The air was suffocatingly tense. The silent, empty stadium made every movement on the field feel louder — footsteps, breathing, the thud of the ball. No crowd. No cheers. Just the pressure of survival. Team Zeta stood ready for their next battle against EOS Epsilon.
Renji Kurogami's sharp eyes scanned their opponents. Epsilon wasn't just another team — their cohesion was undeniable. They had dominated their last two matches with terrifying control and precise execution. This was going to be a war.
The whistle blew.
Epsilon seized possession immediately. Their midfielder, Daisuke Okamoto, weaved through Zeta's formation with frightening agility. Kaede Arata rushed forward to intercept — but Okamoto flicked the ball over him in a perfect sombrero flick and sprinted past.
"Don't let them dictate the pace!" Riku Saionji barked, closing in.
But Epsilon's forwards, Rikuya Asano and Sorao Hamada, were already in position. Daisuke's pass split Zeta's defense with surgical precision. Asano controlled it, pivoted — and fired.
"JIN!"
Jin Kazama launched himself into the air. The ball rocketed toward the top corner — but his gloved hand punched it away just in time. The impact echoed through the stadium.
"Nice save, Jin!" Haruto Inoue shouted, but there was no time to celebrate.
The ball fell to Epsilon's Kouta Hoshikawa, who sent it back into play instantly. The pressure was relentless.
But that's when Renji moved.
He surged forward, intercepting the pass with perfect timing. His eyes locked on the incoming Kouta — and with a slight shift in his posture, Renji vanished from his sight.
"Phantom Step!" Sora Amagi's eyes widened. Renji had copied his key — and now modified it.
Renji didn't just disappear — his acceleration after each step was sharper, more unpredictable. He weaved through Epsilon's midfield with terrifying ease.
But Sora wasn't about to be left behind.
He sprinted alongside Renji, his own Phantom Step activating. But this time…
Sora's footwork grew faster, lighter — and suddenly, his body tilted as he took a sharp, impossible cut around an oncoming defender. It was a new skill entirely — "Phantom Feint."
Renji smirked. "Looks like I'm not the only one evolving."
The goal was in sight.
Renji's eyes darted across the field — and he saw it. Kaede Arata's positioning was perfect for a cutback. But Epsilon's defense was closing in.
"Time to take it up a notch."
Renji pushed his ego to its limit. His mind replayed Riku Saionji's last match performance — his incredible off-the-ball movement. And then… he stole it.
Renji's body slipped into a perfect decoy run. Epsilon's defenders shifted — and in that second, the passing lane to Kaede opened wide.
Renji flicked the ball sideways without even looking. Kaede fired.
The net rippled. 1-0.
But Epsilon wasn't going down without a fight.
The intensity was only beginning.