BLUE LOCK CHAPTER 5: THE "ZERO" OF SOCCER
Blue Lock Chapter 5: "The Zero of Soccer" — A Detailed Breakdown
The Rock, Paper, Scissors That Changed Everything
The chapter opens with a moment of pure tension — fists flying, fingers spreading, the universal decision-maker at work.
“SHOOT!!” “ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS…”
And just like that, Isagi wins. The boy ranked 274th out of 275 players wins the one thing that actually matters in this moment — the right to choose first. His teammates are furious. “DAMMIT! ISAGI?!” someone shouts, while Isagi himself can barely believe it, clutching his hand and muttering with disbelief and quiet determination:
“I WON…!!”
His choice? No hesitation.
“…BE A FORWARD!”
He grips that decision like it’s the most important thing in the world. Because for him, it is.
Ego Drops the Rules — And the Stakes
The scene shifts to the announcement of the First Blue Lock Selection Round. The man behind the glasses, cold and calculated as ever, lays it all out:
“For the first Blue Lock selection round, the five teams in each wing… will have a Round Robin Tournament.”
Ten matches. Simple enough on the surface. But then comes the weight of what losing truly means:
“At the end of all ten matches, the top two teams will get to remain here… and the bottom three will be eliminated. And all their team members will be forced to leave Blue Lock…”
And if that wasn’t enough — the final blow:
“UPON LEAVING, THEY’LL LOSE THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT JAPAN.”
The point system is straightforward:
- WIN = 3PT
- DRAW = 1PT
- LOSE = 0PT
The Twist That Makes It Personal
Just when it seems like a standard tournament format, Ego twists the knife.
“HOWEVER!”
“Players from the three losing teams will have a chance for a comeback.”
The saving grace? The Scoring King system. Whoever scores the most goals on their team — even if that team loses — gets to move on to the next round. One player. One survivor from each losing team.
“Whoever scores the most goals on each team… gets to move on to the next round.”
This single rule quietly turns every teammate into a rival.
Fair Play Points and the Final Warning
The rules go even deeper. In case of a tie between members of the same team, a “Fair Play Point” system kicks in — penalty deductions for yellow cards, red cards, and suspensions:
- Yellow Card: -1P
- Two Yellow Cards in one match (Suspension): -3P
- Red Card: -4P
- Red Card after Yellow Card: -5P
And then Ego frames it all with one piercing statement:
“This is a battle to rebuild soccer from zero.”
The match? Two hours away. The opponent? Team X.
Team Z’s Locker Room — Chaos in a Small Room
We get our first proper look at Team Z’s formation, hastily assembled through rock-paper-scissors:
Isagi at center forward. Bachira alongside him. Behind them — Imamura, Kunigami, Raichi, Gagamaru, Chigiri. Deeper still — Kuon, Naruhaya, Igaguri. And in goal — Iemon.
The team’s strategist speaks up:
“Okay, everyone! For the first match, we’ll use this formation as decided by rock-paper-scissors!”
And then, the plan — such as it is:
“Isagi-kun won and chose to be center forward… so let’s focus our strategy around him!”
But not everyone is happy. Igaguri can barely hold back his frustration:
“Can we really win with Isagi as our foundation?” “GIMME A BREAK!”
The response is simple and final:
“No griping, Igaguri. We decided to play rock-paper-scissors because everyone wanted to be a forward…”
Some accept it with cool indifference — “No complaints here.” Others with wild confidence — “Piece of cake! We’ve just gotta win, right?” And one poor soul laments — “Aww, I don’t wanna play defense…”
Meanwhile, the goalkeeper situation is handled with almost comedic bluntness:
“Do you know how to goalkeep?” “I lost the game, so I have no choice… I’m not doing it cuz I want to…” “Don’t screw it up!”
Isagi’s Quiet Dread
Amid all the noise, Isagi stands apart — thinking.
“To be honest… I didn’t expect us to be playing a match this soon…”
And that question, the one that’s been nagging at him since Ego’s speech, resurfaces:
“Plus… what did Ego mean when he said this was a battle to ‘rebuild soccer from zero’…?”
But then something shifts in him. A flicker of resolve:
“But… maybe it was fate that I won the lead role…”
And as the team moves out — cleats clicking, jersey numbers visible, the tunnel stretching ahead of them — Isagi makes his silent vow:
“I’ll do it… to become the world’s best striker…!!”
And the chapter declares it with full dramatic weight:
“THE BATTLE TO CHANGE MY LIFE IN BLUE LOCK… IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!”
Wing 5’s Central Field — The Stage Is Set
Wing 5’s Central Field. The scoreboard reads TEAM X vs TEAM Z. The announcement comes through:
“For the first selection, all foul determinations… will be made by VAR.”
