NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: "The Changing Room"
"Not bad,"
Isagi murmured to himself.
480 Points.
The breakdown was clear.
Goals, assists, and the win had all added up.
His decision to play striker had paid off.
And his efforts were stacking up rewards.
"Yo, Isagi!"
He turned to see Kira standing beside him.
A hand firmly placed on his shoulder.
"What are you doing out here? The team's inside. Let's start planning for the next match."
Isagi smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right."
Together, they walked off the field.
The changing room buzzed with activity.
Some players were changing.
While others gulped water to recover from the intense match.
The air was alive with chatter, punctuated by the occasional laugh.
"Hey, look, they're here!"
Imamura called out.
His voice cutting through the noise.
Heads turned toward the doorway.
Where Isagi and Kira walked in.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Before a gruff voice broke through.
"I'll admit it."
All eyes shifted to Raichi.
Who stood with crossed arms.
"It was the right call to have Isagi as our striker."
A wave of surprise rippled through the room.
Raichi, known for his fiery temper and competitive streak.
Rarely complimented anyone.
Noticing the stunned looks.
Raichi's expression twisted into irritation.
"But don't get the wrong idea! Next game, I'll be the one at the top of the lineup!"
The tension broke when Naruhaya chimed in.
"No way! Me! Isagi was fine, but I'd be an ace as striker!"
Raichi glared.
"Shut it, Small Fry!"
Imamura, unable to resist, smirked.
"Huh? Weren't you the one flopping all over the place during the match?"
Flustered, Naruhaya stomped toward him.
"You wanna go, huh?!"
Imamura didn't back down.
"Hah?!"
Amid the chaos, Isagi sank into a bench.
Letting out a soft sigh.
"The match went smoothly this time, but there's no guarantee it'll always be like this,"
He thought, reflecting on the match.
"As a striker, if I want to survive in Blue Lock…"
"Just what am I lacking?…"
He paused.
His mind replaying moments of Baro's overwhelming strength.
Baro's raw physicality, his ability to bulldoze through defenders.
Left a mark on Isagi's thoughts.
"If he had teammates who could match his level, we wouldn't have stood a chance."
Pulling up his status.
Isagi reviewed his progress.
[Name: Yoichi Isagi]
- Status -
(1) Physical Fitness: B-
(2) Soccer Technique: B-
(3) Game Intelligence: A
(4) Talents: (1/~)
(5) Devour Shop: 1910 Points
Isagi's eyes narrowed.
"I'm only 590 points short of devouring that S-rated talent."
King's Will (S).
A talent that could enhance his physical dominance.
Allowing him to break through defenders and create more scoring opportunities.
Then Kuon shirtless.
With a towel draped over his shoulders, raised his voice.
"Alright, guys! Listen up!"
The room quieted as Kuon continued.
"If all the teams manage two wins and two losses, the maximum number of points any team could have is six."
He paced slightly, emphasizing his words.
"So, we can't aim for just six. We need to exceed that number—let's go for seven!"
A murmur of agreement spread through the group.
"We're ahead right now, but if we get complacent, we'll fall behind. Winning this match won't mean anything if we lose the next two!"
Everyone nodded solemnly, understanding the stakes.
"Alright, then,"
Naruhaya asked.
"Do you have a plan or what?"
Kuon hesitated.
"Not yet… but Isagi probably does."
All eyes turned to Isagi.
It was clear to everyone that Isagi had been the backbone of their victory.
His strategic foresight and ability to rally the team had been the decisive factor against Team X.
Kunigami spoke first.
"I'll follow whatever plan you come up with."
He paused, then added,
"If it wasn't for Isagi, there's no way we'd have crushed Team X like that."
Isagi glanced up.
"Kunigami…"
Raichi, ever the contrarian, scoffed.
"Hah! You're just saying that 'cause you scored thanks to him!"
"And those goals were amazing!"
Bachira added enthusiastically.
Completely naked, fresh from the shower.
Imamura yelped, shielding his eyes.
"Bachira! Put some clothes on, man!"
Bachira ignored him.
Flashing Isagi a grin.
"With more goals like that, we'll keep winning, right? Right, Isagi?!"
Isagi groaned inwardly.
"Bachira… for the love of god, cover yourself."
Kira stepped in, nodding.
"Those shots weren't flukes either. Every move was calculated."
Imamura's face lit up with realization.
"Wait… isn't this what Jinpachi meant by 'Egoist Training'?"
Chigiri nodded.
"Yeah. His talk about the 'hero' on the team—it was Isagi during that match."
Kuon clapped his hands.
"Exactly. At first, everyone wanted to be the star."
"Before the match, there was no strategy, just chaos. But Isagi changed that."
He looked around the room, meeting each teammate's gaze.
"Jinpachi's idea of 'Football from Scratch'… that's what we just saw. And Isagi, by making the team work together, became the hero of that success."
The room hummed with a low murmur.
As everyone processed Kuon's speech, but then—
"Zom!"
A sharp mechanical whir reverberated.
As a large screen embedded into the wall flickered to life.
The team turned toward it, startled.
Suddenly, Jinpachi Ego's face appeared.
Filling the monitor.
"Well, well," he drawled.
"Congratulations, Team Z. You're on the right track."
Jinpachi straightened his posture.
His gaze drilling into them through the screen.
"Listen up, you unpolished gems."
The room stilled.
"The second match of the Fifth Stratum just concluded a few moments ago."
"And Team V trampled over Team Y with a score of 8-0."
Gasps rippled across the room.
Imamura's voice shot up first.
"8-0?! Are you serious?!"
Naruhaya followed, his face pale.
"You've gotta be kidding…! Team V is too strong…!!"
The monitor flashed.
Cutting their shock short as a table appeared.
Showing the current standings of the Fifth Stratum.
Fifth Stratum's Rankings:
Team V: Rank 1: 3 Points / 8 Goal Difference.
Team Z: Rank 2: 3 Points / 3 Goal Difference.
Team W: Rank 3: 0 Points / 0 Goal Difference.
Team X: Rank 4: 0 Points / -3 Goal Difference.
Team Y: Rank 5: 0 Points / -8 Goal Difference.