The 10th Story Arc of the Blue Lock manga series, which centers on the build-up to Team Z's final First Selection match against Team V. The strongest players of Team V are introduced here in Nagi, Reo, and Tsurugi, which Reo and Nagi's backstory is seen here with the rich kid Reo taking in the slacker Nagi to become a football duo who will eventually win the World Cup. Meanwhile, Ego provides a bit of advice to Team Z where they must figure out their "goal formula" that will allow them to score repeatable goals rather than just relying on flukes all the time.
It makes up chapters 22 to 25 of the series.
Chapter 22: Until My Blood Stops Boiling
As Team Z celebrates Chigiri's goal ending the game against Team W in a tie game rather than a loss, Isagi greets Chigiri to praise him over how incredible his speed weapon is. Chigiri points out that it's Isagi's fault as watching the latter try so hard caused Chigiri to seethe to the point of freeing him from the chain that was holding him back. Chigiri then announces that he's decided to continue to run and play football while his blood is still boiling, and will do so until his knee finally gives out. The result is Isagi befriending Chigiri, which they challenge one another to become the greatest striker.Turning their attention to their team's traitor, Team Z notices the members of Team W all beating up Kuon. Team W all being angry at him, because they believe that he hid Chigiri's speed weapon from them. Despite Isagi and Kunigami arriving to break up the beating, Kuon uses the opening to escape, and runs off the field. Ego then pops up on the television to inform everyone that the V-Z strata's Game 8 has concluded with Team V beating Team X 5-2.
Afterwards, Team Z regroups off the field down a man since Kuon's no longer viewed as part of the team. Upon entering the cafeteria, they spot Kuon sitting with 3 members of Team V trying to strike a deal similar to what he did for Team W. Kuon offering information to Team V in order for Team Z to easily lose, and allow Kuon to go on to the Second Selection as Team Z's top scorer. Kuon even vowing to continue helping them in the Second Selection. However, the three Team V players, Seishiro Nagi (Rank 221), Reo Mikage (Rank 222), and Zantetsu Tsurugi (Rank 223) reject the offer. The three of them turn out to be Team V's top-3 players having scored 7 goals, 6 goals, and 5 goals so far respectively. Tsurugi comes off as a dumb person who tries to act smart, and Nagi appears to be lazy and unmotivated. Thus, Reo acts as Team V's leader who keeps the two of them in line.
Nagi, Reo, and Tsurugi get up to leave, which Reo appears to focus on taking care of Nagi specifically since he provides the lazy Nagi with a piggyback ride. As they walk, Nagi's left unimpressed by Kuon's efforts in trying to win in Blue Lock. Nagi claiming that weak people who lose anyway despite how hard they try just aren't worth it, which catches Isagi's attention not liking how Nagi views a weak person's efforts in trying to win. When Nagi questions Reo if losers playing football is worth it, Isagi confronts the 3 Team V players ordering them to not mock football, which Reo questions who he is. Isagi answers that he's Team Z, and that he will take Team V down. The other 9 members of Team Z stand behind Isagi thinking the same thing.
Chapter 23: Until They Met Each Other
Led by Iemon, Team Z holds a strategy meeting in their Monitoring Room. They're seen watching a recorded video of the V-Z strata's Game 9, which concluded. Team Y managing to tie against Team W 1-1. The tournament point standings being V at 9, W at 5, Z and Y at 4, and X at 3. As a result, the strata's Game 10 between Team Z and Team V remains as the only game left to be played. It's thanks to Team W failing to win against Team Y that it's become a win-and-you're-in scenario for Team Z. That winning against Team V will end their tournament standing within the top-2 at 7 points, and allow Team Z to move on to Blue Lock's Second Selection. As they watch the Team Y vs. Team W match, Team Z notices how Niko scoring Team Y's lone goal looks like he was inspired by Isagi to take being the lead striker more seriously. Iemon then brings up the information they have on Nagi, Reo, and Tsurugi, and warns the team that they're the top Team V players to watch out for since together, they've scored Team V's 18 goals throughout their previous 3 matches. Isagi taking note of the Team V's top-scorer, Nagi, who's previous words make him feel sick.Meanwhile at Team V's locker room, Nagi is seen playing a video-game on his phone. Tsurugi tries to help the lazy Nagi stretch, which Reo interrupts since he doesn't want Nagi to be bothered. Despite Tsurugi warning Reo that the latter's too protective of Nagi, Reo doesn't mind claiming that it's because Nagi is his "gem."
The story flashes back to before Blue Lock where it turns out that Reo is the young heir of the Mikage Corporation, a business worth up to 705.8 billion yen. As a child, Reo's rich parents spoiled him with everything, and raised him up to one day take over his father's corporation. Reo eventually enters into an elite high-school, and was one of its smartest and most athletic students. However, Reo remains bored with his life as everything has been for his parents rather than anything being for himself. One day, Reo decides to watch a World Cup football match on his television. It's here that Reo finally finds something that he wants for himself, which is to win a World Cup. When Reo informs his parents of his dream however, he's shut down by them as they don't believe that it's worth it to become a football player over running the Mikage Corporation. Being denied his dream ends up angering Reo into wanting to win the World Cup even further, and get back at his parents for denying the first thing he ever wanted for himself.
