First Selection Arc

**First Selection Arc** is the second arc of the Blue Lock Manga Series.

## Synopsis

### Team Z vs Team X

Before the start of the match, Team Z is playing rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to pick their desired position. Isagi wins the game and chooses to become forward. Shortly after, Ego appears on the TV screen and he begins to reexplain the First Selection, a round-robin tourney between 5 teams. Only the top 2 teams will advance to the Second Selection. However, an alternative way to survive is to be the top-scorer on your team at the end of the selection. With that information given, Ego states the first match (Team X vs Team Z) of the tourney will begin in two hours.

After several hours, the match between Team Z and Team X begins. It is set to last for 90 minutes with a break at the 45 minute mark. Isagi, the forward, is having a hard time breaking through the defense of Team X; while thinking of a strategy to pass through Team X's defense, the ball is taken away from him by his teammate, Raichi and Kunigami.Much to Isagi's surprise, players of Team X also disregarded the idea of "team play." All of the players started playing for themselves. Nonetheless, amid the turmoil, someone was able to breakthrough. Baro, in possession of the ball, broke through the mess. Baro is from Team X and ranked 250th. Isagi tries to stop him, believing he must stop Baro from passing to avoid losing.

   Isagi is blocking Baro from passing. Nonetheless, to pass Isagi, Baro does a heel flick. This move amazes Isagi, making him unable to react quickly. After that, Baro was able to pass through Kuon and Imamura with nutmegs. Baro then kicks the ball towards the net. The goalkeeper, Iemon, failed to stop the ball, resulting in the goal of Team X. After Baro's goal, his teammates were ecstatic and joyful. Baro, however, stated that he is not scoring in this match to make friends. He remarked that his teammates' sole purpose is to make him shine, declaring that he is the one true king. On the other hand, Team Z was not pleased with Team X scoring.

Since Team Z's players were playing selfishly, Isagi decided to pass between himself and Bachira alone. As the ball was going to Bachira, Igaguri stopped it. Igaguri told Isagi that Blue Lock's first selection was not about which team wins or loses. Instead, the important characteristic is the will to score as many goals as one can. Unfortunately, the ball was stolen from Igaguri by a player from Team X. To take advantage of Team Z's meltdown and selfish playstyle, players from Team X decided to pass all the balls to Baro to win.

The game reached a score of 5-0, with Team X in the lead. Isagi believes that he must become the foundation for Team Z, like how Baro is the foundation for Team X. Bachira suggests diverting the focus of Team X towards him to create a sneak attack with Isagi. Bachira passes the ball to Isagi. Isagi drives the ball and believes that the only thing left to do is to surpass the goalkeeper. Much to his surprise, Baro appears, making Isagi doubt his chances of scoring. Raichi and Kunigami then appear, asking for Isagi to pass the ball instead.

Isagi believes that he shouldn't pass the ball to survive Blue Lock. Surprisingly, he unconsciously kicks the ball towards Kunigami. Kunigami kicks the ball and scores. Raichi, on the other hand, is furious at Isagi for choosing to pass to a marked Kunigami instead. Baro then calls Isagi talentless. Baro stated that a striker who chokes in front of the goal simply does not have what it takes to be one.

The buzzer then rings, marking the end of the match. The match ended with a score of 5-1. Team X was declared the winner, while Team Z was the loser. After the game, Team Z is changing their clothes. While changing, Raichi stated that Isagi's failure as a forward and striker resulted to the loss of their team. Team Z then becomes chaotic, with each player claiming that they should be the striker in the next game. Kuon then scolds Team Z. Kuon explained that losing in their next game will result in the elimination of the whole team. Thus, it isn't time for them to be thinking of their selves alone.

    After that, Team Z wondered what the first selection meaning was. Chigiri remarked that it may have been related to playing football from scratch to work on each player's foundations. Isagi believes that the "football by scratch" that Ego described is similar or equal to a freestyle game. The chaos brought by the freestyle game, however, was destroyed by Baro when he successfully scored a goal. After witnessing Baro's sheer talent, his teammates improved their play by following Baro's lead. Isagi noted that a foundation is what Team Z needs to win. Team Z needs an overwhelming talent to carry the team towards victory.

Ego then appears on the screen and tells Team Z that their conclusion is correct. Ego then changes the topic to the importance of having a weapon. Every striker carries a weapon. A weapon that disrupts the opposite team's organization, making them yield and unable to move. Ego noted that every single elite striker carries their own unparalleled weapon.

### Team Z vs Team Y

    At Team Z's shared room, each player identifies their unique weapons. Bachira's weapon is his dribbling. Raichi excels in his shooting technique. Gagamaru is great at close quarter plays. Naruhaya can fly across the pitch. Iemon is a jack of all trades. Igaguri has an unyielding fighting spirit. Kunigami's left foot has a strong shooting power. Imamura has excellent speed and technique. Kuon has exceptional jumping power. This leaves Isagi and Chigiri. Isagi has a hard time distinguishing his weapon. Isagi asks for a little bit of time to think of his weapon. Kuon then asks Chigiri about his weapon. Chigiri, however, does not want to tell it.

Taking the lead in strategizing, Kuon tells the team that each player must learn how to utilize their weapons to the fullest. Kuon then suggests the "*I'm the next 9*" tactic. This tactic aims to avoid having a chaotic and self-centered playstyle. Each player will have 10 minutes to be the main striker and display their weapons.

After the meeting, Team Z went through special training. The training aims to unify Team Z as a team. Following the special training, the players go to the dining hall to eat. Isagi eats *natto*. While eating, Isagi reflects on what his weapon could be. After a few minutes, Kunigami appears. Kunigami thanks Isagi for to him. Isagi then asks Kunigami why he plays football. Kunigami says that he plays so that he can be a football superhero. Isagi notes that the resolution that Kunigami has is what Isagi lacks.

Kunigami then offers Isagi a plate of sirloin steak. Isagi asks Kunigami where he got the steak. Kunigami then shows to Isagi the goal-exchange system. He then explains that for every goal a player scores, you can exchange it for various stuff. 1 point for 300g sirloin steak. 3 points for a cellphone return. 5 points for a high-quality bed. Lastly, 10 points for a day outside. Kunigami shares the steak with Isagi, believing that he deserves half the credit for it. While eating, Kunigami asks Isagi why he passed to him and not to Raichi. Raichi, on the other hand, was in a better spot and unmarked. Isagi laughs and tells Kunigami that he passed unconsciously, like a reflex. Kunigami suggested that Isagi's weapon may be the ability to smell the goal.

To prepare for their next match, Team Z had a group meeting. During their tactical meeting, Kuon tells Team Z that Team Y is in a similar situation with them. Like Team Z, if Team Y loses, they will be up for elimination and unable to recover. Also, Kuon warns the team to watch out for Hibiki Okawa, rank 254. For this match, Team Z will be using the "I'm the next 9" strategy. There will be a rotation for the players performing as forward. To fully grasp the potential of each members' weapons, every member of Team Z must support the main forward and wait for their turn. Each player will have 10 minutes to exhibit their weapon.

The first forward of Team Z is Bachira. Bachira easily broke through by himself using his super-solo strategy. Nonetheless, Bachira was caught unprepared when Niko stole the ball from behind. Isagi remarks that, like Team Z, Team Y has its own strategies.Bachira tries once more, but 10 minutes have already passed. The next striker is Kunigami. Kunigami's weapon, however, relies on his teammates to bring the ball to his zone while he focuses on staying unmarked. Fortunately, a teammate passes the ball to Kunigami. Kunigami kicks the ball, hoping to score, but was blocked by two players from Team Y. Meanwhile, Isagi notices that Okawa has not been moving for some time. Then, suddenly, Okawa moved. Isagi realized that Okawa was precisely waiting for the right time to attack. Isagi concluded that Team Z was able to attack only because Team Y allowed them to attack. All this time, Okawa was waiting for Niko to give him a signal to attack.

