Galacticos Tokyo wasn't just a club
It was an empire
The academy sat on a hill overlooking the city
Flashing white marble walls
Perfectly trimmed grass
Robotic security gates
Every step Reiji took inside felt clinical
Like walking into a science lab
Not a football school
A tall man in a white blazer approached
Sharp eyes
No warmth
"I'm Director Ayanagi
Your performances have intrigued the board
But this is not Vortex
We don't tolerate improvisation here
Only execution"
Reiji didn't blink
"Then you'll hate what I'm about to do"
---
He was assigned to the B-team
But even here
Players passed with identical angles
Made the same decisions
Wore identical expressions
They were trained to play like code
Not people
And every mistake was punished with silence
Not words
Just a disappointed look from the coach that cut deeper than any scream
---
Day three
Reiji met Arata
The academy's top prospect
Number 10
Captain of the A-team
Arata approached with a slight smirk
"You're the chaos kid
The one who made the whole country talk after the Shadow Match"
Reiji shrugged
"I didn't mean to cause chaos
I just didn't see a reason to repeat everyone else's mistakes"
Arata laughed
"You'll either rise or vanish here
No middle ground"
---
During his first training match
Reiji played center back
Out of position
By design
The coach wanted to test his discipline
Expected him to stick to the manual
But Reiji broke formation twice
Cut diagonal passes
Launched long balls that changed rhythm
Even made a midfield overlap
After the whistle
The coach walked up slowly
Tension in every step
"Explain those decisions
That's not our system"
Reiji looked around at the watching players
Then said loud enough for all to hear
"I didn't come here to follow a blueprint
I came to tear down your castle
And build one that doesn't collapse the moment something unpredictable happens"
Gasps echoed
Some smirks
Some glares
But Director Ayanagi watched from the top balcony
And for a second
A flicker of interest crossed his face
---
That night
Reiji returned to his dorm
On his desk
A blank envelope
Inside
A photo
The Kurogane team
With one new player circled
Arata
Reiji's eyes narrowed
"That smile of yours
It was fake huh
You're one of them"