Chapter Text
Title : ONE OMEGA
Paring : Allisagi
INTRO
BLUE LOCK FACILITY
The final match of the Saitama Prefectural Qualifiers ended in a devastating defeat for Ichinan High, the team where Isagi Yoichi played as a forward. After mourning the loss, venting his frustrations, and trying his hardest to hold back tears, he finally made his way home.
The evening sky was painted in soft hues of orange, as if an invisible hand had swept across the horizon. The approaching twilight brought with it a profound sense of emptiness. Coupled with the bitter sting of defeat and disappointment, Isagi felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He had to find a secluded spot to scream at the top of his lungs, letting all his pent-up emotions out. He cried his heart out, then took several deep breaths to finally accept the harsh reality.
"I'm home," Isagi called out. His beautiful mother popped her head out to greet him, wearing an apron, a clear sign that dinner was in the making. The delicious aroma of home-cooked food instantly made his hunger overpower his lingering disappointment.
"Welcome back, sweetie. How was the match?"
"We lost. Lost. Lost," Isagi repeated three times, before looking up at his mother with pleading, puppy-dog eyes. "I'm so hungry, Mom."
Isagi's parents didn't know much about football, but they supported him unconditionally. Whenever they were free, they would always come to watch his games and cheer him on. Their unwavering support was the reason Isagi could always give it his all on the pitch.
"Oh, by the way, a letter arrived for you, Yocchan. It's from the Japan Football Union."
Isagi froze before hurriedly taking the letter from his mother. He scanned the contents rapidly. It was a summons to a training camp—a specialized facility designed to gather the best strikers from across the country. His beautiful blue eyes widened in sheer shock.
Why him?
But Isagi was happy... No, he was ecstatic that someone had actually recognized his potential.
Both of his parents were thrilled for him. But then, a sudden realization hit them, and they exchanged a worried glance before looking back at their son. Naturally, Isagi knew exactly what they were worried about.
...Isagi was an Omega.
The vast majority of forwards in football... no, practically all of them, were either Alphas or Betas. Isagi was the only Omega who dreamed of becoming a striker.
And not just an ordinary striker... he wanted to become the number one striker in the world!
Isagi had kept his dynamic a strict secret. Nobody knew. He was a rather unique Omega because his pheromone scent was incredibly faint—so faint it was practically non-existent. Because of this, he rarely faced any issues while playing football with his teammates. Aside from his family, everyone else firmly believed that Isagi Yoichi was a Beta.
Besides, Isagi had always been the cautious type. He took scent-suppressing injections every three months and always carried emergency heat suppressants on him, even though he had only ever experienced one heat in his entire life.
And... it wasn't exactly a memorable experience, either!
Ever since that unpleasant first heat, Isagi had been extremely vigilant about protecting himself. As a result, everyone assumed he was just a very ordinary, unnoteworthy Beta.
He absolutely refused to let an incident like his first heat happen again!
Going into heat right in front of an Alpha with a freesia scent whom he didn't even know... he had almost sent the guy into a rut.
Thank God that Alpha had enough self-control. Otherwise, Isagi didn't even want to imagine what could have happened!
"The letter says they're gathering all the strikers your age from across the country. It's going to be a whole pack of Alphas and Betas for sure. I'm worried about you, sweetie."
Her son was so incredibly cute. If anyone got too close, they would definitely fall for him... And Yocchan could be so dense sometimes!
How could a mother not worry?!
"I'll be careful, Mom. Besides, my pheromones are super faint. It's very rare for my scent to even slip out. You know I'm different from regular Omegas." Isagi looked up at his parents, his eyes filled with a mix of pleading and unwavering determination.
He wanted to go... He really, really wanted to go.
He wanted to evolve. He wanted to keep moving forward.
Who said Omegas weren't suited to be the best strikers? Isagi would prove them wrong!
He would become the number one striker in the world!
Seeing the determined, pleading look in their son's eyes, his parents could only sigh. They gave in, allowing their beloved son to follow his dreams, and promised to help him pack. Isagi beamed, throwing his arms around them in a tight, affectionate hug.
