Note: those enclosed in Quotation marks/“ “ are dialogues while those in Parentheses/ ( ) are like internal

monologues or thoughts.

THE CREATURE KNOWN AS A "STRIKER"

BLUE LOCK SPIN-OFF NOVEL CONTENTS:

Chapter 1: Selection.
Chapter 2: Crybaby Yocchan
Chapter 3: Noel Noa
Chapter 4: One for All

__________

In the world of soccer, first class goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders can be raised, but
strikers are something different entirely. The creatures known as first-class strikers will suddenly
appear in the place where soccer is the hottest.

__________

Chapter 1: SELECTION.

She doesn't dislike cup yakisoba. In fact, she likes it. It’s usually delicious, but having it 3 times
a day as a meal?

Teieri Anri, an employee of the Japan Football Union, raises an eyebrow.

Empty instant cup yakisobas are piled up on the desk, the contents of the shopping bag on the
floor are also instant cup yakisobas, and moreover, an instant cup yakisoba is currently being
slurped down.

The coach of Blue Lock, Ego Jinpachi.

His mouth is chewing, but the bulging eyes behind his glasses are staring at the monitor.

He is a coach that Anri herself invited. He is the key person hired by Anri to lead Japan to the
World Cup championship, and the person who came up with the outrageous project called “Blue
Lock”.

He’s very much a weirdo… No, she knew he was a great man who, until now, could not be
measured by common sense. But she didn't know that he loves cup noodles so much. She’s a
little worried that it might endanger his health.

“Now, here’s the next video for the selection.”

Bringing his attention back to work from eating cup yakisoba, Anri then uses the remote control
to change the screen.

Blue Lock Monitoring room.

The entire wall was filled with several displays and even more computers for managing vast
amounts of data. On the screen, the highlights of the Saitama Prefecture Finals, the Preliminary
round for the National High School Soccer Championships, were playing.

The cameras are following Player #11. The endgame of the match. Player #11 made a brilliant
last pass, his teammate decided to shoot for the goal. Just when Player #11 gave the teammate
who took the shot a warm hug, Anri stopped the video.

“This kid… is not a good striker. I'll proceed to the next video for selection."

As a striker, he’s no good.

Ego and Anri are about to conduct an experiment to create the best strikers in the world. 300
strikers under the age of 18, the unpolished gems, will live together and undergo a special top
training program devised by Ego. And that is “Blue Lock”.

That one player who survives in Blue Lock and is the last one left after kicking out the 299
others will be the best striker in the world. So, this kid who is quick to give a pass to his good
friend and teammate is not quite right. What they are looking for is not this kind of friendly play
that thinks of others.

“Wait, Anri-chan. This is interesting material.”

Ego, who had just finished his cup yakisoba, leaned forward. He stared at the screen as if he
were devouring it.

“Show me all of his videos. What’s his name?”

Anri rushes to check the data. Player #11 of Ichinan High School Soccer Team is…

“......he’s Isagi Yoichi-kun.”

He played footage of some of Isagi Yoichi's matches, and he had a totally systematic way of
moving. Passing the ball around, elevating the axis of the attack, and then passing the last pass
to a free player.

(Hmmm. Certainly, he’s outstandingly good but, it’s just that.)

All revolutionary strikers are rare egoists. Take pleasure in your own goals above all else and
live only for that moment. On the field, you are the leading actor. Everyone else besides you are
supporting actors. If you don’t become the world’s top egoist, you can never be the best striker
in the world……! That’s what Ego thinks.

Ego's own judgment and biases determine which 300 strikers are invited to Blue Lock, but Anri
is aware of this.

(Isagi Yoichi……this kid is out of the question.)

“Yeah, That’s good, Isagi Yoichi. Anri-chan, I’ve decided to summon him.”

No way.
“Certainly……!”

Although Anri was puzzled, she hurriedly checked the "Invite" box on Isagi Yoichi's data.

Chapter 2: CRYBABY YOCCHAN.

“Abababa!! Yocchan~♡ It’s Papa ♡ I got you a new toy~♡”

While shaking the light blue rattle, Baby Isagi’s face rumpled and grimaced.

“Guh, Uwaa~”

“Huh…”

He was so disappointed that he cried over the toy he had bought to make him happy.

“That won’t do, dear. Yocchan is afraid of loud noises. Yocchan, it’s Mama~ Here’s a teddy
bear~♡”

A cute stuffed bear was held out in front of Baby Isagi.

“Uwahhh!!”

He cried even more.

“.....Oh my, he’s scared of teddy too.”

A gentle-mannered and easygoing father, Issei, and a calm and tender mother, Iyo.

