Chapter 3:
The train slid into Berlin under a grey sky.
Haru stepped off with his bag slung over one shoulder. The platform was filled with boys just like him — quiet, alert, trying to hide the nerves behind serious faces.
No one spoke.
A black shuttle waited outside the station. No logo. Just tinted windows and silence. Haru got in. The others followed. Inside, the air felt tight. Not because of space — because of pressure.
---
The ride was quiet. The city faded into industry. Then into fencing.
They arrived.
A high-tech facility stood behind steel gates. Cold, precise, and surrounded by cameras.
A metal sign hung on the wall:
PROJECT: THE EGO FORMULA
Inside, over 300 players were herded into a massive white hall. Spotlights above. Screens along the walls. No windows. No sound but breathing.
Then — the lights dimmed.
A giant screen lit up. A man appeared on it, standing alone in a black room. Sharp suit, calm eyes, presence like gravity.
---
"My name is Kiyoshi," he said.
"From this moment forward, none of you are teammates. You are 300 obstacles. And only one of you will become the formula's result — the future of football."
He stepped forward, hands behind his back.
"This country is dying," he continued.
"Not in silence — but in mediocrity."
No one moved. Haru listened carefully, eyes fixed on the screen.
"For too long, we've praised teamwork without ambition. Tactics without risk. Players without ego. And what did we get in return?"
A pause.
"Failure."
The word echoed through the white hall.
"I don't care where you're from. I don't care who you think you are. All that matters is this: can you prove you deserve to exist in the future of football?"
He raised a finger.
"This facility will strip you down. Not just physically. Mentally. You will face judgment through every pass, every decision, every goal you miss."
A second screen lit up behind him. It showed a digital counter: 299.
"One by one, this number will fall. Not because you're weak — but because someone else was stronger."
The screen shut off.
A door opened.
And The Ego Formula began.