2.28. Mercenary

Chiyo and Yamato of Mikage Corporation have released a new pair of earphones, designed for easy communication between people from different nations. It translates words coming in, in live time, and repeats it in a chosen language to the wearer...

Eiji and Yume of L/N Technology have now announced a breakthrough in their research, a procedure that helps bones reform in their original manner after a breakage. They have also announced the release of new bioprinting machines, capable of depositing layers of skin tissue right on top of burn victims...

Ei.Yu.T. has sent a follow request.

Ei.Yu.T has liked your post.

Ei.Yu.T has liked your post.

Ei.Yu.T has liked your post.

Y/N stood outside the JFU building where he'd been originally invited to Bluelock, one hand in his pocket and the other swiping the notifications off the top of his phone. He was growing tired of this stranger. I might just delete my social media... I don't use it anyway.

It was nearing two and a half weeks since they'd had the match against the U-20. Y/N had spent the vast majority of his time with his friends, sometimes in groups, sometimes individually. Julian hadn't been able to talk to him much. When Y/N'd asked, he just got a vague response, Julian saying Ego needed to sort stuff out with him.

But he'd had fun. So much fun, that even thinking about the past couple of weeks brought a smile to his face.

Y/N gazed up at the building. He'd played plenty of video games... he'd visited a bunch of different places... he'd done so much that he never would've dreamed of doing by himself. But his friends had done it with him, helped him truly enjoy the break he'd had.

And he'd finally got the message a few days ago. Everyone had, the group chat blowing up as they each received the email to their phones. The Bluelock project was restarting, in all its glory.

"Is nobody here...?"

He glanced around. The street was pretty much empty. And the gate leading into the building was shut. He'd arrived early, but so early that the building was closed? The Bluelock coaches were all parked outside, so it wasn't like he'd got the wrong place.

"Y/N L/N."

He slowly turned around. Ego Jinpachi stood on the pavement, dressed as usual in his black shirt and trousers. Just the sight of him irked Y/N. He invited Kuroi in. He worked with Kuroi. He told them about Ascension.

"What do you want?" He folded his arms, eyes dark as he stared at the man.

"It's good you're here early." Ego spoke, in his familiarly monotone voice. "I have a proposal to make you."

"What?"

"Do you accept?"

"I don't even know what it is." Y/N calmly replied. "And besides, why would I strike a deal with someone who tried to use Kuroi against me?"

"It'll get you fame. And money." Ego tilted his head. "And if you don't, you won't get to play for Japan in the U-20 World Cup."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

Y/N stared at Ego, eyes shimmering with annoyance. Ego's cold eyes looked right back, not a hint of emotion in them. Y/N inhaled slowly, then let it out in a long, tension-releasing breath.

"Sure. What is it?"

"I believe you already know how the next stage of Bluelock will work?"

"Sort of. I mean, Jules told me a bit."

Ego frowned a little. "Who is Jules?" Y/N's mouth opened with confusion, before he paused. Nodded, cheeks flushing red.

"Julian Loki. The French striker."

"Right..." Ego glanced around the street. He checked the time on a silver watch strapped to his wrist. "Let's head to Bluelock now."

"Nobody else is here?" Y/N paused. "Isn't it a bit too early to head off now?" Am I late?

"I'll explain what is going to happen as we drive there. And no, it isn't too early. We need to set up."

Set up...? What set up? Hasn't Ego been working to 'set up' for the last few weeks? Y/N tilted his head with confusion. "Huh?"

"We need to get you camera-ready." Eyeing Y/N's body critically, Ego shook his head. "It probably won't take too long, but still..."

"What?" What was going on?!

"Get in the car."

"Why?!" Y/N hesitated as Ego began to walk away, before hurrying after him like a lost puppy. "Camera ready?"

"I'll explain in the car."

"What?!"

"Just follow me."

And so Y/N did.

🥕🥕🥕

Raichi stood in between a kid with bright blue hair, and another one who couldn't stop pushing up his rectangular glasses.

The last bus had just come, bringing Isagi, Chigiri, Bachira as well as Barou and Aryu. They immediately rushed for the rest of the players, Bachira colliding with one of the U-20 defenders with a whoop. "Yoo!"

Isagi's face brightened. "The U-20 players are here too?! How come?"

Aiku grinned in response. Raichi scowled, interrupting the captain before he could speak. "Ego called them too. For the next stage of the Bluelock Project."

"Yeah." Aiku smirked. "Don't know much, but it's gonna be huge. There's been so much investment into Bluelock... it's all over the soccer market."

Raichi scoffed. "I knew that."

"I wasn't talking to you." Aiku gestured to Isagi. "He asked."

Right eye twitching, Raichi snarled. "Don't dare talk down to me like that-"

Before Raichi could attack Aiku, a huge screen flickered to life. They were standing in a room that Raichi hadn't seen before, a simple cube that very surprisingly wasn't made from concrete. As usual though, Ego Jinpachi appeared on the screen. All eyes turned upwards.

"Hello there, diamonds in the rough." His voice echoed across the room. Raichi sighed, scoffing at Aiku before he turned his attention to Ego. He's real lucky I'm letting him off. "Did you all enjoy the holiday?"

"As you might know, I now have the power to decide every member of the Japanese U-20 team." Ego smiled, showing teeth as he raised his hands. "And since I figured even losers have their uses, I've decided that the new U-20 team will be formed from the members I've gathered here."

Aiku chuckled lowly. "Tough love, huh?"

"There's a hundred days until the U-20 World Cup begins." Ego raised a hand to his chin, eyes staring down each and every one of them. "If you guys were to take part, victory would be utterly impossible. And so... I've come up with the single best way to improve your skills to the international level."

