Episode 24

**The Time Has Come** (時は来たり, *Toki wa Kitari*?) is the 24th episode of the Blue Lock anime series.

## Synopsis

Chosen by Rin, Isagi clears the second selection with Bachira. The next challenge for Isagi and his team of five is a match against the world-level super star players. Isagi and his team manages to steal the first goal with the link-up play by Isagi, Bachira, and Rin, but the World Five overwhelms them in no time. They try desperately to catch up, fighting till the last second as they clash their ego. And Blue Lock project which was created to produce the world's best striker enters the new phase.

## Summary

After landing the first goal, Itoshi tells his teammates to keep acting as decoys for him. Bachira is impressed, noting that he played even better now with Isagi on the team, while Isagi realizes that the goal was inspired by his own off-the-ball movement when he tried to devour the image in Bachira's head. Tokimitsu and Aryu are also impressed, with Aryu noting that the chemistry between Isagi and Bachira is driving them forward and Itoshi is devouring it. He finds them making a glam triangle and wants them to include him to make it a square. Tokimitsu also wants in to turn it into a pentagon. Though he notes that the goal wasn't his, Isagi remains confident in scoring next time.

The game restarts and the World Five starts their first attack. Loki takes possession and faces Isagi, only to pause unexpectedly and asks if his defensive position is enough, claiming it is full of weak spots. In an instant, Loki accelerates and moves past Isagi, before evading Bachira, Tokimitsu, and Aryu as well. Itoshi tries to stop him and claims that his route is obvious. The French prodigy compliments him on his foresight but deems it irrelevant, accelerating again to reach the net and score.

At the next kick off, Bachira passes to Itoshi but is quickly marked by Loki. Luna takes the chance to steal the ball from him, wondering if Loki's speed had scared him and claiming his lack of experience had caused his tunnel vision. He passes to Cavasoz, leading Isagi and Bachira to try and mark him. However, he aims between them and kicks, stunning the two. As the ball soars towards the net, Aryu sees his chance but is denied by Silva, using his superior jump to header it away. Tokimitsu attempts to reach the ball but is slammed away by Blake; Isagi is shocked to see Aryu losing a mid-air battle and Tokimitsu being outmuscled. Blake then takes the shot and scores. As the Five score again and again with ease, Isagi realizes that every single one of their weapons is being overpowered and believes the World Five are players they will never beat in their current state, and yet Isagi finds himself inspired to reach their level.

Despite the scores now 1-4 for the World Five, Itoshi still has not given up and faces Luna, who remarks that his tenacity is expected because of his brother. Utilizing his vision and repeated step overs to trick him, Luna easily gets past Itoshi, mocking him for opening his legs to allow him to get by. He scores the last goal of the match, shocking Team Blue Lock with their sudden and sound loss. The international elites tells them not to get depressed over an assessment since they had no chance to win, before moving to report to Ego. As the team catch their breath, Itoshi is the only one to curse their defeat.

JFU hears that Ego is paying 100 million JPY to each of the World 5 players, plus a million per goal as a bonus. They are angry at how much money they are wasting and want Ego to explain himself. He states that he wanted to give them a taste of the real world. Buratsuta flatly announces that the Blue Lock Project is cancelled, due to complains from parents, an unclear picture of the project's aim, and the fact that it has not produced any visible results. Ego then tells him he will show him results in a big match that will change Japan.

In their break room, Isagi, Aryu, Bachira, and Tokimitsu all remark about the feeling of their goal of becoming the best now more attainable than before after playing the Five. However, Isagi notes to himself that Itoshi was different, being the only one who believed they can win. In the match, as he became overwhelmed, he also started to feel like he is just testing himself against better players and accepted that this was the best he can do at that point. While Isagi still looks up to those on the world stage, Itoshi is frustrated as to him they were his equal and he wanted to defeat them. Isagi believes that someone like Itoshi can become the best in the world and he intends to watch him from the front-row seat, while also surpassing him to become the best in the world himself.

Some time later, the team partake in English lessons as an assignment from Ego, though the lessons mostly involve Itoshi being hounded by Bachira, Tokimitsu, and Aryu due to his better grasp at English. Suddenly, they hear an announcement revealing that the second selection is over, and that everyone who passed should dress up and head to the central joint room. Only 35 players from seven teams have made it through the second selection and they will be entering in the order they passed. Isagi wonders if the members of Team Z had passed; Bachira asks if he is missing them but Isagi explains that he is wondering how much stronger are they now and how much have they evolved.

The first team that cleared the stage are Itoshi, Aryu, Tokimitsu, Bachira and Isagi. The second team then enters, consisting of Nagi, Baro, Chigiri, Tsurugi and Kiyora. Nagi wonders why Isagi looks relieved, thinking he believed that they would not make it. Baro gets angry for him looking down on them, but Isagi explains that he is simply glad to see them again.

