The streets blurred beneath my feet as I walked, the city's usual noise muffled by the whirlwind in my mind. Each step closer to the trial site felt like a beat of a war drum echoing through my chest—steady, anxious, alive.
I was so lost in thought, I nearly crashed into someone.
"Oh, sorry!" I blurted instinctively.
The figure didn't reply. Just slipped past me, swift and silent, like wind through the trees. He hadn't even glanced at me.
Strange. I had been in his blind spot, and yet he dodged without hesitation.
My eyes narrowed as I realized he was heading in the same direction. Curiosity stirred.
"You here for the tryouts too?" I called after him.
Silence.
"Nice dodge back there. You play striker?"
Still nothing.
He moved like a ghost—present, but untouchable. I gave up on conversation, but not observation. He stopped ahead of me, and I followed his gaze.
The facility rose before us, a modern-day coliseum of steel and glass, humming with electricity and tension. This was it—Kelshea's recruitment trials.
Inside, the waiting room thrummed with raw energy. Players filled every corner, each one sharp-eyed, radiating ambition and nerves. Yet, the moment he stepped in, the atmosphere shifted.
Whispers broke out like ripples in still water:
"That's him, right?" "The Genius." "Kou..."
I stole a glance at him—the silent figure who hadn't said a word. So this was Kou.
A sudden flicker drew everyone's attention. A screen buzzed to life overhead, Mika's playful grin lighting up the room.
"Hey, hey, you all~! Hehehe!"
The chatter died instantly.
Her smile dropped, replaced by a sharp, almost military tone.
"Here's how this works. Ten soccer balls will drop from the ceiling. Score with one, and you earn a spot on Kelshea. Only ten out of two hundred. Those ten will face Team A."
The pause was cruel. Final.
"Simple, right?"
Gasps echoed. Protests flared.
"What?! Only ten?!" "That's insane!"
But Mika's eyes scanned the room, resting briefly on me—and a few others. She smirked.
"Hoh. Not even fazed," she murmured, amused. "They see this as a warm-up. Don't you think so, Kuro?"
Kuro, standing beside her on the screen, said nothing.
The intercom blared:
"ONE MINUTE UNTIL TRIALS COMMENCE. TIMER STARTS NOW."
A chill ran down my spine. My hands curled into fists.
This wasn't madness. This was the beginning.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... START!"
The ceiling shifted.
Clank— thunk— bam!
Ten balls rained down like meteors.
I didn't hesitate. My eyes scanned the arcs, calculating trajectories. I sprinted—not toward the balls, but toward where they'd land.
Movement. A blur.
Someone shot past me, using another player as a springboard. A twist in midair. His foot connected—a thunderous strike.
GOAL.
Gasps rippled across the field.
Kou landed gracefully. No celebration. No emotion. Just turned and walked away.
Unreal.
The chaos surged. I bolted to my zone—but Kou was already there.
"Let's see how strong you are," I muttered.
He didn't respond. Just flicked the ball.
Boom.
It screamed into the net, curving like a bullet.
I stood frozen.
That power. That control. That calm.
The announcer's voice echoed above the madness:
"Ota Akane scores! Hirano Kumi scores! Kagero Sosei scores! Hirano Kaito scores! Iwai Jin scores! Yugen—"
Monsters.
Mika's voice cut through: "Yugen's decision is correct, but—"
A shadow descended.
Meian.
A juggernaut of a player, barreling through others like paper walls. Now—his sights were on me.
No words. No sneers.
Just a primal silence, thick with challenge.
This was it.
My feet dug in.
Yugen - Bring it.
「CHAPTER END 」