The stadium was silent. The weight of every step, every goal, and every defeat pressed down on the remaining players. They stood in front of the massive screen as the final rankings began to flash one by one.
Shunji Kaizen stood before them, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the group. "The second stage of Phase 2 is over," he began. "And I've made a decision. Seeing the potential you've shown — the hunger, the evolution — I'm raising the stakes. Instead of taking the top 10 scorers and a single goalkeeper from the entire EOS system…" His voice grew colder. "I will select the top 24 players and the top 2 goalkeepers from all 66 of you."
The air tensed immediately. Eyes widened. Breaths caught. This changed everything.
"Those 26 players will advance to the next stage… under my direct guidance."
The screen flickered. Names began to appear.
Kazuya Mori (Team Alpha)
Tetsuya Aikawa (Team Omega)
Yuto Kisaragi (Team Delta)
Kazuki Shindo (Team Sigma)
Renji Kurogami (Team Zeta)
Sora Amagi (Team Zeta)
Daichi Fujimoto (Team Alpha)
Shohei Kuroda (Team Omega)
Hajime Ueda (Team Sigma)
Kaede Arata (Team Zeta)
Riku Saionji (Team Zeta)
Kenji Takahashi (Team Alpha)
Isamu Oda (Team Omega)
Hideo Morita (Team Delta)
Reiji Sakamoto (Team Zeta)
Rikuya Asano (Team Epsilon)
Masato Hino (Team Alpha)
Shun Takagi (Team Zeta)
Haruto Inoue (Team Zeta)
Sho Nakata (Team Sigma)
Sorao Hamada (Team Epsilon)
Ryota Minami (Team Alpha)
Kenta Shimizu (Team Omega)
Yamada Goro (Team Zeta)
Top 2 Goalkeepers:
Jin Kazama (Team Zeta) – 22 Saves
Takuma Ogawa (Team Delta) – 19 Saves
The rest of the names faded from the screen. A heavy silence followed. The 40 eliminated players were left in shock, some dropping to their knees, some glaring in bitter frustration. But the top 26 stood firm — their bodies battered, their egos burning brighter than ever.
Shunji Kaizen's voice sliced through the stillness. "You have earned your place… but this is only the beginning. The next phase will push you beyond your limits. I will personally oversee your training… and it will break you."
A sinister smile crossed his face. "You will fight not only for survival… but for domination."
The screen flashed once more: "Special Training Begins"
The unknown loomed ahead, and every player felt it — the storm was just beginning.