Dinner at the Isagi household that night was filled with joy and laughter, just like always.
............
That night, Isagi went to bed buzzing with excitement, eagerly anticipating the upcoming selection. Before sleeping, he had been watching a match featuring a youth team from a Spanish club. He was, after all, an incurable football fanatic.
Tonight's live broadcast was a massive match between the youth teams of Barcelona and Real Madrid—essentially the El Clásico of the youth leagues. As the players from both sides walked onto the pitch for the opening ceremony, those deep blue eyes caught sight of a familiar face. Isagi jolted violently. Even though he knew the other person wasn't looking at him, and they were literally half a world away...
Isagi still felt a sudden jolt of shock.
That person... that genius.
The more he thought about certain things, the more distracted he became. He bit his lip hard, deciding it was better to just turn the TV off. Even if he watched it, his mind wouldn't process a thing; there was no way he could analyze the game in this state.
It was better to just sleep. He needed to save his energy for the training camp!
.........
The day specified in the letter finally arrived. Isagi bid his parents farewell and headed to the meeting place. Along the way, he ran into Kira Ryosuke, the very rival who had just handed him that crushing defeat. But the moment he stepped inside the building, he was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of people gathered there.
The aura in the room was so fiercely dominant and powerful that Isagi felt suffocated, almost unable to breathe. It was a glaring confirmation that this place was entirely filled with Alphas and Betas! A bizarre man named Ego Jinpachi appeared, explaining the purpose of this training camp with visual aids. His extreme, radical logic completely shattered conventional ways of thinking about football, yet... it was undeniably intriguing.
The Blue Lock facility.
A camp designed to cultivate the 'Ego' of forwards, transforming them into the ultimate striker of the nation. No—of the world!
Ego continued his lengthy, eccentric explanation. His bizarre and extreme logic sparked immediate objections from several players. But the moment he provoked them with his sharp words... out of the three hundred strikers present, not a single one turned back.
............
After the eliminated players had left, the remaining participants were ushered onto a fleet of buses and driven to their destination. They were to be confined within this facility for the duration of the camp, strictly forbidden from leaving. Isagi had already called his parents beforehand to explain the camp’s rules. They had given him their blessing to pursue his dreams, along with a firm reminder to be incredibly careful—his secret as an Omega must not be discovered under any circumstances.
The buses rolled steadily onward. The atmosphere inside was tense and mostly silent; most of the players didn't know each other, and everyone was lost in their own thoughts. They traveled over mountains, and as they cleared the final peak, a massive structure came into view.
It wasn't a building... it was a colossal, pentagonal box, with the words "BLUE LOCK" proudly emblazoned across its imposing exterior!
Excited murmurs erupted throughout the bus. The moment they disembarked, all their personal belongings were confiscated. To make matters worse, they were handed uniforms that looked entirely too much like prison jumpsuits rather than athletic wear.
Isagi stared blankly at his assigned identifier: '299 Z'. What exactly did the number 299 and the letter Z signify? He had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a good sign. Because he was staring down at it instead of watching where he was going, he ended up crashing straight into someone.
Thud!
Being smaller, Isagi bore the brunt of the collision and nearly tumbled backward. Thankfully, a large hand shot out and caught him just in time. A deep, sleepy voice mumbled softly, "Sorry 'bout that."
"Nagi! Hurry up, what are you doing dawdling over there?!"
"Mmhmm."
The tall boy with silvery-white hair who had bumped into him ambled away sluggishly. But Isagi remained frozen in place... That pheromone scent. It was so overwhelmingly dominant and fiercely powerful that he could barely breathe...
An Alpha... and an incredibly strong one at that!
Isagi quickly shook his head, slapping his cheeks lightly to snap himself out of it. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He hurried towards 'Room Z', realizing he was the last one left in the hallway. When he pushed the door open, he was immediately hit by a suffocating wave of intense pressure. The blue-eyed Omega swallowed hard.
In this Room Z... no, in this entire Blue Lock facility, it seemed his prediction was dead on. It was completely packed with Alphas and Betas! There wasn't a single other Omega in sight!
