Moving In (
Summary[]
Igarashi introduces himself.
Isagi is on a bus on the way to the Blue Lock facility. Upon arriving, they were given uniforms with a number and letter by Anri. Yoichi is given the number 299, letter Z. The Z states their respective rooms. Yoichi then enters the facility and goes to his respective room. Upon opening, he learned that it is a shared room. Kira calls out Isagi tells him that he is relieved to see a familiar face. A shirt then hits Isagi's face. Upon removing it, the player apologizes to Isagi and tells him to be careful of stepping, Isagi then finds a sleeping player on the floor. Isagi then changes into his uniform, a player named Gurimu Igarashi, a second-year forward, introduces himself to Isagi and Kira. Igarashi then tells them that he was born in a temple and has a promise with his old man to make Igarashi no inherit the temple if he became a pro-player. Igarashi reveals that he was pumped up by Ego's speech.
Ego explaining the rank system.
After talking, Ego appears at a screen stating that everyone in the room will be each other's roommates and rivals. He then reveals that the number attached is their ranking among the 300 players in the Blue Lock. Their ranking will change base on several factors like going up and down based on the training or the results of their game. And unconditionally, the top five players will participate for Japan's U-20 National Team for the World Cup and those defeated will be permanently barred from the team. He then tells them that they are looking for "ego" and it will be the ones measured in the facility. Jinpachi then announces a game "Tag" where the time limit is 136 seconds and whoever is "it" when the timer runs out will be removed from the team. The first "it" is the lowest among the team, which is Gurimu Igarashi. Ego explains that "tag" is just one of many exercises prop players warm up with and the egoism test that he will provide great insight on selfishness behind the strikers.
Igarashi starts to attack.
The timer starts, while Igarashi has the ball, a player talks to him if he really believes what Ego said about Japan's U-20. Igarashi replies that he doesn't know for sure but he'll do it because if he loses, he will come back to the temple and be a monk. Igarashi then decides to target Isagi which is only one rank higher than him but Yoichi manages to dodge the attack. The other players run away. Kira then voices out that there's no way pros train like this and the reason he entered Blue Lock is to reject Ego's ideology. He then further tells that trying to stake their football careers on a two-minute play of tag is screwed up and affirms that he cannot let Ego destroy his future. While listening to Kira's thoughts, Isagi thinks about his goal to run away and not to get hit.
Kunigami becomes the 2nd it.
While failing to hit anyone. Igarashi spots a sleeping guy and decides to change his target. Upon kicking the ball, Gurimu was kicked at the face by the player. The player was then approached by another player and tells him that he hates dirty play and to play fair and square. Unattended, the player which reveals to be Rensuke Kunigami, rank 291 was hit by the ball and is now the "it". Igarashi uses Isagi to defend himself, resulting in Isagi taking a hard shot to his stomach, stunning him. Only 1 minute left and 3 seconds left, Isagi became the 3rd "it". Isagi then tries to attack but fails to hit anyone. After failing to hit anyone, he decides to attack Igarashi which is the lowest rank player. Only 50 seconds left, Isagi still chases Igarashi. 45 seconds left, Isaghi still hasn't hit anyone and tells himself that he doesn't want to end it like this and let his dream end.
Isagi decides not to attack Igarashi.
The player who hit Igarashi calls Isagi's attention while restraining Kunigami, giving Isagi a chance to attack Kunigami while arm locking him. Kunigami throws him resulting in him hitting Igarashi. After that hit, Igarashi strained his foot and cannot move. Kira then shouts at Isagi and tells him to take the shot .29 seconds left. Igarashi is begging Yoichi to spare him and apologizes for aiming at Isagi earlier. Isagi stops at his tracks thinking his next steps that if he tags Igarashi, he can win but it will end Igarashi's career. He struggles to make a decision but decides that if he doesn't do it, he will lose. As for him to accomplish his dreams, he needs to destroy the dream of other. 21 seconds left, Isagi is planning to kick the ball towards Igarashi. 15 seconds left, Isagi stops and decides to attack those higher than him.
Bachira steals the ball from Isagi.
