Chapter 2: Flames of Rivalry
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Dawn at Blue Lock
The first rays of sunrise seeped through the slatted windows of the communal dormitory, painting the long room in bands of coral and gold. Joshua Yoichi lay awake on his top bunk, galaxy-white hair fanned across the pillow. Below him, Yoichi Isagi stirred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Six thirty," Joshua murmured. "Time for morning drills."
Isagi sat up, stretching taut muscles hardened by yesterday's match. "Already? Can't we rest a little longer?"
Joshua swung his legs over the edge, boots thumping onto the floor. "Rest is for the eliminated. Besides, I want to test something before breakfast." He flashed a grin. "Metavision calculation: convince Bachira to spar with me at first light."
Isagi frowned but smiled. "You're incorrigible." He swung down, glancing around at their housemates—dozens of aspirants still half-asleep, curled under thin blankets. Tomorrow's elimination round would pit them against each other in small group scrimmages; only the top scorers would survive. The pressure crackled in the stale air like static.
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Joshua's POV: Morning Spar
Outside, the practice yard was already alive with motion. Meguru Bachira dribbled past cones with fluid grace, a grin plastered on his face as though the world itself was one long carnival. Joshua approached him, hands in pockets.
"Bachira," he called.
Bachira paused, ball at his feet, and looked up with bright, electric eyes. "Josh! Morning dribble session?"
"Better," Joshua replied, eyes gleaming. "One-on-one. Winner gets the loser's breakfast ration."
Bachira laughed, a clear, joyful sound. "You're on!"
They squared off at midfield. A hush fell as other candidates gathered—Isagi, Chigiri, Nagi, Rin, Sae, even the normally disinterested Sanada took a keen interest.
Joshua tapped the ball, a calm veneer over coiled power. He let Bachira launch the first attack—an explosive feint to the left, then right. Joshua absorbed the momentum with Angelic Control, guiding the ball into his path. He pivoted and struck: Angelic Free Kick, a low, skidding shot that clipped Bachira's ankle just enough to send the ball between his legs and into the makeshift goal.
Bachira yelped, stumbled, then burst into laughter. "Okay, that stung!" He retrieved the ball and charged again. This time, Joshua unleashed a crisp Angelic Drive from eighteen meters out. Golden wings flared within Joshua's mind's eye; the strike hummed through the air like a living thing. Bachira dove but the ball slipped past, nicking the post and rolling in.
Spectators cheered. Bachira stretched out his hand. "Rematch?"
Joshua shook it. "Let's make it worthier. First to three."
They clashed in a dance of skill: Bachira's unpredictable dribbles versus Joshua's godlike precision. The score evened at 2–2 when Bachira feinted left, juked right, and burst toward the goal. Joshua anticipated the move via Metavision, stepping in to intercept. But Bachira—blossoming through adversity—executed a lightning-quick backheel that left Joshua flat-footed. The ball trickled past the line.
"Three-two!" Bachira crowed.
Joshua laughed, nodding in respect. "Well done. You earned breakfast."
Isagi approached, clapping. "That backheel was textbook. Your euphoria-dribble nearly caught me off guard."
Bachira shrugged, beaming. "Euphoria's my style. But man, Joshua—you could play blindfolded."
Joshua tousled Bachira's hair. "Save the compliments. We've got elimination rounds today."
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Midday Briefing: The Elimination Grid
Inside the glass-walled briefing room, Jinpachi Ego's silhouette flickered on a holoscreen. His cold, analytical voice filled the chamber.
> "Today's test: three simultaneous three-on-three scrimmages. Each group plays for ten minutes. Scoring is cumulative. The bottom 25% of scorers—by individual goals—will be eliminated. Choose your teammates wisely; this is where lone talents die."
A digital grid appeared, listing all forty candidates. Lines snaked between names as they formed groups. Joshua and Isagi stared at the board. Eight groups. They had to split up—only one slot per person.
Chigiri and Nagi leaned toward Isagi, eager for his strategic mind. Bachira cornered Joshua, wild-eyed with hope. Rin Itoshi glided silently toward the doorway, leaving an empty seat next to Sae.
Isagi whispered to Joshua, "We need levers. Chigiri's pace, Bachira's flair—use them."
Joshua nodded. "I'll team with Bachira and Chigiri. You take Nagi and Sae."
Isagi frowned. "Sae?"
