Reo gnashed his teeth, his eyes darkening to the extreme as he watched the trio team up. "Nagi, why… why are you doing this to me?"
"Do you really think someone understands you better than I do?"
He sat silently in the corner, like a wounded lone wolf licking his wounds.
However, the three who entered the third stage passage had already begun to understand each other.
"Nagi Seishiro… Forget it, I'll just call you Nagi, it's easier to say." Ye Liangqiu spoke very familiarly. Of course, there was still a slight discomfort in his heart, after all, he had brutally beaten Nagi Seishiro and Reo in the previous match.
Now, teaming up felt a bit strange.
Nagi Seishiro, on the other hand, didn't care.
"Why did you choose me?" Hiori Yo looked at Ye Liangqiu, raising an eyebrow, and asked somewhat puzzled, "There are still many strong people in the hall."
"Choosing them should be better than choosing me."
"Why?" Ye Liangqiu looked back at Hiori Yo, who was walking beside him. "Does finding you pleasing to the eye count?"
"Pleasing to the eye?" Hiori Yo froze on the spot.
Ye Liangqiu waved his hand, "Just kidding, just kidding."
"I chose you purely because of your strength. I was fortunate enough to watch a few of your matches with others when I was outside, and the fact that you made it this far means your strength is worthy of my recognition."
"Of course, whether you can completely convince me will require a match."
Hiori Yo's expression was a bit stiff, not knowing what he was thinking… but the way he looked at Ye Liangqiu was a bit off.
After a few seconds of silence…
Ye Liangqiu asked, "Nagi, speaking of which, did you give up on Reo just to find that feeling you had back then in me?"
"That thrill?"
Nagi Seishiro's expression was calm. "I actually don't know what kind of feeling it is, but it's the first time in my life I've felt alive? No… it's also like my body moved involuntarily…"
"If I were to explain it according to Reo, it's curiosity."
"I am very curious about you."
"Plus, I've developed a little interest in football now."
Ye Liangqiu chuckled, probably understanding that this guy seemed to have shifted his original goal of Yoichi Isagi onto himself… which was reasonable, after all, in the previous match, V Team had given their all but were still crushed.
For this genius, he had just begun to love football and enjoy the thrill of that one goal.
This feeling is addictive.
"Were you opponents before?" Hiori Yo suddenly asked.
He had always thought that Nagi Seishiro and Ye Liangqiu were on the same team, but listening to their conversation, it seemed they were opponents in the previous test…
Nagi Seishiro nodded. "Ye Liangqiu blew my team away in the last match."
"That's why I followed him to the third stage test."
Hiori Yo's mouth twitched. This guy really had no emotional fluctuations at all; even when he said the word 'failure,' there was no discernible tone. Was Nagi Seishiro a robot?
Instead, his gaze turned to Ye Liangqiu.
To be able to blow away a team, no matter how weak the opponent was, but since Nagi Seishiro could reach the third stage, it meant the previous team was not weak… yet they still lost.
It was hard to imagine Ye Liangqiu's strength.
As a light appeared in the distance,
Everyone walked into the test hall for the third stage.
Only three people were already waiting there: Itoshi Rin, Yi Sheng, and Tokimitsu. Besides them, there was no one else.
Clearly, they were the second group to arrive at this place.
Ye Liangqiu's gaze met Itoshi Rin's in an instant.
It was as if he had a telepathic connection; he stood up, just about to speak.
But the screen lit up at this moment.
Ego Jinpachi's figure appeared on it. "This is the third stage of the third test: a three-on-three football match."
"One of the two small teams only needs to score five points to successfully advance."
"As for the advancing team, they also have a privilege."
"That is to select one player from the losing team to join their own team."
"In other words, you'll be poaching players… until you form a five-person team, then you can reach the fifth stage."
"This will count as passing the third test."
Saying that, he picked up his brewed coffee and took a sip. "Furthermore, after a losing team has one teammate selected, they will automatically return to the previous stage and enter the loser's bracket, meaning they continue to poach teammates until only one person is left, which counts as elimination."
"These are all the rules for the third test. Let me remind you again, the selection of teams is up to you, and it's your freedom which team you want to play against."
"Only with mutual agreement can a match be formed."
"Understood?"
Hiori Yo stroked his chin. "So, these three in front of us aren't a mandatory choice; we can wait for others to arrive here before making a decision."
Ego Jinpachi continued, "To help you better choose teammates and to make you aware of the differences in strength, I will now announce the new rankings."
"Of course, this time it's not a fake ranking."
Ye Liangqiu looked at his ranking: "Two."
And the rankings of the others also appeared.
Itoshi Rin was still number one… so this ranking was based on the results of the previous stage's test, not calculated by previous goals.
Ego Jinpachi continued, "Everyone who can stand here now is someone who can turn zero into one. The collision and integration between strong individuals will further allow you to experience the cruelty on the field."
"As for which team can emerge victorious the fastest,"
"I eagerly anticipate your performance."
The screen turned off.
The atmosphere in the entire hall became tense again.
Hiori Yo glanced at the rankings of Itoshi Rin and the other two, which were one, three, and four respectively… Undoubtedly, these three were the strongest among all the teams.
He peeked at Ye Liangqiu's ranking.
Two…
It was indeed as he had guessed; this guy's strength was also that of a monster among monsters.
Nagi Seishiro nodded. "Simply put, as long as we can poach enough players to form a five-person team, we pass. This condition isn't difficult."
"But… if subsequent tests are conducted through matches,"
"We must poach strong teammates…"
"Exactly." Ye Liangqiu's gaze turned to Itoshi Rin. "If we just defeat weak teams, this test is meaningless. If we're going to challenge, let's challenge the strongest."
"Nagi, Hiori, what do you say?"
Nagi Seishiro nodded. "I think so too."
Watching the two of them agree, Hiori Yo sighed helplessly. As expected, teaming up with monsters was mentally exhausting… However, he also became interested.
The aura emanating from these two teammates now felt so similar to that person…