The monitor remained glowing, refuse to fade.
Ego's silhouette flickered back into view as he spread his arms wide. "The five teams in this wing will compete in a round-robin tournament. The two teams with the most points will advance."
"However, for the three losing teams, there is still a sliver of hope."
"Specifically: the 'Top Scorer' rule."
"The individual with the most goals on a disqualified team will also advance to the next stage. Personal score versus team victory."
Ego leaned in, his glasses reflecting the sterile light. "The choices you face aren't just about scrambled positions... they are about the collision of human ego. This is a battle to create football from zero."
"Enjoy yourselves. In two hours, the first match begins. I'm looking forward to the show."
The screen cut to black, leaving his voice echoing in the restless silence of the breakroom.
No one spoke.
Aki looked around the room. Without exception, some understood the gravity of the rules immediately, while others were still drowning in confusion. But to put it simply: Score or die.
Kuon Wataru, his eyes narrowed in his usual squint, stood up to break the silence. "So, everyone. Have you thought about which positions you want to play?"
"We're a team for now. But we can't have eleven strikers on the pitch at once. Someone has to sacrifice."
His gaze drifted naturally toward Aki. As the highest-ranked player in the room, Kuon's intent was clear: build the formation around Aki to secure the win.
"I'm fine with it," Raichi barked. For once, the volatile striker actually agreed to a plan. After witnessing Aki's oppressive dominance in the Tag game, everyone knew that as long as Aki was on the field, their chances of reaching the third selection were significantly higher.
Aki offered a thin, knowing smile. This was exactly what he wanted. He hadn't stood out in the previous round just for the audience's Emotion Points; he had done it to ensure this team revolved around him.
Power is the ultimate leverage.
Kuon quickly sketched out a layout. "To be honest, I don't want to be a defender either."
"But winning is everything," Iemon added, pulling on the goalkeeper gloves with a resigned sigh. He looked at the group of hungry strikers. "But if we can't win the first match... I'm going up to the front line too."
Every man there was a striker. Every man had pride. Who would willingly spend forty-five minutes as a doorman?
Two hours later.
Led by Aki, Team Z marched into the stadium like a ragtag militia.
As they entered, Aki's gaze locked with a man walking toward them from the opposite tunnel. They both stopped simultaneously, the air between them crackling as if the first round of the battle had already begun.
The King of the Pitch, Barou Shoei, Aki thought. A peak egoist who views his teammates as nothing but background actors. But he has qualities most people lack: absolute discipline and order.
A man whose appearance and personality are at total odds. Fascinating.
The atmosphere was heavy. The players on both sides focused their attention on the two figureheads at the front. Barou looked at Aki with blatant disdain, while Aki stood over the ball, a calm, mocking smile on his face.
The overhead speakers crackled to life.
"During the First Selection, all fouls and misconduct will be judged via VAR. Any unsportsmanlike behavior will result in a warning; serious offenses will lead to immediate disqualification."
"Building 5, Match 1: Team X vs. Team Z. 45-minute halves."
"Begin!!"
The whistle shrieked.
Aki immediately tapped the ball to Bachira.
Bachira caught the pass, his lips curling into a manic grin. He knew exactly what Aki wanted. "Enjoy the show, boys. You're about to face a Demon King who's finally finding his rhythm."
"Because... not everyone can handle being provoked."
Every eye tracked the ball at Bachira's feet. Team X players lunged forward, desperate for a steal. But against Bachira's fluid movement and rhythmic dribbling, they looked like kittens being teased with a laser pointer.
But then, Bachira froze.
The ball was gone. It wasn't a Team X player who had taken it—it was a teammate.
Igarashi Gurimu sprinted past, the ball under his control, a nervous yet greedy grin on his face. "If I remember right, only the person who scores gets the individual point, yeah?"
"Which means positions and formations don't matter! In the end, the only one who becomes a hero is the one who puts the ball in the net!!"
As Igarashi laughed and tried to bypass a defender, he was suddenly leveled.
Kunigami Rensuke stood over the fallen monk, looking down with cold eyes as he seized the ball. "If that's the case, then I'll just fight my own battle properly."
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?!" Raichi roared, sprinting up the wing. "None of you want to score? Fine by me—that ball is mine!"
Kuon Wataru screamed for them to maintain their positions, to stick to the plan, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos. The match had devolved into a civil war.
Even Team X paused in confusion. What are these guys doing? They're intercepting their own teammates?
Amidst the brawl for the ball, one figure remained eerily still. Aki watched the mess, his smile sharpening.
Now this... this is interesting.
Football from zero. He knew the plot, he knew the theory, but experiencing the raw, unfiltered greed of eleven strikers on one pitch was something no manga could truly convey.
"Move!!" Kunigami gritted his teeth, shielding the ball from his own teammates.
Isagi Yoichi looked at the stationary Aki, then at the center of the field where his teammates were practically coming to blows over the ball. He was paralyzed.
What is this?
Everyone is only thinking about themselves. Everyone just wants to score. This isn't the football I was taught...
Then, he saw Aki move.
Aki exploded into the fray like a beast baring its fangs. He tore through the crowd of his own teammates, scattering them in an instant. When he emerged from the cluster, the ball was glued to his feet.
Aki's eyes were filled with a terrifying, murderous intent. To him, everyone blocking his path—teammate or foe—was an ant to be crushed.
"Get out of my way..."
"You insects."
He charged toward the goal. Several defenders from Team X tried to close him down, but he bypassed them with a burst of speed that left them clutching at air.
Barou was waiting. He had known Aki would be the one to come. An indiscernible spark of excitement flickered in Barou's eyes.
Aki noticed him and let out a cruel, jagged laugh.
"You're just like them, Barou."
"If they're ants... then you're just a slightly larger bug!"