Chapter Text
A little girl huddled under her covers. Her frame was illuminated only by the TV, the sole source of light in the dark living room. She held her plushie closely, bouncing in place as she eagerly glued her gaze to the screen. Pink eyes glowed with life as they tracked every little shift of the soccer ball.
‘Masara Kagami is on the move!’
Masara glided towards the goalbox, her distant blue-gray eyes scanning the pitch and keeping track of every player. Her long silver-blue hair flowed with the wind as she slipped past each defender that came her way, short and controlled touches holding the ball close to her body at all times. Her emotionless demeanor made her unreadable, each subtle shift in weight and posture sinking her true intent deeper into shadow.
As she approached the goal, she was quickly surrounded. All around her, Masara's teammates screamed for her to pass.
Masara ignored each and every one of them.
Within an instant, it was over. A mirage of a snow leopard hissed into life beside her as her foot snapped into the ball, rocketing it through the legs of the players before her. There was no windup, no preparation–just an effective and deadly snap shot. The ball rocketed towards and zipped past the keeper, slamming into the net.
‘GOAL! That’s time! Masara Kagami ends the game with a hattrick, giving Bastard München the win against Paris X Gen with a score of 3-2!’
The girl’s eyes lit up with admiration, a wide smile spreading across her little cheeks as her hold tightened around the plushie in her arms.
“Geez, Madoka… What did we tell you about staying up so late? You'll never grow big and strong like the soccer players you admire if you don't get enough rest!”
Madoka yelped and quickly shut the TV off, getting out of the covers as she turned to the voice with a sheepish expression on her face. Her mother stared at her with a mixture of amusement and disapproval on her face. At this hour, she was dressed in her pajamas, her purple hair wild and messy.
“Sorry, Mama… I can't help it whenever I know Kagami-san is gonna be on screen!”
Junko sighed and scooped the girl into her arms, earning a whine from the six-year-old as she was carted off to bed.
“Mama! I didn’t even get to watch them celebrate!”
“You always fall asleep on the couch before they finish! I’m doing you a favor.”
On cue, Madoka's protests lessened before stopping entirely as her eyes began to droop. She was gently tucked into bed, lightly snoring within minutes. Junko placed a palm on her daughter’s delicate cheek, her lips curving into a small smile as she observed her peaceful expression.
"Who knows? One day... you might be even better than that striker you look up to so much.”
The sun was relentless.
Madoka's breath came out in ragged gasps as she moved across the wide pitch, ball between her feet. Every step sent tremors down her tired legs, her slender frame shaking beneath the unwavering gaze of the crowd. None dared to draw their eyes from those fighting for their right to play at the Nationals. Through it all, gleaming determination never once faded from her eyes.
Such was the reality of the soccer match between Mitakihara High School and Aozakura Academy.
With the score at 0 - 0, the hopes and dreams of Mitakihara fell squarely on the shoulders of sixteen-year-old Madoka Kaname. Light streamed from her pink eyes as she fixed her gaze on the goal post-there were less than two minutes left. Dribbling past one of the many defenders who came her way, she finally reached shooting distance.
As Madoka pulled a foot back to make her final shot, she was quickly surrounded on all sides. The pink-haired girl exhaled slowly, eyes darting in every direction.
“This is just like the situations I always see Kagami-san in…”
Madoka bit her lip, peering through the tiny gap between the defenders closing in on her. There was still space. She could still try to make the shot, all on her own. "But… There's no way I can score from here. I’m not anything like her.”
“Madoka! Right here!”
She whipped her head around, finding the teammate who had called out... and seeing that she was completely free. In this instant, the other team’s defense was centered entirely around Madoka.
“That's... that’s my chance! We can do it! We can really win here!”
Immediately, Madoka shifted her footing and kicked the ball in the other direction. Her teammate caught the pass and flashed her a smile before shooting forward. Her foot rocketed into the ball, sending it soaring into the air as it rapidly approached the net…
CLANG
Under the harsh reverberation of metal, the ball bounced clean off the goalpost.