Wait, no! There was exactly one Omega among the three hundred players here—Isagi Yoichi!!
Inside Room Z, Isagi found eleven other people. He recognized Kira-kun, the rival he had just played against. Then there was a guy who suddenly tossed his shirt right onto Isagi's face—Kunigami. This guy must be a seriously strong Alpha, Isagi noted, considering how potent the residual pheromones on the shirt were. Kunigami quickly warned Isagi to watch his step; there was someone sound asleep on the floor right beneath his feet. Isagi had nearly stepped on him.
...How can anyone sleep in a tense situation like this? That's kind of amazing.
"Are you a Beta?"
"Uh... yeah, I am." Isagi nodded quickly, playing along. A pang of guilt hit him for lying, but for his own safety and to survive in this camp, he had no other choice!
Kunigami narrowed his eyes, observing his shortest roommate with a hint of curiosity. As an elite Alpha, his instincts told him that this guy didn't quite feel like a Beta. Yet, he definitely didn't give off the vibe of an Alpha, either.
That sharp, scrutinizing gaze made Isagi increasingly nervous. He was a terrible liar, and the pressure was making his palms sweat. Fortunately, the large screen in the room flickered to life, displaying Ego Jinpachi, who proceeded to explain the camp's rules.
Thank you for the impeccable timing, Ego!
The rules were simple enough to grasp. After a brief explanation, the eccentric Ego forced the twelve members of Room Z to play a high-stakes game of tag using a football. The person "it" when the timer ran out would be expelled from Blue Lock and permanently stripped of their right to represent the Japanese national team!
Isagi was mildly shocked to discover he was ranked second to last... 299th out of 300. The pressure is insane!
The game kicked off fiercely. No one wanted their dream of becoming a striker ripped away. As rank 299, Isagi naturally became a prime target. When it was his turn to be "it," his initial instinct was to aim for Igarashi, the guy ranked 300th.
But...
He came here to change himself. What would be the point of just defeating someone ranked lower than him?
I have to defeat someone stronger than me!
So, as the clock ticked down, Isagi made a split-second decision: he aimed his kick straight at Kira-kun, the highest-ranked player in the room. As he dribbled the ball forward, a sweet, intoxicating scent of vanilla suddenly hit his nose. It was soft and mellow, yet carried an underlying intensity that made Isagi's body freeze for a fraction of a second. Someone was beaming at him, a bright, eye-crinkling smile on their face. The boy had mesmerizing, clear amber eyes. The tall figure pointed right at him, uttering words Isagi didn't quite comprehend.
"You're pretty cool, y'know."
The vanilla scent intensified tenfold, almost stinging Isagi's nose. In a flash, the ball he had been controlling was stolen away with incredible speed!
"You're right... If you're gonna crush someone, you gotta crush the strongest guy here." The rich, sweet scent of vanilla filled the air. The Alpha radiating the scent dribbled the ball toward Kira with blinding speed. The final ten seconds were a blur of adrenaline as Kira, the target, desperately dodged. Then, in the last three seconds, the attacker seemed to miskick the ball.
But Isagi knew... his body was trembling, almost as if resonating with that vanilla scent.
And as if they were perfectly synchronized, the moment the ball flew toward him, Isagi swung his leg with all his might, volleying it straight into Kira's face!
The buzzer blared, signaling the end of the game of tag... and Kira Ryosuke was the one who had to leave Blue Lock!
Kira exploded in a rage. He refused to accept it, throwing a massive tantrum. Isagi felt a twinge of guilt, feeling as though he had just destroyed someone's future. The disguised Omega turned to glare at the boy whose name he had just learned...
Bachira Meguru. The vanilla-scented Alpha with a cheerful disposition and a blindingly bright smile.
Even if that smile occasionally managed to irritate even someone as even-tempered and kind-hearted as Isagi.
The more they talked, the more Isagi realized that Bachira was completely nuts!
But... he's a pretty good kind of nuts, this Bachira Meguru.
With Kira gone, exactly eleven players remained in Room Z... which meant they were now officially Team Z!
