EOS 1 - 0 World 11.
The first goal had shifted the entire atmosphere.
The World 11, known for their absolute dominance, had just conceded first. But rather than frustration, a dangerous excitement flickered in their eyes.
Kaiser Eberhart cracked his neck, his grin widening. "Not bad... but now, it's my turn."
The World 11 kicked off again—and this time, their aura was completely different.
The ball moved to Thiago Santos, the Brazilian playmaker, who barely glanced before launching a pinpoint long ball over the midfield.
It arched beautifully—straight to Kaiser Eberhart.
Renji and Mori both rushed in at full speed, trying to intercept, but Kaiser didn't panic.
Instead—he let the ball drop behind him, spinning mid-air to control it with his backheel.
The moment it touched his foot, he was already gone.
Renji barely had time to react before Kaiser slipped past him like a ghost, the ball glued to his feet.
"He's fast—!"
Kaede Arata and Haruto Inoue moved in to cut him off, but Kaiser didn't hesitate.
He faked a right-foot shot—then flicked the ball backward with his left heel.
A trap.
The defenders lunged to block, but the ball had already been laid off—straight to Adrian DeLuca, the Celestial Phantom.
DeLuca, smiling, took a single step before striking the ball with a knuckle shot.
The ball dipped, curved, and wobbled unpredictably—a nightmare for goalkeepers.
Takuma Ogawa's eyes widened. He dived instinctively, stretching his body to the limit.
His fingertips brushed the ball—but it was too powerful.
GOAL.
EOS 1 - 1 World 11.
The ball crashed into the net with force, and DeLuca casually raised a finger to the sky.
"No more gifts," he said.
Mori grabbed the ball and walked back to midfield, clicking his tongue. "That bastard…"
Renji was silent, his hands clenched into fists.
This wasn't enough.
He needed to do more.
The match restarted, and immediately, the EOS team's ego-driven chaos began to show.
Everyone wanted to score.
Mori tried to break through by himself, but Volkov bodied him off the ball before he could shoot.
Sora Amagi took an impossible shot from midfield—only for Noah Weiss, the Titan Wall, to catch it effortlessly.
Even Riku Saionji, usually a controlled playmaker, tried to dribble past Castillo, losing possession.
Kaiser, watching, laughed. "They're crumbling."
Kaizen, standing on the sidelines, smirked.
"This is exactly what I wanted."
The game became a warzone.
EOS was reckless, trying to score at any cost.
But in the midst of the chaos, Renji stopped chasing the ball—and started hunting for openings.
He activated his Key – "Predator's Awareness."(Modified version of Hawk eye)
The field slowed down.
He saw Mori's aggressive movements—too predictable.
He saw Riku's passes—too obvious.
He saw Amagi's positioning—perfect.
Renji didn't call for the ball.
Instead, he positioned himself in the one space the World 11 defense had left open.
Then, the chance came.
Riku, frustrated from losing possession earlier, whipped a sudden through-ball forward.
The World 11 defenders expected Mori to chase it.
But Renji appeared instead.
One touch—turn—power shot.
The ball rocketed toward the top corner.
Weiss reacted instantly, but—too late.
GOAL.
EOS 2 - 1 World 11.
Renji exhaled, lowering his foot.
This wasn't just about ego.
It was about winning.
The Storm Continues
But the match wasn't over.
As the World 11 lined up for kickoff, Kaiser gave Renji a sharp grin.
"You finally look interesting," he said.
Then—the true storm began.
[To Be Continued…]