Okawa, in possession of the ball, runs towards the goal. Isagi believes that Team Z fell into Team Y's trap. Iemon, new to the position of goalkeeper, failed to block Okawa's pass. This inevitably resulted in Okawa scoring a goal. The score is now 1-0. It is hinted that Okawa's weapon is his super shooting. To avoid another goal by Team Y, Team Z decided on having 2 players mark Okawa. Isagi deduced that Team Y's tactic was to hold out and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. Isagi believes that, to defeat Team Y, they must stop Okawa from scoring.

Meanwhile, Team Z is still employing their "I'm the next 9" strategy. For Team Z, the next forward will be Kuon. To fully utilize Kuon's power, Team Z attempts to pass the balls at a very tall height to put the opposite team at a disadvantage. This, however, proves to be difficult since Team Y has an excellent defense. Struggling to pass the ball, Kunigami overlooked Niko's presence. Niko used this opportunity to steal the ball from Kunigami and pass it to his teammate. This shocked Isagi since he thought that Niko would pass it to Okawa, who was great at scoring. As each minute passes, Team Z is losing their chance for victory.

45 minutes have passed. Inside the breakroom, players of Team Z is shown having mixed emotions, none of which is positive. With a score of 1-0, Chigiri questions if the "I'm the next 9" tactic is effective. Chigiri's doubts angered Raichi. Raichi believes Chigiri is in no place to complain, seeing that Chigiri chose to conceal his weapons from the team. Kuon argues that their current strategy is working and that there is no need to change anything. Isagi, in his head, wonders if doing so is the right choice.

The second half of the game starts with Team X in possession of the ball. Following Team Z's strategy, Imamura will be the main forward for these 10 minutes. Imamura, however, is having a hard time using his weapons since the opponent has the ball. To Imamura, football is like love, a girl that is out of his league. That girl is like Team Y. Once Imamura gets past that girl, he'll win him over. A teammate passes the ball to him. Imamura kicks the ball, hoping to score to a goal. Unfortunately, Imamura's efforts were unsuccessful. To prove that Imamura's efforts were not in vain, Gagamaru comes to the rescue. Gagamaru tries to score using his head, but fails. 20 minutes have passed in the second half, but Team Z hasn't scored yet. To avoid losing again, to secure victory, to stay longer in Blue Lock, Isagi decided to believe in himself. In an instant, Isagi chose to trust his instincts.

In the middle of the heated game, Isagi realizes that the whole Team Z was tricked. Isagi learned that it wasn't Okawa who they need to keep watch of. Instead, it was Niko pulling all the shots for Team Y. The core of Team Y was Niko, not Okawa. Niko has been maintaining Team Y's defensive and offensive stability. Niko has been Team Y's secret leader. This shocking information led Isagi to the decision that he must put a stop to Niko. Isagi drives the ball towards the goal to score. Before the ball reaches the net, Niko stops it. Luckily, Gagamaru rebounds the ball. In the court, Niko reveals to Isagi that if it weren't for him, Okawa would have scored his second goal. If that had happened, Team Y would have already won. Niko also tells Isagi that they have the very same eyes, but Isagi cannot win against him. According to Niko, he is in control of the game right now.

    The game resumes with Naruhaya in possession of the ball. The ball, however, was stolen from him. A player from Team Y, in possession of the ball, passes the ball towards Niko. However, Isagi saw this pass coming and stopped it from coming to Niko. Isagi declares that he will catch every pass heading Niko's way. Niko finds this annoying. Niko tells Isagi that his weapon is his eye for knowing exactly where on the field he must be. Though he may not be strong and fast, Niko believes that his weapon is enough to secure his position in Blue Lock. Even if Isagi attempts to stop him, Niko knows that Isagi cannot stop his planning. Several minutes have passed, and only a minute is left before the game comes to an end. Niko tells Isagi that it is almost time for Team Y's last resort. To prepare for any instance of a tie, Team Y made a defensive revenge tactic. The signal for this is when Okawa takes possession of the ball. Also, unlike in the previous plays, every member of Team Y will attack with everything they got.

With only one minute left, every player from both teams went on an all-out attack. This is the last chance for both teams. Since everyone in Team Y will be on the offensive, Team Z is having a difficult time defending. Fortunately for Team Y, Niko has the ball. Although Niko is in front of Iemon, Niko chose to pass to Okawa instead. Before the ball reached Okawa, Isagi stops it with his leg. Isagi notes that Niko always passes to Okawa since he emits the goal scent more than anyone. Since Isagi and Niko have similar weapons, they had the same train of thought towards Okawa. Isagi then considered Niko as a talentless striker for passing at a critical moment.

With Isagi in possession of the ball, he drives it towards the other side of the court. Then, he passes to Kunigami. Desperate to stop Team Z from attacking, Team Y opts to foul than to allow them to score another goal. Before being swarmed by the opponents, Kunigami passes the ball to Bachira. Bachira then kicks the ball towards Gagamaru's side. Everyone thought that the pass was for Gagamaru, but it was actually for Isagi. Isagi, with the goal right in front of him, strikes it with everything he has. Isagi successfully scores, ending the game with a score of 1-2.

While Team Z was rejoicing, the speaker announced the win of Team Z and the loss of Team Y. After the announcement, players from Team Y lie on the floor exhausted and frustrated about their loss. Isagi, however, instead of sympathizing with them, felt joy after winning and crushing their Team Y's dreams.

At Team Z's shared room, Team Z is celebrating its first win. Team Z exchanged the two points it got from the previous game for 600g of sirloin steak. Kunigami then praises Isagi for successfully scoring the goal. Gagamaru asked Isagi if he knew where the ball was heading. Isagi, however, answered that he ran just accordingly because he wanted to score. Isagi adds that it may have been sheer luck. Bachira, on the other hand, tells Isagi that he saw Isagi, so he intentionally passed to him. Kunigami remarks that he believes Isagi's weapon is "goal scent," but he's still unsure about his conclusion.

After their victory party, Team Z goes to sleep. Isagi, on the other hand, is unable to sleep. Isagi still feels the excitement of crushing the opponent's team. Isagi, unable to sleep, goes to the monitoring room to rewatch his goal. There he sees Chigiri rewatching their previous game. Chigiri tells Isagi that his weapon might be spatial perception. Isagi's weapon allows him to have a good grasp of the field, allowing him to create ideal and achievable plays instantly. Isagi then asks Chigiri what his weapon was since he refused to mention it before. Chigiri, however, refuses to tell him. After a few more pushes from Isagi, Chigiri says that he tore his ACL last year ago. If Chigiri injures himself once more, it would be too dangerous to play anymore. Because of this, Chigiri became more guarded and suppressed when he plays.

Before injuring himself, Chigiri, like Isagi, had those sleepless nights after scoring goals after goals. However, the fear of getting injured and losing his dream overpowered him. After watching Isagi's football, Chigiri felt as if he can finally give up his dream. Isagi shouts at him and tells him that he is lying; Isagi believes that Chigiri does not really want to give up on football. Isagi then says that he will never throw away his dream of playing football. Chigiri, angered by Isagi's words, tells him that he does not know anything about his life. Then, Chigiri leaves the monitoring room. Isagi is left confused by Chigiri's sudden fit.

Meanwhile, inside Ego's room, Anri is asking Ego Blue Lock's progress. Ego tells Anri that they're still at the honeymoon phase. Anri then scolds Ego for his unhealthy lifestyle. Ever since Blue Lock, Ego has been eating instant ramen and yakisoba. Back at Team Z, the screen in their training field turns on, showing Ego eating yakisoba. Ego then announces the results for the sixth match of the stratum. Based on the rankings, all teams are tied except for Team V, who is in the lead. Ego then announces to Team Z the change in their rankings. Ego tells them that the striker whose goals were most valuable for the team will stand at the top of the chart. Because of this, Team Z's top ranker is now Isagi. Ego then urges them to score a goal if they want to have a higher rank. The TV screen then changes to an announcement. A countdown for Team W and Team Z is shown. Team W and Team Z's match is in less than a day.