........
It had been three days since Isagi arrived at Blue Lock. The training was a living hell, and on top of that, the food was distributed based on rankings. Isagi was so sick of eating nothing but plain rice, miso soup, and natto.
I miss Mom's cooking so much!
Then there was the glaring issue of his physical stamina, which lagged far behind his teammates. Even Igarashi, rank 300, was physically stronger than him... but then again, they were all Alphas or Betas.
Just from his own guesses and what he could smell, Isagi reckoned there were at least six Alphas in Team Z. His anxiety over falling behind kept him tossing and turning at night. He decided to head out for some extra practice to clear his head, but before he could even start, he caught a whiff of sweet vanilla.
It was strange. He couldn't clearly pick up the scents of his other teammates.
But Bachira's vanilla scent... it was distinct and clear every single time.
I wonder why.
"Bachira?"
"You sure know it's me right away, huh." Bachira grinned broadly, looking down at his shorter teammate.
"Well, your vanilla scent is pretty strong."
"Heh... You've got a really good nose, Isagi." Bachira draped an arm around Isagi's shoulders. The closer he got, the stronger the vanilla scent became. Isagi almost raised a hand to cover his nose and push Bachira away, taking a quick step back. Seeing the taller boy's face fall, looking genuinely hurt at being brushed off, Isagi panicked with guilt and hurriedly waved his hands to explain.
Don't make that sad puppy face! Go back to your usual eye-crinkling smile!
"I-I don't dislike you or anything, Bachira! It's just... your scent is really intense. It smells so good that it kinda stings my nose. Please, uh... don't look like that! It smells great, I promise I don't hate it!" Isagi rambled on, completely missing the mischievous glint dancing in Bachira's eyes and the sly smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Isagi Yoichi is just as kind-hearted as I thought.
More importantly...
He's also remarkably special.
He can smell my vanilla scent so clearly that it stings his nose, huh... The little teammate probably had no idea that no one else had ever been able to discern what kind of scent Bachira had as an Alpha.
Yet here he was... Isagi had sensed it perfectly from their very first encounter.
How interesting. How very, very interesting,
Isagi. :)
"I'm glad you don't hate me." Bachira tilted his head, smiling softly. "Are you an Alpha, Isagi?"
"Uh... I'm a Beta."
Sorry for lying, Bachira!
"Huuuuh? Reaaaally?" Bachira dragged out the word, his tone a mix of playful teasing and genuine curiosity. The more he prodded, the more suspicious the smaller boy looked. Those deep blue eyes, the color of a night sky, darted around nervously before dropping to the floor. It was so endearing that Bachira had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.
So, he's a terrible liar too. Spotted his tell right away. Heh.
"Y-Yeah, really! Stop pestering me about it, Bachira!"
"Ah, okay, okay! If Isagi says so, then that's what it is!" Bachira raised both hands in surrender, shrugging with a wide grin to keep Isagi from getting actually mad.
Even when he bares his fangs to threaten me, he's still cute.
In this Blue Lock facility, where nothing much outside of football held any interest, it seemed he had finally found something fun.
"You're here to practice, right? Wanna train with me? Let's go 1-on-1," Bachira offered. He wanted to see what other interesting reactions he could coax out of Isagi. Plus, he was itching to uncover the 'secret' his little friend was trying so desperately to hide.
And besides...
As a special Alpha with an incredibly sharp nose, I can't smell a single thing on you, Isagi Yoichi. Even though I can pick up the scents of everyone else on Team Z.
But from you... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even when I get this close, I can't sense a damn thing.
This little black cat isn't just interesting... he seems to be exceptionally special. Heh.
Isagi practiced with Bachira for a while. They ended up talking about a lot of different things. Bachira seemed a bit eccentric, definitely a little weird, and he was relentlessly cheerful, constantly smiling. But after just one practice session, Isagi knew...
Bachira is a genius. He's incredibly talented.
His dribbling was lightning-fast and terrifyingly agile, as if the ball was glued to his feet.
But through it all, he always had that smile on his face.
It made it impossible for Isagi not to smile back.
