Minamino was flying
Their playstyle changed
Less robotic
More instinct
Reiji's silent command still guided them
But now there was color behind every move
The media was finally catching up
Calling them the "Miracle High"
But behind the praise
Whispers started forming
Clubs were watching
Scouts were digging
And in that noise
Someone entered quietly
His name was Leo Fujita
Transfer student from Spain
Half Japanese
Half Spanish
Golden hair
Perfect posture
He walked into class and introduced himself with a soft bow
"I used to play for La Masia
Nice to meet you"
Heads turned
Whispers flew
"La Masia?!? That's Barcelona's academy right??"
"No way he's real"
"Does Reiji know him?"
But Reiji
Didn't even look up
---
Leo joined practice that day
Smooth footwork
Smart vision
He didn't stand out with flash
But he was…clean
Effortless
Coach nodded
Yamato grinned
"Finally someone who won't trip on Reiji's weird passes"
Reiji passed him once
No words
Just tested his reaction
Leo returned it instantly
On the dot
Perfect bounce
Their eyes met for 0.3 seconds
Nothing was said
But something passed between them
---
Over the next weeks
Leo became a core part of Minamino
He never took the spotlight
Always helped others shine
Especially Reiji
Reporters started calling them "The Twin Commanders"
Reiji and Leo
Ghost and Knight
But behind Leo's kind smile
There was a darker reason he came to Japan
Every night
He reported to a voice on the phone
"Yes
I've infiltrated
He's as dangerous as the rumors say
But…"
He paused
Staring at Reiji's name on a playbook
"I'm starting to understand why he's so hard to read
It's not just tactics
It's pain
Layered behind genius"
The voice replied coldly
"You're not here to admire him
You're here to end him"
---
Minamino prepared for the National Qualifiers
Their next opponent
Shinsei Academy
The team that knocked them out last year
Reiji remembered it clearly
Their striker mocked Yamato
Tore through them
Made them look like amateurs
This time
It'd be different
But something was off
Leo started giving tactical suggestions
Small changes
Barely noticeable
Coach approved them
Reiji didn't say anything
But he knew
Leo was changing their shape
Making them vulnerable in ways only a genius would notice
---
Day before the match
Yamato caught Leo whispering on the phone
He didn't hear the words
But the tone was wrong
Too cold
Yamato told Reiji
Reiji didn't react
Just asked one question
"Would you still trust me
If I told you we're already playing the real game
And it's not on the pitch"
Yamato frowned
"What do you mean"
Reiji looked toward the stadium lights outside the window
"Leo's not here to play
He's here to learn how to break me
But he's doing it wrong
Because the more he studies me
The more he becomes part of my system"
---
Match day
Minamino vs Shinsei
The atmosphere was heavy
Fans remembered the humiliation last year
First half
Leo played perfectly
Or so it looked
But to Reiji
He was too perfect
Like he was predicting Reiji's moves
Before they were even made
Minamino was holding
But not dominating
Reiji started walking wider
Dropping deeper
Making chaotic moves
Leo hesitated once
Just once
Reiji pounced
Threaded a pass through a crack Leo never saw coming
Yamato scored
1–0
Crowd exploded
---
Second half
Shinsei adjusted
Pushed harder
Leo gave up a bad clearance
Led to a goal
1–1
Reiji looked at him
Didn't say a word
But Leo felt it
Judgment
Not anger
Not disappointment
Just
Awareness
---
Final 10 minutes
Reiji changed the tempo
Told no one
Just moved differently
More unpredictably than ever
Leo couldn't follow
He tripped
Got bypassed
Reiji set up two more plays
Yamato scored one
Then assisted another
3–1
Game over
Minamino advanced
---
In the locker room
Leo sat with his head down
Reiji walked up
Tossed him a towel
"Tell your boss
That trying to copy my playbook from inside
Only taught you how little you understand it"
Leo's eyes widened
"You knew…?"
Reiji nodded
"Since the first pass
You moved too cleanly
No soul
Only calculation
That's how I used to play
Before I remembered why I loved football"
Leo clenched the towel
"So what now
Expose me to the school
Kick me out?"
Reiji walked away
"No
You'll stay
Because now
You have a choice
Follow orders
Or become someone real"
---
That night
Leo didn't call
He sat alone
Watching a clip of Reiji smiling after the final whistle
And for the first time
He wasn't sure whose side he was on