### Team Z vs Team W

At Team Z's monitoring room, Team Z (besides Kuon) is preparing for their upcoming match. Iemon informs them that Team W's key players are the Wanima Brothers (Keisuke Wanima and Junichi Wanima). When the twins played against Baro's team, the brothers scored 4 goals combined. Isagi then tells the others that the twins are useless when they are isolated. Iemon agrees with him, saying that to defeat Team W, they must split them apart. Kuon then comes to the monitoring room after taking a long bath. Kuon tells the team that for their next game, they will follow an improved version of their tactic. Kuon calls this new strategy "the 3x3 all-stars" tactic.  Iemon and Chigiri is not part of this tactic. Instead, Iemon will be the goalkeeper, while Chigiri would rather stay on the defensive again.

After some hours, the game between Team W and Team Z starts. The Wanima brothers have the ball. Team Z tries to stop the twins from passing through, but they failed to do so. Keisuke tells Team Z that their weapon is their eye contact. While playing, Keisuke notices Chigiri. Keisuke insults Chigiri, asking him if hew was the genius with the glass knee. It is revealed that Chigiri, Keisuke, and Junichi belonged to the same school club then. While passing through Chigiri, Keisuke tells him that his football career has come to an end. Keisuke also warned Chigiri, stating that he might snap his fragile knees again. While Keisuke is busy threatening Chigiri, Isagi steals the ball from him. Isagi tells Chigiri to ignore the twins' threats and warnings. The ball is passed from one player to the other in Team Z. Kuon receives the ball last and scores a goal. After that, Isagi declares to Chigiri that doesn't care about his past, but instead who he is now. The score is now 0-1, with Team Z in the lead.

After that, Junichi has the ball, but it seems like he does not want to score. A half-hearted Junichi made it easy for Kunigami to steal the ball from him. Kunigami then passed the ball to Bachira. Seeing Kuon open and unmarked, Bahira kicks the ball to him. Fortunately, Kuon receives the ball and scores a goal. The score is now 2-0. Thirty minutes have passed in the first half of the game. Following their new tactic, the three forward players will be Gagamaru, Raichi, and Naruhaya. To stop Naruhaya, who has the ball, Junichi grabs Naruhaya's jersey. Because this is a foul from Team W, Team Z is given a free-kick. Bachira, doing the free-kick, sees his target. Instead of scoring by himself, he kicks at a height advantageous to only one player, Kuon. Kuon hits the ball with his head, scoring another goal. The new score is 3-0, with Kuon scoring all of those 3 points.
With 3 points in the lead, Team Z can't help but feel optimistic. In Team Z's locker room, the players exchange laughs and jokes, confident that they'll win this match. Isagi believes that the team is getting stronger. While exiting the locker room to continue their match, Isagi asks Chigiri if he still wants to give up.

The second half of the game starts. Raichi has the ball; however, Junichi steals it from him. Unlike in the previous half, Junichi is more aggressive. Plus, Junichi and Keisuke are more in sync in this game. As a result, Junichi scored the first goal of the second half. The score is now 1-3, with Team Z in the lead. Kuon tells his team to not panic over one score. Seeing Kuon unmarked, Isagi passes the ball to him. Strangely, Kuon kicks the ball back to Isagi. The pass back, however, was short, allowing Junichi to steal it. Junichi strikes again, changing the score to 2-3. Meanwhile, Raichi shouts at Kuon for being reckless. Kuon apologizes wholeheartedly, making the others accept his mistakes. Oddly enough, Isagi saw Kuon smile cunningly after his teammates have dispersed. Isagi is left confused as to why Kuon smiled after having the opponents score twice.

Unsure of what he saw, Isagi rubs off his doubt as just an imagination. The match resumes with only 15 minutes left. The score is currently 2-3. Igaguri tells the team that to win, the only thing they need to do is maintain the current score of both teams; however, just in case, they should score another goal as insurance. Team Z tries to create a breakthrough, but they are unsuccessful in doing so.

Meanwhile, a frustrated and distracted Isagi is easily caught off-guard by Junichi. Junichi steals the ball from Isagi. Isagi, seeing Team W's excellent defense, sense something wrong. Isagi believes that there is a traitor among Team Z who leaked information about them. Isagi then remembers Kuon's smile. Still hesitant to accept his guess, Isagi thinks Kuon betrayed the team. Isagi then wonders why Kuon did so. Isagi comes to the conclusion that Kuon believed that Team Z would lose against Team W; thus, to become Team Z's sole survivor, he made sure to score more goals than anyone from the team.

Desperate to know the truth, Isagi confronts Kuon, asking him if he betrayed the team. Before Kuon can answer, the twins tell Isagi that his guess hits the mark. Keisuke tells them that Kuon shared with Team W everyone's strengths and weaknesses. It is then revealed that Kuon met with Team W when Team Z was strategizing. As an excuse for being late for their meeting, Kuon told his team that he took a long bath.

Raichi, provoked by the sudden revelation, attempts to punch Kuon. Because of his violent behavior, Raichi is given a yellow card. The other players are then asked to return to their specific positions to resume the game. Igaguri then asks Kuon why he betrayed the team. Kuon calls the team stupid for believing that they could win against the opponents. In exchange for leaking their weapons, Team W will allow Kuon to score 3 goals; thus, making him the striker with the most goals on the team. After which, Kuon remarks that Isagi is stupid and naive. Kuon believes that bonds like teamwork won't work in Blue Lock. Ego is what will secure one's chance of winning and survival. Kuon explains that his ego derives from winning from betraying others. The current score is 4-3, with Team W in the lead.

Frustrated by Kuon's sudden betrayal, Isagi vows to get his revenge. Unfortunately for Isagi, Kuon leaked his weakness. Keisuke and Junichi guard Isagi, preventing him from passing the ball to his teammates. Plus, since it's a twelve against ten, Team Z is at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Junichi kicks the ball, attempting to score once more. Isagi calls for Iemon's help. Fortunately, Iemon flicks the ball away from the net. Seeing that Chigiri is near the ball, Isagi shouts Chigiri's name. Chigiri runs toward the ball; however, Keisuke catches up with Chigiri. Keisuke tells him that this day will mark the end of Chigiri's football journey. Chigiri, affected by Keisuke's words, remained glued on the floor. Raichi screams at Chigiri and tells him to defend.

A flashback appears showing Chigiri, Keisuke, and Junichi's lives before entering Blue Lock. Keisuke and Junichi were apparently known as the "double aces of Rajitsu Tech." Unlike Keisuke and Junichi, who are regulars, Chigiri is only a rookie. Chigiri tells the twins that he doesn't care about the twins' reputation or rank; instead, he would much rather focus on making a name for himself. Because of Chigiri's speed, he became the school's top player soon enough. Chigiri replaced Keisuke and Junichi. Their coach believes that if Chigiri can pull through, the team can manage to win at the nationals. This angers the twins, seeing how they were easily ignored and discarded by their team. Chigiri, however, could not care less. He believes that geniuses, like himself, are naturally superior. He believes that, given his talent, he was born to outshine others. With his legs, he can surpass anyone. With his weapon, he can become the world's best striker, capable of scoring no matter the circumstance.

Unfortunately, in the middle of a game, Chigiri suffered an injury. The doctor told him that he tore his ACL. Although the tear is not severe, injuring it again would further complicate things and stop him from playing football ever again. Because of his injury, Chigiri is now ridiculed and called "the genius who fell" at his school. After healing his injury, Chigiri joins the club. Afraid of complicating his injury, Chigiri plays at a much slower pace compared to before. Keisuke notices this and taunts him, suggesting that he is scared of breaking his leg if he goes too fast. On the contrary, Chigiri is not afraid of having another in his leg; instead, he is fearful of losing football, which makes everything of him. This explains why Chigiri was looking for a reason to give up. Near to giving up, Isagi shouts at Chigiri to run, telling him and that the game is not yet over.

