The stadium slowly emptied after the chaotic match.
People were still talking about it.
Everywhere in the facility, the same words echoed.
"Did you see that comeback?"
"Daniel overturned a 2–4 deficit."
"That match was insane."
Inside the locker room corridor, Daniel walked quietly toward the exit.
His players had already dispersed.
But his mind was still racing.
The adrenaline from the match had barely faded.
And somewhere deep inside him…
That strange egotistical version of himself still lingered.
A voice that loved chaos.
A voice that loved control.
Daniel exhaled slowly.
"...What the hell was that?"
Just then—
A soft voice spoke behind him.
"You're different."
Daniel turned.
Harada stood a few meters away.
Her arms crossed.
Her expression calm.
But her eyes were sharp.
Daniel scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Uh… good game?"
Harada stared at him for a moment.
Then she walked closer.
"You were losing."
She stopped in front of him.
"Your structure collapsed."
Daniel shrugged slightly.
"Yeah… that happened."
Her gaze narrowed.
"But then you changed."
Silence.
Harada leaned slightly closer.
"Your tactics became unpredictable."
She tilted her head.
"And you started enjoying the chaos."
Daniel looked away.
"…Maybe."
Harada studied him carefully.
Then she smirked.
"You're dangerous."
Daniel blinked.
"What?"
She turned away and began walking down the corridor.
But before leaving, she said one more thing.
"I'll beat you next time."
And then she disappeared around the corner.
Daniel stood there for a moment.
"…Next time?"
He muttered.
Then suddenly—
A loud system notification echoed across the facility.
Every screen lit up.
PRELIMINARY STAGE
GROUP E — STANDINGS AFTER MATCHDAY 3
Martins Adeyemi — 9 pts Mendes — 7 pts Daniel — 7pts Ibrahim sule — 5pts Harada — 4 pts Okoye — 4 pt Farouk — 3 pt Silva — 3 pts Adisa — 1 pts petrov — 0 pts
Gasps spread across the facility.
Daniel had jumped up the table.
And Farouk had dropped.
With Harada.
Inside the cafeteria lounge, Fatima and her group of girls were watching the screen.
One of the girls whistled.
"That Daniel guy is crazy."
Another giggled.
"He looks so shy but he's terrifying during matches."
Fatima leaned back in her chair, smiling faintly.
Her fingers tapped against the table.
"…He's interesting."
The girl beside her smirked.
"You like him?"
Fatima chuckled softly.
"Like him?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'm curious."
She stood up.
"And curiosity is dangerous."
Far Below the facility…
Inside a private observation room.
Several members of the Order of the Pitch (OOTP) sat around a large table.
Multiple screens replayed highlights from the match.
Daniel's comeback goal.
His chain reaction attacks.
His manic laughter during the second half.
One of the officials folded his arms.
"…Candidate 47."
Another nodded.
"Daniel."
A third member leaned forward.
"His tactical adaptability is extremely high."
Another official added quietly.
"But did you notice the psychological shift?"
They replayed the moment Daniel laughed on the sideline.
The room fell silent.
Finally, the Director spoke.
"…Interesting."
He stood up slowly.
"Keep monitoring him."
The screen froze on Daniel's face.
"Because if this continues…"
The man smiled faintly.
"…we might have found our first real contender."
Far below them, inside the facility…
Daniel walked down the hallway toward his dorm building.
Completely unaware that the eyes of the entire project…
Had just turned toward him.