He moved his hand from his chin, raising a finger. "What do you think was the cause for your improvement thus far? Learning your weapons... developing your ego... that is only possible because of your environment. This cruel, enclosed space called Bluelock."

"For you to improve, you'll need to change environments." Ego's eyes scanned over the assembled players. Forty-nine of them stood in the room. "And so... I've decided to throw you at the toughest environment in the world."

Ego's face flickered out of view, replaced by a swirling hologram. The Bluelock logo in the centre, orbited by five different countries' flags. Raichi's eyes locked onto each one. Ego's voice continued.

"Money. Popularity. And skill. These five European leagues are at the peak of all of these things. And every single one of you will choose a league to sharpen your skills in."

Tensions were so high that a knife wouldn't be able to cut them. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the screen, as one by one, Ego explained the leagues.

"England." A flash of light, then the English flag appeared on the screen, alongside various other images. "A league characterised by physical prowess, such as strength and speed. The majority of battles are won via pure physical strength."

"Spain." The Spanish flag took over the screen, with pictures of dribblers, fancy arcs, and stylish goals. "This league focuses on creativity, technique, and style. The citizens don't just want goals, they want entertainment."

"Italy." The Italian flag appeared in a flourish, with pictures of organised ranks, game plans, and statistics. "This league is all about team tactics, and cohesion. They fuse individual strength with team play, to generate incredible defence and offence."

"France." The French flag glowed as it blinked into existence. "The newest league, it is also the fastest developing. Money flows constantly here, and investors are looking for people with talent. This league only cares about getting goals, in any way possible."

"And finally, Germany." The German flag blew in an artificial wind as it shone on the screen. "This team favours getting goals, in the most logical, rational ways possible. This league fundamentally understands the basic rule of soccer - it is won by scoring the most goals."

"As now everyone is not a forward, choose your teams with your own position in mind. This is the final selection for the World Cup, and will determine who is on the actual team. You will have to win your place in the final team, through demonstrating your uniqueness."

Ego's voice turned colder, quieter. "Because even though your talents stand out here, they are nothing compared to the world. Choosing an environment here will completely change your life, for better, or for worse."

Raichi's phone pinged. At the exact same time, everyone else's did too. He grabbed it from his pocket, staring at the screen. Fifty minutes to choose a team...

"There are currently forty nine of you in the room." Ego added on. "To bring that total up to fifty... I will add one more. Each team will accept only ten players."

The doors at the end of the room, just under the screen swished open. Smoke flooded out. And from the smoke, a hulking figure walked out. Raichi's eyes widened with disbelief.

"Kunigami?"

The boy didn't answer. He stood right under the doorway, not saying a word.

🥕🥕🥕

"Did you think about our proposal?"

Ego Jinpachi nodded. On his computer screen, tens of people were staring at him. The investors. Most of them wore suits, some in casual wear, but Ego treated them all the same with cold indifference. He was there to develop his strikers, and nothing more.

"I've implemented something I think you'll enjoy, as well as the viewers." Ego leant forwards, displaying a screen to each of them.

"We have fifty-one players total. As such, I have capped each team to ten players from Japan." Everyone nodded. "The one player I am not putting on a team, is Y/N L/N."

"The kid who scored four goals solo? In the big game?"

"He's crazy... he might be another prodigy of Japanese soccer."

"But he isn't marketable. No social media... no agents... no online presence. How are we supposed to make money off him?"

"I've already started selling merch..."

"Didn't he shoot at a bystander?"

"The press covered it up pretty well."

Ego waited for the rush of conversation to die down, before continuing. "Some of the teams in this... Neo Egoist League are bound to be stronger than the others. Much stronger."

"Isn't that what makes it fun?"

Completely disregarding the comment, Ego spoke like nobody else had talked. "As such, to keep each game interesting, I present to you... the Mercenary System."

He switched the powerpoint slide. Intakes of breath came through the line. But nobody talked, or complained, or tried to interrupt him. Ego had them hanging onto his every word.

"We have our Star Change System ready to go. But this... Y/N L/N is by far above the level of other Japanese players. Having him on a specific team would make it extremely unbalanced. So, in a game between two teams... whichever team loses the first goal will have the option to take the Mercenary. This boost to the team's power should keep every game close and interesting."

The powerpoint slide changed again. "They will have the chance to decline as well. But if they take the Mercenary, they'll have to figure out how to use him themselves."

"But isn't the team with Y/N L/N just going to win? How is that fair?"

"While having him on your team may increase raw ability..." Ego murmured. "It will also reduce your team's cohesion. L/N doesn't care about his teammates. And he is incredibly unpredictable, even to his own team."

"Additionally, using him will mean that one of your own players will have to go off the pitch. This reduces their game time, and if they're a Japanese player, that could be devastating if they want to get any bids."

"And finally, some teams may not want to use him. They may be confident in their own ability to win. They may be too proud to let an outsider take over. And they may simply want to score goals themselves."

"I like it!"

One of the investors spoke as soon as Ego had finished speaking. "Yes, yes, yes! Implement this. It'll be entertaining...!"

One by one, they called out their support.

Every single one of them were in.

Ego smiled for the first time in the entire meeting, a small, creepy thing. He nodded, and ended the live call.

His room was quiet. Just a simple office, with a small table, a set of monitors that displayed all areas of Bluelock behind him. Like everywhere else in the facility, there were no windows.

Then he glanced up from his laptop... at the boy sitting across the table from him.

"Did you hear all that?"

Y/N L/N leant forwards in the chair. He nodded, his face serious. Not saying a word, excitement knotting in his stomach.

"Well then."

Standing up and closing his laptop, Ego Jinpachi's smile widened.

"Let's get to work, Mercenary."

Ascension - A Bluelock x male reader story.

Act 2 - Completed.