With a score of 4-3, Team Z desperately tries to score another goal. Meanwhile, Isagi feels that they can't break through the opponents' defense. All of Team Z's weapons have been disarmed by Team W's defense. Kuon comes up to Isagi and tells him to give up already. With only 3 minutes left, Kuon tells him that they can't win. Frustrated that his teammates' weapons are not working, Isagi tries to pull through by himself. He drives the ball but fails when Junichi blocks him. Iemon, seeing Isagi's fighting spirit, calls his other teammates to support Isagi.

Witnessing Team Z's desperate attempts, Chigiri believes that they should stop already. Keisuke ridicules them, telling them that, no matter what they do, they'll still lose. Isagi, seeing Chigiri lost in his thought, yells at him and tells him to focus on getting the ball. With Chigiri blocking the way to the goal, Isagi pushes him and shouts at him to move out of the way. This angers Chigiri.

Chigiri realizes that Isagi was like him when he was younger. The young Chigiri believed that he can be the world's best striker. The young him who devoted his whole life to football. Realizing that, Chigiri asked himself why he has been so afraid and cautious all this time. Watching Isagi play so passionately, Chigiri seethes with envy and anger. Chigiri tells himself that it's enough. If he injures his legs once more, then so be it. This only means that he was not worthy. Letting go of all his fears, Chigiri will once again show the world who will be the world's best striker. Meanwhile, Isagi senses the goal along Chigiri's direction.

With Team Z behind by one point, Kunigami tells the team to score at least one more point to have a draw. Then, they can save their panic and concerns for their next match. Kunigami then tells Isagi to pass the ball to him since he can't win alone. Isagi, however, believes he should not kick towards Kunigami. Instead, Isagi smells a goal coming from Chigiri; thus, he passes to Chigiri. Isagi's pass confuses Team Z since no one is in there to receive it. Keisuke and Kuon laugh at Isagi for making a foolish mistake during a critical moment. On the contrary, Chigiri, running at full speed, catches up with the ball. Chigiri, passing Keisuke and Kuon, drives the ball towards the net. No one can catch up with Chigiri and his speed.

Chigiri is now just a few inches from the goalkeeper of Team W. Chigiri kicks the ball, hoping to become the world's best striker. While his legs haven't given up yet, he vows to continue following his dream. Fortunately, he successfully scored a goal. The match ends in a draw with a score of 4-4. Meanwhile, Isagi is shocked from watching Chigiri's weapon in action.

The match between Team W and Team Z ends in a draw. Isagi calls Chigiri and tells him that he was incredible at the game. Chigiri then tells him that it was all Isagi's fault. Chigiri was seething while watching Isagi play so passionately. Chigiri admits to Isagi that he has been restraining himself out of fear of having another injury. Changed by the recent match, Chigiri will keep on running until his legs give up on him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Kuon is getting kicked and stepped on by Team W. Team W believes that Kuon hid information about Chigiri's weapon so that Team Z could win. Although this was not the case, Team W ignores Kuon's explanations. Keisuke, angry at Kuon, shouts that he'll get his revenge at him. To prevent any more violence, Isagi and Kunigami stop Keisuke.

After the game, Team Z is changing in their locker room. Naruhaya remarks that he thought that there was no way Team Z could win since it was a 12 against 10 game. Igaguri then invites Team Z to eat. While walking, they discuss their next match. Raichi tells them that they will challenge Team V next. The chances of winning, however, are slim, considering that Team V has no losses yet. Gagamaru then wonders if they can beat the undefeated Team V with only 10 players (excluding Kuon). Naruhaya then asks where Kuon is.

### Team Z vs Team V

At Team Z's monitoring room, the team discusses their next match. They also watched the game between Team W and Team Y. Apparently, the match between them ended in a draw thanks to Niko and the Wanima brothers (Keisuke and Junichi). Chigiri asks about Niko's change. Looking back, the old Niko wouldn't score his own goals, but instead, pass and rely on others. Bachira suggested that someone might have inspired Niko. Isagi, seeing Niko's improvement, smiles. After that, Iemon shows an image of the key players of Team V. According to him, three players are responsible for Team V's undefeated status. The trio is Zantetsu, Reo, and Nagi, scoring a total of 18 points. Zantetsu has 5 goals, Reo has 6 goals, and Nagi has 7 goals; thus, Nagi is Team V's top scorer. To win, Iemon tells the team that they must stop the trio.

Meanwhile, at Team V's locker room, Nagi is seen playing video games. Zantetsu asks Nagi to stop skipping practice. Reo then tells Zantetsu that Nagi will be fine even if he doesn't join the training. Zantetsu then tells Reo that he is far too overprotective of Nagi. Reo agrees, saying that Nagi his own gem.

A flashback of Reo's past appears. Living a luxurious life, Reo has a total assets of 705.8 billion yen. He is the heir to the Mikage corporation. Growing up. Reo was nurtured with the idea of inheriting their family business. Because of this, Reo grew up spoiled; he basically got anything that he wanted. Subsequently, Reo got bored of this easy and luxurious life. As a teenager, Reo grew into a fine man. He has attractive features, a sharp mind, and is talented at sports. He became popular at school and attracted a lot of people. Because of this, Reo wanted to find and obtain his own gem, something that is difficult to have or get. While having that mindset, he stumbled upon a program showing a football game. Ever since he watched it, he made it his goal to win the World Cup. Reo informs his dad about his passion for football, but his dad flatly refused. His dad tells him that he has a business to inherit; plus, only those who are gifted can excel and make a profit in football. His dad implied that Reo is not skilled enough to play football for a living. As a result, Reo finds a way to prove his parents wrong.

Attempting to join a football club of an elite school, Reo believes that the school's team is probably tepid. Reo walks along the corridors of the classroom while thinking of a solution. Distracted by his thoughts, he accidentally bumps Nagi's shoulder, making Nagi let go of his phone. To avoid cracking his phone, Nagi catches his phone with his foot. Reo is astonished by his skills. Reo asks Nagi if he belongs to the football club. Nagi answers no.

Shocked at Nagi's natural talent, Reo invites him to play football together. Nagi agrees, but only if he is given money. Nagi agrees with Reo's condition. Reo's life has been filled with mundane and boring events until he met Nagi. Now, Reo has found Nagi, his own gem.

Back at Team Z's room, Bachira, Gagamaru, Igaguri, and Isagi plays a game of "*what does the face of that Wanima bro mean*?" game. Bachira plays the role of Junichi, while the rest try to guess what he is saying. Isagi says that Bachira's facial expression means "*I wonder if we'll win the next game*." Igaguri guessed that Bachira's face implies that his stomach hurts. Gagamura, on the other hand, understood Bachira's expression as "*Grandma, are you doing well?*" Bachira tells the three that they got it wrong and that he was doing an "*I wonder what rain tastes like*" expression. Seeing the four goofing around, Iemon scolds them, telling them that they should be focusing on their last and next game. Bachira then jokes, saying that Iemon is making an "*I'm so mad*" face.

After joking around, Imamura recommends having a tactical meeting before the game. Hearing that, Raichi remembers their former tactician and his betrayal. He comes near to Kuon and tells him he hasn't forgiven him yet. Out of anger, Raichi strangles Kuon. Before things go out of control, Isagi stops Raichi. Frustrated, Raichi asked Isagi if he feels sorry for the strangled Kuon. Isagi tells Raichi that the team needs Kuon to win against Team V. Hearing Isagi's reasoning, Kuon tells him that he won't cooperate in the next game. Being the player with the most goals, Kuon explains that, even if Team Z is to lose against Team V, he won't be eliminated. With that in mind, Kunigami says that Kuon's survival is still unsure.

