jumped on by Kurona, Saramadara and his other teammates.
"Super super!" Kurona repeated twice.
"You just conquered like, a massive wave man!" Saramadara shouted while mimicking a wave motion with his hands.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
KICK OFF RESTART
TEAM W vs TEAM V
Hiori began the kickoff with a quick pass to Yukimiya, who instantly shifted into an offensive stance, ready to drive forward. But before Yukimiya could even take a second touch, a presence materialized directly in his path.
It was Hibari. His eyes, devoid of emotion, bore into Yukimiya.
MATCHUP
HIBARI YAKUSHIJI vs. KENYU YUKIMIYA
Hibari didn't engage in a flashy dribble or an aggressive tackle. His eyes narrowed, his gaze dissecting every one of Yukimiya's fluid movements. He didn't chase the ball; he anticipated the point of greatest exposure in Yukimiya's otherwise seamless flow.
The ball was gone. Yukimiya stumbled, looking down at his empty feet, genuinely bewildered. He hadn't even felt the touch.
"Your dribbling has a pattern, goggles," Hibari stated, his voice analytical. "And that pattern has a blind spot. If you can't realize that, then your IQ numbers must be identical to your vision numbers."
Leaving a stunned Yukimiya behind, Hibari immediately initiated a series of quick one-two passes with Kurona, who darted left and right with incredible speed. Hibari orchestrated the exchanges with flawless timing, using Kurona's pace to shred through the midfield. Each pass was a calculated vector, each return a perfect delivery, propelling Hibari deeper into Team V's territory.
He surged into the penalty box. Shingen Tanaka, reacting late, launched into a sliding tackle. The contact was undeniable.
Hibari's body was thrown off balance, sent careening sideways. But his focus didn't waver. Mid-air, his core twisted, his leg whipping through the contortion, connecting with the ball even as his body spun. It wasn't a clean, unhindered strike, but it was perfectly adapted, a testament to his unbreakable system even under duress. The shot, a product of pure will and calculation, still found its mark.
The goalie, stunned by his body control could only watch hopelessly still as the shot careened into the back of the net.
TEAM W vs TEAM V
2 - 1
Yukimiya was visibly gritting his teeth in frustration. He was in complete lockdown by Hibari at this point. It pissed him off to no end.
KICK OFF RESTART
TEAM W vs TEAM V
Yukimiya, still seething, kicked the ball off to Hiori. Hiori received it calmly, his eyes already scanning the field, looking for an opening. But his path forward was immediately cut off.
Kurona zipped in, a quick, shadowy blur. "Well, well, if it isn't Hibari's little lapdog," he taunted, a smirk playing on his lips.
Hiori didn't break his composed rhythm. "Can can it, cowboy," he replied, his voice flat.
MATCHUP
RANZE KURONA vs. YO HIORI
Hiori, ball glued to his feet, moved with deceptive ease. He feigned left, then right, each subtle shift throwing Kurona's high-speed shadowing slightly off balance. With a precise burst, he glided past, leaving Kurona a half-step behind. Hiori's head came up, his vision sweeping the field. He instinctively looked for Yukimiya, but saw Hibari already marking him.
'That damn striker must have all his stats maxed out' Hiori thought, thinking about the specs of Hibari.
His gaze shifted. There, positioned perfectly by the penalty box, was Aryu, his tall frame cutting a striking figure amidst the chaos. Hiori knew a lob pass was the ideal play.
Suddenly, Saramadara cut across the field, moving with his usual quiet intensity, placing himself directly in the passing lane. "Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen," Saramadara stated, his voice calm and firm. His sole mission was to cut off the pass, buying Kurona time to recover and re-engage.
Hiori remained unperturbed. He kept the ball tight, sensing Kurona closing in from behind, ready to pinch him. With an almost imperceptible movement, Hiori pulled the ball backward, threading it with surgical precision through Kurona's legs. As Kurona overshot, trying to adjust, Hiori spun tightly, the ball still glued to his foot. The sudden, unexpected maneuver left Kurona directly in the path of a lunging Saramadara. They collided, a tangle of limbs and surprised grunts.
In that split second, as Kurona and Saramadara tumbled, Hiori completed his spin, his body contorting fluidly. He drove his leg back, unleashing a curved pass that soared precisely towards Aryu in the penalty box.
Aryu was fighting off three tenacious defenders, their frantic efforts a stark contrast to his serene composure. As the ball arched in, he rose. It wasn't a jump; it was an ascension. His slender form seemed to defy gravity, floating above the tangled mass of defenders below. His brown hair flowed, catching the light. His head snapped forward in a powerful impact. The ball rocketed past the stunned goalkeeper.
