The training field of Black Howl FC was quiet
Except for one section where cones were scattered like a battlefield
There
A boy with shaggy hair and worn-out boots weaved through them like a madman
He didn't follow drills
He created new ones mid-run
He'd dribble backward
Then forward
Then flick the ball into the air just to volley it into a fence
A coach approached
"You can't train like that
We have structure here"
The boy grinned
"I'm not training
I'm playing"
---
That boy was Amano Kei
Age 17
Expelled from four academies
Not because of lack of skill
But because he refused to be tamed
Some called him genius
Others called him cursed
One former coach said
"He's a fire with no fireplace"
Now
Black Howl FC was ready to throw him into the match against Vortex
---
Back at Vortex
Reiji stood in front of the tactics board
The coach looked stressed
"Black Howl has changed their formation
New signing
Kei Amano
Zero footage
No scouting data"
Reiji narrowed his eyes
"No scouting data
Means one thing
He's either a bluff
Or a disaster"
Leo raised a brow
"What if he's both?"
Reiji smiled
"Then it's gonna be fun"
---
Match day came fast
Black Howl vs Vortex
Underdogs vs rising stars
The moment both teams walked out
Reiji saw him
Amano Kei
Wearing his socks mismatched
Smiling like a boy who'd just stolen something
Kei locked eyes with Reiji
And winked
That moment
Reiji felt it
The same unpredictability he used
But louder
More chaotic
Unrefined
The game hadn't started
But the mind game had
---
Kick-off
Black Howl attacked first
And Kei was everywhere
Sometimes on the left wing
Then suddenly right back
Then midfield
He didn't follow positions
He made his own
Commentator was baffled
"Is this kid even following the coach's orders?!?"
In the 9th minute
Kei got the ball
Dribbled past one
Two
Three
Then
Instead of shooting
He heel-flicked it backwards
No one was there
Except a trailing striker
Boom
Goal
1–0 Black Howl
---
Vortex was rattled
Coach Hiroshi yelled instructions
Reiji raised his hand
Calmly
"Don't panic
Just follow me
Let me read him"
---
15 minutes in
Reiji started mimicking Kei's movement
He didn't follow structure
He shadowed chaos
And chaos started recognizing him
Kei laughed as Reiji intercepted his dribble
"You're fun
But too serious"
Reiji replied
"You're loud
But not stupid"
They clashed again and again
Like twin storms with different temperatures
---
By the 70th minute
Score was 2–2
And both Kei and Reiji had assisted one each
But the pace was insane
The game no longer looked like football
It looked like streetball on fire
People in the crowd were screaming
Others were filming
Social media exploded
"The Ghost vs The Wildfire"
---
In the 88th minute
Kei stole the ball from Leo
Ran full speed
Reiji chased
And for the first time
He yelled
"Trap left
He always fakes left before cutting right"
But Kei didn't cut
He jumped over the ball
Let it roll
Then
Backheel from behind his own standing leg
Ball curved backward into the net
3–2 Black Howl wins
---
Silence
Even Vortex fans stood still
Kei looked at Reiji
Grinned
"You read me too well
So I stopped being readable"
Reiji smirked
"That's not chaos
That's artistry"
Kei pointed a finger gun
And walked off