If Kunigami scored 3 more goals, it would mean that he scored 5 goals, making him the top scorer. Kuon laughs at Kunigami. With an 11 against 10 game, Kuon believes that neither Kunigami nor anyone from Team Z can score. Kunigami says to Kuon that he'll do it.  Tired from arguing, Kuon tells Kunigami to suit himself. He adds that he knows very well that football can't be played alone. Kunigami asks what he means by that. Kuon answers that he, too, wanted to win the World Cup with his skills. However, one by one, his teammates started giving up on him and on football. Every one of them believed that the World Cup was too high to dream of. Because of this, Kuon is willing to betray his teammates just to survive in Blue Lock. Bachira, on the other hand, asks the team what will happen if the top strikers are tied. Chigiri answers, saying that the player with the least yellow cards will advance. Bachira then asks what if they're also tied in that aspect.

Ego then appears on the screen. He answers Bachira's question. Ego tells them that the winner would be decided based on their standing in the Blue Lock ranking. Ego then shows the updated rankings. Now, the player with the highest rank in Team Z is Kuon. Followed by Chigiri, Isagi, Kunigami, Gagamaru, Bachira, Iemon, Raichi, Imamura, Naruhaya, and Igarashi, respectively. Raichi furiously asks why a traitor has the highest rank. Ego tells him that the rankings only depends on the number of goals scored, regardless of the player's means of scoring. However, Ego considers Kuon, as a striker, the filthiest scum in all of this facility. Ego believes that to survive in Blue Lock, Team Z must focus on finding the formula to produce and create as many goals, instead of betraying one another. Ego then disappears from the TV screen. After that, Raichi tells Kuon to not participate in their next game. Raichi threatens him, saying that if he moves, he'll be in a wheelchair the following day. Team Z has exactly a day before their next match.

Isagi, still unsure of his weapon, runs to Team X's training field. To get a full grasp on his weapon, Isagi needs Baro's help. Baro is the fifth stratum's top scorer, with 10 goals in total.

At Team X's training room, Isagi meets with Baro. Isagi asks Baro to help him become more like him, a striker who can score a lot of goals. Baro laughs at Isagi, telling Isagi that he is not skilled enough. Isagi then says to Baro that he is the greatest player he has met here in Blue Lock. Isagi adds that, like Baro, he wants to be someone who can survive in Blue Lock with his talents alone. Baro consents to Isagi's, agreeing only to show their difference in skills. Caught unprepared by Baro, Isagi is unable to move and is glued on the floor.  Isagi tries to find the right timing to counter Baro. However, without changing his location, Baro kicks the ball and scores a goal. Isagi is shocked by Baro's long shooting range and accuracy. Baro gets bored of Isagi and tells him to leave. Isagi then asks Baro for one more round, telling him to keep going. Baro finds Isagi's pertinacity annoying. Resuming their one on one match, Baro says that he is the one true king. Finding Isagi's constant remarks annoying, Baro decides to show Isagi how great he is at football.

Believing that he understood Baro's shooting range, Isagi guessed that he got Baro trapped. Baro then tells Isagi that he is mistaken. Contrasting Isagi's hypothesis, Baro's shooting range is 27 meters, not 23 meters. Isagi wonders if he were to polish his skills and weapons, would he be able to play like Baro someday.

Back at Team Z's room, Isagi tries to understand the methodology behind Baro's formula in scoring a goal. With this in mind, Isagi wonders how he can use his own strengths and weapons to create his unique formula. Unable to find the answer, Isagi ignores the formula and says that he'll figure it out during their next game.

Isagi then notices that his hand is shaking. Isagi remembers that if they lose to the undefeated Team V, his football dreams will come to a close. Isagi cries, fearing the end of his football career. Igaguri, nervous like Isagi, asks him for reassurance. Igaguri tells Isagi that he's so afraid of their next match that he can't go to sleep. Igaguri then shares to Isagi that if he fails in Blue Lock, he will have to inherit his temple duties. Isagi, seeing the shaking Igaguri, tries to calm him down. Isagi tells Igaguri that being afraid of losing can make them stronger.

Following several hours, the last game for the first selection begins. Before the match, Iemon, the tactician, announces their strategy to the team. Iemon states that Kunigami, Gagamaru. Chigiri will be their key players since they're the team's best strikers. After Iemon's announcement, Raichi tells Kuon to do nothing for the whole game. Kuon will stay in the half-way line glued to the floor. Raichi then threatens Kuon, saying that if he leaves his mark, he'll make sure (through violence) that Kuon won't be able to move after. Kuon snarks at Raichi and tells him that he's not interested in helping Team Z to win. Plus, Kuon believes that, since he's the team's top striker, he doesn't need to risk anything to survive the first selection.

The round starts with Reo with the ball. Isagi believes that he has a good grasp of Team V's weapons after watching clips of their games. Marked by 2 players, Reo passes the ball to Zantetsu to avoid it from being stolen by Team Z. Isagi then predicts that Zantetsu will pass since his field of vision is blocked by Naruhaya and Raichi. Isagi's guess was correct. Zantetsu passes the ball towards Nagi. Because Team Z spent time analyzing Team V's patterns, they were able to predict their movements. So, knowing that Zantetsu would pass to Nagi, Igaguri stops the ball before Nagi can receive it. Igaguri calls out Isagi's name, signaling him to retrieve the ball. Isagi passes the ball to Bachira then to Gagamaru. Gagamaru tries to score a goal with his head, but the ball missed. Unfazed by Gagamaru's miss, Isagi believes that their current strategy will work against Team V.

Witnessing Team Z's passionate play, Reo tells Nagi to do "it." Out of nowhere, Reo kicks the ball, making the ball spin quickly. Seeing Reo's intense kick, Isagi believes that Nagi won't be able to trap the ball and stop it from moving. Nagi, however, trapped the ball effortlessly. After stopping the ball's momentum, Nagi kicks the ball, scoring a goal. Isagi describes Nagi as a monster in football. Watching Nagi and Reo in action, Team Z starts to find it hard to be optimistic. Reo is amazed by Nagi's goal, telling him that it was exactly how he imagined it. Nagi then asks Reo if he can slack off already. Reo disagrees, saying that he needs to score five more goals until he rests.

The game resumes. Team Z sticks to their tactics, believing that it is the best choice. Isagi passes the ball to Kunigami. Kunigami, however, is not yet in his shooting range, so he moves closer to it. While moving forward, Reo, coming from Kunigami's blind spot, appears to him. Reo knows that Kunigami is not in his shooting range; thus, he is unable to score just yet. Reo steals the ball and kicks again towards Nagi. Nagi was able to trap the ball once again. Igaguri is shocked to see Nagi stopping the ball's momentum so smoothly. Nagi then kicks the ball towards the net, scoring a goal.

The game resumes. Isagi kicks the ball towards Chigiri. Chigiri runs towards the ball and sees Zantetsu catching up to him. Zantetsu was able to steal the ball from Chigiri. Isagi becomes agitated after seeing Chigiri lose in a speed contest. Zantetsu passes the ball to Reo. Isagi shouts that he'll handle Reo while the others should intercept any passes to Nagi. Reo, seeing Zantetsu open, passes to him. Because of this, Isagi can't think of any solutions. If they don't mark Nagi with many players, Nagi will continue to score; however, if too many players surround Nagi, other players from Team V will be left open. Zantetsu kicks the ball, scoring a goal. With a score of 3-0, Isagi believes that Team Z has already lost. Any hope of winning is gone. Team Z starts to lose its optimistic outlook. Well, besides Bachira. Bachira is excited to play with strong opponents. Bachira was the only one left with a fighting spirit.