After the decision of sparing Igarashi, Isagi decides to attack others but Meguru Bachira, rank 290 steals the ball from him. 10 seconds left, he decides to go for Kira. 8 seconds left, Kira managed to dodge the attack. 7 seconds left, Bachira tries to attack Kira with his leg but also dodges it. 6, 5 seconds left, Kira runs away and Bachira hits the ball towards Kira's direction. 4 seconds left, the ball is coming towards Isagi's direction. 3 seconds left, while concentrating the ball, he kicks the ball and it hit Kira's face. The timer reaches 0 making Kira the last target. Shocked, Kira asks Isagi what he had done. Isagi also in shock apologizes to Kira and tells him that the ball came so fast. The game is over.
Kira confronts Ego.
Ego then appears again at the screen and declares that Kira is expelled. Shocked and angry by the result, Kira confronts Ego stating that he's throwing away the future of Japan and tells him to expel Igarashi or Isagi instead. Kira then asks what's the point of the game and tells that tag is not football. Ego replies that everything they do at Blue Lock is related to football and tells Kira to look at his environment. He then tells that the room is 16.5 x 40.32 meters which is the exact same proportions as the penalty area and stating that 75% of goals are scored from that area and it is a striker's domain. He also said that if one cannot survive under those conditions, they are not qualified to be strikers. Kira then replies that tag has nothing to do with football. Ego replies that a skill required by the fleeing side is tactical awareness or positioning. As for the pursuer, what they need is not only accurate dribbling but precision to make shots and that's what is optimal in football training.
Ego gives an answer to Kira.
Kira angrily tells that he can't expect to know all that stuff in under two minutes and that football lasts more than 90 minutes. Ego replies that an average time a player possesses a ball during a match is about 136 seconds and they were given the exact same opportunity in the tag game. Kira still confused and tells Ego what he expects him to do in just 10 seconds. Ego replies if that is what he would say if it is a real match Kira was then expelled from the team. Stunned, Kira wasn't able to give an answer. Ego then replays the scene and tells Kira that he has 1 second left to survive, either shooting it at injured Igarashi and yet he wasted his chance.
Ego then tells an imaginary scenario wherein he is in the middle of the match, standing in a penalty area, his teammate's shot didn't reach the goal and hits his body. When this happens, he already gave up but he didn't notice that by sheer luck the ball falls before him and if he had just tapped the ball, he would be saved from his own mistake. Ego then tells that the one who is "it" in the tag, the one who has the ball, decides who they want to win but also gets to decide who they want to lose and that a striker carries all responsibilities on his back and the one who keeps on attacking until the very second. He then mentions Isagi who instead aim for injured Igarashi chose to defeat those that are higher than him and Bachira with the initiative to aim for the strongest player are perfect examples of people who rather do what's best for their team had the tenacity and courage to pursue their own will, and that's the egoism Ego is looking for.
Isagi replays his play in his head.
Ego then expels Kira. Kira still cannot believe he is out. Isagi calls him but Kira gives him an angry look and proceeds to leave the facility. Isagi still thinks why he hit Kira and looks at Bachira. He then approaches him and asks the reason for passing him the ball and if he didn't hit it, Bachira instead would get expelled. Bachira replies that he thought he would kick it so he passed it and tells Isagi that results are everything in the place. He tells Isagi that he believed him so he won. Igarashi then voices out that it is nonsense from the beginning to the end.
Ego congratulates the players for passing the entrance test.
Hearing this, Ego agrees that it is nonsensical but so is the world, either you win or lose and that while they are getting excited over mediocre successes, true strikers tread a path of winning or losing everything, every single day in order to keep on surviving. He then asks how it felt for them that they felt true danger and tells them that the football they've played their lives are for weaklings and tells the feeling of victory. Ego then declares that the remaining players have passed the entrance test and their room is designed for no more than 11 people and the eleven players (Jingo Raichi, Wataru Kuon, Okuhito Iemon, Yudai Imamura, Asahi Naruhaya, Gin Gagamaru, Gurimu Igarashi, Hyoma Chigiri, Rensuke Kunigami, Meguru Bachira, and Yoichi Isagi) will be Blue Lock's Team Z.
Chapter Notes[]
- Ryousuke Kira was expelled from Blue Lock.
- Team Z is formed.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
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| Introduction Arc | |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 |