The whistle blew loudly as the scoreboard flashed.
TEAM W vs TEAM V
2 - 2
Aryu landed with immaculate grace, then immediately dropped into a kneeling bow, his long hair flowing around him, an ethereal shower of sparkles seemingly flitting off him as he embraced his fabulous moment.
"Truly a goal befitting one such as I!" Aryu said, clearly engrossed in his own pride.
An announcement, a woman's calm voice, suddenly cut through the air, drawing every player's attention. "Attention all players. Five minutes remain in the game."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurona began the kickoff this time, sending a rapid pass to the right wing.
KICK OFF RESTART
TEAM W vs TEAM V
Hibari's eyes narrowed. "It's time for the coup de grace," he murmured, his voice a telling promise. He then delivered a sweeping curved pass to the opposite wing, finding Saramadara already in motion down the left.
Saramadara received the ball cleanly on the left wing, his unwavering gaze already fixed on the defensive blockade ahead. Two defenders immediately converged on him, attempting to pinch him against the sideline. With no hesitation, Saramadara initiated a series of swift one-two passes with Kurona, who darted into space. The exchange was smooth like flowing water, as Kurona's blazing speed created the necessary openings, allowing Saramadara to carve effortlessly through the defensive pressure. The opponents found themselves chasing shadows as the duo systematically dismantled their formation, advancing deep into their territory.
Meanwhile, in the central area, Hibari found himself caught in a tight pincer, relentlessly marked by both Aryu and Yukimiya. They moved in perfect synchronization, cutting off every passing lane and smothering any attempt he made to receive the ball, determined to neutralize his influence. The intensity of their marking created a tense, isolated battle in the heart of the midfield that nobody could intrude upon.
Saramadara, now free of his immediate markers and having broken through the last defensive line, found a narrow window of opportunity. He unleashed a powerful shot, a precise strike aimed for the top right corner of the goal. The trajectory was perfect, seemingly destined to find the back of the net. However, at the last possible second, Aryu, abandoning his mark on Hibari with a sudden, decisive burst of speed, extended his impossibly long foot. The block was audacious, a desperate, yet elegant, intervention that sent the ball ricocheting high into the air, spiraling towards the heavens.
"SECOND BALL!" Yukimiya roared, his voice cutting through the sudden silence.
Yukimiya was already surging forward, his eyes locked onto the ascending sphere. Aryu, with his signature grace, was already beginning his ascent, his body seemingly defying gravity as he prepared to clear it with another towering header. His form was impeccable, his timing precise, and it looked utterly inevitable that he would connect and send the danger away.
"Oh no no, that just won't do."
In a blur of impossible motion, Hibari launched himself upwards. He utilized his own honed, athletic body, muscles coiling and unleashing a powerful leap that seemed to defy gravity. Then, with an audacious move, he used Aryu's rising figure as a literal springboard, pushing off the taller player's back to propel himself even higher, gaining just the fraction of a second and the crucial centimeters he needed to intercept the ball before Aryu's elegant clearance could connect.
Mid-air, Hibari twisted, his body contorting into a perfect, inverted arc. His right leg whipped over his head, connecting with the descending ball in a spectacular bicycle kick. The shot was a pure, wicked thunderbolt, launched directly into the net before anyone could even comprehend what had happened.
Aryu, still suspended in the air, his eyes wide, watched in visible shock as Hibari used him as a spring. The entire field fell silent for a moment, the only sound the rustle of the net. Then, the whistle pierced the stunned quiet.
TEAM W vs TEAM V
3 - 2
Yukimiya stood frozen, his eyes wide, then clenched his fists, unable to comprehend the sheer audacity and impossible execution of what he just witnessed. His previous triumph over Hibari felt utterly insignificant now.
Hiori, usually the epitome of calm, had his jaw slightly agape, a rare look of pure astonishment etched on his face as he stared at the figure of Hibari, "We...lost."
Team W erupted, screaming and jumping, mobbing Hibari in a chaotic celebration of victory. The final whistle blew, signaling the end of the intense battle between Team W and Team V.
Aryu, after landing, struck a fabulous pose, running a hand through his hair. "That goal was so glam," he conceded, "but mostly because he had to use my own exquisite figure to score."
