The dining hall buzzed with energy as the players recapped their day's training. Plates clinked and chairs scraped against the floor, but Renji Kurogami's mind was elsewhere. He sat among his Team Zeta friends, nodding along to their conversation, but his eyes burned with frustration. He saw it — the way everyone was evolving. New skills were awakening. Keys were being refined and sharpened. And yet…
He felt stuck.
Sora Amagi grinned across the table. "Man, training with Seiji Kaname [Old Legend] today was brutal! His defensive reads are insane. I swear he predicts your moves before you even make them."
"Tell me about it," Kaede Arata groaned, rolling his shoulder. "He gave us this drill where we had to break through his defense without using any of our keys — just pure technique. I couldn't get past him once."
Riku Saionji adjusted his glasses, thoughtful. "But you learned a lot, right? That's the point of this. Breaking us down so we can rebuild stronger."
Renji listened, the pressure inside him mounting. Everyone was evolving. Even Sora was inching closer to mastering his second skill. But Renji? He hadn't taken a single step forward since his incomplete copying of Ryusei Hoshigaki's [Old Legend] key.
He finished his meal in silence and slipped away unnoticed.
---
The training field was dark and silent, lit only by the faint glow of the moon. Renji stood in the center, his breathing heavy. Sweat dripped from his chin. He was trying again — trying to fully unleash the key he'd copied from Hoshigaki.
He darted forward, his footwork quick and unpredictable, but the flow felt wrong. He twisted his body into a feint, but his acceleration lacked the explosiveness he needed. Again and again, he repeated the movements — the erratic, creative shifts Hoshigaki used so naturally — but each time he fell short.
"Why… can't I… do this?" Renji growled, slamming his foot into the ground.
"Because you're forcing it," a calm voice called from the edge of the field.
Renji whirled around. Seiji Nakamura [Old Legend], the captain of the old legends and an ace midfielder, approached him with his hands in his pockets. Even in the dim light, his presence was commanding.
"What are you doing up so late?" Nakamura asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
Renji wiped his face with his sleeve. "Trying to get stronger. Trying to stay at the top. Everyone's evolving, getting their keys — and I…" His fists clenched. "I won't let anyone surpass me."
Nakamura studied him quietly. "You're trying to fully copy Hoshigaki's key, aren't you?"
Renji's eyes widened. "How did you—"
"Because I've been watching," Nakamura said simply. "You've got a good eye, Renji. But having a good eye isn't enough. You're trying to replicate something without understanding it. That's why you're failing."
Renji stared at him, the words hitting hard. "Then help me understand."
Nakamura's lips curved into a faint smile. "Alright. Show me what you've got."
For the next hour, Renji repeated the movements while Nakamura observed. Every misstep, every hesitation — Nakamura saw it all.
"You're trying to copy Hoshigaki's rhythm, but you're missing the essence," Nakamura finally said. "Hoshigaki's unpredictability doesn't come from his speed or his technique. It comes from his vision — his ability to read the smallest cues and react instantly. If you want to replicate his key, you need to sharpen your observation."
He stepped onto the field. "Let me show you."
What followed was a brutal lesson. Nakamura guided Renji through reading an opponent's micro-movements — the shift of weight, the tension in their stance, the flicker of their eyes. Slowly, painfully, Renji started to see it. The tells. The openings. The split-second opportunities.
And when he finally attempted Hoshigaki's key again — this time, it clicked.
It wasn't perfect. Not yet. But for the first time, Renji felt the rhythm align.
Breathing hard, he looked at Nakamura with newfound respect. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Nakamura said with a wry smile. "Tomorrow's the last day of training with Hoshigaki. And trust me — you'll need everything you've got."
Renji's heart pounded. Whatever was coming… he'd be ready.
To be continued…