Ah... Ah! Congratulations to all you star players! The 300 of you here have been personally selected by my own discretion and bias as the most promising forwards under the age of 18.
I am Ego Jinpachi! The Japan Football Association has entrusted me with a singular mission—to lead the Sakura Japan team to World Cup victory!
Let me make this simple. Sakura Japan's soccer is only one step away from becoming the best in the world. And that missing step? Cultivating revolutionary forwards. I will conduct an experiment to forge the world's greatest striker from among you 300!
This facility, Blue Lock, has been designed for that very purpose. From today onward, you will live here together and undergo top-level, specialized training designed by me. There is no going home. Say farewell to your past soccer life.
But I promise you this—whoever emerges victorious in this survival game, eliminating 299 others, will become the world's greatest forward! That's all. Now, let the game begin.
Standing amidst the crowd, listening to Ego Jinpachi's speech—his tone reminiscent of a pyramid scheme—Wataru Tatsuki could only come to one conclusion: he had transmigrated into the world of Blue Lock.
That's right! My name is Wataru Tatsuki. When I first realized I had transmigrated, I foolishly thought I had landed in the Kamen Rider universe. I even fantasized about transforming and fighting alongside Sento.
Alas, it was just a coincidence of names. That disappointment lingered for quite some time.
It all started a year ago on what should have been a regular salaryman's weekend. That night, at three in the morning, I was still wide awake, binge-watching Blue Lock, completely engrossed. I finally crashed at 5 a.m.—but when I opened my eyes again, everything had changed.
At first, I thought I was dreaming. From outside an unfamiliar room, a gentle female voice called out to me.
"Wataru, wake up! You'll be late for school. Come down for breakfast."
Instinctively, I got out of bed, left the room, and headed downstairs. Seated at the table were a woman and a man—both unfamiliar to me—and a beautiful young lady. I froze in place.
And then, like a crashing wave, an onslaught of foreign memories surged into my mind.
Damn it! It hurts!
The last thing I heard before blacking out was a chorus of panicked voices.
"Wataru? Wataru! What's wrong? Don't scare Mom! Call an ambulance!"
When I regained consciousness, I was in a private hospital in Hokkaido.
"Doctor, what's wrong with him? He suddenly fainted without warning! It scared us to death!"
(That gentle voice… is that my mom?)
As I slowly regained awareness, I heard another voice—softer, more melodious.
"Yeah, you scared me too! My little brother is usually fine. Why did he suddenly collapse? Could it be some kind of illness?"
I opened my eyes and, still slightly dazed, sighed helplessly.
"Sis, could you at least hope for something good instead of assuming the worst?"
My 'older sister' blinked in surprise before rolling her eyes. "Oh? You're awake, huh? And still sassy? Looks like you're fine after all."
At that moment, the beautiful woman beside her—my supposed mother—spoke with visible relief.
"Thank goodness. The doctor said as long as you woke up, you'd be fine. You really scared me."
"Don't worry about me. I probably just stayed up too late… or maybe I've been pushing myself too hard in soccer practice. I'm fine." I forced a reassuring smile, quickly coming up with an excuse.
After all, I couldn't exactly tell them I had transmigrated and collapsed because the original owner's memories had just overwritten my own. That would earn me a trip to a psychiatrist, not a hospital.
Before long, I was discharged. The doctors found nothing wrong, just advised me to rest and avoid overexertion from soccer practice.
And so, I gradually came to accept the truth—I had transmigrated to Japan. Not only that, but I was blessed with a complete family, decent wealth, and a beautiful older sister.
If not for the fact that I was now trapped in Blue Lock, this might have actually been a dream come true.
Hmm... This isn't the usual protagonist setup where both parents are dead and the family is struggling in poverty!
Moreover, it's been several days since I transmigrated, and I haven't awakened a system. Could it be that my transmigration method was wrong? Do I need to be hit by a truck to get a system?" Wataru Tatsuki lamented.