Eventually, they were both laughing, enjoying the practice session immensely. The faint, sweet scent of vanilla permeated the training room. They took turns attacking and defending fiercely, neither holding back in the slightest. Even though Isagi's physical stamina was lower, forcing him onto the defensive and losing several points...
Still... practicing with Bachira today wasn't a waste at all.
"Thanks, Bachira. I got a lot of good ideas thanks to you." Isagi took a swig of water while thanking him. The other boy tossed him a towel to wipe his sweat.
"Don't mention it, don't mention it." Bachira patted Isagi's shoulder, observing him with a quiet smile. ...His teammate was drenched in sweat from the intense practice, yet there was absolutely no trace of any pheromone scent in his sweat. It was highly unusual for an Alpha, a Beta, or an Omega.
Furthermore, during their match, if Bachira wasn't just imagining things... for a brief second, it felt as if Isagi's scentless pheromones suddenly spiked with an intoxicatingly sweet aroma. He couldn't pinpoint what the scent was, but it was so incredibly alluring that it had actually made Bachira freeze.
And... it felt like it could completely suppress my own pheromones!
And I'm a special Alpha...
Just who exactly are you, Isagi?
My secretive little teammate. :)
They chatted for a bit longer until Ego's voice echoed over the PA system, announcing that it was time to prepare for matches against other teams. Within the stratum of Blue Lock they were in, it appeared Team Z was considered the weakest. Isagi and Bachira exchanged a glance before nodding firmly at each other.
No matter who the opposing team is... we have to win!
.......
Meanwhile...
In a spacious suite of a five-star luxury hotel in the heart of the city, a young man dressed casually in a crisp white shirt and slacks—attire that hardly seemed fitting for a cover interview with a national football magazine—stepped out of the room after wrapping up the session. His manager scurried after him, anxiously warning that his blunt answers during the interview might make the media hate him. But the red-haired Alpha couldn't care less. He kept walking without a backward glance, leaving his personal manager to let out a weary sigh.
Arrogant, aloof, and intensely prideful. But his skills and talent were the real deal.
The genius midfielder of the Real Madrid youth team. If he were just a little older, he would have already debuted officially for the senior squad.
Itoshi Sae.
The slender brows on his handsome face furrowed as he noticed an unusually large crowd gathered in the hotel's main hall. It looked like some sort of press conference was taking place. Sae listened absentmindedly, not really caring, but the woman presenting and talking about this 'Blue Lock' project spoke with such conviction that it piqued his interest. He actually wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of strikers this crazy experiment would produce. So, he decided to delay his flight back to Spain.
The massive screen briefly panned over the three hundred high schoolers gathered at the Blue Lock facility. Sae recognized quite a few familiar faces...
Seeing his own younger brother there wasn't a surprise.
But then...
Even though the camera only swept past for a split second, he saw that face clearly...
The genius midfielder froze completely. The Alpha pheromones radiating from him suddenly spiked, becoming so fiercely aggressive that his manager stumbled back several paces in terror. The journalists and bystanders in the hall suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable chills run down their spines! They whipped their heads around, searching for the source of this terrifyingly dominant scent.
Why... why the hell is he there?!
What on earth is he thinking?!
"I-Itoshi-chan..." The manager couldn't stop shaking. He knew perfectly well that right now, Sae wasn't just annoyed—he was downright furious!
Itoshi-chan hasn't been this angry in ages... why?
Sae pulled out his phone and dialed a number. A number he hadn't saved, a number he hadn't called since he first asked for it. But that didn't mean he had completely ignored or forgotten about it!
He pressed call, but it went straight to voicemail!
Of course... they definitely confiscated their phones in that Blue Lock camp.
Sae gripped his phone so tightly it threatened to crack. He gritted his sharp teeth, an audible grinding sound escaping him. His piercing eyes snapped to his manager, who visibly flinched.
"Contact the Football Union for me. Tell them I want to get in touch with someone inside that Blue Lock facility. Better yet, tell them I want to drop by for a visit!"
I have to see with my own eyes what the hell you think you're doing in there!
............
TBC>>