After making that promise with Kise—
Shintaro Midorima walked back home.
Silently.
Deep in thought.
Every step carried the weight of everything he had lived through until now.
This world…
He looked ahead, his eyes sharp.
…is incredible.
A small breath escaped him.
And terrifying.
Even with everything he had—
The talents he was born with…
The "stats" he had built as a guarantee for his future…
There was still no certainty.
I still have no guarantee that I'll be the best.
A grin slowly formed on his face.
"…That's so damn good."
That's why I can't stop…
Names crossed his mind.
Noel Noa.
A monster.
The peak of the world… the wall I need to break.
Then—
Ryota Kise.
A monster growing right in front of me.
If I stay, he might surpass me…
And beyond that—
Fragments.
Blurry memories.
A TV… a hospital… my past life…
"…There were others too."
I don't remember them clearly… but they exist.
His expression became focused.
"I don't remember much of the story…"
"…just that Blue Lock starts when Isagi is 16."
A pause.
Then—
Pure determination.
"I'll go to Brazil…"
"I'll train with monsters…"
"And when I come back—"
His fist tightened hard.
"I'll surpass everything."
"I'll become the best in the world."
No matter what it takes.
He opened the door.
"…I'm home."
Warmth immediately surrounded him.
His mother appeared and hugged him tightly.
"Welcome back! How was the final?"
He's pushing himself again… but he looks happy.
His father, Ryosuke Midorima, glanced over his newspaper.
"Hm… another win?"
Of course he won… but I wonder how far he can really go…
A smirk.
"At this point, you're already used to winning."
A short pause.
"…Only that blonde kid can beat you."
That kid… Kise… he's different.
Midorima smiled faintly.
"…Maybe."
Not for long.
They sat down for dinner.
A warm, peaceful moment.
Laughter.
Conversation.
Family.
Midorima looked at them quietly.
…I didn't have this in my past life.
His eyes softened.
I didn't have anyone waiting for me like this.
His mother laughed at something small.
His father made another dry joke.
This… is mine now.
This time… I won't lose it.
Three months later
Midorima and his family arrived in Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro.
Heat.
Energy.
Noise.
Life.
Midorima stepped forward.
"…So this is Brazil."
It's… alive.
Completely different from Japan.
There, they met Fernando.
An assistant coach from Flamengou's youth team.
"Bem-vindos!"
He smiled warmly.
So this is the kid… the one they talked about?
Fernando explained everything—
The structure.
The training system.
The resources.
The opportunities.
Midorima listened carefully.
"…This is perfect."
This environment… will force me to evolve.
His mother smiled proudly.
"My favorite team…"
"…and now my son plays here."
I always dreamed of this… and now it's him living it.
Two weeks later
Training began.
And reality hit immediately.
Brazilian football—
Was strong.
Creative.
Intense.
Beautiful.
Midorima struggled.
They're faster than I expected…
And unpredictable…
Then—
He adapted.
He watched.
Learned.
Refined.
Remove what's unnecessary.
Everything that doesn't lead to a goal… is useless.
His movements became cleaner.
Sharper.
More efficient.
Fernando observed from the side.
"…He's already adjusting…"
This kid doesn't waste time.
His brain… it's always working.
Off the field—
Midorima excelled in school.
Even speaking Portuguese as a second language.
If I can't understand people… I can't dominate them.
But that wasn't all.
After weeks of insisting—
He convinced his father to invest.
Companies he knew would explode.
His father hesitated.
He's still a kid… but… why does it feel like he knows something I don't?
"…Alright."
"We'll try."
And then—
Bitcoin.
Midorima sat in front of the computer late at night.
I don't fully understand this…
But I know it matters.
The future depends on it.
Mining.
Quiet.
Relentless.
Two years passed.
One night—
Under a sky full of stars—
Midorima looked up.
"…How strong will I be…"
"…when Blue Lock begins?"
Will I dominate… or will I be crushed?
From a distance—
Fernando watched him.
Silent.
"…That kid…"
"…is different."
Not just talent…
Obsession.
A player with physical and mental talent—
And complete control over his shots.
"…If he keeps this up…"
"…he'll be world-class by 17."
Maybe even more…
Midorima heard those words.
And smiled.
His body trembled slightly.
"…World-class…"
So that's the minimum…
Then—
A darker thought emerged.
Sharper.
"…That's not enough."
Noel Noa appeared in his mind again.
At the top.
Untouchable.
Midorima grinned.
Hungry.
"I'll destroy you."
"I'll take your throne."
I'll become something beyond even that.
The wind moved softly.
The night deepened.
And somewhere in the world—
Other monsters were growing.
Just like me.
To be continued.
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