Team V relaxes, knowing that they're in the lead by 3 points. Nagi asks Reo how many goals he has to score to slack off. Reo, seeing Team Z's frustrated faces, tells him that he thinks it's alright now. Reo remarks that Team Z looks broken already, like the previous teams they fought against. Till Zantetsu and Nagi notice Bachira's smiling. They wonder why he's still not feeling defeated yet.

Meanwhile, Isagi asks Bachira how he can stay optimistic, given the game's current score. Bachira tells Isagi that he feels fired up after playing against great players. He then asks Isagi if he doesn't feel the same. Bachira then says to Isagi that Reo, Nagi, and Zantetsu are super special. Bachira believes that those three are like him and Isagi. Bachira then says that to win, all he and Isagi have to do is become super special as well.

The game resumes with Bachira asking for a pass from Isagi. Isagi passes to Bachira. Bachira then says to Isagi that sometimes their weapons will be useless; however, to avoid defeat, all they have to do is go beyond their limits. Bachira then says that the monster within him believes that those driven in a corner are the ones with nothing to lose. Reo marks Bachira. To pass through Reo's defense, Bachira did hyperspeed scissors. This shocks and confuses Reo, allowing Bachira to get past him. Reo then calls for Zantetsu help to stop Bachira. Bachira tells Zantetsu that if it were a speed battle, Bachira would've lost. So, he decided to break through Zantetsu instead with an elasatico mid-air. With Bachira on the run, Reo shouts at 3 of his teammates to stop Bachira all at once, believing that one on one won't work against him. Bachira easily passes through the 3 players and scores a goal with a rabona. The score is now 3-1, with Team V in the lead.

Watching Bachira score a goal against the undefeated Team V, Team Z feels that they still have a chance of winning. Seeing Team Z's optimistic faces, Zantetsu remarks that they don't seem to be broken; instead, they are in heavenly spirits. Reo calls Zantetsu dumb and tells him that it's "high spirits" not "heavenly spirits." The trio agrees that the match has not reached a conclusion yet. Knowing that he stills have to play, Nagi found it annoying.

Team Z goes to Bachira, shocked by his skills. Imamura tells Bachira that he was so amazing to be able to score by himself. Igaguri then says that Bachira did a super special goal where he went beyond his limits. Feeling the adrenaline rush, Igaguri believes that he can also do something like that. Kunigami then stops Igaguri and tells him that he doesn't have to do anything absurd like Bachira. Kunigami states that Bachira's goal was thanks to him developing his own formula. Kunigami then recommends Team Z to find and define their own formulas to score against Team V. The game resumes with 65 minutes left. Unlike before, Team Z are in high spirits thanks to Bachira's play.

Meanwhile, Isagi asks Raichi to cover Reo. Raichi then tells Isagi that he doesn't take orders from anyone. Isagi then says that Raichi's physique is much better than him, making it possible for Raichi to stop Reo. Reluctantly agreeing, Raichi threatens the team, saying that if Team Z loses in the match, he'll hunt each and every one's entire bloodline. Reo, in possession of the ball, tries to get past Raichi's defense; however, Reo finds the task difficult. Finding it impossible to get past Raichi, Reo passes the ball to Zantetsu.

Zantetsu receives the ball and tells Reo that he'll surely get past through the opponents' defense. Chigiri catches up to Zantetsu and stops him from his tracks. Chigiri then declares to Zantetsu that he is the speed king. Zantetsu replies that Chigiri isn't on his level, calls him a slowpoke, and runs even faster. Seeing that Zantetsu will score soon, Chigiri stops him. Zantetsu is shocked to see Chigiri catching up to him. To avoid the ball from being stolen, Zantetsu passes to Nagi. Surrounded by Igaguri and Naruhaya, Nagi receives the ball. Nagi then kicks the ball, hoping to score another goal. Noticing Nagi slowly going to a shooting position, Igaguri stops the ball with his face. Bachira then retrieves the ball.
Seeing Bachira with the ball, Reo marks him. Reo then says to Bachira that his score a while ago was just a fluke. Bachira then states that the situation has changed. Unlike before, Bachira's not the only one who will attack. Bachira declares to Reo that it's time for Team Z's revival and passes the ball to Kunigami.

Kunigami receives the ball. Reo shouts for his team to stop Kunigami from entering his shooting zone. Meanwhile, Kunigami sees that he's still far from his shooting range. Plus, several players from Team V are blocking his way. Gagamaru appears from Kunigami's sight and tells Kunigami to pass to him. Kunigami believes that, as a striker, passing should only be his last resort. Stuck in his thoughts, Kunigami is startled when Isagi began shouting. Isagi yells at Kunigami, telling him not to panic. Isagi then tells Kunigami to take the risk like a football superhero. Kunigami goes back to his senses. Despite not entering his shooting range (28 meters), Kunigami tries to surpass his limits and kicks the ball, hoping to score a goal. Team V failed to stop the ball, earning Team Z a goal. The first half ended with a game score of 3-2.

At Team Z's Locker Room, the team is quenching their thirst and wiping away their sweats. Igaguri tells Kunigami that he was shocked to know that he had a long shooting range. Kunigami says to Igaguri that he was also surprised. Imamura jokes, saying that Kunigami surpassed his limits a while ago. Hearing that, Isagi felt motivated to find and create his formula. After that, Raichi tells the team that it's Team Z's time to turn the tables. Meanwhile, at Team V's locker room, Reo tells the team that it will be Team V's victory. Reo then explains that they should change and improve their defense to prevent Team Z from scoring.

The game resumes, and the second half starts. Kunigami has the ball and passes to Bachira. Bachira then kicks the ball toward Gagamaru; however, Gagamaru ran too fast towards the pass that he went beyond its direction. To avoid the ball from being stolen by Team V, Gagamaru does a scorpion kick, an acrobatic shot. Gagamaru kicks the ball, hoping to score a goal; however, Zantetsu stopped it. Imamura screams for his teammates to retrieve the ball. Isagi gets the ball. Seeing that he's 22 meters from the goal, Isagi doubts that he can score a goal given his shooting power. Isagi finds it impossible to score a goal by himself, seeing that he's shooting course is blocked. Suddenly, Kunigami screams at Isagi and tells him to look behind him. Surprisingly, another player from Team V appears from Isagi's back. Caught unprepared, the ball was stolen from Isagi. Raichi shouts at Isagi and calls him stupid. Raichi remarks that he should've scored a goal, but, instead, he choked.

While Isagi was thinking, Nagi catches up to him. Nagi tells Isagi that Isagi is pretty useless. Nagi explains that Isagi had all the cards but threw them away. Nagi then asks Isagi why he didn't shoot, telling Isagi that he has wasted several chances. Nagi then asks if Team Z is stupid, believing they can win. He then says to Isagi that he doesn't understand how unskilled players, like Isagi, did not quit football a long time ago. Angered by Nagi's insulting comments, Isagi tells him to shut up. Isagi then says to Nagi that he's on a roll right now. After this, Isagi brokethrough Nagi's defense.

On the other hand, Anri and Ego are watching the match between Team Z and Team V on a screen. Anri tells Ego that the match is really heated. Ego then says to Anri that a striker's ego can only be born during the most extreme and harsh conditions. During this, the striker is challenged to go beyond his limits to overcome the obstacles in front of him. Ego then remarks that, according to his observation,  a great striker should be able to constantly evolve.

At Blue Lock's monitoring room, Ego asks Anri if she knows what awakening is. Anri wonders if it's related to suddenly awakening superpowers. She asks if it's like how someone normal gets superhuman powers. Ego tells Anri that she's wrong, saying that only idiots would say that. Ego explains that awakening is not a supernatural phenomenon. Ego notes that awakening is like a puzzle. Like a puzzle, football has many pieces toward success. When these scramble parts fit into their proper places, the ego will bloom. Ego concludes that awakening is the moment when a striker learns who he really is and his capabilities.

