BLUE LOCK CHAPTER 45: BATTLE TO THE DEATH

Chapter 45 opens in the middle of the Second Selection’s Third Stage as Team White faces Team Red in a high stakes three-on-three match. The rules raise the tension immediately. The game is played on a smaller field with smaller goals, both goalkeepers are equal “Blue Lock Men,” and the match is first to five points. The winning team will steal one player and advance, while the losing team will drop back a stage. With everything on the line, Isagi, Bachira, and Nagi step onto the field knowing this is more than just a match. It is a direct test of their worth as strikers.

The game begins at a fierce pace, and Isagi quickly shows the growth he gained in the First Selection. He reads the field calmly, positions himself well, and finishes a chance with a clean direct shot to give Team White the opening goal. The moment confirms that his accuracy and decision making have improved, boosting his confidence and strengthening the trust between him, Bachira, and Nagi. Their coordination feels natural, and Isagi realizes that understanding each other’s strengths is becoming a real weapon. For the first time, he senses that their trio can truly compete with the best.

That belief is challenged almost immediately when Rin Itoshi responds. Rin scores effortlessly from kickoff, tying the game and revealing the massive gap between him and the others. His presence dominates the field, and his cold confidence makes it clear that he sees everyone else as mediocre. Rin’s words and actions shake Isagi, forcing him to confront the reality that talent alone is not enough at this level.

As the match continues, Rin explains his mindset with chilling clarity. To him, soccer is a battle to the death, where hesitation and sentiment have no place. Losing means losing the reason to exist. His philosophy clashes sharply with Isagi’s growing but still human approach to the game. Isagi struggles internally, torn between fear and determination, yet he refuses to back down.

The chapter ends with the score tied and Rin declaring that their “mediocre playtime” is over. Isagi accepts the challenge, fully aware that this match will decide more than victory or defeat. It will determine whether he can survive in a world where only absolute ego and resolve can carry a striker forward.