(TL note: Isagi’s first name Yoichi/世一 seems to be a combined name from his father Issei/一生 for the 一
/Ichi, and Iyo/伊世 for the 世/Yo)
With two gentle parents, Isagi Yoichi was born “timid”. The sound of the kettle boiling, a dog on
a walk, a cicada’s cast-off skin...... he gets scared and starts crying at the sound of everything.
Whenever there was a stranger, he would immediately hide behind his mother, making it difficult
for him to make friends or go to kindergarten.In the summer when Isagi was 3 years old, there
have been incidents like this one caused by him being timid.

Isagi was playing in the living room when he suddenly saw an empty space and began to cry.

“Scary~! Uwahhh!”

Iyo hurriedly comforts the crying Isagi in her arms.

“What's wrong? What are you scared of?"

Isagi cried out and desperately pointed to the empty space. Even if Iyo strained her eyes, she
couldn't see anything. There was nothing but a white wall.

“Yocchan, what is there…?”

Iyo shuddered when she heard the next line.

“Can’t Mama see it?”

A chill ran down Iyo's spine as she hugged her child, who was crying even harder. This child can
see things that can't be seen...?

Isagi started pointing to empty spaces and crying. In the corner of the kitchen, in the bedroom
window, in the closet ....... There is something in this house that only Isagi can see.

Could it be a ghost……?

While the couple was seriously discussing whether they should have an exorcism, Isagi started
crying again.

“Uwahhh! There it is! Scary~!"

It’s there……! What could it be!?

While hugging Isagi, Issei and Iyo also trembled. At that moment. Close to Issei’s ear, he heard
a sound. That unpleasant sound peculiar to summer, and it passed the corner of his eye. He
looks up in surprise. For the first time, Issei was able to see what Isagi had been seeing.

“I know now, Dear……! Yocchan is scared of mosquitoes!”

Isagi had spotted mosquitoes from a distance that no ordinary people could see. So, they
sprayed mosquito repellent, and the psychic phenomena in the Isagi household had been
settled. Then, another incident occurred.

While playing in the park. Sometimes, he would hold his head and start crying.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Noooo! Uwahhh!”

He looked up at the sky and cried, so his parents looked around to see if a nut had fallen or
someone had thrown a stone at them, but there was nothing. Having no choice, they hugged
the fretfully crying Isagi and went home. When they get home, it always starts to rain. At first she
thought it was a coincidence, but it continued for so long that Iyo finally noticed.

“Yocchan… is scared of the rain!”

The smell of the air, the moisture in the wind, the scudding clouds. He was sensitive to the
changes in the sky, sensing that it was going to rain. Isagi is scared because he has a wide field
of vision, high spatial awareness, eyesight, kinetic vision, sense of smell, hearing, and skin
sensitivity which are all excellent. He detects the slightest change at a level that ordinary people
cannot see or notice, and avoids the risk. That's why he doesn't get bitten by mosquitoes or get
caught in the rain.

This superior sense, in soccer, leads to the ability to foresee the situation through spatial
awareness, but neither his parents nor himself knew this at the time. Then, the turning point for
this crybaby Yocchan came when he was four years old.

His father received J-League tickets from a friend and the family decided to go watch the game.
The venue was the Saitama Stadium. His parents had little interest in soccer, but since it was a
home game, the place was packed with enthusiastic local fans. Contrary to his parents'
expectation that he would be scared of the crowd and cry, Isagi did not cry.

“Whoa… Awesome……”

As the game began, Isagi felt a throb in his chest that he had never felt before. The bright green
grass and blue sky. Players chasing the ball. The crowd going wild. He doesn't know the rules or
anything, but he wants to be there. He wants to chase the ball, too.

(......I want to play soccer too.)

On the way home from the game. Isagi asked his parents, "I want a soccer ball!". It was
surprising that their quiet son showed interest in soccer, but of course his parents were very
supportive. They immediately bought him a soccer ball, and Isagi's eyes lit up with a "Wow……!"
when he saw the black and white ball. Seeing their son kicking the ball with such enthusiasm,
Issei and Iyo could not help but feel happy.

“I’m glad you’ve found something you like, Yocchan!”

“Right! Sport is also good to build up strength! That’s great~”

It doesn't matter if he's a crybaby, as long as he grows up healthy. For the first time, their timid,
only son showed them what he wanted to do with his own will. That alone was enough to satisfy
them completely.

Chapter 3: NOEL NOA.

Since then, Isagi has been passionate about soccer.