Meanwhile, Reo, with the ball, finds it difficult to do something because of Raichi's defense. Reo likened Raichi to an annoying stalker. Raichi then tells Reo that he knows how Reo plays. Raichi says to Reo that, before every pass he does, he looks around the field, looking around for teammates who are in a comfortable and safe spot. Raichi then says that, without Nagi, Reo is just a poor dexterous guy. Offended by Raichi's taunts, Reo punches Raichi. Because of this, Reo is given a yellow card for malicious foul play. Raichi then steals the ball from Reo, who is distracted by his sudden yellow card.

Raichi passes the ball to Chigiri. Zantetsu catches up with Chigiri, telling him that he is the fastest one. Chigiri tries to run past Zantetsu; however, Zantetsu was quick to respond. Chigiri believes that Zantetsu's weapon may be his explosive acceleration. In hopes of passing through Zantetsu, Chigiri kicks the ball. Zantetsu tells Chigiri that no one is there to receive the ball. Chigiri explains to Zantetsu that it was a pass to himself. Zantetsu tells Chigiri that he was naive to think that he'll get the ball before him. Chigiri sprints faster than he's ever done before, passing through Zantetsu. Chigiri kicks the ball and successfully scores a goal. The score is now 3-3.

The score is 3-3. Kuon is shocked and confused about how Team Z caught up with the undefeated Team V. He wonders how Team Z can fight against Team V with only 10 players. He then screams at Team V, telling them to stop messing around. He then says that Team V should be embarrassed to have a difficult time against only 10 players. Reo then calls Kuon trash and tells him to shut up.

The game resumes, Team V unbothered by Kuon's remarks. Reo has the ball. Raichi then appears in front of Reo. Raichi asks Reo if he is afraid of losing. Raichi remarked that a guy who lived a luxurious life like him might have never experienced a loss ever since. Raichi then says to Reo that he'll be the one to hand Reo his first loss. With Raichi marking Reo, Reo finds it difficult to do something with the ball. Reo believes that the field is currently controlled by Team Z. Knowing that, Reo can't believe that he and Nagi will lose.

Nagi sees Reo's troubled face. Immediately, at that moment, Nagi started running. Nagi calls for Reo's attention and tells him to pass to him. Isagi is confused with Nagi's sudden initiative to play. Since the beginning of the match, Nagi was playing halfheartedly. Nagi receives the ball and tells Reo that he'll give it [*football*] a try.  Nagi easily passes through Igaguri and kicks the ball towards Zantetsu. Zantetsu gets the ball. Chigiri tries to intercept the ball but failed. Zantetsu passes the ball to Nagi. Nagi score and tells Reo that football is quite exhilarating. The score is now 4-3, with Team V in the lead. Team V is ecstatic to be in the lead again. Meanwhile, Team Z is unhappy with Nagi's goal. Igaguri is shaking, knowing that their team is behind. Isagi believes that they made a grave mistake during the match. Team Z has awakened Nagi's slumbering potential. With only 15 minutes left, Team Z is near to having a nervous breakdown. Gagamaru says that if nothing will be done, Team Z will lose. Raichi then shouts, telling them that they should attack. Raichi threatens them, saying that if all his efforts are wasted, he will kill them. Raichi remarks that, as strikers, Team Z should be able to fight back.

The game resumes. Bachira, with the ball, kicks towards Chigiri. Zantetsu catches up with Chigiri and tries to steal the ball from him. Chigiri notes that Zantetsu's initial velocity is greater than his; however, Chigiri's top speed is quicker than Zantetsu's. Before Chigiri and Zantetsu reach the ball, Nagi appears in front of them. Nagi tells Chigiri that he'll be taking the ball from him.

Surprisingly, Isagi appears in front of Nagi, calling him naive. Isagi blocks Nagi, stopping Nagi from retrieving the ball. Then, Chigiri retrieves the ball while Zantetsu tries to catch up. Reo calls his teammates, telling them to stop Chigiri. A player from Team V says that Chigiri won't be able to score since he is outnumbered. Chigiri proves them wrong, however. He also points out the gap in Team V's defense. Chigiri kicks the ball, but he hits the pole and misses. Fortunately, Gagamaru rebounded the ball. Reo supports their goalkeeper and stops Gagamaru's kick. Luckily, Kunigami retrieved the ball. In his shooting range, Kunigami kicks the ball, scoring a goal. Isagi then notes that what happened was how he imagined it exactly. The score is now 4-4. Understanding his weapons a bit, Isagi believes that he can use his eyes to see the field's future.

A flashback of Kuon's past appears. A young Kuon shows his schoolmates their football club registration. Now that Kuon and his friends have 11 players, the school allowed them to create their own football club. Kuon remarks that with a little push, they can win at the nationals. One of his clubmates laughs at him and tells him that his dream is too high to reach. Kuon says, however, that if they want to play football, they should at least aim at being professionals. The football club wins the game after another; however, it was only in the beginning. Slowly, some of Kuon's teammates stop attending practice. Then, during matches, some won't get to their proper places. Kuon asks the team don't they want to win and go to the nationals. His clubmates laugh at him, saying that Kuon's taking football too seriously. His clubmates then say that Kuon is too much, making playing football with him no fun. Kuon realizes that, among all of his clubmates, he was the only one seriously playing football. He goes home and sees an envelope at the table. The letter was an invitation for a player improvement project called Blue Lock. With a new resolve, Kuon vows to win even if he has to do it alone.

Back at the game, the match will soon come to an end. With only 5 minutes left, the score is 4-4. Kuon is in awe of Team Z, managing to catch up with Team V even though they are at a disadvantage. With only 10 players, Team Z is one by one improving their football. However, because of Nagi's sudden awakening, Team Z is struggling to score one more goal. Right now, both Kuon and Kunigami have scored 3 goals with no fouls. On the other hand, Kuon is currently the top-ranking player. With that in mind, Kuon will be the only one to advance if Team Z loses in this match. So, if Kuon just stays in his place doing nothing, he'll be able to survive Blue Lock. Meanwhile, Nagi traps the ball with his back. This shocks Isagi, making him unable to react sooner. Isagi remarks that Nagi's skill is out of this world. In an instant, Nagi has left Isagi. Nagi runs until he is in front of Iemon. Team Z desperately yells at Iemon to stop the ball. Suddenly, Kuon pulls Nagi's head. Team Z is shocked. The speaker rings, informing Team V and Team Z that Kuon is handed a red card. Kuon is ejected from the game, and a free direct kick is given to Team V. Isagi is shocked at Kuon and asked him why he did that. Kuon answers, saying that by stopping Nagi, Team Z can still fight. There's only a minute left in the match.

Reo runs toward Nagi, asking him if he was fine. Nagi tells Reo that he's okay. Reo then asks what kind of malicious tactic Team Z has. Kunigami tells Reo that he also didn't understand why Kuon did it. Kuon says that he just did what he had to do. Igaguri then tells Kuon that, because of what he did, Kunigami is new the top striker. If the match ended in a draw, Kuon will be eliminated. Kuon tells Igaguri that he knows. Kuon then says to Team Z to do everything to win so that Kuon still has a chance to become the best striker in the world.

The game resumes. 3 minutes are given as extra time. Some players from Team V asks Reo how their defense should be. One player recommends stalling since, even though they don't win this match, Team V will survive the first selection. Reo disagrees and tells him that all they have to do is to destroy Team Z.

The game resumes with the free-kick. Team V's free-kick kicker is Reo. Behind the scenes, everyone knows that if Kuon didn't do that, Team Z would've lost already. Iemon wonders what Reo will do. Will Reo pass to Nagi or Zantetsu? No. Iemon believes that as an egoistic striker, Reo will prefer to score by his skills alone. Iemon's guess was correct, allowing him to stop the ball from hitting the net. Now the ball is loose, both Team V and Team Z tries to retrieve it. The fastest player from both teams, Chigiri and Zantetsu, race for the ball; however, Zantetsu is nearer. Zantetsu kicks the ball but is stopped by Raichi. The ball is sent flying. Nagi picks it up, hoping to score another goal. Fortunately, Gagamaru stops the ball. Isagi receives the loose ball. Isagi believes that this is his last chance.

