The EOS training field lay silent beneath the stars, the cool night air brushing against Renji's skin. The echoes of the day's intense battles had faded, but for Renji, the fight was far from over. This was the time he'd claimed for himself — the time when the others slept and he kept pushing forward.
And tonight, he wasn't alone.
Seiji Nakamura [old legend] stood a few feet away, arms crossed as he watched Renji warm up. The calm, calculating intensity in his gaze reminded Renji why Nakamura had been the captain of the EOS's first and only batch. There was something about him — a presence Renji hadn't felt from anyone else yet.
"You're wasting movement," Nakamura said as Renji began his dribbling drills. "Your body's fast, but your mind isn't keeping up. You're reacting, not controlling."
Renji grit his teeth but didn't respond. He pushed harder, trying to sharpen his turns, make his touches cleaner.
"Stop."
Renji froze.
Nakamura walked over, taking the ball from him. "You want to surpass everyone, right? Then you need more than tricks. You need the fundamentals — the real skills that separate players like me from players like you." He tapped the ball lightly with his foot. "We start with ball control. Show me if you can keep up."
And so the lesson began.
For the next hour, Nakamura drilled Renji relentlessly — forcing him to master real football techniques with brutal efficiency:
La Croqueta – A rapid side-to-side movement, using the inside of the foot to push the ball past defenders. Renji struggled with the timing at first, but slowly found the rhythm.
Elastico – A quick outside-to-inside flick of the ball, perfect for breaking through tight spaces. Renji's control improved, but his speed was still lacking.
Sombrero Flick – Lifting the ball over an opponent's head and catching it on the other side. Renji couldn't quite get the height at first, but Nakamura's corrections made the motion smoother.
"Good," Nakamura finally said, after what felt like hours. "But this is just technique. Without vision, it's useless."
Renji wiped sweat from his face, breathing hard. "Then teach me."
Nakamura smiled faintly. "Alright. Let's see if you can handle this."
The next drill was a nightmare. Nakamura played passes from unpredictable angles, forcing Renji to react while keeping his eyes on the entire field. Blindfolded again, Renji had to rely on his instincts and the field vision he'd been developing — but Nakamura was merciless. Every mistake earned him a sharp critique and an even tougher challenge.
But slowly, something shifted.
Renji began to feel the movement around him — not just see it. The weight of the ball, the sound of Nakamura's steps, the air shifting with each pass. It was like the field itself was coming into focus.
And then, for just a moment, he saw it.
A perfect pass, a split-second opening. Renji moved without thinking, cutting in and stealing the ball cleanly.
Nakamura stopped. "Now you're getting it."
But Renji wasn't satisfied. He wanted more.
"Again," he said, his voice low and determined.
They trained until his legs burned and his vision blurred — until the sun began to rise over the EOS facility.
As they finally stopped, Nakamura looked at Renji with something close to approval. "You might just have what it takes," he said quietly. "But don't get comfortable. Tomorrow, you face a new legend. And they won't go easy on you."
Renji's body ached, his mind raced — but his hunger only grew stronger.
The real battle was just beginning.
To be continue....