Chapter 13:
The screen in the hallway flashed red at 06:00 AM sharp.
"All players—report to the Formation Halls."
Sleep-deprived, overcaffeinated, nerves on fire—98 players walked into the central core, eyes locked on the names glowing across holographic boards.
Team Assignments.
Three players. Random. No negotiation. No changes.
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Short Introductions: Fated to Clash
Team 17
Haru – Calm, calculated, and quiet.
Shoma – Fast, loud, reckless winger.
Daiki – Heavy-built, patient striker with a rocket shot.
Team 21
Kaito (White Hair) – The genius with natural flair and zero motivation.
Renji (Purple Hair) – The strategist who reads people like books.
Kai – High-tempo dribbler, cocky and proud.
Team 08
Kazuma (Tattooed wild type) – Power
forward, ego-driven chaos.
Minato (Observant) – Cold, analytic, counter-attack focused.
Riku – Average all-arounder, nervous under pressure.
"If you're the worst player in your match... you're out," said Kiyoshi through the screen. "No discussion. No votes."
"But if you're all equally exceptional, you stay."
Tension flooded the air.
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The Selection Begins
Fields were split. 3v3 matches began simultaneously under the harsh spotlight of silence—no coaches, no crowd, just raw instincts and pressure.
In Team 17's match, Haru moved like water—linking with Daiki's sheer force and slowing Shoma's chaotic style into flow.
Shoma's speed surprised their opponents—until he lost control again.
"Pass, dammit!" Daiki barked.
"I don't need to!" Shoma yelled.
Mistakes. Clashes. A missed shot.
Haru stayed quiet. Watching. Calculating.
Then—Demon Curve. A pass curved around two defenders and landed cleanly on Daiki's foot.
Goal.
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Team 21: Silent Fire
Kaito didn't move much. He touched the ball only four times.
But each time, it shattered the rhythm.
Renji set traps, drew defenders out. Kai danced through them.
Their teamwork wasn't teamwork. It was instinctual synchronization—like they didn't even need to speak.
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Team 08: Chaos vs. Order
Kazuma launched shots like a beast, screaming after every strike.
Minato never lost focus. He filled the space behind, cut passes, whispered tactics.
Riku? He was decent. But decent wasn't enough here.
A misread run. A blocked shot. A shaky pass.
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Eliminations & Announcement
One player from each of the following teams was eliminated—Shoma, Riku, and several others who cracked under pressure.
"Congratulations," Kiyoshi's voice returned. "Those still here... you've survived the first culling of the new era."
Silence.
Then, another screen lit up:
Top 5 Players – Round 1
1. Kaito
2. Haru
3. Renji
4. Kazuma
5. Minato
"You five," Kiyoshi said, "have been designated as U-20 Shadow Units. You'll be molded not just to play... but to carry Germany's hope in 10 months."
"From now on, you're being watched differently."