The final whistle echoed across the pitch — a sound that marked both triumph and frustration.
Team 1 had won, 4-3, but the real battle had been far greater than the score.
Renji stood still, his breathing heavy but controlled. Sweat dripped down his face, but his eyes burned with a sharp intensity. He had felt it — the danger, the pressure, the rush of devouring and being devoured.
He looked around. Every player had pushed themselves beyond their limits. And yet… he still wasn't satisfied.
I didn't get enough.
Kazuki Mori walked up to him, brushing a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "You saw through them, huh?" he asked, his voice half-admiring, half-irritated.
Renji didn't answer. His mind was still replaying the last moments. The ball dropping from the air, his perfect interception… he had forced that ending.
But Mori's frustration was justified.
"I had the goal right there, Renji," Mori continued. "One more second and I would've—"
"Doesn't matter," Renji cut him off. His voice was low and cold. "You didn't."
Mori's eyes narrowed. "You're enjoying this a little too much."
Renji finally looked at him, the corner of his mouth curling. "Aren't you?"
Before Mori could respond, Shunji Kaizen's voice called out from the sidelines.
"Gather up."
The 26 players, exhausted but still wired from the match, slowly made their way toward him. Even now, their eyes flickered with intensity — no one wanted to show weakness.
Kaizen's eyes swept over them, unreadable. "That match…" He paused, letting the silence stretch. "Was a bloodbath."
No one spoke. The air was still thick with the weight of their egos.
"But this is EOS," Kaizen continued. "And survival here has a price. Four of you will not move forward."
The tension exploded.
Even the players who had performed well felt a chill. Because evolution alone wasn't enough.
"Before eliminations," Kaizen went on, "I want you to reflect on what you've gained through the training with the legends. Each of you has evolved — but some of you… not enough."
Renji's fingers twitched. He felt the weight of his own evolution — and the hunger for more.
Kaizen's eyes landed on him for a fraction of a second, and in that brief exchange, Renji knew — this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"Rest tonight," Kaizen ordered. "Tomorrow, the elimination results will be announced."
The crowd of players slowly dispersed, but the tension remained, thick and suffocating. Rivalries had been set in stone. And the battle for the top was only just beginning.
To be continue.....