Chapter 11: Trio Training
Day Three in Blue Lock.
Training Room.
"Huff… huff… Is that all you've got, Kira?!"
"With stamina like that, you think you can be the world's best striker?"
"Go home now and save yourself the tears when I crush you, you *loser*! Hahaha!"
Jingo Raichi's sharp voice echoed through the training room, his fierce grin practically glowing as he pounded the treadmill at 20 km/h. He'd been running for an hour and thirteen minutes straight, outlasting everyone in Room Z with his freakish stamina.
Raichi's competitive streak was in full swing. Finally finding a stat where he outshone Kira, he was shouting loud enough for the entire facility to hear, as if staking his claim to the world.
Kira, catching his breath beside the treadmill, ignored the noise. He'd hit his limit after an hour of running, even with the permanent stamina boost from absorbing Raichi's attribute over the past two days. 'My original body's stamina is just average, huh,' he thought, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Ugh… I'm gonna hurl…"
Nearby, Igaguri let out a pitiful groan from his treadmill, his face ghostly pale.
"Ugh… ahh…"
Isagi wasn't faring much better, clinging to his machine, barely upright after just thirty minutes. The two had the worst endurance in Room Z, teetering on the edge of collapse.
"Kira! Let's grab some food!" Bachira hopped off his treadmill, sticking out his tongue with a playful grin. "I'm craving your stir-fried liver with chives!"
"Huh? You're not waiting for Isagi? Looks like he's got a bit to go," Kira said, glancing back at Isagi, who was still struggling to stay vertical.
Bachira blinked his wide, sparkling eyes. "Oh, right!"
"Kira, don't you dare run off! Admit it—you're weaker than me!" Raichi's voice cut through again, relentless.
Kira massaged his temples, a headache brewing from Raichi's smug face. "Let's just go, no waiting…"
He and Bachira left the training room together.
Over the past three days, Bachira had been glued to Kira's side. In the original story, he'd bonded with Isagi by now. 'Guess my performance stole the spotlight. I'm his "Monster" now,' Kira mused, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
In Blue Lock, side dishes were doled out based on rank. Kira got liver, Bachira got curry, while bottom-ranked Igarashi was stuck with pickled radish, and Isagi got natto. Since Kira preferred curry and Bachira loved liver, they'd struck a deal to swap dishes—a perfect arrangement.
...
Cafeteria
The two arrived to find someone already seated, quietly eating.
"Eh? Chigiri?" Bachira's voice perked up.
Hyoma Chigiri, the reserved, long-haired pretty boy from Room Z, glanced up. He gave a small nod before returning to his meal, his presence barely registering.
"He really doesn't talk much, huh?" Bachira muttered, drawing his own conclusion.
Kira shot him a sidelong glance, exasperated. 'You're not exactly his best friend, Bachira. Why would he chat you up?'
But his eyes lingered on Chigiri's waist-length hair. 'Hyoma Chigiri… aside from Isagi and Bachira, he's the most talented in this room. That unmatched speed of his…'
Kira hadn't absorbed Chigiri's attributes yet. 'Need to do that soon,' he thought. 'Right now, he's still hung up on that old foot injury, doubting himself. Gotta find a way to light a fire under him early. He's prime fertilizer for my attribute absorption—he needs to grow for me.'
"Wow, smells amazing! Liver, liver!" Bachira's voice snapped Kira back as they grabbed their trays and sat down.
A few minutes later—
"Burp~"
Bachira patted his stomach, grinning at Kira. "I'm so glad I came to Blue Lock. Otherwise, I'd never have met a player as awesome as you. And I get to eat this delicious liver!"
Kira waved off the praise modestly. "Everyone's got skills. Your dribbling the other day was insane—way smoother than anything I could pull off."
"Really?" Bachira's big eyes sparkled, locking onto Kira with earnest intensity.
"Really! Do I look like a liar?" Kira met his gaze with equal sincerity.
"Yay! Then let's train extra tonight! I'll show you more of my moves!" Bachira's excitement bubbled over.
"Uh… I already train every night…"
"Eh?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"…"
...
That Night, Training Room
"C'mon, Kira, let's see those skills again!" Bachira dropped into a defensive stance, his eyes glinting with anticipation as he faced Kira.
Kira took a deep breath, ready to dribble past him, when—
"Kira, Bachira."
Isagi's voice cut through the room. They turned to see him decked out in training gear, looking slightly sheepish.
"You guys are out here grinding too? Uh… carry on, I'll just practice my dribbling over there," Isagi said, assuming he'd interrupted their session.
Kira paused, an idea sparking. "Isagi, join us."
"Oh? You taking on both of us solo?" Bachira's grin widened, clearly thrilled at the prospect. He was convinced Kira could handle it—and it sounded way more fun.
"No, not like that." Kira shook his head. "Ego-san said we're a team based on rooms, right? I'm betting the next selection will be matches against other rooms' teams. So why don't we three use this time to work on our coordination? It'll give us an edge in the upcoming games."
Isagi nodded thoughtfully, clearly on board. "Makes sense."
"What should we practice, then?" Bachira tilted his head, curious.
"Passing, obviously." Kira's smile turned cryptic.
He took charge, directing the trio into a series of passing drills, their movements syncing up with each repetition.
Half an hour later—
*Ding dong dong…*
A voice crackled over the intercom. "Ahem. The three-day physical fitness tests have been compiled. Please return to your rooms to confirm your latest rankings."
The trio paused, sweat-soaked. Kira wiped his forehead. "Alright, let's call it a night. Back to the room."
Bachira and Isagi nodded, falling into step behind him. Without realizing it, they'd already started orbiting Kira as their unspoken leader.
...
Room Z
Back in the room, the others were slipping into their new uniforms, the updated rankings printed on them.
"Yo, Kira, check it out! My rank shot up! From 300 to 275!" Igaguri bounded over, waving his uniform like a trophy.
Kira grabbed his own from his locker. "265." He glanced at the number, unfazed.
"274! Mine went up too!" Isagi beamed, checking his own uniform.
Kira knew the truth: with one player eliminated from each of the 25 rooms, everyone's rankings had shifted upward. Igaguri and Isagi were still the bottom two in Room Z.
Beeep.
"Hey, is everyone enjoying Blue Lock life?" Ego Jinpachi's face appeared on the room's screen, his tone dripping with mockery.
Jingo Raichi scowled. "Enjoying? The environment here's garbage!"
"Exactly! Pickled radish every damn day? I want real food!" Igaguri whined.
"Yeah, can't you give us something more nutritious?" another voice chimed in, the room buzzing with complaints.
Ego's expression didn't waver, as if their griping was beneath him. "Your food's lousy because your football skills are lousy."
"Huh?"
"Care to explain that one?" The room fell silent, confusion etched on every face.
----
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