Night inside Blue Lock felt like sleeping in a war zone.
Akashi replayed every moment of the initial test, sharpening his internal database of movements and defensive behaviors. He lay awake long after the others slept, Perfect Memory looping the sequences, Absolute Defence recalibrating instinctively with each imagined scenario.
Morning came violently.
A siren blared. A message flashed across the dorm's display:
TEAM X VS. TEAM Y — FIRST MATCH.
They made their way towards the arena.
The hallway buzzed with ego and tension. Barou stepped forward like a predator entering a hunt infront of Akashi.
"Stay out of my way," he growled. "I'll score. You just don't slow me down."
Akashi didn't react. The Eye of the Emperor had already mapped out one truth:
If Barou charged blindly, the match would collapse before it even started.
But he said nothing.
Not yet.
---
The Match Begins
Both teams got into the initial position they felt familiar with.
The whistle screamed. The game started with chaos and everyone was selfishly viving for their own dominance and show of talent to score a goal.
Then Barou detonated forward instantly, ripping through Team Y's defensive line like a wild beast. His acceleration, brute force, and killing intent created a gravity that everyone reacted to.
Moments later, he fired.
The ball slammed into the net.
1–0.
Barou turned, expecting admiration. Akashi gave him data instead.
"Your shot forced three defenders inward. The left corridor is weak now."
Barou scoffed, but something in his expression twitched—annoyance or acknowledgment, impossible to say.
Team Y didn't give up. They adapted. They tightened their coverage around Barou, cutting off his direct routes to the goal.
That was when Akashi felt it—a shift in the field.
A pocket of opportunity forming behind the collapsing defence.
He slipped into it.
A chaotic ricochet sent the ball bouncing his way. Sloppy, unplanned—
but to Akashi, chaos was just unprocessed information.
Perfect Memory filled the gaps.
He recalled a dribbling pattern he had studied the night before. Combined it with the timing of Barou's charge. His right foot tapped the ball forward.
The Eye of the Emperor mapped every opponent's center of gravity.
Who would lunge.
Who would hesitate.
Akashi ghosted past the first defender.
Feinted through the second.
His absolute defence inverted was converted and Carved through the third with Absolute Offence.
The keeper braced too early and fell for the front.
Akashi struck clean.
The net rippled.
2–0.
Opposite Team was devastated as their doubts and anxiety began clouding their judgement and ability to play.
Team Y began to feel the pressure with every minute they were adding a weight which was dragging them.
Whenever they thought counterattack began it was distroyed by Akashi. Like was killing their hope to even thing about scoring.
Absolute defence showed it's dominance on the field were he was unbreakable.
---
As Akashi has analysed every player on opposite team then he began moving forward with the ball.
Anyone who opposed him was brought to their knees with perfect ankle break by slightly shift the rhythm, center of gravity he was ripping through their defence like nothing could stop him.
With one final goal Akashi showed his world class talent.
Barou stared at him from across the pitch—jaw tight, eyes unreadable.
Akashi walked past them without a word and expression.
With this his talent began to blossom.
Team X closed out the match. Their victory was decisive, their message clear.
Akashi Sejiro was no longer the quiet new face with strange red eyes. He was a monster who was slowly learning the depth of his talent. And He had arrived.
He was a someone who everyone was watching.
And Blue Lock had noticed.