Blue Lock: Phantom Striker

The match against Team W had ended. Victory was theirs.

Yet, for Isagi Yoichi, there was no time to dwell on it.

While the others were either recovering or discussing what had happened, Isagi had already made his next move.

He walked over to the exchange terminal, his mind focused on a single objective.

"Welcome to the Blue Lock Exchange Terminal. Please select your desired item."

Isagi scrolled through the options. Phone Access= 6 Goal Points.

Without hesitation....

Purchase confirmed.

A drawer slid open, revealing a sleek smartphone with the Blue Lock insignia on its back.

Isagi picked it up and turned it on.

The outside world flooded back in.

And the first thing he checked?

Football.

His fingers navigated the interface with precision, pulling up live broadcasts, highlights, and statistics of the world's top leagues. The stadiums were filled with roaring crowds, the atmosphere electric. So, unlike the cold, empty fields of Blue Lock.

Yet, in his mind, he was right there.

He wasn't just watching football. He was studying it. Every movement, every touch, every feint. And most of all, he was watching them.

The players who had been with him long before he had ever set foot in Blue Lock. The ones who existed only in the phantom playground of his mind.

Alexander "The Wall" Hayes (USA - Goalkeeper) Club: Manchester United (English Premier League) Match: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

The screen showed Old Trafford under the floodlights, a battlefield where giants clashed. Hayes stood tall in goal, his 6'5" frame an unbreakable barrier. A Liverpool striker unleashed a bullet of a shot from inside the box. Any other keeper would have reacted too late.

Not Hayes.

His right arm shot out like a whip, his fingers barely grazing the ball, just enough to send it crashing against the post. The crowd erupted.

"Still unbeatable," Isagi murmured.

He had spent countless hours in his imaginary world trying to score past this behemoth. Even now, in reality, he remained just as terrifying.

Dietrich Eisen (Germany - Right Back) Club: Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) Match: Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund

Isagi's focus shifted to the Bundesliga derby. Eisen, clad in Bayern's red, was a machine.

He was pressing a Dortmund winger, suffocating him, forcing him to make mistakes. The moment the attacker hesitated, Eisen struck, intercepting the ball and launching a counterattack with a precise long ball down the flank.

"No wasted movements. No hesitation. Always efficient."

If Isagi wanted to reach the top, he needed that kind of defensive intelligence, even as a forward.

Cedric Beaumont (France - Center Back) Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) Match: PSG vs. Marseille

Beaumont was elegance in motion. While Eisen was brutal, Beaumont was calculated, a chess master on the field.

A Marseille striker tried to break through, but Beaumont didn't lunge recklessly. He shadowed him, directing him toward the least dangerous position, limiting his options.

Then, in one swift movement, he struck. Clean, precise, stealing the ball and turning defense into attack.

"It's not just about stopping the opponent," Isagi thought. "It's about controlling them."

Kael Baines (South Africa - Center Back) Club: Ajax (Eredivisie) Match: Ajax vs. Feyenoord

Chaos. That was the only way to describe Baines. Unlike Beaumont, who played with patience, Baines was everywhere at once, an unpredictable force.

Isagi watched as the Ajax defender closed down attackers before they could react, disrupting their rhythm, forcing them into uncomfortable plays.

"Pressure. Relentless pressure."

A style completely different from Beaumont's, yet just as effective.

Reece Calloway (England - Left Back) Club: Chelsea (English Premier League) Match: Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Chelsea's attack came from the left flank, where Calloway operated like a madman. He wasn't just a defender. He was an offensive weapon.

A quick one-two pass sent him surging forward, his cross whipping into the box, finding his striker's head for a goal.

"A defender who creates attacks... that's rare."

Isagi scribbled mental notes. If defenders like Calloway could be threats going forward, he needed to account for that in his play.

Enzo Moretti (Italy - Defensive Midfielder) Club: Juventus (Serie A) Match: Juventus vs. AC Milan

Moretti was the heart of Juventus. He dictated the match's rhythm, controlling when to accelerate and when to slow things down.

