When Kenji stepped into the home dressing room of "The Nest," the first thing that assaulted his senses was the cloying cocktail of damp mold, cheap detergent, and the stale, lingering stench of failure. Paint peeled from the walls in scabrous flakes, and a corner of the tactical whiteboard had snapped off; this place resembled an abandoned warehouse more than a temple of football. Emir stood at the threshold, knuckles white as he strangled the sheaf of budget reports in his hand.
"Kenji, be honest with me. Can we survive in this league with this squad? We're handcuffed by the Federation's Salary Cost Management Protocol. We have the money, but we can't spend it," Emir said, his voice tight with rising panic.
Kenji removed his jacket and hung it on the back of a broken chair, his face devoid of even a flicker of concern. "Don't panic, Emir. If money solved everything, bankers would be champions. We don't have money, but..." He tapped his temple with a finger. "...we have brains."
He turned to the "Council of the Forgotten" waiting behind him.
"Lukas," he said sharply. "Get down to the pitch. I don't want you putting those eleven men through a boot camp. Just teach them how to stand. Especially the defensive line... If they drift more than five meters apart, stop the session."
Lukas grinned, a predatory expression surfacing. "Don't worry. I'll synchronize their breathing if I have to."
Just as Hiroto was about to vanish up to the office, Kenji stopped him; a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Hiroto, leave the set-pieces for later. I need something more urgent from you. Our first opponent this weekend is Ironport City."
Hiroto opened his tablet, the blue light reflecting in his glasses. "The dockworkers' team. Rough. Brawlers."
"Exactly," Kenji said. "I want a full X-ray on them. But not just statistics. I want this:"
[ MISSION: OPPONENT ANALYSIS ]
Manager Profile: At what minute does he panic? Does he sub by the book, or can he read the game flow?
The Weak Link: Who in their defensive line loses concentration first?
Threat Assessment: Who breaks us? Which player, if locked down, causes their system to collapse?
The Missing: Suspensions or injuries? What is the data on the reserves stepping in?
Hiroto adjusted his glasses. "Ironport's left center-back turns like an ocean liner. If we can get in behind him..."
Kenji cut him off. "We will get behind him. We're going to build a highway there for Darren. I want that report on my desk."
As Hiroto nodded and disappeared down the dark corridor, Kenji turned finally to the young woman in the corner, Elena. "That scrawny kid on the pitch, Liam. Did you see him?"
Elena nodded. "I saw him. He looks less like a footballer and more like a sheet of paper about to blow away in the wind. Severe muscular deficiency, most likely."
"We're playing him, Elena. Find a way to keep him standing for ninety minutes. Because he is the brain of this team."
When Kenji walked onto the pitch, Lukas had gathered the players in the center circle. Their faces wore that familiar look of jaded exhaustion that said, "Another new gaffer? This one'll be sacked in three weeks too."
Kenji began to walk slowly among the players, his eyes narrowing. The Prisma was active. He stopped in front of Gary, the 34-year-old striker, and the data flooded his mind:
[ SCAN COMPLETE: GARY (34) ]
Condition: D-
Finishing: C+
Status Effect: Hangover (High Blood Alcohol Level)
Kenji paused and looked straight into Gary's bleary eyes. "Gary, it's painfully obvious you spent last night at the pub. Your sweat reeks of whiskey."
Gary recoiled in shock, at a loss for words. A ripple of snickers went through the squad.
"Don't laugh!" Kenji bellowed. "I'm not judging anyone here. But if you vomit on my pitch, you're the one cleaning it up."
Silence instantly gripped the field. Kenji continued his inspection. When he reached Liam at the very end of the line, he stopped again. The kid was trembling. His teammates called him "Stick" and mocked him relentlessly, but Kenji saw something entirely different.
[ SCAN COMPLETE: LIAM (19) ]
Vision: S (World Class)
Unique Skill: "The Metronome" (Instinctively manages game tempo and pass traffic)
Kenji placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Listen up, everyone! From now on, Liam is the brain of this team. You will run; he will think."
But internally, Kenji admitted the harsh truth to himself: Liam will think, but who will he pass to? Gary is drunk and slow. To score in open play, we need the tip of a spear.
After training, Kenji went up to the office, pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his bag, and slapped it onto the desk. A single name was scrawled on it: Darren.
Emir looked at the paper, his face flushing crimson, and threw it back. "Kenji, are you taking the piss? I won't let that kid set foot in this club! Haven't you seen the viral video?" he shouted.
Kenji sat calmly in his chair. "I've seen it."
"I've seen it too!" Emir continued, pacing. "Manchester City U21 match. He's one-on-one with the keeper. Instead of rolling it into the empty net, what did he do? He stopped, stepped on the ball to mock the defender chasing him, and fell over! The ball went out for a throw-in. The whole of England has been laughing at that clip for months. The papers call him 'England's Most Spoiled Rookie.' He's a clown with zero discipline!"
Emir opened a scout report and shoved it in front of Kenji. "It's not just the attitude. Look at what the scouts wrote: 'Fast but stupid. Zero timing. Broke the record last season with 10 offsides per match. He kills attacks.'"
Kenji picked up the report but didn't read it. "The scouts are right, Emir. He is an 'Offside King.' But they never asked why. Darren isn't stupid; he's impatient. He's so fast that when his brain sends the command to his legs, he launches before anyone else. He starts running before the ball leaves the passer's foot, so he gets flagged."
Kenji placed Liam's photo next to Darren's. "But we have Liam. Liam releases the ball half a second earlier than other playmakers. Liam's early pass plus Darren's early run... Two mistakes will create a perfect truth. When Darren starts running, the flag won't go up, because the ball will already be on its way."
Emir paused. The logic was jarring. "What about the condition of no defensive duties? His agent says, 'Darren never runs back, he just waits up top.'"
"We'll accept it. We'll give him what he wants," Kenji said, a finality in his tone. "We'll tell him, 'You just run, we'll handle the rest.' If we want to get behind that Ironport defense Hiroto analyzed, we are desperate for that 'Offside King's' speed."