The tension on the field was suffocating. Five of the top players in EOS stood together, their eyes locked on the lone figure standing across from them — Ryusei Hoshigaki [Old Legend], the unpredictable genius of Shizuoka Storm.
This was their final chance to prove how much they had evolved under his training. And they knew it wouldn't be easy.
"Come at me," Hoshigaki said, his voice calm but laced with challenge. "Show me the fangs you've grown… or I'll devour you all."
Kazuki Shindo cracked his neck, his body practically vibrating with energy now that the weights had been removed. His speed had skyrocketed, and his confidence was through the roof.
"I've been waiting for this," Shindo grinned. "Let's take him down!"
The whistle blew — and the storm began.
Shindo exploded forward, his speed blinding. He was already at Hoshigaki's side in an instant, aiming to break through with sheer acceleration. But just as he was about to slip past—
Tap.
Hoshigaki's foot flicked the ball out of Shindo's reach with impossible precision.
"Too slow," Hoshigaki teased.
But the real attack was already in motion.
Renji Kurogami had been watching from behind, his "Specter Drive" activating. His modified version of Hoshigaki's unpredictable movements wasn't perfect — it lacked the fluidity and finesse of the original — but it was enough to close the distance.
Renji read the field with his enhanced vision, seeing the gaps forming between Hoshigaki and the others. He surged forward, ready to intercept.
"Not bad," Hoshigaki acknowledged — but before Renji could react, the ball was gone.
Yuto Kisaragi's perfect passing vision kicked in, sending a lightning-fast through ball to Tetsuya Aikawa, who was already gearing up for a powerful strike.
"Too obvious!" Aikawa roared, his foot slamming into the ball with devastating force.
The shot was a bullet — but Hoshigaki was faster.
With a single sidestep, he avoided the shot entirely, the ball whipping past him and slamming into the netting behind.
"Damn it…!" Aikawa growled.
"Is that all?" Hoshigaki asked, his eyes gleaming with challenge. "If this is the best the top five have to offer… you'll never surpass me."
But Kazuya Mori wasn't done.
"Everyone! Collapse on him!" Mori barked, his tactical genius kicking in.
The five players moved as one, their teamwork finally beginning to click. Shindo cut off Hoshigaki's left flank, Renji mirrored his movements on the right, while Kisaragi and Aikawa locked down the center. Mori moved in for the steal, their formation perfect—
Or so they thought.
The next second, Hoshigaki disappeared.
He was there — and then he wasn't. His unpredictable movement left them grasping at air as he slipped through their defenses with impossible ease.
"Phantom Mirage" — his true key skill in action.
Renji's eyes widened. Even with his enhanced vision, keeping up with Hoshigaki's movements was like trying to follow a shadow.
But Renji wasn't about to back down.
"Not this time!" he growled, his "Specter Drive" kicking into high gear.
He mirrored Hoshigaki's unpredictable footwork, closing the distance inch by inch. The gap between them shrank — and for the first time, Renji felt the flow of Hoshigaki's technique start to click.
He could feel it — the edge of something more.
But just as he reached out—
Thud.
Hoshigaki was gone again. And the ball was already soaring toward the goal.
"End of the line," Hoshigaki declared.
But before the ball could hit its mark—
BOOM.
Kazuki Shindo intercepted, his enhanced speed finally catching up. His foot slammed into the ball, sending it flying back toward the center field.
Hoshigaki grinned. "Now we're talking."
The battle was far from over.
(To be continued…)