The room was so silent, the sound of breathing felt loud. Everyone's eyes were locked on Seiji Nakamura. The weight of his words still lingered — the rivalry between Shunji Kaizen and Kaiser Eberhart.
Renji Kurogami clenched his fists under the table. The idea that their director had once stood on equal ground with the world's greatest striker—it was hard to wrap his head around. But at the same time… it made perfect sense.
Seiji took a long breath, his eyes distant — like he was seeing a battlefield only he could remember.
"Kaizen and Kaiser…" he began. "They weren't just rivals. They were monsters — the kind of players who forced everyone around them to evolve just to survive."
"Even you guys?" Riku Saionji asked, his voice careful.
Seiji's smile was bitter. "Especially us. Every match against them felt like a fight for our lives."
Daigo Furutani nodded. "EOS was already brutal. But when those two stepped on the field… the entire game revolved around them. Their egos, their hunger — it devoured everything."
Renji felt his pulse quicken. That word — devour — it was the very thing they'd been taught. He was starting to understand where Kaizen's philosophy came from.
"Kaizen's greatest weapon," Seiji continued, "was his vision. Not just his spatial awareness — though that was terrifying enough. He had a way of seeing the entire field like a chessboard. Every pass, every run, every movement — he predicted it all."
Renji's breath caught. That sounded… so familiar. His own evolving spatial awareness felt like a shadow of what they were describing.
"But Kaiser…" Hiroshi Takeuchi's voice broke in. "Kaiser was something else entirely. He had an overwhelming presence. When he had the ball, it was like gravity shifted — every player on the field was drawn toward him, whether they wanted to be or not."
"That's ridiculous," Kaede Arata muttered. "One player can't control the entire field like that."
"But he did," Seiji said simply. "Kaiser's combination of insane technique, unmatched speed, and a killer instinct made him unstoppable. He didn't just score goals — he crushed teams' spirits."
"And Kaizen…?" Renji's voice was low, his eyes burning with curiosity.
"Kaizen was the only one who could keep up," Seiji said, his smile sharpening. "Their battles were legendary. Every time they faced off, it was like watching two gods fight."
"But there was one match," Daigo added, his tone growing darker. "The match that ended it all."
The air grew heavier.
"EOS's Final Selection," Seiji said softly. "The top two teams — Kaizen's team and Kaiser's team — met in a match that would decide who stood at the very top."
"Every scout from every top league in the world was there," Koji Matsunaga added. "The pressure was unimaginable."
"What happened?" Sora Amagi asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Seiji's eyes darkened. "For the first half, it was even. Kaizen's vision controlled his team like a general on a battlefield. Kaiser's presence kept his team's attack relentless. It was like watching two storms collide."
"But in the second half…" Daigo's voice grew quiet. "Everything changed."
Renji felt his stomach twist. "What do you mean?"
"Kaizen did something no one expected," Seiji said. "He abandoned teamwork. He stopped directing his team and started fighting Kaiser alone."
The room erupted in shock.
"That's insane!" Haruto Inoue burst out. "Why would he—"
"Because his ego demanded it," Seiji cut in. "Kaizen wanted to prove that he was the best — not through his team, but with his own strength."
Renji's heart pounded harder. That sounded exactly like the hunger that burned inside him.
"And for a while…" Seiji's voice softened. "…it worked. Kaizen pushed Kaiser back. He scored two goals singlehandedly. For the first time, Kaiser looked cornered."
"But then," Hiroshi said grimly, "Kaiser evolved."
The table fell silent.
"Evolved?" Kaede's voice was hesitant.
Seiji nodded slowly. "Kaiser stopped playing like a striker — and started playing like Kaizen. He adapted Kaizen's vision, his strategy — and combined it with his own overwhelming technique."
"He devoured Kaizen's style," Koji said. "And in the final ten minutes… he destroyed him."
Renji's throat went dry.
"The match ended 5-3," Seiji finished. "Kaiser Eberhart stood at the top. And Kaizen…" His voice softened. "…never played professional football again."
The weight of those words crushed the room.
"But why?" Riku Saionji asked, his brow furrowed. "Kaizen still played incredibly, right? Why wouldn't he go pro?"
Seiji's eyes flicked toward the door, his voice lowering. "You'll have to ask him that yourself."
The air grew colder.
Before anyone else could speak, a new voice cut through the tension.
"Enough storytelling."
Everyone's heads snapped toward the entrance.
Shunji Kaizen stood there, his sharp eyes scanning the room.
"You wanted hell?" he said coldly. "It starts tomorrow."
The old players exchanged grim smiles. The younger players swallowed hard.
"Get some rest," Kaizen ordered. "You're going to need it."
He turned to leave, but paused just before stepping out.
"And remember this," he said without looking back. "I don't care who your opponents are. I don't care if they're old EOS players or the best in the world. If you can't devour them… you'll be eliminated."
The room stayed silent long after he was gone.
Renji's eyes burned with resolve.
Tomorrow… the true hell would begin.
To be continued…