Striker Genesis: E.O.S (Evolution of Strikers)

he aftermath of Renji's victory didn't come with celebration. There wasn't time for it. The next matches began immediately, each more intense than the last.

Renji sat with the team in the stands, watching the battlefield below. The screen above flickered:

Riku Takane vs. Jin Arata

Kaede nudged Renji. "Man, this is gonna be good. Riku's finally up."

Renji didn't answer. His eyes stayed fixed on Riku — their silent, calculated defender — as he walked onto the field. The air around him was different. Focused. Sharp.

Reo leaned forward. "I wonder… what Riku's really capable of."

The whistle blew.

Jin Arata moved first. He was fast. Too fast. His speed was like a blur across the field, and within seconds, he was closing in on the goal.

But Riku didn't move. Not yet.

Jin feinted left — and then right — and the instant he shifted his weight, Riku was there.

One step. One perfect interception. The ball was his.

The crowd gasped.

"Whoa," Kaede whispered. "He read that like a book."

Renji watched closely. This was Riku's true strength — his mind. His vision was terrifying. He didn't just react. He predicted.

But Jin wasn't done. He came back harder, his movements more aggressive. Again and again, he pushed forward. And every time, Riku shut him down.

No wasted movement. No hesitation. Just absolute control.

On his third attempt, Jin snapped.

"Stop running away and fight me head-on!" he roared.

Riku's eyes narrowed. "You're already losing. Why would I change that?"

Jin charged. It was reckless. Desperate. And Riku punished it.

He stole the ball with brutal efficiency and broke forward — faster than anyone expected. Jin scrambled to recover, but Riku was already ahead.

And when the goal came into sight, there was no doubt.

The shot was ice-cold. Precise.

1-0.

The crowd went wild, but Riku didn't react. He just walked back to his side of the field, his face unreadable.

"Man," Kaede said, shaking his head. "He's scary when he's like this."

Jin tried to fight back. He pushed harder, faster — but Riku never broke.

When the final whistle blew, the score hadn't changed.

1-0.

Riku walked off the field without a word, his calm still unshaken. But when he reached Renji and the others, he paused.

"I won't fall behind," he said quietly.

Renji met his eyes. "I know."

Because this wasn't just his journey. They were all evolving.

And the real battles were still ahead.