The nation began to whisper his name
Not loudly
Not officially
But in forums
Discord servers
Anonymous threads on football databases
They called him The Blueprint
Others called him Ghost Coach
But most just typed two letters
R K
---
The match against Nagoya had caused a storm
Not because of the comeback
But because of the way it was done
Every move seemed to have been predicted before kickoff
The pass sequences
The timing of subs
Even the opposing coach's decisions looked like they were pre-recorded in Reiji's mind
Football analysts on YouTube were lost
One former pro from Brazil said
"This isn't playmaking this is psychological warfare"
---
But Reiji Kaoru didn't care about the talk
He was already preparing the next collapse
Inside an abandoned storage room turned into a strategy bunker
Reiji was sketching new formations
Not 4 4 2
Not 3 5 2
These were shapes no coach used
One had players stacked vertically in a "needle" line
Another used inverted diagonal overlaps that defied normal physics
Yamato entered the room and saw the madness
Papers everywhere
String connecting dots on the wall
Screens showing simulations of opposing teams' fatigue points
"Are you trying to win the league or start a war"
Reiji didn't answer
He just handed Yamato a clipboard
"Memorize this run pattern
You'll only use it once
If done right their centerback will trip on his own keeper"
Yamato blinked
"What"
"You'll see"
---
Elsewhere in Osaka
Coach Nakamura had his squad training like madmen
Every player had been drilled with AI-assisted analysis
He replayed Reiji's match over and over
But no matter what tactics he applied in his simulations
He couldn't beat Reiji's pattern
Frustrated
He called an old friend in Europe
"You once told me about that Spanish kid who controlled games like a conductor
How did you stop him"
The voice on the line replied
"You don't stop a mastermind with defense
You bait him with illusion
Make him think he's in control
Then snap the trap when he overextends"
Nakamura grinned
"Exactly what I was planning"
---
Back in Tokyo
Minamino's next match was against a powerhouse school
Shimizu West
They had 4 national youth players
A striker called Sota Hoshino nicknamed "Meteor Shot"
And a tactician captain called Rento
Reiji did something strange before the match
He disappeared for three days
Didn't come to school
Didn't submit the match form
Didn't leave a single plan
Everyone was nervous
Even Yamato
The principal was already preparing a statement for forfeit
Until the morning of the match
Reiji arrived wearing a janitor's uniform
Holding a USB
He walked straight to the teacher's office
Plugged the USB into the TV
A full breakdown of Shimizu West loaded on screen
Their fitness decay map
Player emotional triggers
Even the probability of red card behavior under pressure
He turned to the stunned librarian coach
"Tell the boys
We don't win this match by playing well
We win by breaking their trust in each other"
---
Kickoff began
Minamino looked confused
Reiji was nowhere near the bench
Shimizu took advantage
Dominated possession
Scored early
1–0
Then
Weird things started happening
Minamino's players began pressing odd zones
Zones where nobody stood
They passed into empty spaces
They ignored obvious passing lanes
The crowd laughed
Commentators called it madness
Then it clicked
Shimizu's shape began to collapse
Their defender shouted at the midfielder
"Why didn't you mark zone 9"
"I thought we were shifting to the left"
"No that was only if they used pattern delta"
"What's pattern delta"
Confusion
Every player doubted their own memory
Their own formation
By the second half
They weren't playing football anymore
They were second guessing every step
Reiji walked in during the 70th minute
Took his seat quietly
Then nodded once
Within five minutes
Minamino scored
Then again
And again
Final score
3–1
---
After the match Rento the captain of Shimizu West approached Reiji
"You didn't beat us by playing better
You beat us by making us question ourselves"
Reiji simply said
"Collapse doesn't start on the field
It starts in the mind"
---
The next day a photo of Reiji sitting in the school hallway went viral
He was surrounded by old books
Wearing a cracked pair of glasses
The caption read
"Is this high schooler the most dangerous tactician in Japan"
---
Clubs started to notice
Big ones
European scouts
J League reps
But no one could contact Reiji
He had no phone
No profile
No agent
Just one locker with his name
And a piece of paper taped to it
"Find me on the pitch if you dare"
---
Back in Osaka
Coach Nakamura started building his counter strategy
He called it Operation False King
Designed not to beat Reiji's players
But to force Reiji himself into a false decision
A trap
A beautiful one
And he waited
Smiling
Because the war of football minds had only just begun