Each half — 45 minutes.
And then — Team X walks out. And Isagi sees them for the first time.
“Team X is here.”
Kickoff — And Bachira Lights the Fire
Before the whistle, it’s Bachira who speaks — grinning, carefree, almost dancing with excitement:
“You scared, Isagi?” “Let’s have fun! ♪” “You can’t win at soccer if you don’t!”
Something about those words lands. Isagi steadies himself:
“Okay… That’s right… There’s no need to be scared…”
GAME START!!
The Bottom Tier Mindset
The ball moves. And Isagi’s inner monologue cuts sharp:
“I’m ranked 274/275, so I’m already in the bottom tier…”
“ALL I CAN DO IS WIN AND KEEP ADVANCING!!”
But Team X charges immediately — aggressive, hungry, desperate in their own right.
“WHOA! They’re charging!!”
Isagi pushes forward — and finds himself surrounded. Three defenders. He can’t break through:
“I can’t… get past three of them!”
He thinks fast — “I should pass back to Bachira… and attack more carefully…” — and then something slams into him from behind.
“Behind you, Isagi!”
He turns. And what he sees stops him cold.
Raichi Goes Rogue
It isn’t a Team X player.
It’s Raichi. His own teammate. Number 10. And he’s stolen the ball — from Isagi.
“RAICHI…?!”
Isagi is stunned:
“HUH?! HEY…!! What are you doing?! We’re team-mates!”
Raichi’s answer is as cold as it is honest:
“Whoever scores the most points wins, right?” “I don’t care about teams!” “I’m gonna do this my own way!”
Kunigami Follows Suit
Before the shock can settle, Kunigami steps forward. His response to Raichi’s declaration is almost frighteningly calm:
“Fair enough, Raichi.”
He takes the ball with a thunderous THUNK and says it plainly:
“If that’s the way things are done here… then I’ll fight solo, too… Fair and square.”
A third voice cuts in — someone watching this unfold with barely concealed delight:
“Sounds like we’ll get along just fine…”
And the rest of the team descends into complete disorder:
“Hey! What about your positions?!” “I’m getting in there, too!” “Are you stupid?!” “Hey, what are they doing?! They’re on the same team!”
The Dumpling Pile — Soccer’s Lowest Form
What follows is not soccer. It’s something far more primitive.
Both teams — all players from both sides — converge into one chaotic, shoving, ball-chasing pile. Players screaming, shoving, stealing, elbowing:
“‘Scuse me! I’ll take this!” “MOVE IT!!” “No, you!” “You’d better watch where you’re looking, too!” “HA HA ♪ I’m gonna score some points!!”
Isagi watches from the outside. Horrified. And then the realization hits him:
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS…?!”
“Thanks to the rule that says whoever scores the most gets to advance… even teammates are turning on each other after being told to ‘bring out their egos’…”
“‘This is a battle… to rebuild soccer from zero…'”
“ALL OF THEM… ARE ONLY THINKING ABOUT THEMSELVES!!”
“This Isn’t Soccer At All!!”
Isagi looks at the chaos. Really looks at it. And puts a name to what he’s seeing — “dumpling soccer” — the kind of play that happens in early elementary school, where every single player just chases the ball in one giant clump.
“When he said to ‘rebuild soccer from zero’… did he really mean this lame dumpling soccer…?!”
From above, the image is almost absurd — a single massive huddle of bodies in the middle of the field, while Isagi stands completely alone, wide open, watching:
“THIS… ISN’T SOCCER AT ALL!!”
He panics:
“What do I do?!” “Should I get in there, too…?!” “What do I do?! How am I supposed to fight…?!”
Enter Shouei Barou
And then — silence cuts through the chaos.
From inside that pile, something moves differently. One player doesn’t scramble. He doesn’t shove. He simply moves — and the entire crowd of bodies parts around him like water.
“GET OUT OF MY WAY.”
FWOOSH.
He bursts clean through the entire chaotic mass. Isagi can barely process what he’s just witnessed:
“He broke through… that chaotic mess?!”
And the chapter ends with that figure bearing down — tall, cold, utterly composed — with one final threat hanging in the air:
“Or I’ll kill you.”
The name appears. Bold. Unmistakable:
TEAM X BLUE LOCK RANKING #250
SHOUEI BAROU
And Isagi, face pale, eyes wide, makes his desperate declaration:
“I’LL STOP HIM!!”
The zero of soccer has begun. And standing in the middle of it all is a boy ranked 274th, staring down a monster ranked 250th, in a match where his own teammates are his enemies.
The collision is coming. Find out what happens next — Chapter 6