Chapter 117: Oliver Aiku
The meeting room at the Japan U-20 training camp was packed.
In a corner of the room, a teenager with a bit of stubble and a look that didn't quite match his age stared out the window, looking completely bored.
That was Oliver Aiku, the captain of the Japan U-20 National Team.
"What's the old man up to now, Aiku? Bringing us all here for some big announcement?"
The guy sitting next to him, Kazuma Niou, nudged him. Niou was another one who looked a few years older than his actual age.
Aiku just shook his head. He didn't have a clue, and he didn't really care.
The door creaked open, and their head coach, Yasumori Hoichi, walked in.
He scanned the room before dropping the news. In two weeks, they were scheduled to play an exhibition match against a team from a project called Blue Lock.
'Blue Lock?'
Niou looked confused. He'd never heard of it.
"Probably just another PR stunt cooked up by the Federation to get some eyes on the sport," Aiku muttered, his interest already fading.
"To make sure we win, the Federation has officially drafted a few newcomers to join the U-20 squad,' the coach continued, his voice rising with forced excitement. 'And more importantly, making his debut with the national team... the man everyone has been waiting for, Itoshi Sae!"
On cue, Itoshi Sae walked into the room, hands buried in his pockets.
"Holy crap, it's actually him!"
"He's even cooler in person. I can't believe we're going to be on the same pitch."
"Look at that attitude. He thinks he's royalty. What a prick."
The room erupted into a dozen different conversations at once.
Aiku's eyes sharpened. So, Sae was actually here?
The genius midfielder who had made a name for himself across the globe was finally stepping onto their turf.
"Oh? I thought even Itoshi Sae wouldn't be enough to wake you up," Niou joked.
"I'm not that cynical," Aiku replied, a spark finally lighting up his gaze. "He's a world-class talent. I've never played with someone like that before."
"Hey, who's the other guy?"
"Who knows? Probably just Sae's lapdog."
The rest of the room finally noticed Shidou, who had invited himself in and was sitting off in a corner by himself.
Shidou was busy digging around in his nose, looking like he didn't give a damn about anyone or anything.
'That guy looks like trouble...'
Niou could tell just by looking that Shidou was a loose cannon.
Aiku glanced at him for a second and then looked away. In his mind, a nobody like Shidou wasn't worth his energy.
"As you all know by now, our opponents are the Blue Lock Eleven," the coach said, trying to regain control. "This match is about the pride of the U-20 National Team. We cannot lose. Sae! Would you like to say a few words to fire up the boys?"
Yasumori Hoichi turned to Sae with a pathetic, fawning smile.
Aiku looked away in disgust. It was embarrassing to have a head coach who acted like a spineless servant.
"Fine..." Sae said, pausing for a moment. When he spoke, it was like a lightning strike. "Playing with me is a privilege. You should be honored."
The room went silent.
"I don't care about any of you. This is likely the only chance you'll ever have to play at this level, so try not to piss me off. That's all."
"Wait, what?"
"Does this guy think he's better than everyone?"
"What an arrogant bastard!"
The coach froze, completely blindsided by Sae's lack of teamwork. He didn't even know how to play it off.
Aiku just smirked. This was going to be a hell of a show.
Suddenly, someone slammed their hands on a table and stood up.
It was Shuto Sendo, the current ace striker for the U-20.
He was the rising star of the domestic league, and right now, he was livid. "Listen here, "genius." Don't look down on us."
"Maybe you're world-famous, but at the end of the day, you're still just a youth player, right?' Sendo shouted. "I'm a regular starter in the J-League's top division. Watch your mouth. When it comes to a real career, I'm way ahead of you."
Sendo puffed out his chest, looking proud of himself.
Sae looked at him with pure boredom. "And?"
Sendo blinked. "And what?"
Did this kid not get it? Sendo was a professional. Sae was just a kid in an academy. There was a hierarchy here, and Sae was at the bottom of it.
Sae's expression didn't change. "In a few years, you'll fight to be the top scorer in a mediocre domestic league. Then you'll get called up to the senior national team."
"You'll make about 50 million yen a year. You'll marry some gravure idol and have a "happy" little family. That's it. That's the peak of your pathetic career."
Marry a gravure idol?
The image of himself marrying his favorite model flashed through Sendo's mind. He stood there, stunned.
'Wait... isn't that a perfect life?' he thought for a split second.
Aiku covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. Sendo was getting absolutely demolished.
"My goal is to be the best in the world," Sae said. "Our ambitions are on completely different planets. The fact that you even hesitated for a second proves you'll never be anything. Get out of my sight."
Sendo's face turned bright red. His ego was screaming at him to fight back. "I... I want to be the best in the…!"
Before he could finish the sentence, a massive force slammed into the back of his head.
Crash!
Sendo's face was crushed into the table.
"Too bad. Better luck in the next life," Shidou said, a feral grin splitting his face.
"This whole hierarchy thing is so trashy. You're the one who needs to watch his mouth, rookie."
Shidou had been annoyed since he walked in, and Sendo was the perfect punching bag for the Blue Lock demon to vent his frustrations.
"Who the hell are you?"
"You think you can just lay hands on our ace?"
"You want to go, punk?"
The U-20 players were shouting now, looking like they were ready to brawl.
"Oh? You guys want to fight?" Shidou asked, his eyes wide with excitement. "Come on then. All of you. If I win, I get to start."
As the "King of Violence," Shidou wasn't backing down from anyone.
"Hey! Everyone! Stop!"
Coach Yasumori Hoichi was panicking. He never imagined things would spiral this far out of control.
Sae just watched the chaos with cold, indifferent eyes.
"Ugh... I can deal with Itoshi Sae, but a nobody like you thinks he can insult me?"
Sendo sat up, a massive lump forming on his head. He glared at Shidou. "I'm going to make you regret that. Eat this!"
Shidou hopped onto the table and launched a vicious kick.
Just as everyone thought Sendo's head was about to be taken off, a hand reached out and caught Shidou's foot with incredible strength.
It was Aiku. As the captain, he couldn't just sit back and watch his team get humiliated anymore.
Shidou tried to pull back, but he couldn't budge.
Even Sae's eyes flickered with interest.
'Huh?'
Shidou couldn't believe it. Someone was actually better at brawling than he was?
He threw a punch at Aiku's face.
With one fluid motion, Aiku executed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.
Shidou hit the floor hard, pinned down and unable to move.
"I like the intensity, little puppy," Aiku whispered right into Shidou's ear. "But at the end of the day, you have to prove it on the pitch."
"Mmm... mmph!"
Aiku had his hand over Shidou's mouth, muffling his response.
"You need a hand, Aiku?"
The other three defenders of the U-20 stood up behind him.
Aiku was the heart of the defense. If Kira and his team wanted to score, they would have to get through the Iron Wall of the U-20 first.
"I've got this," Aiku said, waving them off.
He turned his gaze back to Sae, his voice calm and steady. "And one more thing, genius."
"Don't just talk a big game. Use your play to earn our trust."
Sae's expression finally turned serious. The U-20 wasn't just a bunch of random players.
They had their own king.
Oliver Aiku.
***
Meanwhile, at the Blue Lock training grounds.
The hellish pre-match training camp had begun.
Kira sat on the grass, gulping down water.
The intensity was insane.
Kira looked up at the sky, thinking about his "friend", Shidou.
He wondered how that maniac was holding up with the U-20.
Knowing Shidou, though, he probably wasn't the one getting beaten up.
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A/n: YESSS!! IT'S ALMOST TIME!! We are so damn close to the U-20 arc...
So... Hand over all of your Power Stones!!
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