The sky over Auronía that morning was bright, but inside the main training field of Kelana Warriors FC, the atmosphere was even hotter than the sun above. The young players stood in neat rows in front of two towering figures—Coach Ricardo from Brazil and Coach Adrian, the local legend known for his strictness and undeniable charisma.
"Listen up, kiddos!" Coach Ricardo's voice boomed with a thick but captivating Brazilian accent. His curly hair was neatly tied back, and he wore a green-yellow jersey with the words 'Brasil Futebol Arte'. In his right hand, he held a remote control.
With one click, the giant LED screen at the side of the field lit up. A picture slowly appeared—a famous football player with a mischievous smile, wearing Brazil's number 10 jersey. Everything seemed to pause for a moment.
"NE¥MAR!" several players shouted in unison.
A video began to play—a montage of Neymar's dazzling moves: The Neymar Exit breaking through two defenders, The Stepover Cut shaking off the goalkeeper, Reverse Elastico knocking the opponent off balance, followed by The Neymar Chop, The Triangle Technique, The Double Stepover, The Fenomeno slithering through like a snake, and finally The Rainbow Flick sailing over a defender's head.
Armin's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open in awe.
"W-Woah… is he even human?" Armin whispered in disbelief.
The other players were just as stunned. Even Wonbin, who was usually hard to impress, leaned forward with laser focus.
Coach Ricardo turned to face them with a small grin.
"Okay, those are just some of the skills from the world-renowned player, NE¥MAR," he said calmly but with passion. "I hope at least one of those can inspire you all."
Ricardo stepped back slowly, giving space to Coach Adrian, who now stepped forward. His vibe was completely different. Calm, but dangerous like a tiger waiting to strike.
"You're all impressed, huh?" Adrian began, arms crossed.
"Now, we're going to start with something even more important… the basics."
Immediately, jaws dropped.
"Basics?!" someone in the back exclaimed. "We're Kelana Warriors FC, the top youth club in all of Auronía!"
Eric raised his hand. "Coach, with all due respect… why are we learning basic stuff? We're basically pros!"
Coach Adrian chuckled quietly. His laugh was calm, but carried a sharp edge.
"I bet you all think you've mastered the basics, right?" He scanned the players' faces, his gaze piercing. "Alright then. Let's start with something easy for you guys…"
He snapped his fingers.
"Dribbling. Ball control. Passing."
The players fell silent. Afraid to make a mistake, afraid their arrogance would backfire.
"Whoever can perform these perfectly," Adrian continued, "will move on to Level Two of this training. But remember, 'perfect' according to our standards."
Suddenly, Adrian pointed forward.
"We'll start with the captain. Borang Raphael, step up."
"Yes, Coach!" Raphael responded boldly, stepping forward with confidence. His face was composed, but the pressure was heavy on his shoulders. All eyes were on him.
Coach Ricardo picked up a ball and tossed it toward Raphael.
"Show us what you've got, Capitão."
Raphael gave a small smirk and got ready.
The other players whispered among themselves, but deep down, they knew—this wasn't just a regular drill.
This was the beginning of the crazy training that had been promised.
To be continued…