Snow crunched under Reiji's boots as he stepped out of the Berlin Airport
A cold wind slapped his face
He didn't flinch
Just pulled his hoodie lower and kept walking
Leo was right behind him
Shivering
Mumbling curses in three languages
"Bro whose idea was it to play a match in Germany during winter
My nuts are freezing"
Reiji didn't reply
He was focused
The mission was clear
Shadowgate had sent them to Berlin under new identities
No club logos
No federation tags
Just a clean slate
A lie
But the opponent wasn't fake
They were up against the U-20 Berlin Elite Composite Team
A handpicked squad of future Bundesliga starters
Physically dominant
Tactically superior
Ruthless
The kind of team built not to win
But to humiliate
Shadowgate's goal?
Test if Reiji could break them
Not with power
But with chaos
---
Two days before the match
The team was briefed in a blacked-out conference room
A man in a suit stood at the head of the table
Not the usual coaches
Not Nakamura
This guy reeked of intel
"You are ghosts here
Play smart
Play silent
If you draw too much attention
This never happened"
Leo raised a hand
"Wait so if we win do we get like…a trophy
Or at least free bratwurst?"
Nobody laughed
Reiji leaned forward
"What's the objective"
The man tapped the board
"Break their formation
Expose their system
We don't care about goals
We care about disruption"
---
Training took place in a shut-down youth facility outside Berlin
No cameras
No press
Just frostbitten grass and silent drills
Reiji observed every teammate
Most were like him
Outcasts
Clubless talents
Each with a different chip on their shoulder
Leo was their makeshift striker
Still clumsy
But fast
And unpredictable
The goalkeeper was silent
Twitchy
But he didn't miss
One of the center backs didn't even speak Japanese
But his tackles were timed like clockwork
Shadowgate hadn't built a team
They'd built a weapon
Sharpened and unstable
---
The night before the match
Reiji walked alone through the Berlin streets
The city was beautiful
But cold in more ways than one
He saw a youth game taking place at a small park
Just local kids
No systems
No tactics
Just joy
He stopped to watch
One boy missed an easy goal
Laughed
And got tackled by his friend
Reiji's hands clenched in his coat pockets
When was the last time he laughed on the field?
---
Match day
The stadium was private
No audience
Just a few scouts
And a dozen security cams
The Berlin team looked like professionals
Clean kits
Sharp haircuts
Even their warmups were synchronized
Reiji's team wore plain black
No names
Just numbers
He was number 14
The whistle blew
And the chaos began
---
First 10 minutes
Berlin dominated
Possession 80%
Passing accuracy 94%
They moved like a machine
Reiji barely touched the ball
Leo kept making diagonal runs
But no one passed to him
Then
At minute 11
It started
Reiji intercepted a lazy backpass near midfield
One touch
Outside flick
Passed it blind behind him
Leo
Already sprinting without even seeing the ball
Caught it perfectly
Dribbled past one
Past two
Goal
1–0
No celebration
No shout
Just Reiji turning to walk back
Eyes locked on the Berlin coach
Like he was saying
I'm inside now
---
Berlin didn't panic
They adjusted
Tighter pressing
Aggressive marking
But Reiji never held the ball more than three seconds
He'd flick it
Tap it
Sometimes just let it pass under his foot
Every time
It landed where it needed to
By halftime
It was 3–1
And the Berlin players were arguing among themselves
The system was cracking
Their coach kept yelling
"Don't follow him
He wants you to chase"
Too late
---
Second half
Berlin changed shape
Dropped into a 4-1-4-1
Marked Reiji with two players full time
He smiled
And dropped to center back
The two markers hesitated
Didn't know whether to follow or stay
Reiji then played long balls over their midfield
To wingers they'd forgotten were there
Assist
Assist
Crossbar
Header
Berlin collapsed
By minute 78
It was 6–2
Their composure gone
Their rhythm shattered
Reiji had never even entered the box once
Yet he controlled every pass
Every reaction
---
At the final whistle
There were no cheers
The Berlin coach walked off
Didn't shake hands
The scouts whispered
Some confused
Some afraid
One said
"That wasn't football
That was warfare"
---
Back at the tunnel
Leo bumped Reiji's shoulder
"Bro
U're like some anime villain out there
I swear I heard the ground tremble when u passed"
Reiji didn't laugh
But for the first time in weeks
He smirked
Just a little
---
Hours later
Back at the safehouse
Reiji opened his phone
A new message from Mika
"Saw the footage
Is this what you've become now
A shadow in cleats?"
He stared at it
Then replied
"No
A shadow with vision"