The third team then enters, consisting of Eita Otoya, Rank 33, Aiki Himizu, Rank 77, Kenyu Yukimiya, Rank 23, Haruhiko Yuzu, Rank 98, and Tabito Karasu, Rank 69. The fourth team consists of Akira Endoji, Rank 59, Taiga Tsunzaki, Rank 100, Shizuka Haiji, Rank 19, Reiji Hiiragi, Rank 22, and Nijiro Nanase, Rank 99. The fifth team is Ikki Niko, Rank 63, Yukio Ishikari, Rank 13, Yo Hiori, Rank 27, and Kairu Saramadara, Rank 51. Isagi is happy to see Niko, stating he knew he would pass, while Niko reminds him that he told him he will be the one to crush him. When Chigiri notices that one person is missing, a further message reveals that Hajime Nishioka was injured during the World Five match and is currently recuperating.

The door opens for the sixth team to enter and three players are fighting over who will enter first to look cool, only end up tripping and falling. They are Jingo Raichi, Rank 95, Gin Gagamaru, Rank 88, and Junichi Wanima, Rank 79, while the other two members, Kyohei Shiguma, Rank 55, and Shingen Tanaka, Rank 5, only stand and look on in surprise at their teammates' antics. As Isagi notes that there is one team left, Nagi adds that Mikage and Kunigami are still missing; Isagi is sure they must be part of it.

The seventh team then comes out with Igarashi, Rank 108, leading it. Following him are Tetsu Sokura, Rank 20, Ranze Kurona, Rank 4, and Reo Mikage, Rank 10. Nagi relaxes seeing Mikage but Chigiri and Isagi are looking at who the last player is. Finally, he walks through the gate and reveals himself to be Ryusei Shido, Rank 111. Shocked that Kunigami was not selected, Isagi asks Mikage, who explains that he was chosen when they lost and adds that he didn't believe Kunigami had what it takes to survive. Isagi cannot believe that Kunigami would let it all end but Shido bluntly tells him that he did let it end, and that he was the one that chose Mikage to eliminate him.

He notes that while Kunigami had a great physique and an honest heart that was pure and graceful, on the field, no one cares if you are good or not and anyone who ain't living for those 'explosive flashes' is trash. Kunigami was an innocent and honest hero who didn't help him "level up". Isagi attempts to defend his friend by claiming that Shido does not know him, but the blond haired striker states that just as he had said, no one cares about their story; he then attempts to kick Isagi but he is pulled down by Chigiri before he could get harmed. Chigiri and Bachira are angered at Shido's callousness, with the latter demanding he fight him if he wanted to get violent with someone.

On screen Ego appears, off handedly telling the players that their career may vanish along with Blue Lock altogether, only to then congratulate them for their matches with the 5 and attaining invaluable knowledge. He explains that board members want the program to be shut down but he had given them a proposal. The next selection to take place in three weeks will now be a match between Japan's U20 team and 11 of Blue Lock's finalists, and if they can win, they can supersede the team's positions for themselves. Ego adds that the team readily agreed to play them since Blue Lock consists of only strikers, wanting to demolish the program and take the money gained by the match. He asks if they feel frustrated at being taken lightly or if they burn with excitement to prove themselves, before declaring his belief that they are good enough to change Japanese football completely.

Finally, he mentions that the U20 team, wanting to win with complete certainty, has added an additional member to their roster, Sae Itoshi; hearing this, Rin becomes enraged. As the 35 of them have found their egos, mastered their skills, formed chemical reactions with each other, and seen how the best in the world play first hand, Ego tells them that a spot in Japan's U20 is no longer a dream but a reality they can reach, and by doing so, they will usher in a new era of Blue Lock.

## Characters by Appearance

* Rin Itoshi
* Meguru Bachira
* Yoichi Isagi
* Aoshi Tokimitsu
* Jyubei Aryu
* Julian Loki
* Leonardo Luna
* Dada Silva
* Pablo Cavasoz
* Adam Blake
* Jinpachi Ego
* Anri Teieri
* Hirotoshi Buratsuta
* Seishiro Nagi
* Shoei Baro
* Hyoma Chigiri
* Zantetsu Tsurugi
* Jin Kiyora
* Eita Otoya
* Aiki Himizu
* Kenyu Yukimiya
* Haruhiko Yuzu
* Tabito Karasu
* Akira Endoji
* Taiga Tsunzaki
* Shizuka Haiji
* Reiji Hiiragi
* Nijiro Nanase
* Ikki Niko
* Yukio Ishikari
* Yo Hiori
* Kairu Saramadara
* Hajime Nishioka
* Jingo Raichi
* Gin Gagamaru
* Junichi Wanima
* Kyohei Shiguma
* Shingen Tanaka
* Gurimu Igarashi
* Tetsu Sokura
* Ranze Kurona
* Reo Mikage
* Ryusei Shido
* Rensuke Kunigami