"He's good—like Rin, but less predictable." Joshua's Angelic Vision parsed the board: Sae had two goals and three assists from the first match. Combined with Nagi's raw power and Isagi's instinct, they could dominate.
Isagi exhaled. "Alright. Let's do it."
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Scrimmage 1: Mad Dash
On Pitch Alpha, Joshua's team—he, Bachira, Chigiri—took the center circle. Their opponents: Hyoma Chigiri (no relation) and two newcomers. As whistle blew, Bachira surged forward, weaving past the defender. Joshua trailed, eyes scanning for the keeper's angle. Chigiri peeled off a defender, opening space. With a flick, Bachira slipped the ball to Chigiri, who struck it—deflected by the keeper. Joshua collected the rebound, feinted, and delivered an Angelic Header that rocketed into the net.
1–0.
Chigiri sprinted back, intercepted a lazy backpass with his blistering pace, and tapped it to Joshua. Joshua let the ball roll once, then unleashed Angelic Drive. The keeper flung his body in vain.
2–0.
Bachira danced around two defenders, juked left then right, and slotted a cheeky chip. 3–0. The opponents faltered under their relentless press. Joshua felt the thrill of teamwork—the gears of the group meshing like a fine-tuned machine.
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Scrimmage 2: Ice vs. Fire
On Pitch Beta, Isagi's team faced Rin Itoshi, Seishiro Nagi, and a stealthy freshman named Kira. Rin's precision passes sliced through midfield; Nagi's thunderous shots rattled the crossbar. Sae matched Rin's tempo, creating overlapping runs.
Isagi, Nagi, and Sae deployed a triangle press. Nagi used feints to draw two defenders; Sae lurked behind, ready to poach. Isagi read the play with Isagi's Instinct, intercepting a pass and springing into space. Nagi spotted him—lob pass over the defense. Isagi controlled with a deft first touch and dinked it past the keeper.
1–0.
Nagi thundered forward, met with a double team; he laid off a quick one-two with Sae. Sae curved a beautiful free kick from the edge into the upper corner.
2–0.
Rin retook possession, orchestrated a devastating counter. But Isagi, foreseeing the cutback, stepped in for a critical tackle. He drifted forward, collecting the loose ball and teeing it to Sae, who scored with his weaker left foot.
3–0.
At the final whistle, Isagi's team also won 3–0. Together, the brothers had laid waste to both pitches.
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Debrief: Clash of Titans
Back in the dorm's common area, candidates clustered around holoscreens displaying the day's top scorers. Joshua led with four goals; Bachira had three; Chigiri two. Isagi had three, Sae two, Nagi one. Ninety percent of the candidates celebrated; the bottom eight packed their bags in stunned silence.
Bachira thrust a fist in the air. "Josh! We're killing it!"
Joshua laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Teamwork, baby."
Isagi approached quietly, folding his arms. "Tomorrow's challenge: The Nine-Man Gauntlet. Wind up your coils. Because they'll come at you from all angles."
Rin Itoshi slipped through the crowd and stood before them, expression unreadable. "You two—brothers, right? Good synergy. But remember: personal glory trumps everything here. Don't let family get in the way of evolution."
His words hung in the air like a guillotine's blade. Joshua's smile faltered. Isagi's gaze narrowed.
Bachira frowned. "Don't listen to him, Josh."
Joshua shook his head. "He's right about one thing: this place makes monsters. But I'm not letting that break us."
Isagi nodded, placing a hand on Joshua's shoulder. "We evolve together—or not at all."
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Twilight Resolve
That night, as the dormitory lights dimmed, Joshua Yoichi lay awake once more. The taste of victory was sweet, but the scent of rivalry burned hotter. He thought of Bachira's laughter, of Chigiri's pounding heart, of his brother's unshakeable calm. Above all, he thought of Rin's warning: personal ambition could shred bonds apart.
But Joshua Bobilon—no, Joshua Yoichi—had never backed down. He closed his eyes, summoning Creator Mode. Within the depths of his mind, his vision blazed yellow, wings of pure gold unfurling in the darkness.
"I will protect him," he vowed silently. "Because he is my brother."
And somewhere across the silent halls, Yoichi Isagi whispered the same promise to himself.
Tomorrow, the crucible would grow fiercer. But together, their light would burn brighter than any flame.
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End of Chapter 2