He asked his parents to send him to soccer lessons, and when there was a live soccer game
on, he would sit and watch it on TV. He plays soccer all the time during his lunch break and after
school. He made friends through soccer, and Isagi, who used to be a crybaby, became more
and more active. Even so, his timid and quiet personality does not change. He never gets into
fights with his friends and never disobeys his teachers. He is athletic, but not very good in his
studies, a simple boy who loves to play soccer. Isagi has always been that mob character until
one day, when he was 8 years old, something astounding happened. Through the TV, he met a
player. It was the young Noel Noa, who scored goals without ever changing a single facial
expression.

“So cool……!”

The player overtakes the enemy one after another and scores a goal without fail, Isagi can't take
his eyes off of this otherworldly play. It was too amazing. He was so cool even in his post-win
interview.

“You were fantastic again today! How do you feel looking back on the match? How did you feel
about that super goal?”

“......Nothing special. I just did my job as usual.”

He answered the somewhat excited interviewer indifferently.

“Don't get me wrong. It doesn't matter if it's a super goal or not. Every goal is a point. Soccer is
a sport in which points are scored and I am in a position where I am expected to score goals.
That's what I'm living for, so I just did what I had to do."
Noel Noa doesn't flash a single smile, but the interviewer's voice grows louder and louder with
excitement.

“Ohh! Can I… take that as a declaration that you want to become the world’s best striker and
aim for the World Cup!?”

“......Winning isn’t the only thing in soccer. Of course I want to win the World Cup, but I want to
feel everything about soccer. Like for example……”

Isagi will never forget the line that follows until he dies.

“Instead of assisting my teammates to win by 1-0, it feels better to pull off a hat trick and lose
3-4. You can't sell that kind of emotion anywhere, can you?”

How thrilling! An electric shock ran through Isagi's body.

(This person knows why I love soccer!)

When he saw soccer for the first time. It wasn't just the feelings of "how cool" and "how
awesome" it is that deeply moved him. More than that, he found it "beautiful." Soccer is a team
game, 11 players against 11, and it is also an individual game. There are also the surrounding
spectators, the stadium, the show and the battle for life. He wants to be that striker, the one at
the center of it all.

(I want to be a striker like Noel Noa……!)

Noel Noa is trying to reach the top of the soccer world.

(Me too……! I'm going to be just like Noel Noa!)

It is said that the fastest way to improve not only in soccer but in other sports is to imitate the
pros. Although no one taught him, Isagi imitated Noel Noa's every move. He watched his
videos, analyzed them, and recorded them in a notebook.

He spent every day practicing, filling his mind with Noel Noa's soccer.

(One day, I will represent Japan and score a goal in the World Cup Finals!)

He aims to be Noel Noa.

When asked who he admires the most, he answers "Noel Noa," he writes on his
self-introduction card, "My dream is to be the best striker in the world," and his request to Santa
is a “World Cup Championship trophy”.
Isagi became stronger and better. He was fearless in running into his opponents, as if he had
never been a crybaby. In elementary school, he scored a goal beating five opponents in a row.
In junior high school, he became known as the unbeatable striker in his hometown in Saitama.

(I’m gonna be a striker like Noel Noa!)

That dream greatly changed Isagi.

After graduating from junior high school, he entered a local soccer powerhouse, Ichinan High
School.

CHAPTER 4: ONE FOR ALL.

(I’ll be a striker like Noel Noa! First, I’ll go to Ichinan High School and play at the Nationals! Then
I'll turn pro, get called up to the National team, and score the final goal in the World Cup!)

This is the dream he has held in his heart since that day when he was eight years old. On the
first day of joining the soccer club at Ichinan High School, he was filled with anticipation for the
first step toward this dream. When he stepped into the club room, there were already some
students who seemed to be new members. The club is strong and historic, with old certificates
and cups adorning the lockers and the club's motto written in brush strokes on the largest wall.
Looking at the yellowed club motto, which he does not know how long it has been on the wall, a
tiny sense of discomfort sprouts in Isagi's heart.

<One for all, all for one.>

<One difficulty after another. There is no wall that we cannot overcome if we all work
together.>

Something’s wrong, isn’t it……?

One for all, all for one. It means each one should act for the sake of others, and the others
should act for the sake of each one. Sounds good, but isn't the game far more from that ideal?
The soccer that made his heart fired up was even more cruel. The striker who single-handedly
broke through that cruel world was beautiful.

“You’re Isagi Yoichi-kun, right?”

Someone suddenly tapped his shoulder and when he turned around, he saw a tall student who
also seemed to be a new club member.

“Huh? Yeah, but……”

“Whoa, that’s awesome! I’m Tada Tomonari! I’m a forward too! I've seen you at a competition
before, Isagi! You were really good! I'm so lucky to be on the same team with you!”
“No, it’s nothing…… Ha ha.”