“N-No… No way.”
Madoka watched as an Aozakura defender caught the loose ball before taking off with it. Watched as the ball moved further and further away from her team–everyone was forward. Everyone had dared to dream. Her cleats were rooted to the ground.
“Did... did that really just happen? It couldn't have... right?”
There was nothing she could do. Nothing she could do as she watched the ball soar from the feet of an Aozakura player, as she watched the ball soar into the back of the net. At 0 - 1, the final whistle blew seconds later.
…
Slowly, unconsciously, Madoka blinked, her pink eyes blank and unseeing. She shambled over to where her team had gathered, keeping her gaze firmly on the grass. As the words of her soon to be former coach filtered in and out of her ears, as her teammates sobbed all around her, Madoka could only muster a single thought.
"...Was I ever good enough?”
The door closed silently behind Madoka as she took in the familiar house. Her eyes slowly drifted to the living room, meeting the purple gaze of Junko Kaname as she sat next to Tomohisa Kaname on the couch. Her mother smiled, beckoning her over.
“Madoka! Get over here! Sit down and tell us all about that match.”
She nodded, gluing her eyes to the ground as she sat wordlessly between her parents. Her father spoke up first as he watched her carefully.
“Ah... it probably could’ve gone better, huh...? You don't have to tell us about it if you don't want to.”
Madoka shook her head. “No… I’ll tell you. We…” Her hands clenched into fists, balling up the fabric of her pants. Madoka thought about her chance, thought about the miss, thought about that final goal. It was... it was just too much. Tears slowly began to cascade down her cheeks as uncontrolled sobs racked her body. “W-We lost. I-I’m sorry! I had… I had my chance and I-!”
And before she could get another word out, she was squished in a hug from either side of her.
“...You did your best, kid. Try to take this as a learning experience. No daughter of mine can be a grouch forever–you'd be an awful influence on little Tatsuya!”
Tomohisa chuckled softly. "Your mom's right, y’know. Besides... Something came in the mail for you today. I’ve got a feeling it’ll cheer you up.”
Madoka turned her head to look at him, vision blurred from her tears. “...What? What are you talking about?”
Junko rolled her eyes. “Way to ruin the surprise.”
A few minutes later, the two of them stood in the living room. Madoka wiped her eyes as she accepted the folded paper from Tomohisa. She blinked at the sight of it. What could this be…?
Madoka slowly opened it, her eyes widening as they took in the large, bolded words.
MADOKA KANAME
You have been selected to participate in the upcoming soccer training program ‘Blue Lock’
“Blue… Lock?”
But... why? Why would a loser like her get the chance to participate in something like this? She was fresh off failing her entire team… it was practically guaranteed she would disappoint everyone there next.
Junko sighed, her eyes tracking the lack of expression on her daughter's face. Madoka hadn't said a word, but she knew. She always would. Her girl could be so thick headed when she wanted to.
“Come on, Madoka! Go for it! This is a chance to start over in a new place and be a new you!”
“I…”
Madoka glanced up, swallowing nervously as she met the encouraging gazes of her parents. She had failed her previous team… and she never wanted to fail again. It was a desire, a sheer desperation that settled just as deeply into her core as all of that pervading despair. In Blue Lock… maybe she could redeem herself?
“I… I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.”
Junko grinned. “That's the spirit. Now you go out there and show 'em how scary of a striker you can be.”
Tomohisa sighed despite the growing smile on his face. “What your mom means to say is… have fun out there.”
Madoka wiped the last of her tears before nodding, a smile of her own gradually forming.
“I've decided… I'm going to be better in Blue Lock.”
Madoka glanced down at the letter and then at the supposed entrance to the Japanese Football Union. She sighed as the wind blew through her pigtails, the hustle of daily city life filling her ears.
