After that, no other players received offers, so Shinichi was the first to leave the locker room to train.
The rest of the players, however, stayed behind almost instinctively.
Once they confirmed that Shinichi was far enough away, Kunigami hurriedly urged Niko: "Hurry, hurry! Let's take a look at Shinichi's scouting report."
"Alright, alright. It's not like it would've been a big deal to look at it in front of him anyway," Niko waved his hand, not quite understanding why everyone was so secretive about it. Nevertheless, he obediently started operating the system. However, he first opened the scouting report for Kaiser, which he hadn't read yet.
Second Place: Kaiser
Offer: 300 million
A top-tier talent of the new generation, Kaiser excels in dribbling, vision, defense, physicality, and athleticism—all of which are at an elite level. His signature shooting ability is undoubtedly world-class. Moreover, his ability to synergize with teammates is exceptional. Even when playing with new teammates like Yoichi Isagi and Hiori Yo, he seamlessly integrated and led the team. With natural leadership qualities, he is a true genius on the field.
"This guy's evaluation is ridiculously high. Is he really that good? His offer is even higher than Itoshi Sae's by a huge margin," Kunigami remarked, feeling a mix of awe and disbelief.
Until now, his concept of top-tier players was limited to Shinichi and Itoshi Sae. Sae's elegant playstyle, devastating dribbling, and surgical passing that sliced through defenses had left a deep impression on him.
It was hard to imagine anyone other than Shinichi surpassing Sae by a full 100 million in valuation.
"I actually know a bit about this," Lorenzo chimed in, casually tossing an empty popcorn bucket onto the floor, which immediately triggered Barou to yell at him. "Although they don't play the same position, I think the gap in their abilities isn't that big. The reason for the huge difference in offers is mainly because Itoshi Sae hasn't had much experience in league-level matches. After all, Sae's team is RE-AL, the strongest club in the world, so he's mostly been playing in their youth team."
"I see. Well, we'll find out for sure when we face them. Hurry up and show us Shinichi's scouting report," Aiku said, brushing off the topic with ease. He quickly grabbed the remote from Niko and switched to Shinichi's scouting report. And then... everyone in the room fell silent.
First Place: Kanzaki Shinichi
Offer: 600 million
The strongest physicality of the new generation. Even the speed of the "prodigy" Loki pales in comparison. It's as if he's the child of a god, with a physique that leaves everyone in awe. On top of that, he possesses top-tier football skills and defensive abilities for his generation. His cannon-like shots can effortlessly pierce through any team's goal. Without a doubt, he is the strongest of the new generation and is highly likely to become the next era's dominant force.
As the scouting report unfolded, words like "top-tier" and "strongest" flooded the screen, almost as if they were being handed out for free. Even Lorenzo fell silent after reading it. The group exchanged glances, and after a long pause, they all spoke in unison.
"We should probably go train now."xN
...
"Charles, are you still watching the previous match?" Inside the French League headquarters, Loki sighed as he looked at Charles, who was sitting in a dimly lit room, staring blankly at the screen.
He walked over and turned on all the lights in the room. "Even though we lost one match, I don't want you to be this down. This isn't like you, the mischievous troublemaker I know. Besides, you need to take care of your eyes. As the playmaker who's supposed to help me become the best in the world, those eyes of yours that can see through any defense are essential. So, you need to be more disciplined and take better care of yourself."
"Shut up, you idiot Loki! Why didn't you come down to help me during the match?" Charles, annoyed by Loki's endless nagging, covered his ears in frustration.
Seizing the opportunity, Loki moved closer and noticed that Charles was actually watching today's match. It was the first match of the day, Bastard München (Germany) vs. Manshine City (England), and the score was tied 2-2. The tension was so high that even the mentors had stepped onto the field—Chris and Noel Noa were now leading their respective teams in a fierce battle.
"These two..." The scene was so captivating that even Loki couldn't help but get drawn in. Without bothering to grab a chair, he squatted down next to Charles, watching intently as both teams fought fiercely for the final goal.
