When Isagi woke up, a strange sensation washed over him. His head felt lighter, his body stronger, and his surroundings unfamiliar yet vivid. Before he could fully process the situation, a notification appeared before his eyes, glowing faintly in the air.
[You have received the Starter Pack.]
[Do you wish to claim it? Y/N]
Isagi's heart skipped a beat. A Starter Pack? Like some kind of game? He didn't hesitate for a second and immediately thought, Yes!
The notification vanished, and a new one appeared almost instantly.
[Congratulations! You have been rewarded with 3 Skills.]
Isagi blinked in disbelief. His breath hitched as he processed the words.
"Th-this is just a starter pack?!"
His mind raced with possibilities. The excitement bubbling in his chest was impossible to suppress. Skills? What kind of skills? Was this a joke, or was this actually happening?
'No way... This can't be real... But what if it is?'
Isagi clenched his fists, his lips curling into a grin. If this was what the system offered as a starter, then what lay ahead? Whatever it was, he couldn't wait to find out.
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Back to the field, Present
After analyzing everyone's position, Isagi exhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing with focus. The whistle blew, sharp and clear, slicing through the tension in the air. With a swift and confident stride, he ran towards the ball and struck it cleanly. The crowd collectively held their breath.
The ball soared above the wall with precision, a perfect arc carving its path through the sky. The goalkeeper, stationed slightly to the left, read the trajectory wrong and leapt to his right. Realizing his error mid-air, he stretched futilely, his face contorting in frustration.
The ball began to curve sharply after clearing the wall, bending gracefully toward the top-left corner of the goal. Kira, who had positioned himself to defend, could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past. His feet barely moved, leaving him as the closest spectator to witness his team concede.
{Wh-What?! He scored from 27 yards with a curved shot! That's a world-class goal!}
{Absolutely stunning! He's turned the tide and put Ichinan in the lead with that incredible goal. And he's completed his hat-trick in style!}
{Even Kira tried to intervene, but who could have predicted that trajectory? A valiant effort, but it was impossible to stop!}
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar. The stadium, which moments ago had been an ocean of murmurs, became a storm of cheers and chants.
Isagi screamed, pure elation pouring out of him. He dashed towards the stands, dropping into a perfect knee slide, arms outstretched as if embracing the roaring crowd. The fans answered his call with wild cheers, chanting his name in unison.
"Isagi! Isagi! Isagi!"
His teammates flooded the field, piling onto him in celebration. Even the substitutes sprinted out from the sidelines, joining the euphoric huddle. Ichinan, once fading into despair, now stood under the spotlight, their confidence reignited by Isagi's brilliance.
Amidst the jubilation, Isagi's mind raced. His grin widened as he thought about the shot.
'In my past life, my offense was my weakest point... but now?'
He clenched his fists tightly, relishing the thrill coursing through his veins. He knew the reason. The skills from his starter pack had turned the tables completely.
[Skills Unlocked:
-Pinpoint Finishing (Lv. Max)
-Curler (Lv. Max)
-Ball Control (Lv. Max)]
The echoes of the crowd felt surreal. His body was younger, stronger, and better equipped than it had ever been before. For the first time in his life, he felt unstoppable.
'This... This is just the beginning.'
The match had taken a dramatic turn, and Isagi could feel it in every fiber of his being. The skills he had acquired weren't just enhancements; they had unlocked a new level of play he had never imagined possible. His dribbling was fluid, his control was near-perfect, and his vision on the field had expanded beyond his previous limits. With each touch, Isagi felt more connected to the game than he had ever been before.
As the game resumed, he fell back into his defensive role. Defense wasn't just a responsibility for him—it was a passion. He'd always enjoyed the art of shutting down attacks, reading the opposition's moves, and making those crucial interceptions. Now, with his upgraded skills, it felt like second nature. Isagi stopped attack after attack, his awareness heightened, anticipating every pass and every movement from Matsukaze Kokuo's forwards.
Kira, the player he had admired from the start, challenged him time and time again. Isagi found himself facing off against him several times in quick succession. It was a fierce competition, but Isagi found himself consistently clearing the ball, outpacing Kira and denying him every time. Despite the intense rivalry, Isagi couldn't help but feel a deep respect for Kira's ability. If Kira was this skilled at his age, Isagi couldn't imagine how far he would go with the right development.
The final whistle blew, and the match ended with Ichinan's 3-2 victory. It had been an incredible comeback, and Isagi's performance was nothing short of spectacular. The crowd erupted into cheers as the commentators spoke in awe of the game's unexpected turn.
{An unbelievable result here tonight, a well-deserved victory for Ichinan with a 3-2 scoreline!}
{And the star of the match, no doubt about it—Ichinan's No. 11, Isagi Yoichi! A man of the match performance for the ages!}
After the celebrations and the reporters' questions, Isagi quickly ducked out of the spotlight. He wasn't interested in interviews. He didn't want to explain his performance when all the memories that seemed to belong to Isagi didn't match up with the player he had just become. He ran back to the locker room, changed quickly, and slipped out of the stadium unnoticed.
Though he would have loved to stay and revel in the win, something nagged at him. How could he explain his miraculous performance when it didn't align with his past self? The question loomed over him as he walked home, making his way to his house.
When he got home, his family greeted him with warmth. They didn't know much about football, but they were incredibly proud of their son. They bombarded him with questions about the game, and Isagi couldn't help but smile, playing the part of the happy son. He felt a pang of guilt though. This wasn't truly his family, yet he had to pretend. His memories of Isagi's past life were vivid, and it felt wrong to treat them as mere characters when they felt so real.
After spending some time with his parents, he made his way to his room. The house was quiet, and a sense of unease settled over him when he realized that the letter from the Football Union hadn't arrived yet. Then, he remembered that Isagi hadn't received his letters at home during the day, always returning after dinner. The thought put him at ease, and he settled into his room.
Calling upon the system, he waited for the familiar sound of a notification.
[Congratulations on your first win! Your performance was nothing short of amazing!]
"Wow, I didn't know you were such a football fan"
Isagi chuckled, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Thanks."
The system continued,
[Quest: Get selected for the Blue Lock Project — Completed.]
Reward: Based on your Performance —
(Scored a Hat-Trick
Man of the Match
Set-Piece Goal)
Choose one Top-Tier Skill from the Store.
The screen blinked to reveal a list of skills. Isagi's eyes gleamed with excitement as he scrolled through the options. He couldn't help but laugh to himself.
'This is so unfair to the others, but I'm not backing down from this!'
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Isagi was happier than ever as he walked into the hall, The reason being the System Reward and seeing his Mother holding a letter for him, Which finally calmed him because he started to get worried about his Wood
After opening the letter he smiled and set his mind to go into the thrill of Football
'Nice to meet you, Blue Lock, I'm Isagi Yoichi'
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