“I hope I'm at the right place…”
Pink eyes strayed to the side, landing on the girl beside her who held the same letter. Purple hair swayed with the wind, distinctly choppy bangs framing her face as she stared at the building ahead with a neutral gaze.
“Well... It wouldn't hurt to try and make some new friends here while I'm here, right?”
“Hey…”
The girl tilted her head ever so slightly, a single purple eye finding Madoka's gaze.
“S-So… did you come here for Blue Lock, too?”
The girl's neutral expression twitched before breaking into a faux smile. “Oh, no. Not at all! I'm just here to admire the delicate structure of the building and the hours of blood, sweat and tears put into this masterpiece.”
The smile was off her lips in seconds, her eyes narrowing into a cold glare as her face scrunched up in annoyance. “Are ya fuckin’ stupid? Go bother someone else instead of wasting my time.”
The girl stalked ahead and through the doors of the building without a second glance. Madoka deflated in place.
“Harsh… I guess that was a silly thing to ask.”
She sighed, dragging her feet along the ground as she finally moved through the doors. Inside, she was met with spacious brown walls and a stage at the front of the room, all illuminated under the bright ceiling lights. Madoka slowly looked around, taking in the large crowd of girls around her age. Briefly, she spotted familiar choppy bangs as the girl she had spoken to idled amongst the rest.
"Woah... There's a ton of people here."
The lights blinked out.
Murmurs of confusion rose among the crowd. Suddenly, a stage light blazed to life. Beneath its brilliant glare emerged a woman as she passed through the curtains, her dull blue eyes roving the crowd. Her long, gray hair was tied in a bun, flowing into a ponytail that fell down her back. Bangs framed her forehead, her formal suit matching her professional demeanor.
“...I'm sure you're wondering why exactly you're all here. Why I decided to recruit two hundred eighty-five players, all eighteen and under. Listen closely.”
The closed doors behind her suddenly came to life with the Blue Lock logo–a fractured dark blue gem outlined in black, contrasting with the white backdrop.
"Let's begin with the obvious. What exactly is 'Blue Lock'? Simple. Japan's women may win the PIFA World Cup now and again... but they will never win it consistently. There's a critical piece missing. Something that prevents us from being the best."
"Something that I'm going to create.”
Her lips curled into a small, sinister smile.
"In Blue Lock... I will mold the most emotionally resilient, strategically adaptable, and mentally unbreakable players. Not just athletes who can survive on the pitch, but those who can endure the psychological warfare of elite competition.”
Murmurs of weariness and uncertainty rippled through the crowd.
“That sounds insane…”
"Is soccer really that serious...?"
Madoka gulped. “Someone… who can survive psychological warfare?”
The woman’s serene smile didn’t waver as she paced around the stage, hands behind her back.
“You may all have your doubts and reservations. But you all have your reasons for being here. Those rejected at nationals… those driven to see what this project could become."
She stopped.
"That path led you here—where you now have the opportunity to define a new normal.”
The woman turned to the crowd, blue eyes burning with resolution. She held out an inviting hand, the massive doors behind her opening--illuminating a path into the unknown.
“I, Mitama Yakumo, will lead Japanese soccer to a new era. So, Blue Lock… will you join me?”
“That... that sounds awful. Who in their right mind greenlit this?”
And yet... Madoka clenched her fists. Despite how this whole thing sounded, despite how insane this woman might have been... She needed to change. She had been dragged down by her self-doubt, her fragile confidence ending her chance to be in the nationals within a single instant. If she succeeded in this facility… never again would she let someone down.
As Madoka lifted her head, her pink eyes blazed to life with determination.
“I won't hesitate again!”
Madoka Kaname was the first to break into a sprint, charging towards those large, imposing doors.
And as a moment passed, more and more in the crowd found themselves following her.
“Alright then, you psycho! I guess I can give it a shot!”
“Me too!”
Mitama smirked, closing her eyes as the pounding of hundreds of feet echoed through the hall.
“Well, then… let's begin this game of survival, shall we?”
