Rain slammed against the concrete.
The floodlights flickered above the empty field.
And in the middle of it—
stood Kaito Ren.
Everyone had already left.
The coaches.The players.Even the ball had been abandoned near the sideline.
"You're cut."
Those words still echoed in his head.
"You just… don't have it."
Kaito clenched his fists.
No talent.No speed.No instinct.
Just an empty body… without meaning.
His eyes drifted toward the goal.
So close.
Yet… unreachable.
"Why…?" he whispered.
Why couldn't he be like them?
Why did it feel like something inside him was screaming—
but no one could hear it?
A gust of wind swept across the field.
The ball slowly rolled… stopping right at his feet.
Kaito froze.
Then—
he stepped forward.
His expression changed.
For a brief moment—
everything went silent.
No doubt.No fear.
Just the goal.
He moved.
One step.Another.
SHOT—
The ball slammed into the crossbar.
CLANG.
Silence.
Kaito stood there, unmoving.
Then…
he laughed quietly.
"Of course."
He turned away.
"I'm just… trash."
BEEP.
A sound.
Kaito pulled out his phone.
An unknown message.
"Congratulations. You have been selected.""Project: EGO BREAKER""Become the world's best striker… or disappear."
His eyes widened.
"What…?"
Another notification.
An address.
A date.
And one final line:
"Prove your ego."
Kaito stared at the screen.
His heartbeat began to rise.
For the first time—
he felt something.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
But—
hunger.
A slow, cold smile spread across his face.
"Maybe…"
He tightened his grip on the phone.
"…this is where it begins."