A woman's voice came over the speakers in the field, calm and clear: "All of Building 5's matches have been completed. I will now announce the results of the First Selection. The winners of the 5-team round robin are as follows. In first place, Team W, 11 players progressed. In second place, Team V, 11 players progressed. Per the rules, the top scorer from the 3 eliminated teams will also move on. These remaining 25 advance to the Second Blue Lock Selection."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 DAYS LATER
HIBARI POV
6:00 AM
ROOM W
I awoke to the sound of a voice over the speakers in our room. It was much too early for this and I was much too tired to do more strength training like we had the past 10 days.
Everyone was still half asleep, eyes heavy, bags under our eyes like we hadn't slept in days.
"Attention players, the first selection is now complete. Those who have passed, put on your training gear immediately and report to the central basement area of your building."
However, everyone immediately became alert once they heard that message. The 11 of Team W made our way into the central basement.
We passed under a doorway that read "2nd Stage" above it, and into a wide pentagon shaped room. There were 4 large screens on each wall, I could take a pretty good guess who was gonna appear on them any second now.
From the door we came out of we were greeted with the site of the 11 players of Team V, and the three players of the eliminated teams who passed as their top scorer. Kiyora from Team X was among them.
Players from the other buildings were all around us, but wait.
'A Team Z player? That doesn't make any sense? And a Team W?' I thought with a confused look on my face, perhaps I was seeing things since I was so tired?
Then the man finally showed himself on the screens above us.
"Hello hello, my lumps of unrecognized talent. Congratulations on completing your physical conditioning," Ego greeted us.
"If you're sharp, you've probably already noticed. Look around, you may be asking yourself why there are no people from building's 1, 2, 3, or 4....Well. That's because they don't exist, it is only building 5."
My eyes widened in surprise. 'What?? Only Building 5 exists? So... that means only Teams V-Z exist as well,' I realized. 'And that means this number on my jersey is a lie. 232.' I merely smiled at the deception.
"Yes. I lied to you all, but because you all were convinced you were the lowest of the low. You all fought tooth and nail with desperation."
An immediate uproar of shouts and protests erupted, aimed directly at Ego. He simply kept talking, unconcerned by the chaos he'd incited.
He just kept talking without a care in the world.
"All to destroy that half-baked confidence and provide you with that hunger to become the best in the world. That hunger will evolve into the ego that changes the world."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Now for the Second Selection..."
"You fought to turn a 0 into a 1 before, now you will multiply it into a 100. The 2nd Selection will feature 5 stages, and to move onto the next you must complete the previous one. By the way...those who pass will earn the right to participate in a training camp with the worlds top players that I've picked."
A sliding door that said "2nd Selection" then slid open as well, there was also a bucket filled with soccer balls just outside of it.
"Whenever you're done warming up, step through the door one at a time."
A player stepped up immediately. He had dark green hair that fell starkly over his intense, narrow eyes, and a lean, almost predatory build. He grabbed two soccer balls, a ball in each hand and set them down. With a single, fluid motion, he kicked one with a soft curve, and the other with a sharp, violent cut. Both balls soared through the air, traveling on perfectly calculated trajectories, until they collided mid-flight with a crisp thud, shattering the silence.
I simply watched with one eye open, a flicker of genuine interest sparking within me, as others around me watched in disbelief, their faces a mixture of awe and apprehension.
The player walked through the sliding doors, and his name flashed onto the screen above: Rin Itoshi.
'Like Sae Itoshi of the New Generation World XI?' I thought, a slow, predatory grin unfurling across my face.
This was exactly what I craved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL TIME
My teammates turned to me, excitement buzzing in their eyes after Rin's explosive display. "Hibari, what are you gonna do?" one of them asked, anticipating some equally dramatic entrance.
I merely shrugged, stepping towards the wall and sitting against it. "I'm gonna take a nap," I said, my voice calm.
"Huh? You're gonna go to sleep?!" Hiori exclaimed, disbelief clear on his face.
"Yeah," I replied, without looking back. "I mean, I don't see a time limit."
Saramadara, ever the pragmatist, tilted his head. "Good point," he murmured, then casually laid down on the floor, stretching out. "Goodnight."
A wave of exhaustion seemed to ripple through Team W. "Yeah, I am kinda tired," someone else mumbled, and soon, a surprising number of my teammates were sprawled out, already trying to catch some sleep. All of us, that is, except for Kurona. He stood there for a moment, letting out an audible sigh before facepalming. With a shake of his head, he stepped through the door, disappearing into the next stage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Longest chapter yet! Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter!
Also let me know your thoughts on the match!
I had some good fun writing this one since we finally get to see some actual good players and not complete fodder play against Hibari.
Also I'm late here but I hope EVERYONE wished the GOAT Shidou a happy birthday yesterday!
Second Selection up next!
Have a great day dear readers!
Ussylliss out