Oh well, at least the original owner had an extraordinary talent for soccer—one that could only be described as monstrous.
Winning multiple World Cups in the future shouldn't be too difficult. At least, that would make this second life worthwhile!
After understanding the original owner's abilities, Wataru discovered that his skill level far surpassed every high school player in his school and the surrounding region.
On top of that, he possessed a rare feature—heterochromia—which had drawn attention from the moment he first touched a soccer ball.
But it wasn't until he fully unleashed his terrifying talent that people began calling him a genius, the world's number one forward.
As Wataru continued to dominate, crushing high school teams left and right, invitations for friendly matches stopped coming. Schools refused to play against them because once Wataru got serious, the game became a one-sided massacre.
Whenever he played at full strength, the score difference would always be more than double.
His reputation spread, and those he defeated in humiliating fashion began calling him the "Heterochromatic Monster."
Despite this, life continued as usual—attending school, participating in club activities, and practicing advanced soccer techniques from Blue Lock.
For instance, he trained Ryusei Shido's flashy yet lethal goal-scoring techniques in the penalty area. Though Shido was a lunatic, his scoring ability was undoubtedly world-class. He also worked on Hyoma Chigiri's explosive dribbling skills, refining his own playstyle to resemble the prodigious Loki—focusing on explosive starts, sustained speed, and long-stride dribbling.
Surprisingly, all these techniques showed steady improvement with training.
However, no matter how much he practiced, Seishiro Nagi's absurd ball-stopping ability remained beyond his grasp. Sure enough, Nagi was simply a freak blessed by the gods.
Just as Wataru began envisioning his future—joining Japan's national team, attracting global attention as a super genius, dominating the World Cup, and securing championship after championship—his dreams were shattered by a single letter.
"You have been selected as a designated strengthening player."
The moment he saw those words, Wataru stopped reading the rest.
"No way… Did I actually transmigrate into Blue Lock? There are so many terrifying monsters in there! Damn it! This has to be a coincidence, right…?"
Back to the present—after hearing Ego Jinpachi's speech, which sounded suspiciously like a pyramid scheme, Wataru knew for certain that he had indeed entered Blue Lock.
Well, this isn't so bad. If the competition were too weak, winning the World Cup would be boring. But facing off against these monsters and geniuses? Now that's exciting!
"Excuse me, but your explanation is not convincing enough for me to agree!"
A voice cut through the air.
"We all have teams that are important to us! Some of us still have national competitions ahead! I can't just abandon my team to participate in some unexplained experiment!"
The surrounding players chimed in.
"That's right! I have nationals coming up too! It's ridiculous to expect us to suddenly leave everything behind."
"Who even are you? Send someone credible out here!"
(Heh. So this self-righteous guy is Kira Ryosuke. No wonder the voice sounded familiar!)
(Tsk tsk, look at him acting all noble and indignant. When he enters Blue Lock and gets his face kicked into a broken art style, I won't be able to hold back my laughter.)
(Oh? That black-haired, blue-eyed boy standing next to him… That's Isagi, right? Better cherish that clueless expression while it lasts. Once he enters Blue Lock, he'll turn into a devouring beast, tearing apart anyone in his path.)
Wataru muttered these thoughts silently to himself.
As he mused over the unfolding drama, Ego Jinpachi delivered his response.
"I see. It seems you are all beyond saving. Get out!"
"Is winning a high school championship in this weak soccer nation more important than becoming the world's best forward? Hmm?"
"The thought of players like you carrying the future of Japan's soccer fills me with despair."
"Listen well! Japan's soccer has first-class organizational skills, but beyond that, it is nothing more than second-rate."
"Tell me, what is soccer? Eleven players working together? Valuing friendship? Selfless dedication? Fighting for your teammates?"
"This is exactly why Japan will never become a true soccer powerhouse."
"Let me teach you the truth. Soccer is about scoring more goals than your opponent. The player who can score is the greatest. If you want to play house with your good friends, then get out!"