Blue Lock: Isagi the egoist

Isagi Yoichi stood in front of the tactics board, Sae Itoshi beside him, arms crossed and face set in a scowl. A video replay of legendary duos—Totti and Del Piero, Xavi and Iniesta, and Ronaldo and Benzema—played on a nearby monitor. Their coach had tasked the pair with studying the interplay of these icons to sharpen their game.

"Look at this," Isagi said, pointing to a freeze-frame of Xavi threading a perfect pass to Iniesta. "Xavi isn't just passing to where Iniesta is; he's passing to where he'll be. It's like they're linked. We need that."

Sae raised an eyebrow, still sour about being shifted to midfield. "We're not Xavi and Iniesta. I'm not here to feed you passes while you score all the glory."

Isagi didn't flinch. "It's not about glory, Sae. It's about winning."

The room grew quiet except for the hum of the monitor. Sae's frustration was palpable, but he couldn't deny Isagi's logic.

In Japan, Jinpachi Ego stood in the dim light of his newly established training facility, watching a group of young hopefuls sprint across the field. After retiring from professional football, Ego had poured his resources into a project that would, in his words, "engineer a striker capable of winning Japan a World Cup."

"Yoichi Isagi," Ego muttered, watching a replay of the young striker's matches on his tablet. "You're just the beginning. Ray Dark might think he's ahead of the game, but he's playing checkers. I'm playing chess."

A knock at the door interrupted him. Noel Noa entered, his towering frame filling the doorway.

"You've really gone all-in, haven't you?" Noa said, glancing at the facility.

Ego smirked. "All or nothing. You'll see."

The stadium buzzed with anticipation. It was the first test game for the Junior Champions League, and the matchup was tantalizing: Re Al vs. PXG, featuring their star striker Julien Loki, the "Speedster."

Isagi had become captain after their third game, his ability to read the field and inspire his teammates making him a natural leader. In the pre-game briefing, he laid out his plan.

"Loki is fast, but speed means nothing if he's locked down. Stay tight, cut his passing lanes, and don't let him build momentum."

Sae, still adjusting to his midfield role, couldn't hide his irritation. He mumbled under his breath, but Isagi ignored it. The game demanded focus.

From the opening whistle, PXG launched an aggressive attack. Loki's speed tore through their defense, scoring the opening goal within five minutes. The crowd roared, and PXG's coach smirked.

But Isagi's Re Al wasn't shaken. Isagi adjusted their shape, barking orders to tighten the midfield and force Loki into congested areas.

At 15 minutes, Isagi intercepted a pass, dodged two defenders, and launched a perfectly timed through ball to Sae, who had surged forward.

"Finish it!" Isagi yelled.

Sae, tongue out and eyes blazing, smashed the ball into the top corner. 1-1.

As the game wore on, Sae began to embrace his midfield role. At first, he fought it, seeing it as a demotion. But with each pass he made, each opportunity he created, he felt a growing satisfaction. This is my domain. I control the tempo. I create the chaos.

In his "Berserker Mode," Sae played with ruthless precision, disregarding traditional options and focusing solely on breaking PXG's formation. He tackled aggressively, won the ball, and threaded impossible passes to Isagi, who capitalized every time.

At 30 minutes, Sae stole the ball from PXG's midfielder, shrugged off a defender, and fired a long diagonal pass to Isagi.

Isagi trapped it with ease, turned, and scored. 2-1.

Loki was relentless, scoring a second goal with a stunning solo run. But Isagi's mind was a whirlwind of calculations. His meta-vision had already deconstructed Loki's movements, and now he played like a man possessed.

Isagi intercepted a pass meant for Loki, sprinted down the field, and outmaneuvered two defenders. With the crowd on their feet, he executed a flawless trivela shot from the edge of the box.

The ball curled beautifully, hitting the back of the net. 3-2.

Loki stared in disbelief. "You're toying with me!" he shouted.

Isagi grinned. "That's the point."

With Sae pulling the strings in midfield and Isagi finishing with ruthless efficiency, Re Al dominated the final minutes. Sae provided two more assists, and Isagi completed his hat-trick. The game ended 5-2.

As the final whistle blew, Loki stormed off the field, swearing vengeance. Sae, still catching his breath, looked at Isagi.

"You're unbelievable," Sae said, half-annoyed, half-impressed.

"So are you," Isagi replied, grinning. "Midfield suits you."

For the first time, Sae didn't argue. He had seen the truth on the pitch: he wasn't a striker anymore. He was a playmaker.

Ray Dark watched the game's highlights with a satisfied smirk. Another piece had fallen into place. Sae had been "broken" into his true role, and Isagi had claimed his first victory over a New Gen XI rival.

"The stage is set," Ray murmured. "Soon, Isagi will face the German prodigy, Michael Kaiser. And then... Noel Noa."

He leaned back in his chair, savoring the thought. "I do love the drama."

The Junior Champions League had just begun, but its impact was already being felt across the world.