Two weeks passed since the Nanshin match
Reiji's name was now whispered not just in Japan
But in underground forums of European scouts
Clubs were intrigued
Yet confused
No highlight reels
No social media
No agent
Just a player who made winning look like orchestrated destiny
Then came the letter
It wasn't digital
It was handwritten
With a royal seal on top
From Albion United
An elite youth club in England known for molding prodigies into monsters
Inside it said
"We have reviewed your tactical breakdowns
Your performance against Nanshin was beyond exceptional
We offer you a one month training program at our secret London facility
Expenses covered
No strings attached"
The school staff freaked out
Principal called the parents
Yamato's jaw dropped
"Bro you're going to London
You made it
You actually made it"
But Reiji didn't smile
He stared at the envelope with quiet suspicion
"No one gives away paradise for free
Especially not to someone like me"
---
That night Reiji sat in his dark room
Projected the letter onto the wall
Then ran simulations of Albion United's formation archives
He muttered to himself
"If they've been watching me
Then they know I can read systems
But this offer
It feels too clean
Too soon
Too convenient"
He reached for his burner laptop
Opened a private server
Logged into a hidden network
Then typed a name into the search bar
Erik Faulkner
The name of Albion's shadow strategist
Rumored to have stolen tactics from rival academies
Banned from youth coaching after a scandal in 2019
Yet now working quietly in the background
Reiji narrowed his eyes
"This isn't a trial
It's a trap"
---
Next morning
Yamato was excited
"This is your chance to go pro
You have to take it"
Reiji handed him a folded paper
"If I don't return in seven days
Give this to the federation"
Yamato froze
"What are you talking about
You think they're gonna kill you or something"
Reiji smiled slightly
"No
They're going to try to control me"
---
London
Day one at Albion United facility
The grounds looked like a luxury prison
Players trained with machines
AI assistants tracked every stat
Psychologists watched body language
Reiji observed everything
The players looked robotic
Trained to obey
No spark
No soul
Then Erik Faulkner appeared
Tall
Sharp-eyed
Dressed in black
He shook Reiji's hand
"Welcome to the future of football"
But Reiji replied coldly
"Let's not pretend this is about training
You want to extract something from me"
Erik smirked
"You're not wrong
We want your mind
Your blueprint
In exchange you'll get fame
Money
European license
We'll fast track you to La Liga"
Reiji shook his head
"You can't buy what I don't sell"
---
Three days passed
Reiji refused to share any playbooks
Didn't answer questions during tactical meetings
Instead he wrote notes
Detailed weaknesses of Albion's top players
Predicted their formations four moves ahead
On day four
Albion set a trap
They put him in a simulated match with new rules
Reiji's team would be made of third-string players
The opponent would be Albion's main team
They called it
"The Unwinnable Trial"
Reiji looked at the screen
Then smirked
"Let's rewrite the rules"
---
The simulation began
First half
His team looked helpless
But they weren't losing
They were learning
Adapting
Each minute Reiji adjusted positions
Switched roles
Sacrificed left flank to overload right
By the 70th minute
Albion's elite team was scrambling
Their centerback screamed
"Why are we being pulled into a five-man box
That shape doesn't make sense"
Reiji stood on the sidelines
Arms crossed
Like a general watching chaos unfold
Final score
3–2
Reiji's team wins
Erik Faulkner slammed his tablet
"This kid
He's not just playing football
He's rewriting how football works"
---
That night Reiji was summoned to a private meeting
Erik sat alone in the room
"You've proven your point
Now join us
Or we'll blacklist you from every top club"
Reiji stared at him silently
Then reached into his coat
Pulled out a flash drive
"You've already stolen from me
I knew your server was mirroring my data
So I uploaded fake strategies
All your AI models are now learning illusions
Your future is built on fiction"
Erik's eyes widened
"You little–"
Reiji stood
"This was never about me joining you
It was about showing you
That I'm not part of your game
I write my own"
---
The next morning Reiji was gone
His bed empty
His name removed from the guest list
Albion United released a vague statement
"Player left due to personal issues"
But on underground forums
A new video leaked
A simulated tactical breakdown of Albion United
Exposing every flaw
Every blind spot
Signed with two letters
R K
---
Back in Japan
Yamato received a text from an unknown number
I'm back
And I've seen what the top of the world looks like
It's built on lies