Isagi has the ball. It's an all or nothing for Team Z. Isagi notes that he can see the field's future. He says that he knows who among Team Z can keep the ball rolling and running. It is revealed that Isagi is referring to Bachira, Kunigami, and Chigiri. Isagi says that the goal scent is coming from those three players. Reo appears in front of Isagi, telling him that he'll put a stop to Isagi. Before Reo can steal the ball from Isagi, Isagi passes the ball to Bachira. With his dribbling skills, Bachira cuts through the enemy line. Desperate to stop him, Team V will even resort to fouling just to end Bachira's dribbling. Before Bachira is tackled by a player from Team V, he passes the ball back to Isagi. Isagi sees Chigiri and kicks the ball toward him.

With his immense speed, Chigiri runs through the field. To stop Chigiri, Team V tries to outnumber him. To avoid the ball from being stolen, Chigiri passes it back to Isagi. Chigiri believes that they can score using a one-two. Chigiri runs past the 2 players from Team V and waits for Isagi to pass the ball back. Chigiri then realized that Isagi used him as a decoy. Isagi was planning to shoot by himself. Meanwhile, Kuon was watching the match. When Kuon looks at Team Z's fighting spirit, he declares that he won't let himself become a person who'll just stand by and watch. After that, Kuon yells and cheers for Team Z, shouting that they can do it.

With only 35 meters to the goal and 2 defenders in front, Isagi passes the ball to Kunigami. Suddenly, Zantetsu appears in between them. Zantetsu kicks the ball, making Kunigami lose the ball. Zantetsu tells Kunigami that he won't let him do his mid-shot. The ball is now loose, with both teams desperate to retrieve it. Raichi runs toward the ball and picks it up. Raichi passes to Bachira. Meanwhile, Isagi remarks that he can see it, the field's movements. Isagi finds the spot where he can make his goal. 19 meters to and from the left of the goal, Isagi runs toward that unmarked spot. Bachira sees Isagi asking for the ball. Bachira says that he believes in Isagi, telling him that this is their last chance. Just as how Isagi predicted, the ball is going toward him. Before Isagi can trap the ball, Nagi appears in front of him. Suddenly, Isagi's goal scent disappeared.

With Nagi's sudden appearance, Isagi's goal scent disappeared. Isagi frustratedly asks why Nagi was there, right in front of him. Nagi says to Isagi that he is the biggest threat on the field right now. Isagi does not know what to do. The ball is slowly going down, reaching both Isagi and Nagi. Isagi runs toward the empty patch before Nagi can get it. While running, Isagi remarks that he will have to outdo Nagi's trapping skills. Because of this, Isagi loses confidence. Isagi cannot do those outrageous traps that Nagi can do. Isagi, in his mind, concedes defeat.

Meanwhile, Chigiri yells at Isagi to call his attention. Kunigami then tells Isagi to pass to him; however, Isagi does not want to. Isagi wants to score his own goal. Isagi then remembers himself scoring his own goal in the previous matches. Isagi then realizes that the final piece to complete his goal, his missing puzzle piece. Isagi believes that his formula to score goals is through utilizing his spatial awareness and direct shot. Isagi does a direct shot. The goalkeeper of Team V failed to stop it; thus, earning Team Z another point. The score is now 4-5, with Team Z in the lead. At this moment, Isagi has awakened.

On the other side, Zantetsu and Reo cannot believe what happened. Reo cannot accept the fact that he lost. Nagi then tells Reo that they still have time. If they can score two more goals, they can win against Team Z. However, after Nagi said that, the buzzer rang to signalize the end of the match. The game ended in the victory of Team Z. After losing, Nagi tells Reo that it feels frustrating to do his best but still lose.

On the other side, Kuon watches Team Z rejoicing after their win against Team V. Kunigami calls Kuon and tells him to join them. Kuon rejects his offer and tells him that it's fine. Kunigami tries inviting him again; however, Raichi tells him to stop. Raichi says to Kunigami that no one can erase the betrayal that Kuon did. Nonetheless, Raichi notes that, thanks to Kuon grabbing Nagi's head, Team Z didn't lose. Raichi then extends his hand and invites Kuon. Kuon comes closer and reaches for Raichi's hand. Before Kuon can touch his hand, Raichi punches his face. Raichi then says that he hates Kuon, but he'll move past his betrayal with a punch. After that, Kunigami helps the fallen Kuon stand.

Subsequently, the buzzer rang, announcing the results of the first selection. With the end of the first selection, Team V and Team Z survived. Plus, the top strikers of Team W, Team X, and Team Y will also advance. Junichi Wanima (6 goals), Ikki Niko (4 goals), and Shoei Baro (10 goals) are the top strikers.

At Team Z's room, they celebrate their win against Team V and their survival in the first selection. Kuon asks if someone can get some drinks. Bachira and Isagi volunteers. At the fifth stratum dining hall, Bachira and Isagi pick up the water bottles. Isagi then thanks Bachira for passing to him. Bachira then says that he doesn't need to thank him. Bachira notes that Isagi was able to score because of his own skills. Isagi then says that he didn't do anything special. Bachira then asks Isagi if he figured out something. Isagi thinks that he was able to understand a bit more about his weapon in the previous match. Isagi realizes that he can predict future events on the field with his spatial awareness. Besides, Isagi noticed that all of his goals had been a one-touch shot. Then, Isagi notices Bachira staring at him. Isagi felt embarrassed after saying too much. Bachira, however, laughs it off and tells him he's slowly improving his ego and confidence. Bachira jokingly repeats the words "*ego*" in a chanting manner. Bachira says to Isagi that he makes things interesting. Bachira then gives Isagi a high five and a fake-out chop.

While laughing, Bachira and Isagi notice some players walking outside. All of them were crying. Isagi realized that they were all evicted players from the losing team. Meanwhile, Niko appears in front of Bachira and Isagi. Niko congratulates them on Team Z's victory. Niko then tells Isagi that he realized something during their match. After seeing Isagi score, Niko changed his play. Niko started making goals for himself. Niko tells Isagi that Niko's still in Blue Lock thanks to Isagi's goal that day. Niko then declares to Isagi that he won't lose next time. Isagi then says to Niko that the reason Isagi survived the first selection was thanks to Niko. Isagi accepts Niko's challenge and tells Niko that he'll win next time too. Bachira then jokes and says the Isagi is quite popular.

## Characters

* Yoichi Isagi (Team Z)
* Meguru Bachira (Team Z)
* Rensuke Kunigami (Team Z)
* Jingo Raichi (Team Z)
* Wataru Kuon (Team Z)
* Hyoma Chigiri (Team Z)
* Gurimu Igarashi (Team Z)
* Gin Gagamaru (Team Z)
* Asahi Naruhaya (Team Z)
* Yudai Imamura (Team Z)
* Okuhito Iemon (Team Z)
* Shoei Baro (Team X)
* Hibiki Ōkawa (Team Y)
* Ikki Niko (Team Y)
* Keisuke Wanima (Team W)
* Junichi Wanima (Team W)
* Zantetsu Tsurugi (Team V)
* Reo Mikage (Team V)
* Seishiro Nagi (Team V)
* Jinpachi Ego (Blue Lock facilitator)

## References

*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 5.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 6.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 7.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 7.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 8.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 8.
7. ↑  Natto
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 9.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 10.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 11.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 12.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 13.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 14.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 15.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 16.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 17.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 18.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 16.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 17.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 18.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 14.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 19.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 20.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 21.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 22.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 23.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 23.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 24.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 25.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 26.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 27.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 28.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 29.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 30.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 31.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 32.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 33.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 34.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 35.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 36.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 37.
*Blue Lock* Manga: Chapter 38.