The tension in the air was palpable. The 26 remaining players stood in the massive indoor stadium, their eyes fixed on Shunji Kaizen, the director of EOS, as he stood before them with his usual unreadable expression. But when he spoke, his words sent a shockwave through the room.
"Congratulations on surviving the training with the old legends," Kaizen began. "But don't think for a second that your place here is safe. EOS only has room for the best — those who evolve, those who devour, and those who rise. That's why the next stage begins now."
A cold silence fell over the group as Kaizen's sharp gaze swept over them.
"A ranking match," he announced. "Two teams. 13 versus 13. And the stakes? The bottom four players in performance… will be eliminated."
The room erupted.
"What?! Four players?!"
"We just survived the old legends' training—"
"This isn't enough time—"
Kaizen's voice cut through the noise like a knife. "Silence. If you haven't evolved enough by now, you don't deserve to stay here. EOS exists to create the ultimate striker. Anyone who falls behind… is dead weight."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. The players' eyes burned with fury, fear — and hunger. They had all come too far to fall now.
Kaizen continued, "You've all gained skills and keys from your training. This match will test how well you've integrated them. There will be no handicaps, no mercy. This is the fight for survival. Show me your evolution."
The teams were quickly divided:
Team 1:
Renji Kurogami
Kazuya Mori
Kazuki Shindo
Yuto Kisaragi
Tetsuya Aikawa
Shohei Kuroda
Kenji Takahashi
Hajime Ueda
Masato Hino
Rikuya Asano
Sorao Hamada
Kenta Shimizu
Jin Kazama (Goalkeeper)
Team 2:
Daichi Fujimoto
Ryota Minami
Sho Nakata
Isamu Oda
Riku Saionji
Kaede Arata
Sora Amagi
Reiji Sakamoto
Shun Takagi
Haruto Inoue
Yamada Goro
Hideo Morita
Takuma Ogawa (Goalkeeper)
As the teams took their positions on the pitch, Renji's heart pounded in his chest. He felt the weight of the moment — but beneath it, there was excitement. This was what EOS was about. Survival. Devouring. Evolving.
Kaizen's voice echoed through the stadium. "Begin!"
The match exploded into action.
Renji surged forward, his vision immediately sharpening as he activated his "Hawk's Eye" — the evolved version of his spatial awareness. The entire field opened up before him like a map, and he saw the movements of every player.
Yuto Kisaragi took the ball first, his perfect passing game already on display. He sent a lightning-fast through pass to Mori, who was waiting at the edge of the box. Mori's acceleration was monstrous — he had evolved into a true predator.
But Kaede Arata was ready. He intercepted with a slide tackle, his precision and timing impeccable. Without missing a beat, he launched a long pass toward Sora Amagi — and Amagi activated his "Phantom Step", disappearing from sight before reappearing ahead of Kenji Takahashi.
"Too slow," Amagi hissed, cutting past him like a ghost.
But just before he could take the shot—
"Specter Drive!"
Renji appeared out of nowhere, his movement perfectly unpredictable as he intercepted the ball. The power and fluidity of his drive were at 100% now — he was moving on instinct and vision alone.
He turned sharply and countered, sending the ball flying toward Shindo. And this time, without the weights that had held him back, Shindo's speed was terrifying. He surged forward, his agility and explosiveness overwhelming defenders.
"Void Strike!"
Renji's eyes widened as Shindo unleashed his most powerful shot yet — but Takuma Ogawa was ready. The goalkeeper launched himself into the air, deflecting the ball with incredible reflexes.
The ball rebounded, and in an instant, Riku Saionji took control. His field vision rivaled Renji's, and he threaded a perfect pass toward Reiji Sakamoto.
But Aikawa was already waiting.
"Devour," he whispered, his body moving with a blend of techniques stolen and adapted from his rivals. He mirrored Renji's Specter Drive and combined it with his own unpredictable footwork, stripping the ball away and launching into a blistering counterattack.
The match raged on, players clashing with new skills and evolved techniques. Every pass, every movement, every goal attempt was a battle of egos and survival. And as the minutes ticked by, the intensity only grew.
Renji's eyes burned with focus. He knew the stakes — and he wouldn't let anyone surpass him. Not now. Not ever.
But as the match reached its halfway point, the score remained tied — and the battle was only getting started.
To be continued…