Blue Lock: Natural Selection

Chapter 16: Formula

"The match ended in a draw, with Team Y's Niko scoring the equalizer against Team W. As a result, Team Z is now in third place. And the only match left in Wing 5 is our final game. We won't advance if we draw due to our worse goal difference. So, in short, we need to win to survive. That's all there is to it," Iemon states while the board shows the team's rankings and score differences.

"Hey, Kuon's listening in on this," Naruhaya states.

"Should I kill him?" Raichi quickly answers.

"I don't think anyone would make deals with him now, anyway," Naruhaya replies.

"But man, it's a miracle Team Y came away with a draw," Igaguri says while leaning back.

"Come to think of it, was Niko even the type to take on shots himself?" Chigiri ponders.

"He got inspired by a certain someone. So for some, losing makes them stronger," Bachira explains.

"Anyway, let's move on to the key players of our final opponent, Team V." Iemon presses a button showing the trio of Team V. "This trio has scored goals in three games, thanks to their stupidly good attacking skills. Zantetsu Tsurugi has five goals. Reo Mikage has six goals. And their team's top scorer, Seishiro Nagi, has seven goals. If we don't stop them from scoring, we can't win." Iemon looks towards (Y/N). "Any ideas? You've played against two out of the three of them."

Team Z looks towards (Y/N) as the boy walks up, taking the leading role. "Let's start with Reo Mikage. Regarding skill and ability, he's a player that focuses on balance—an all-rounder. He's essentially Team V's brain. He brings up the ball playing as their midfielder and directs most of the team."

"So he's kind like Isagi?" says Naruhaya.

"You can put it like that, but no offense Isagi, he's better. He can dribble, shoot, and pass. Cutting him off from passing will be critical. Next up is Nagi. He's the main threat. My trapping ability is a stolen one from him. He'll most likely stay near the goal waiting for Reo to give him a pass."

"He's like a goal poacher?" Kunigami questions.

"Kind of. The problem is if he decides to get serious."

"If he decides to get serious?" Igaguri asks.

(Y/N) nods. "He becomes a different monster. I'll stay on him for most of the game."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Chigiri asks. "You're still injured."

"I planned on returning for Team V anyway since I sat out of the last couple of games. I won't be able to play or defend on the level I did in the first game, but I'll do my best to slow down Nagi. If he doesn't see anything interesting from me, it's assuring that he won't go berserk. While I guard Nagi, I lean on you guys to stop Reo and scoring goals."

"Okay!" Gagamaru says.

"Finally is Zantetsu. I'm unsure what his unique weapon is because Team V has dominated every team. Focus on Nagi and Zantetsu. I have a feeling they'll change the motion of the game."

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Team Z Sleeping Chambers

Team Z, excluding (Y/N), is seen playing a game. Bachira is making faces while they try to guess what face he's making.

"That's a 'Can we win the next match?' face," Isagi says.

"It's a 'My tummy hurts!' face," Igaguri shouts.

"It's an 'I wonder how granny's doing' face," Gagamaru suggests.

"Wrong! The answer is 'What does rain taste like?' face," Bachira states.