She was Japan football union's new hire, and currently, her point wasn't getting through to the chairman.

"Once again, our Japanese team has keenly felt the wall that is the rest of the world." She folded her arms and looked sternly to all the representatives in the room.

"If we take this to heart and devise a plan to come back stronger for the next world cup." 

"We're making money though...?" The chairman Hirotoshi Buratsuta boringly replied. "In the end, isn't this just a business?"

"At this rate. we'll never win the world cup!" Nobody seemed surprised by her outburst or her statement, it seemed that she brought this up often.

"Do you really believe that Japan could ever win the world cup?" He scoffed.

"That's my dream! And if there's one thing I know... is that when you've fallen, it's a choice to get back up!"

"Which is why I brought..." She paused dramatically. "Jinpachi Ego!" 

-Chapter One:

The Saitama Prefectural Finals... if I score here, we'll take the lead. Rushing towards the goal, I flicked the ball in the air and moved pass the defender, trapping and recollecting the ball near the goal.

Now it's just a 1v1 with me and the keeper, I'm truly the best striker...

"What are you doing Isagi? It's all over if we don't get this! One for all and all for one!" The loud voice of my coach broke me out of my state of concentration. 

"Isagi, I'm wide open!" The words that I had previously ignored had now processed through my ears.. 

I begrudgingly kick the ball towards him, and he receives it just fine. But his shot form is slightly off, and the ball hits the bar and exits the field, going out of bounds.

"Damn it!" I yell as they counter, their striking scoring a magnificent goal after outpacing two of our defenders.

...

Waking up in a cold sweat, Isagi immediately hopped into the shower. He let the water run for a few minutes before exiting, although he would forget this fact later.

It's been a day since his team failed to qualify for nationals, and it had been eating up at him since... after all, he truly thought he could be the best.

Still, he was happy somebody noticed him. As he entered the large empty building, he couldn't help but ponder on who this Jinpachi Ego was, or why he was sent this letter.

Isagi's chest fluttered in excitement as he thought of what all of this meant.

In less than an hour, the large room was full of no less than ... 'There's about 500 people here!' Isagi thought.

Isagi also noticed Ryosuke Kira, the striker that belonged to the team his had lost to yesterday, enter the room. 

All of a sudden, Isagi was worried.

"Congratulations." His voice was deadly and sharp, and struck like a pin.

'He has the voice of someone... unlike him.' Isagi thought, because the man on the stage who had spoke in the microphone was a little peculiar. Wide eyes with dark eye bags, a bowl cut with slightly uneven bangs, and a slim stature.

He was really slim.

"According to my personal judgement, the three hundred of you are..." He paused dramatically. "The best strikers under eighteen."

Isagi paused in anticipation. He really hoped this guy had some credibility.

"My name? Jinpachi Ego... and I was hired to give Japan a world cup victory."

"So why this?" He motioned to all the strikers. "Well, there's only one thing necessary for Japan to become the best in the soccer world."

"And that's..." 

Ego Jinpachi raised his long slender arm and pointed a finger into the crowd

'I-is...' 

'Is he pointing at me?' 

"The birth of a revolutionary striker! With you three hundred coals, I will condense you into diamonds!"

"This facility, Blue Lock, was made for the purpose of finding the diamond that shines the brightest!"

"From today on, you can't return home, and this marks the end of your previous soccer careers..." He leaned closer to the mic, as if to say this was the most important point he was going to make all day. Isagi listened closely.

"The last person remaining out of you all... the 1 out of 299, that person will become... the best striker!"

"That is all, thank you."

It didn't take much after that for Isagi to proceed, and he would bet a pretty penny that all 299 strikers followed after him.

Because after all, Ego had chosen 300 strikers.

...

Chapter 2 Preview:

"I'm trusting in what you're saying Ego..." Anri stated to him in a respectful tone.

"Because, this just sounds so unrealistic..." She hesitated to say.

"You're scared because I'm your only option?" Ego clarified. He was like a mind reader sometimes...

"Don't worry, the strongest will always show up in the scenario where things are the toughest.."