"Wow..."
Madoka pressed her forehead against the bus window, staring at the massive, diamond-shaped building clinging to the cliffside. Imposing in scale and enormity as it swallowed the horizon, it would be her home for the coming months. Behind her, a convoy of similar vehicles, each engraved with the 'BLUE LOCK' emblem, carried the rest of the players towards their new lives.
A few minutes later, they arrived. Madoka stepped off the bus, gazing in awe at the sprawling forest below, endless green stretching as far as the eye could see.
“So high up… and in the middle of nowhere.”
She hugged the packaged bodysuit to her chest. It was a dark blue, with lighter stripes running vertically and diagonally across the arms, torso, and legs, the bold letter 'Z' emblazoned at the center. Taking a deep breath, Madoka entered the building, where the hallways thrummed with the movements of countless players.
“Urgh… I really underestimated how much two hundred people would be!”
In her rush to reach the fifth floor, she bumped into someone, colliding with flowing, ash-blonde hair.
“A-Ah! I’m sorry!”
The girl turned around–and icy-blue eyes burned into pink, piercing into her soul. Madoka gulped, craning her head to make eye contact.
...
"It's alright," the girl said softly. She turned around, disappearing down the hallway.
Madoka exhaled, her skin pale. "What-what was that about? It was like she was studying me from head to toe..."
She shuddered. Shaking her head, Madoka picked up her pace, scaling the stairs as she made her way to the top floor. After a few minutes, a door came into view, illuminated with the text ‘ROOM Z’.
This was the place.
“I hope my teammates aren’t all like the other two I’ve run into…”
The door slid open before her. Madoka took her first steps in.
The room was... disappointingly barren. No furniture, no beds, no personalization–nothing. She scanned the empty space, looking for something... and her eyes quickly landed on a girl with purple hair, choppy bangs hanging in front of her face.
Madoka swallowed. "S-she's here, too?!"
The girl was hunched against the wall, compulsively scribbling into a notebook as the paper just barely held up beneath the aggressive strokes of her pen. Madoka shuffled a few inches closer.
“U-Um… are you okay?”
The girl stopped her pen, glaring up. Her eyes narrowed as they took in pink hair and matching eyes.
"None of your business."
Madoka sighed, turning around as she went back to scanning the room. It wasn't like she knew anything about that girl. She probably had a really good reason for being so mean, right?
...Right?
The next teammate she spotted had dull red hair tied in a high ponytail. The girl leaned against the wall, absent-mindedly chewing on a pocky stick.
“Is… that a fang in her mouth?” Madoka giggled at that. It kind of made her look like a puppy.
Nearby, another two girls were engaged in a one-sided conversation. One had long black hair streaked with indigo. Her single ponytail and accompanying pink bow swayed with her constant movement as she chattered excitably. The other kept her purple eyes locked on the ceiling, her lavender hair catching the light, swept bangs covering her forehead. Her expression was distant, unchanging even as the other girl kept talking.
“You ever try beating the high score on Galactic Blaster DX? I OWN that leaderboard.”
“She doesn’t seem very interested…”
The next duo Madoka spotted was their exact opposite. A girl with neck-length whitish-gray hair, a blue ribbon peeking from under her bangs, listened attentively to her friend with blonde pigtails.
“Listen, Ren-chan…. We’ll come out of here the best!”
Ren giggled softly. “Isn't it a bit early to be thinking that way, Rika-chan?"
“They seem close... Maybe I can connect with someone like that during this program…”
Madoka’s eyes landed on the last three, who were huddled in a loose circle.
One had long blonde hair streaked with pink, a small side ponytail bouncing as she shifted. Next to her stood a girl with brown hair tied into two drooping loops, a single strand brushing her collarbone. Between them sat a quiet girl with soft purple hair, two long, ribbon-tied strands framing her face as she idly listened in.
“I should totes become team captain! Under my rule, Team Z’s influence would spread all over Japan! We could even get little plushies made for everyone!”
