As Loki made his way to the table, the atmosphere became tense. Hiori and the rest of the Blue Lock players exchanged puzzled looks.
Murano casually motioned for Loki to take a seat. "Took you long enough, Loki. Going to an arcade at the mall, wanna to join?" Murano asked.
"Is that... is that really Julien Loki?" Nishioka stammered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Count me in," Loki said as he greeted Murano with a quick fist bump.
_____
Shibuya
Mall
Inside the bustling mall, they engaged in various fun activities such as billiards, table tennis, and bowling. Eventually, they split up, with some going to different shops while Loki and Murano headed to the arcade.
They settled in front of a FIFA game, with Murano choosing Royale (Re Al) and Loki selecting PXG.
From the start, it was clear that Loki had the upper hand, as he dominated the game with a 3-0 lead at halftime.
"You're only winning because you're using PSG," he whined to Loki.
"Is that so? I believe Madrid is an evenly-matched opponent for PSG. It's just a matter of skill," Loki replied confidently.
But Murano wasn't one to easily give up. He activated his secret weapon—his own skill, 'Chronoception.' This special ability allowed him to slow down his perception of time, giving him enhanced reaction speed and decision-making abilities on the field.
With this newfound advantage, Murano turned the tide of the game. In the remaining thirty minutes, he entered "God mode," expertly maneuvering his players and scoring three goals in quick succession. Loki, initially amused, couldn't help but notice the shift in Murano's playstyle. A small chuckle escaped his lips.
"Watch out, Murano," he said slyly.
Despite managing to score another goal, Murano ultimately fell short, and Loki emerged victorious. As Murano reluctantly accepted his defeat, they couldn't help but draw attention from bystanders.
A pair of young ladies watched with excitement, recognizing Hayashi Murano.
"Oh my gosh, is that Hayashi Murano?" one of them exclaimed.
"I can't believe we're here with him!" the other added.
"He seems down to earth," she added.
"Like you could ask him for a picture!" the other chimed in eagerly.
As they prepared to leave the arcade, the two fans approached them.
"Can we take a picture with you?" one of them squeaked, holding out her phone for a picture.
"Yeah, sure," Murano replied, flashed a smile, and happily obliged.
It was clear that the young ladies only knew of local football players, as they didn't recognize Loki.
They then left the mall.
"What a day!" Murano stretched, releasing the tiredness from playing all day.
"Well, I'm heading out," Murano added.
"Are you not going to wait for the others?" Loki asked.
"Nah, it's getting late, and I live far away," Murano responded.
"Oh, okay," Loki said.
"In that case, I'll head out too," Loki decided.
Murano, still processing his defeat, felt a strange sense of nostalgia wash over him as he boarded the train back to Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi.
___
Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi
Hyogo Prefecture
Hokkai High School's Stadium
(Murano's POV)
This is where everything began...
This pitch was the defining moment where I proved my worth in the Blue Lock world.
Walking past a pitch one day, I saw players and a small group of spectators gathered.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard someone call out my name. It was Kurosaki and Kyo.
"Hayashi!"
"There he is, the pride of Hokkai High School!" One of them said as he pointed.
"Come join us!" One of them shouted.
Feeling tired but unable to resist their call, I hesitated before eventually turning back. However, I didn't allow myself to get caught up in any side quests and simply waved before continuing on my way home.
Throughout my time in Blue Lock, I've been battling constantly, and perhaps more than I realized, I've been stained by Blue Lock.
___
As I walked into my house, I announced, "I'm home!" and took off my shoes. I headed straight to my room and lie down on my bed.
"DING DONG!"
"PHASE ONE COMPLETED!!"
Suddenly, a sound interrupted my thoughts.
"The user has completed the first phase of Blue Lock, and the tutorial stage is now over. After this stage, the system shop, transaction and temporary boost elixirs will disappear, along with the first-time user reward." The monotonous voice of the AI echoed in my mind.
"What about all the stuff I bought with system cash and points?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease.
"After the tutorial, those items will be added up for an equivalent exchange reward by the system. However, your skills will remain intact. It's only the temporary elixirs that will vanish," the AI replied.
"In that case, can I still use the +5 all-stats reward I had at the beginning?" I asked.
"Do you wish to add +5 to all stats? Please click on either the 'yes' or 'no' buttons on the screen to confirm your choice. If yes, then that will be added along with the update."
"If you wish to proceed, it would be advisable for you to lie down on your bed and brace yourself," it continued.
I blinked and focused on the new options presented on the interface. A floating button labeled '+5 all stats' caught my attention, accompanied by buttons for 'yes' and 'no'.
'I guess this means that things are going to get more challenging from now on,' I thought to myself. But honestly, I didn't mind losing the elixirs. My skills have progressed to a point where I don't need them anymore.
Without hesitation, I clicked 'yes' and waited anxiously.
"DING!"
"FUT System Phase Two will update shortly."
"Difficulty: Ultimate"
—
'COMMENCING OPERATION'
—
BOOTING STARTUP...
[Author's Note: This chapter marks the conclusion of the U-20 arc. To ensure the story stays fresh and relevant to the source material, this fanfic will be on a hiatus because we've caught up with the current arc. So I'll wait for the NEL arc to conclude before writing it. Thanks for sticking with the story so far!]