At school, Reo remains determined to win the World Cup. However, he isn't convinced that their school's weak football team would even reach Nationals, which leaves him stuck as to what to do. One day, he ends up accidentally bumping into Nagi on the stairwell. The bump causing Nagi to drop the phone he was playing video-games on. However, Nagi's next action surprises Reo as he witnesses Nagi catch his dropped phone with his foot before it hit the ground, which Reo notes is quite similar to a football trapping move. Reo takes interest in Nagi's potential as a football player. However, Nagi reveals that he's never actually played any athletic sport before, and has no interest in playing football since it sounds like a lot of annoying hard work. As a result, Reo realizes that Nagi is a hidden football talent that has no interest in the sport, which excites Reo into wanting Nagi to be his. Refusing to back down, Reo goes about convincing Nagi for the two of them to play football together.
Chapter 24: The Formula of a Goal
Team Z spends some time goofing around in their home room much to Iemon's irritation as he wants the team to focus on their upcoming match against Team V. Eventually, Raichi confronts Kuon aiming to beat the guy up over his traitorous actions, which Isagi steps in warning Raichi that they need Kuon so that Team Z has a full roster against Team V. However, Kuon makes it clear that he has no interest playing for Team Z as all he has to do is wait it out until Team V rolls over Team Z, which will allow him to move on as the losing team's top scorer. As a result, Kunigami challenges Kuon that he will score 3 goals in the next match to have 4 goals over Kuon's 3, which Kuon doesn't believe will happen due to how good Team V is. Kuon then explains a bit of his backstory of how he was the only football player from his high school who was serious enough to train for Nationals and the World Cup, which he tells the Team Z he's been unimpressed by that he won't have his teammates dragging him down ever again.The team then discusses how a top-scorer tie-breaker would work out since after tied goals and tied card penalties, there's nothing. Ego then pops on the television having heard their conversation, and reveals that it would be based on a player's current ranking. He shows them the list of Team Z's current rankings, which Kuon and Chigiri have moved up to the top spots at ranks 265 and 266 respectively over Isagi. Kuon gets excited that he's currently the top rank, but Ego proceeds to chew Kuon out for his actions making him the biggest scum of Blue Lock. Ego then provides Team Z a bit of advice that their goals so far have been nothing but flukes, which they need to learn goal repeatability. That they each need to discover their "goal formula" by utilizing all the knowledge and skill that they have regarding football in order to create a play-style that will lead them to repeatable goal scores. Before cutting off, Ego tells Team Z that the formula's purpose is to reduce their chance-play by changing it into a logical sequence.
The timer begins with the Team Z vs. Team V match set for the next day, which Raichi threatens to injure Kuon if the latter decides to pull anything during the match. Isagi thinks over Ego's speech knowing that he needs a better weapon than just spatial awareness. Especially now that they're going up against the strong Team V down a man since Kuon's planning to sit the match out. As a result, Isagi leaves Team Z's room to head elsewhere as he knows of someone who can help him create a new weapon to allow him to fight on his own. He arrives at Team X's practice field, and finds the man he's looking for, Baro, who's already set to move on to the Second Selection as the losing Team X's top-scorer since he's scored 10 goals. Baro notices Isagi's arrival, and questions why the talentless trash is here.
Chapter 25: Mechanics
Isagi seeks help from Baro wanting to be more like the latter as someone capable of scoring a lot of goals on their own. Baro remains disinterested and kicks Isagi in the head with a soccer ball. However, Isagi refuses to back down, which Baro accepts by taking on Isagi in a 1-on-1 duel on the Team X practice field. Isagi aims to steal the ball away, but Baro easily dribbles by him, and scores a long-range goal from 20 meters out. Baro begins to walk away believing that he's made his point, but Isagi challenges Baro to go again. Baro accepts it, and like before, he easily dribbles past Isagi, and scores another long-range goal from 20 meters out. Isagi noticing that Baro scored in the exact same top-right spot of the goal. Isagi begins to piece together what he believes to be Baro's goal formula, and challenges Baro once more claiming that he's figured Baro out.Not liking what he heard, Baro agrees to go at Isagi a 3rd time. Isagi takes position to play strong defense 23 meters out from the goal, which Isagi remains convinced that Baro will be unable to score a long-range shot since the goal formula for Baro to score at the top-right of the goal requires him to be 20 meters from the goal. However, Baro reveals that he can kick it as far out as 27 meters, which Baro proceeds to score another goal into the top-right corner 27 meters out. In the end, Isagi thanks Baro for helping him figure some stuff out, which Baro just goes on another King speech of how he wasn't helping, but just proving his point that he's the King over the peasants.
Isagi then spends the night in Team Z's home room unable to sleep as he thinks over how Baro's goal formula of a powerful middle-shot combined with the ability to score 27 meters out has allowed Baro to score many goals. As a result, Isagi realizes that in order for himself to score more goals, his own goal formula requires a second skill to be paired up with his spatial awareness. Isagi then realizes that he's shaking in anticipation knowing that the next match against Team V could be his last. It then turns out that Igarashi can't sleep either as he's anxious knowing that he would return to working at his family's temple if Team Z loses to Team V tomorrow. Isagi assures Igarashi that they won't let it end here, and that they will win no matter what. The rest of Team Z other than Bachira and Kuon is also seen unable to sleep as they await the match against Team V.