The brown-haired girl sighed, an amused smile on her lips. “I don't think Yakumo means influence in that way, Ashley.”
"That makes... ten." Madoka glanced around. "Aren't soccer teams usually made of eleven?”
Right on cue, the door slid open. Madoka turned, seeing a head of blue hair…
“That’s…!”
And an unmistakable, shining enthusiasm in her eyes.
“Sayaka-chan!”
As the girl turned to the voice, she had just enough time to register the ear-to-ear smile on her childhood friend's face before Madoka launched herself forward.
“Wait, Mado-GHAK?!”
The air was knocked from Sayaka’s lungs as she was tackled onto the floor, skidding against the cold surface. All eyes were on them now.
Madoka’s grip tightened as she pulled Sayaka closer. “I had no idea you were here! I’ve been so lonely…”
Sayaka wheezed as her bones were flattened by her friend’s embrace, her smile never fading. “O-Of course…! I wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to be a part of something like this! N-Now… Can you let go… P-Please?”
“Oh my gosh! Are we like, watching two lovers reunite after a long time apart?” Ashley squealed.
Both girls turned bright red as Madoka sprang back instantly. “N-NO! It’s not like that at all!”
The redhead snickered, now finished with her pocky stick. “Can this romance survive Yakumo’s dastardly whims?”
Sayaka grumbled under her breath. “I’m starting to hate these guys already…”
After that incident, each of them moved to put on their bodysuits. As Madoka changed, she found her eyes–unintentionally–drifting to the girl with choppy bangs, quietly noting how carefully she hid any trace of her skin. Maybe...?
She took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside. Now wasn't the time to wonder about things like that. It wasn't like that girl had any interest in letting her get close.
Just then, the TV in the center of the room blinked on, revealing the form of Mitama Yakumo.
“Hello, my magical gems. The people you find yourselves with in this room are now your new teammates and roommates.”
Her face faded away, revealing a list of everyone in the room. Each name was accompanied by a small, stylized doodle.
KOKORO AWANE
RIKA AYANO
RANKA CHIZU
SHIZUKU HOZUMI
MITSURU INAMI
REN ISUZU
MADOKA KANAME
SAYAKA MIKI
HANNA SARASA
KYOKO SAKURA
ASHLEY TAYLOR
The list faded back into Mitama’s image. “The two hundred and eighty five of you were split up into randomly selected teams of eleven, all lettered from V - Z. This building is made up of five floors, and each floor hosts five teams of V - Z. Now… There are many selections to overcome while you are here. Allow me to go over the first. You’ve been divided into these groups for a round-robin tourney.”
A graph containing each team overtook her face. “You’ll be playing against the other teams on your floor. You get points by scoring, directly assisting or setting up a successful goal, and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses… whether those be mental or physical. Goals are worth three, assists are worth two, and exploiting weaknesses is worth four.”
…
“Oh, and minus five points for any emotional outbursts or breakdowns that hinder your team.”
Madoka deadpanned. “That last part seems a little harsh…”
“The top two teams with the most points will move onto the next selection, and the remaining three will be eliminated. However, players with the highest individual point totals on eliminated teams will still move on. The selection will begin in one week, where your first match will be against Team X. Look alive! Whoever performs the best after the first two matches will be selected as team captain.”
Ashley pumped a fist, turning to the brown-haired girl beside her. "Just watch me, Kokoro-chan! It's time for me to lead us to victory!"
The diagram faded, leaving only Mitama’s cold grin.
“A player who can’t adjust,” she said softly, “is a player who can’t survive. Use this grace period wisely. I promise you’ll need it~.”
The TV shut off, leaving silence in its wake.
It was just as Madoka thought. If she wanted to survive this brutal game, she would have to fight and improve beyond anything she'd believed possible. Her hand tightened into a fist.
That was fine.
"I'll become a new version of myself... right here and now."
This was Madoka's new reality.
And here–she would be reborn.