On the field, Prince dribbled the ball, battling head-to-head with Noa. However, under the pressure of Isagi, the ball slipped out of everyone's control and bounced away. It was eventually picked up by Ness.
But after a quick exchange between Chris and Kaiser, Ness followed Kaiser's instructions and passed the ball to him, setting up a one-on-one duel.
The result? Kaiser was thoroughly outplayed. Noa had to come to his rescue to retain possession, but under the intense pressure, the ball slowly rolled out of bounds.
Although Germany still retained possession, the momentum of their counterattack was completely disrupted.
Loki couldn't help but facepalm.
This Kaiser... how should he put it? While Loki acknowledged his skills, Kaiser had this strange tendency to make baffling decisions at the worst possible moments.
Chris, known for his incredible physicality, was never going to be an easy opponent to beat in a one-on-one.
Kaiser, who wasn't even the type to dribble past multiple players, insisted on abandoning his strengths to challenge Chris directly. No wonder he got humiliated.
"Wow, this is intense. Both sides are evenly matched. Either team could win at this point. And look at how invested their mentor is, unlike someone..." Sitting to the side, Charles smirked, clearly unimpressed.
Unlike Loki, who was still worried, Charles had quickly moved on after the match. He realized that Shinichi was essentially a high-level player who had sneaked into a beginner's server—a smurf, so to speak.
While he couldn't direct his frustration at Shinichi, he had no problem venting it at Loki for not stepping in during the match. If Loki had joined, they might have had a chance to score one last goal.
"Ahem, well... their mentor didn't step onto the field either," Loki stammered, trying to deflect the blame. He had wanted Charles to face a setback to humble him a bit, but now he felt a little guilty. "Anyway, let's not dwell on that. The match is starting again."
On the pitch, Hiori threw the ball to Isagi, who then began to coordinate with Noa. Or rather, Noa actively adjusted his play to support Isagi.
The two weaved through the opposition, but when faced with a reckless sliding tackle from the opposing defender, Noa stepped in to shield Isagi, slowing down his own pace. Isagi then passed the ball to Ness, who had sprinted forward, and Ness, as expected, immediately passed it to Kaiser, who had just caught up.
"Not this time, you self-absorbed rose," Chris growled, charging in to tightly mark Kaiser. However, this time, a calmer Kaiser didn't force the play. Instead, he made a precise diagonal pass to Isagi, who had found an opening.
"The goalkeeper and you are both focused on me. By the time you warn the keeper, it'll be too late. So, what's it going to be? Stick to me and leave Isagi with an open goal, or try to stop him?" Kaiser, now back to his usual calm and composed self, exuded an air of confidence that left Ness utterly mesmerized.
Chris, clicking his tongue in frustration, sprinted toward Isagi, chasing both the ball and the inevitable.
"Kaiser, that guy... he deliberately slowed down the pass to give Chris enough time to get back and defend before Isagi could take the shot. That means Isagi will have no choice but to pass it back to Kaiser, letting him take the final shot against the world's second-best defender." Watching Kaiser's calculated play, Loki couldn't help but feel a pang of disdain.
This kind of selfish manipulation, prioritizing his own stats over the team's success, was downright despicable.
Isagi had a clear shot at an open goal, but Kaiser's scheming forced him to pass back, leaving Kaiser to take a harder shot against the goalkeeper.
If it went in, the credit would be his; if it didn't, he could blame the keeper's performance.
But the next moment, Loki's eyes widened in shock as Charles burst into laughter beside him. Then, Loki himself chuckled and shook his head. "What is this... Blue Lock? One unexpected player after another keeps popping up... But... this is what makes it interesting!"
Isagi did not pass back to Kaiser!
Under Chris's tight defense, Isagi used his right foot as a decoy, completely fooling Chris. Then, with his left foot, he executed an unpolished but deadly push shot, sealing the game with a goal!
The Egoist, Yoichi Isagi, scored all on his own!
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