Whenever AC Milan pressed aggressively, Moretti stayed calm, always finding the safest yet most effective passing option.

"He plays football like chess. Every pass is a calculated move."

A deep playmaker like him was the kind of opponent who could frustrate any attacking force.

Arthur Quinn (UK - Central Midfielder) Club: Manchester City (English Premier League) Match: Manchester City vs. Tottenham

Where Moretti was controlled, Quinn was chaos incarnate. He was a war machine in midfield, crashing into duels, winning tackles, pushing forward with brute force.

There was no hesitation in his playstyle. Everything was forward-thinking, aggressive, determined.

"A bulldozer in midfield. If I face someone like him, I can't win by sheer force alone."

Hideki Tanaka (Japan - Attacking Midfielder) Club: Real Madrid (La Liga) Match: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Tanaka was unreal. The way he moved, graceful yet deadly. He toyed with defenders, his dribbling an art form.

Every feint, every shift of weight, sent his opponents into panic. He was unpredictable, a phantom in the midfield.

"The illusionist," Isagi muttered. "Beating him in a duel is a nightmare."

Rafael Nascimento (Brazil - Right Winger) Club: Flamengo (Brasileirão) Match: Flamengo vs. Palmeiras

Nascimento was raw flair. The Brazilian winger danced past defenders, his unpredictability making him impossible to read.

Sometimes he cut inside for a shot. Sometimes he sprinted down the wing for a cross. No pattern. No consistency.

Just chaos.

"Unpredictability is its own weapon."

Santiago "El Matador" Varela (Argentina - Striker) Club: Atlético Madrid (La Liga) Match: Atlético Madrid vs. Sevilla

Varela didn't need chances. He just needed one.

A single opening. A single touch. And the ball was in the net.

"The ultimate predator."

Marco de la Cruz (Philippines - Left Winger) Club: Villarreal (La Liga) Match: Villarreal vs. Valencia

Marco's speed was unnatural. One second, he was jogging. The next, he was gone.

A long ball was sent to him, and he exploded forward, leaving defenders scrambling to react.

"If I can't match that speed, I'll never catch him."

Isagi put down his phone. His mind was brimming with ideas, new perspectives on football. These weren't just some random professionals.

They were the titans of the game.

And they all had something in common.

They played football in a way that forced others to adapt to them.

Isagi clenched his fists. If he wanted to stand among them one day, he had to do the same.

He turned to Bachira, Kunigami, and Chigiri, who had been waiting for him.

"Let's train," he said.

Tomorrow, they'd face Team V.

And Isagi was going to prove that his vision, his understanding of the game, was evolving.

He wasn't just going to adapt.

He was going to control the field.

After training, Isagi finally sat down to analyze their next match.

Their next opponent?

Team V.

The strongest team in their bracket.

So far, they had won every match. Unchallenged.

And at the center of that team were three players Isagi studied most closely.

Reo Mikage – A midfield genius with precision passing and playmaking instincts sharper than anyone in Blue Lock. His ability to create chances was terrifying.

Seishiro Nagi – A lazy-looking guy with inhuman ball control. His first touch alone could destroy a defensive setup.

Zantetsu Tsurugi – A speedster. His acceleration could break defensive lines in a second. If he was given space, he was gone.

Watching them on the screen, Isagi leaned forward.

"How do you stop them?"

The others had gathered around.

Chigiri frowned. "That Zantetsu guy… he's fast."

Kunigami crossed his arms. "And Nagi's control is scary. He doesn't even look like he's trying."

Bachira?

He just grinned. "Hehe… interesting."

Isagi didn't react.

He simply watched.

Dissected.

Analyzed.

And then,

He saw it.

A flicker. A pattern. A weakness.

It was small. Almost invisible.

But it existed.

He leaned back, exhaling.

"We can win."

The others turned toward him.

"You sure about that?" Kunigami asked.

Isagi's eyes gleamed.

"If I devour them first, then yeah… we win."