When he meets someone for the first time and they come onto him like that, he gets a little
startled.

“Hey, everyone! It’s Isagi-kun!”

Tada called out everyone.

“It’s really him! It’s Isagi Yoichi!”

“I've won a regional tournament once!”

The fellow first-year students gathered around. They all seemed to be cheerful and nice. Thanks
to Tada, the mood maker, the nervous first-year students quickly became comfortable with each
other.

“Isagi-kun’s play is completely unlike any junior high student, it was insane~”

Tada talks to him without hesitation, and Isagi starts to relax. ……He's a forward too, so he
might understand. Timidly, he points to the club motto on the wall.

“Uhm, Tada-kun… don’t you think there’s something wrong with this?”

He spoke up about the sense of discomfort he felt.

“Why?”

He looks at him in amazement.

“Well, in soccer, it feels good because you can beat your opponents and score goals by
yourself, right? That’s the joy of being a striker. It's not about joining forces, but about the power
of each individual striker… I guess.”

He glances to see how Tada reacts.

“Huh? You can't play soccer by yourself.”

He said “What are you talking about?” then laughed.

“Soccer is a sport played by eleven people! My goal is a team play that represents the bond of
those eleven people! One for all, all for one!”
Suddenly, they wrap an arm around each other’s shoulders.

“Let's all join forces and go to the Nationals!"

“Yeah!”

When Tada said this, their other teammates got excited.

(Huh? Am I the only one who thinks that this is ridiculous?)

Isagi couldn't say anything more.

__________

Shortly after joining the club, Isagi was convinced. Ichinan High School’s soccer philosophy is
far from his ideal. The coach was friendly, compassionate, and nice. However, their practice to
build up the game by passing the ball around is honestly boring. The coach's emphasis is not on
power and speed, but on their combination with their fellow teammates. It was about teamwork,
keeping the ball in play with sharp passes while getting close to the goal.

“Nice pass!!”

“Isagi, nice timing on your passes!!”

He responded with a smile, but every time his fellow teammates compliment him, He wonders,
"Is this what I should be doing?” No matter how many good passes he made, he never felt like
he’s getting closer to his dream.

(Am I… really sure this is what I want?)

Being talented, Isagi who practices eagerly, received a uniform number even though he was
only a freshman, and began to participate in practice games. But even in the matches, he is not
asked to be a striker. They’re winning games, and he doesn't mean to complain, but still…

One day at the end of a practice. Isagi had the courage of a lifetime. On a whim, he decided to
tell the coach what he thought. Looking at the back of the coach who was about to leave, he
said, "Uhm! Excuse me!"

“Hm? What’s wrong, Isagi?”

Seeing the quiet and obedient Isagi talk to the coach, his other teammates who were about to
leave also stopped.

“Uhm… I want to go for the next game, as a striker, I'd like to shoot more if possible.…”
This was all Isagi could muster.

“Hahaha! You want to show off?”

The coach laughed out loud, and his teammates laughed out loud as well.

“Up until now, You could have won matches with your individual skills, but high school isn’t a
piece of cake. First of all, thoroughly practice team play. We win together, and become stronger
together! If you do that, then you'll have double the joy! And half the sorrow! That’s what Ichinan
soccer is!”

The coach went on and on about the importance of the team and strongly hoped that Isagi
would contribute to it.

“Ichinan is a team that aims to participate in the Nationals with all eleven! Don't think soccer can
be won by one person alone!”

Turning red from embarrassment, He bows his head. Ichinan's soccer is to win through team
play. And that may be the Japanese way of playing soccer.

“I'm sure you know what I mean. Isagi, I'm counting on you!”

With a slap on the back, the coach leaves. One for all, all for one.

(I have to play for everyone……)

When he returned to the clubroom, Tada was waiting for him.

“Isagi, you’re late. Let’s go home, quick!”

Starting with Tada, all his teammates are good guys. They have a nice atmosphere, they have
won matches, and if they work hard, they can aim for the Nationals.

(This is fine. Indeed, this is how a team works. Soccer is a sport played by eleven people. I'm
sure it's not right for me to disturb the harmony… by myself.)

He looked up at the club motto and murmured.

“One for all, all for one…”

Without anyone hearing, he repeated those words again.

___________
TL: @hoshi801_ (twitter). Thank you for reading! But I still encourage everyone to buy the original copy if it is available in your region to directly support
Blue Lock! Anyone is free to retranslate this to their own language as long as it is properly credited and has no intention of publishing it for sale.