BLUE LOCK CHAPTER 42: ABOUT - FACE

ABOUT-FACE

The Chapter continues the Second Selection Round, 1st Stage Level 2, with Isagi still trapped inside the goal-scoring room. The mission is clear: understand where the ball appears, read its trajectory, track the goalie, deal with random dummies, and keep scoring.

“If I can grasp all those factors…”
“…then I can score!!”

This matters because Isagi is no longer just surviving.
He is learning how to control chaos.

Isagi Starts Clearing Level 2

Isagi scores again.

“I can clear this!!!”

The number drops to 52 goals remaining.

This matters because Isagi proves that his reading ability is working.
He can process the room, understand the ball, and turn that information into goals.

But Blue Lock does not let him stay comfortable.

The Real Show Has Not Started Yet

Anri notices the improvement.

“The ones making progress are very clearly improving already.”
“This training is incredible.”

But Ego cuts through the excitement.

“This is just the first stage…”
“The real show starts after this.”

This matters because the chapter warns us early.
Even if Isagi is improving, this is still only the beginning.

The test is about to become far worse.

Level Max Begins

With 40 goals remaining, the room changes again.

“Level… Max?!!”

The dummies begin to move.

“The dummies…”
“…are moving now?!”

This matters because Isagi’s old method is no longer enough.
He cannot simply read static obstacles anymore.

Now the room is alive.
The test has become closer to a real match.

The Passes Become Harder

Isagi tries to relax and repeat the same process.

But the ball changes.

“It-it’s fast?!”
“And it’s got spin on it, too!”

Until now, the passes were flat and slow.
Now they are wild, fast, and difficult to receive.

“These are gonna be hard to receive!!!”

This matters because Isagi’s weakness is exposed.
His direct shot depends on timing, positioning, and clean contact.

Level Max attacks all three.

A World Class Front of Goal Simulation

The room now demands everything.

High-level ball receiving.
Randomly moving dummies.
Goalkeeper reading.
Shooting accuracy.
Endurance.

“This is a world class front of goal simulation.”

This matters because the test is no longer only technical.
It is a full striker examination.

Spirit.
Technique.
Physical skill.

Without all three, a player cannot break through.

Isagi Faces His Own Incompetence

Isagi struggles.

“Damn…!!”
“I haven’t scored even once!!”

But the struggle forces him to realize something important.

His body can still run because of the training he had done until yesterday.

Yet the deeper realization hurts more.

“For the first time…”
“…I feel like I’ve clearly understood…”

This matters because failure is making him honest.
He is finally seeing what his past goals were built on.

Isagi Realizes He Was Never Alone

Isagi remembers Bachira’s passes.

“He always passed to where it would be easy for me to kick…”
“He made the ball easy to kick…”

Then he remembers Kunigami.

“Drew the enemy away and acted as a wall for me…”

Then Chigiri.

“Waited for a pass inside my field of vision.”

This matters because Isagi finally admits the truth.

“I was able to score my goals…”
“…because all of them were there.”

He was not fighting alone.

And that means his current weapon is incomplete.

Isagi Wants the Strength to Fight Alone

The realization does not break him.

It pushes him.

“I want the strength…”
“…to fight on my own!!!”

He decides to integrate his abilities and analyze what he must do.

This matters because Isagi stops depending on the old version of himself.
He is not asking for easier passes.

He is trying to become the player who can score even from difficult ones.

Reading the Room at Level Max

Isagi begins again.

“Grasp the room…”
“…in an instant…”

He reads the goalie.
He reads the defenders.
He reads the ball’s trajectory and rotation.

Then he runs to the shooting point with no excess movement.

“Kick it towards the upper left corner!!”

This matters because the pieces are almost there.
His spatial awareness and positioning are working.

But almost is not enough.

The Direct Shot Still Falls Short

Isagi misses.

“So close!!”

He understands the problem immediately.

“My spatial awareness and positioning are on point, but…”
“I still can’t place shots exactly where I want them!!”

This matters because Isagi finds the real weakness.
The issue is not where he stands.

It is the final impact.

His direct shots are not matching the image in his head.

The Missing Piece: Accuracy

Then the answer hits him.

“…Accu-racy!”

He realizes Bachira’s passes were easy to hit.
But the balls in this room are unpredictable and harder to kick precisely.

So Isagi changes his approach.

“I’ll reduce my shooting power…”
“…to 80%…”
“…or even 70% of what I’ve been using…”

This matters because Isagi stops forcing the shot.
He chooses control over reckless power.

That decision becomes the turning point.

Isagi Finds the Impact Point

Isagi focuses everything on the final moment.

“I’ll put my full awareness…”
“…on the impact point!!!”

He shoots.

Goal.

“This is it!!”

This matters because Isagi discovers the structure behind his own goals.
His weapon is not just instinct anymore.

It has a formula.

The Formula of Isagi’s Direct Shot

The chapter breaks it down clearly:

“Spatial awareness ability × Direct shot = Goal”

But now Isagi understands the deeper parts inside that formula.

Positioning.
Impact technique.

“My direct shots…”
“…have their own structure and formula, too!!”

This matters because Isagi is no longer copying success.
He is understanding it.

That is why he feels a new version of himself appearing.

“I’m gradually…”
“…starting to see a whole new me!!!”

The Meaning of About Face

Ego observes Isagi’s growth.

“That kid…”
“…is improving like crazy!”

Then the chapter explains the meaning behind the title.

“Humans are creatures that only see what they want to see.”

But when they gain critical consciousness, their perception and thinking patterns change.

“Do an about-face…”

This matters because Isagi’s evolution is mental before it is physical.
He changes what he sees.

Then he changes how he plays.

Isagi Clears the First Stage

With only one goal remaining, Isagi pushes through.

Then the system reaches zero.

“Yoichi Isagi has reached 100 goals!!”
“Second Selection Round, 1st Stage: Clear!”

This matters because Isagi does more than complete the mission.
He transforms during it.

He gives deep thought to each goal.

“Up until now, I’ve never…”
“…given so much thought to a single goal of mine…”

And now he feels ready.

“I feel like I can face anyone now!!”

The Second Stage Appears

After clearing the first stage, Isagi reaches the next instruction.

“Form three-man teams to advance.”

This matters because the solo test ends, but a new challenge begins.

The room forced Isagi to grow alone.
Now the Second Stage will demand something different.

“This is…”
“…the Second Stage?!”

Final Thoughts 

Blue Lock Chapter 42 review shows Isagi hitting his limit, admitting what his teammates had done for him, and rebuilding his weapon with sharper awareness.

He learns that scoring is not only about seeing the field.
It is also about controlling the final impact.

This is the chapter where Isagi stops guessing and starts understanding his own goal formula.

Continue to Chapter 43 →