"This facility consists of five buildings. There are 25 teams from B to Z, with five teams in each building."
"The teams are sorted by player rankings. Ranks 1-11 are Team B, 12-22 are Team C, and so on."
As Ego Jinpachi explained the structure, the reality of their situation dawned on everyone. Igarashi looked at the '275' on his arm and let out a miserable wail, realizing he was still among the lowest-ranked players. Isagi felt a surge of unease, realizing that 'Team Z' signified they were the bottom-tier team in the entire facility. He looked at Kira, wondering how a room with such a powerhouse could still be ranked last.
Raichi Jingo bared his teeth, clearly offended. "You're putting me in the same category as these losers?". Kunigami stood with his hands on his hips, radiating a quiet authority. "Hey, who are you calling a loser?".
"You, obviously!" Raichi retorted.
Kira rubbed his forehead, knowing he had to step in before Room Z devolved into a brawl. "Shh! Everyone, shut up and listen to what he has to say." Kunigami and Raichi both turned away, temporarily calling a truce out of respect for Kira.
Ego continued, indifferent to their bickering. "In this place, higher rankings mean better food and training environments. If you want a good life, you have to win and climb."
He then announced the first selection: the 55 players in Building 5, divided into five teams, would compete in a round-robin tournament. Each team would play four matches, earning 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The top two teams would advance to the second selection.
The room erupted. "Wait? But all 11 of us are strikers!". "Does that mean some of us have to play other positions?". "I'm not playing defense! Who's going to be the goalie?". "I'm playing center forward!".
Kira watched the chaos. Just like the original story, everyone was obsessed with being the striker. He wondered if his performance in the 'Tag' game would be enough to convince them to play around him.
"Kira, you were right about the inter-room matches," Isagi whispered. "But a team of 11 strikers... is that even possible?".
Kira pointed to his head. "Isn't soccer just about putting the ball in the net, Isagi? 11 strikers sounds perfect."
"Listen carefully," Ego's voice boomed. "You must return to the starting point of soccer and recreate it from zero in your minds. Throw away your common sense. Japan doesn't need 11-man teamwork; it needs a Hero."
He cited legends like Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar—players whose individual brilliance forced the world to create new defensive systems. "The light of one person can change a team, a nation, and the world. Do you have the courage to dream that dream?"
The room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. Every boy's eyes burned with a newfound fire; they all wanted to be that hero.
"Oh, one more rule," Ego added. "In the three losing teams, the top scorer from each will still advance to the next round. But for everyone else on a losing team, your career with the National Team ends forever." With that, his image vanished.
In Tokyo, the JFU press conference was in shambles. Reporters questioned the ethics of the project, accusing it of sacrificing the players' high school lives.
Anri Teieri slammed the table and stood up. "Sacrificing lives?" she hissed. "Japanese soccer must be insane to progress. Don't you want to see the moment a Hero is born? Our national team is always 'one step away' from the world stage. We must destroy the dream to rebuild it. The protagonists now aren't us adults, but these 300 students!"
Nearby, the genius midfielder Itoshi Sae watched the broadcast. "Interesting," he murmured. "Cancel my flight back to Europe. I want to see what kind of striker Japan produces."
Back in Room Z, the 11 boys sat in a circle to discuss tomorrow's match. They were nervous and had conflicting ideas about positions.
"Let me say something," Kira said, clapping his hands to get their attention. "We're all strikers, but we all have different strengths. My suggestion: everyone state their 'Weapon'—their unique specialty. Then we'll assign positions based on those. How about it?"
"Interesting. I'm in," Bachira said, raising his hand. Isagi and Kunigami followed suit, and soon the whole room agreed. Kira pulled out a notebook and pen.
"I'll start," Kira said. "My specialties are clinical finishing and off-the-ball movement. I can find space in the box."
"Mine is dribbling," Bachira chirped.
Everyone turned to Raichi Jingo. He looked flustered for a second, then gave a thumbs up. "My weapon... is Sexy Soccer."