The humiliating loss against Area Q and Raiju Okami shook Team Z to its core. But nothing stung more than the updated rankings. After the intense match, the Blue Lock program reshuffled the rankings of all participants, and for Team Z, it was a harsh reality check.
Team Z's New Rankings
The updated rankings were posted on the massive screen in the training hall. The players stood in silence as their new placements were displayed:
#280 – Kaito Isagi
The rising star who stunned everyone with his Direct Shot and goal-scoring instincts.
#281 – Kuroka Bachira
The flamboyant, wild son of Meguru Bachira, with unmatched flair and his signature Bicycle Kicks.
#282 – Renji Suda
A towering striker who specializes in headers but lacks speed.
#283 – Toma Iguchi
A freestyler who relies on flashy dribbles but struggles with consistency.
#284 – Kenta "Bear" Motosu
A powerhouse who uses his strength to bulldoze opponents but lacks finesse.
#285 – Riku Hayashi
A cerebral strategist who plays more like a midfielder than a striker.
#286 – Juzo Nakamura
A lightning-fast speedster who struggles with ball control under pressure.
#287 – Itsuki Hoshino
A flashy showboater who loves embarrassing opponents but lacks scoring ability.
#288 – Daigo Shigematsu
A short and nimble player with sharp turns and quick acceleration.
#289 – Yuji Tanabe
A long-range shooter with a powerful but inconsistent shot.
#290 – Sora Himekawa
A disciplined but quiet finisher, driven by a newfound determination to prove himself.
#291 – Tetsuya Gojo
A selfless playmaker who focuses on assists rather than scoring.
#292 – Haruki Daisen
A hotheaded striker who takes wild and unnecessary shots.
#293 – Osamu Inui
A trickster who lures defenders with feints but rarely pulls the trigger himself.
#294 – Makoto Ise
A player obsessed with copying techniques from others but struggles to execute them properly.
#295 – Jinro Matsuda
An unpredictable wild card whose moves are chaotic and hard to read.
#296 – Akihiro Soma
A gambler who takes risky and often impractical shots in hopes of a lucky goal.
#297 – Daichi Kurogane
A jack-of-all-trades who lacks any standout skills to elevate his gameplay.
Kuroka's Frustration
Kuroka stared at the screen, his fists clenched and his wild, purple-shaded black hair falling over his face.
"How the hell am I below him?!" he snarled, pointing at Kaito's name.
The rest of Team Z shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to draw Kuroka's ire.
"You're lucky," Kuroka spat, glaring at Kaito. "That goal doesn't make you better than me. Don't let it go to your head."
Kaito shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe not, but the rankings don't lie."
The room grew tense as Kuroka took a step closer. "Say that again."
Before things could escalate, Renji Suda stepped in. "Calm down, Kuroka. We're all in the same boat here."
"Yeah," Toma Iguchi added, "the last thing we need is to fight each other. Save that energy for the next match."
Despite the team's attempts to defuse the situation, Kuroka's frustration festered. Over the next few days, he took it out on everyone during training.
"Faster, Renji! You're not a damn tree!"
"Toma, if you can't finish, don't even bother showing up!"
"Bear, move your giant feet! You're slowing us down!"
Kuroka's harsh criticism and domineering attitude earned him a new nickname among the team: The Tyrant.
"He's unbearable," Itsuki Hoshino muttered during a break.
"Yeah," Daigo Shigematsu agreed. "He thinks he's better than all of us."
But while most of the team grumbled, Kaito remained focused.
In the shadow of Kuroka's tyranny, Sora Himekawa trained relentlessly.
Kuroka's mocking words from their last encounter echoed in his mind.
"Useless. Just give up being a striker."
Determined to prove him wrong, Sora spent every free moment in the training area, practicing his finishing. His shots were weak and his form was clumsy, but his sheer determination was undeniable.
Kaito watched from a distance, impressed by Sora's grit.
"He's got heart," Kaito thought to himself.
With the next match looming, Team Z was at a breaking point.
Kuroka's constant berating had drained morale, and the players were on edge. Yet, amidst the chaos, a quiet fire was beginning to burn in Sora and Kaito.
Would the team come together, or would Kuroka's ego tear them apart before the next challenge even began?