Ego Jinpachi sat in his chair, watching the replay of Isagi's final goal. He was eating a cup of instant noodles.
"Interesting," Ego muttered. "Very interesting."
Anri Teieri, his assistant, looked at the screen with wide eyes.
"Isagi Yoichi... he completely dismantled Team X. His spatial awareness is off the charts. It's like he sees the field from above."
"It's not just vision," Ego said, slurping a noodle. "It's his brain. He processes information faster than anyone else. He predicted Barou's narcissism. He used his teammates' weapons as his own. He is truly... an Egoist."
Ego tapped his keyboard.
"Time to update the rankings. If we leave him at 289, the system loses credibility."
Team Z Locker Room.
The team was celebrating. Even Raichi was in a good mood, though he wouldn't admit it.
"Don't think you're hot shit just because we won," Raichi grumbled, eating a protein bar. "I defended like a beast back there."
"Sure, sure," Isagi said dismissively, sitting on the bench. He was tired. Metavision took a toll on his brain. He had a headache.
Suddenly, the monitor buzzed.
"Attention, diamonds in the rough," Ego's voice filled the room.
"The first round of matches is complete. Team Z, you survived. But don't get comfortable. The other teams in Building 5 are strong."
"Here are the updated rankings based on your performance."
The numbers on their sleeves began to digitalize and change.
Igarashi looked at his arm. Rank 275. "Yes! I went up!"
Kunigami looked at his. Rank 268.
Bachira. Rank 265.
Isagi looked at his sleeve. The number 289 flickered and vanished.
A new number formed.
It wasn't in the 200s.
RANK: 210
"Whoa!" Bachira whistled. "Big jump, Isagi!"
Isagi stared at the number.
210... still too low, he thought. But it's progress.
"Next match," Ego announced. "Team Z vs. Team Y. The match starts in 24 hours. Get some sleep. Or don't. I don't care."
The monitor went black.
"Team Y?" Naruhaya asked. "Who are they?"
Isagi closed his eyes, recalling the data he had seen on the tablet earlier.
"Team Y..." Isagi murmured. "Niko Ikki. The strategic team."
He opened his eyes.
"They play defensive counter-attacking football. They are the opposite of Barou. They don't rely on one star; they rely on killing the game."
Isagi stood up and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Chigiri asked.
"To the cafeteria," Isagi said. "I'm hungry. And after that... I'm going to watch the tape of Team Y. If you guys want to win again, I suggest you join me."
Isagi didn't wait for an answer. He walked out.
He knew that the next battle wouldn't be a physical one like with Barou. It would be a battle of brains.
Isagi vs. Niko.
Metavision vs. Watchtower.
This is going to be fun, Isagi thought. Let's see who has the better eyes.