"You know you can't defeat me."
"So..."
"Stay obediently and quietly like a loser you are, Reo."
With those words, Nagi departed. Not staying a second behind to see a devasted and pained expression on Reo.
"Man, I'm beat." Naruhaya plopped to the ground, exhausted from the intense training. It was a kind of hell following Leon's training regiment.
He wiped the sweat from his face and neck using a towel and let the towel hang off his shoulder after he was done. Afterward, he drank the water straight from the usual Blue Lock logo bottle.
He sighed as water rehydrated him. He tilted his head to the ceiling, meeting with the white light that was ever so present in this place known as Blue Lock.
The only given salvation for them, the contenders for Blue Lock was the sleeping time.
More than half of their time was given to the training, with the danger of being eliminated any time lurking behind them like a monster.
It was haunting and Naruhaya was reminded all the time that his one and only chance could be regarded as gone if he could not survive.
They were trusted into a dog-eat-dog world without a warning.
And there were people who took it like fish to the water.
For instance, his former teammate–
Isagi Yoichi.
Now that he was over it, he could calmly and clearly see Isagi's strength without emotions interfering with his judgment.
And he was the most grateful toward Leon.
With his delusions broken, his insecurity, inferiority complex, and all of his negative feelings came rolling down in a mash.
In his life, it was the first time Naruhaya knew that one could feel that many emotions.
To be honest... the idea of just letting go of everything was in Naruhaya's head. Facing against this behemoth known as Leon, Naruhaya knew that they were in a losing game.
So, why should he even try?
It wasn't like if they were to lose, he would be chosen anyway.
Anyone with good eyes will choose Barou.
But, but...
Naruhaya wanted to make them proud; make his family proud. He didn't want to go home to see his family sad over his elimination but still trying to cheer him up. And him...
Him just saying that it was luck that he was out.
He didn't want that.
He wanted to say them that he tried his very best. Even if he lost. Even if he was kicked out.
He wanted to proudly say to his family that he tried his best.
Who cared if Isagi was better than him? Who cared if there were countless people better than him in the world?
People were born unfair; losing parents at a young age and being saddled with poorness, many mouths to feed were his burden. Naruhaya was not one of those born fair people.
However, he also had something not many people had.
Love. Support. Family. And... wasn't he also, one of the best 300 players under 18 in the country?
Naruhaya lost sight of his talent, his own weapon after witnessing many beautiful weapons in this place.
He was Naruhaya Asahi. He was his own person. He had his own personality. Naruhaya Asahi was a punk so jealous of others; pathetic. Naruhaya Asahi looked down on himself.
Nauhaya Asahi was Naruhaya Asahi.
He accepted himself.
And, instead of lusting after others' weapons that could never be his, how about reinforcing his own weapons to another level?
So...
Naruhaya picked up himself and threw himself completely into the game for the first time since Blue Lock, and for the love of miracles, he succeeded.
But, he was still curious about one thing. Even if he was somewhat impressive in Leon's eyes, shouldn't he choose Barou over him?
The question had been on the tip of his tongue for days.
"Speak," Leon's shadow loomed over him over where he was sitting. He looked up, and there was Leon in front of him, hands on his waist. "Your stares are too obvious. You want to ask me something, do you not? Speak up. It's affecting your training."
Did Leon have psychic powers or something? Narahaya persumed this was just one of Leon's talents.
"...I'm just thinking Leon-kun," He looked down at his hands. "Why did you choose me over Barou? I mean, Barou is better than me. It's obvious even if his performance is a bit.. a bit...." Naruhaya's voice lost strength as he struggled to find the word.
"Trash. Useless. Utterly worthless. Trashiest of Trash." Leon finished it for him.
"Ah... yes.. useless," In the end, Naruhaya chose the least... ugly word. "Leon-kun, the question?" He looked up at Leon.
"Isn't it obvious?" Leon didn't hesitate, "Even though you are obviously weaker than Barou and might be even more worthless than him... you have something that Barou lacks. Barou couldn't clearly see the situation and assess it and then, use it to make better plays. He didn't admit that he lost even at the bitter end. He denied the reality. He must be on the side of victory more often than not. Someone who couldn't even see the reality is trash. Maybe, going to an Optometrist could help him"
"You on the other hand..." his voice drawled out. "Was the exact opposite of it."
"Besides... I don't need a stubborn bull like him."
'Barou.. A stubborn bull. Barou = Stubborn bull. Pfft–'
Leon soon walked out of the training room, leaving Naruhaya alone with his mind clear and trying not to laugh at Barou's newest title.
Isagi stood still as Team Red scored another goal. This time by Kunigami. He slowly brought his hand up to his hair and gripped it tight.
He felt like he was going insane.
He gritted out, "Barou, it's fucking Barou again." This was the first time he felt such strong emotions toward a teammate. The urge to kill.
The one who had been destroying the road toward the victory of Team White wasn't Team Red. All along, it had been the member of Team White: Barou.
Why couldn't I recognize it? Why couldn't I see it? Was I fucking blind?
Isagi was angry at Barou, but more than that, he was angry at himself.
"...Nagi," Isagi called out, the atmosphere around him was filled with killing intent. Nagi turned his head toward Isagi, prompting him to continue. But the black-haired boy wasn't looking at Nagi at all. Not at Barou or Team Red for this matter. No, he was seeing something else. Nagi knew that he had discovered the way to their victory. "From now on, we'll win with only two of us."
The darkness you created on this field... I'll devour it.. and turn it into light!
"Yes, boss."
And Nagi believed that their victory was secure.
At this moment, Team Red realized that the real thing was coming.
+++++
"Pretty decent pass, retard. Move for the sake of my goal," Isagi, with a newly scored goal under his belt, looked down at Barou after the man fell down to the ground. In Barou's eyes, Isagi's figure overlapped with a certain boy who gave him a defeat so overwhelming. Despaired, Barou thought, 'Am I really useless?'
Isagi had taken Barou's weapon and made it his own.
Isagi had devoured Barou.
+++++
What is evolution? What is talent? What is awakening?
Let me explain to you about it.
Everyone has a different perspective regarding things. And Ego did as well.
In his opinion, talent didn't mean the thing that certain people got automatically from birth. Nor, was it hard work. For him, talent is the ability to endlessly evolve.
For, it was useless if this 'talent' person met a more 'talented' person and got eliminated along the way.
But...
What if person A with lesser 'talent' were to devour the more talented one: B? What if A evolved?
Let's say, C– the one with seemingly unparalleled talent who believed he was at the top of the world, had A, destroyed him? A had evolved again. While C didn't even bother to try.
And C would forever stay at the bottom, kicked down from the top. He would have no choice other than to silently look up and envy those at the top.
Evolution didn't come to those that didn't even try.
In this case, A would be Isagi Yoichi and C would be Kira Ryosuke.
As for the awakening, it was more simple.
The moment you understand yourself is when you finally awaken.
And human beings are covered with deceptions and filled with lies they tell themselves to.