NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Forge of the Hungry Beasts
The silence in the locker room was suffocating. The scoreboard still burned in their minds — 5-0. A crushing defeat. A humiliation. No one spoke. Sweat dripped from their faces, their heavy breathing the only sound filling the air. Renji Kurogami sat on the bench, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.
"Is this... the best we can do?" Riku Saionji's voice finally broke the silence, his tone bitter and filled with frustration. "We didn't even touch the ball half the time. We didn't get a single shot on goal!"
Yamada Goro slammed his fist against the wall. "Those guys played us like we were nothing! It was like they knew every move we were gonna make!"
"And that guy…" Renji's voice was cold and low. His eyes flashed with rage. "Kazuya Mori… He scored three goals on his own. Using his own teammates as tools."
Sora Amagi stood up abruptly, his usual calm demeanor replaced with anger. "We were disorganized. No teamwork, no coordination. We weren't a team. We were eleven players trying to shine on our own."
Jin Kazama, the goalkeeper, gritted his teeth. "And because of that… I couldn't stop a single goal."
The door burst open suddenly, and the voice of their EOS instructor, Hoshikawa, filled the room. "Your next match is in one week. If you walk into it like this, you'll be wiped out again. You have one chance to turn this around."
Everyone looked up. "One week?" Kaede Arata repeated in disbelief. "That's barely enough time to—"
"Enough time if you stop sulking and start evolving." Hoshikawa's eyes were sharp. "In this phase, individual brilliance won't take you far. This isn't just about scoring goals — it's about devouring your teammates' strengths and turning them into your own. Devour each other, grow together. That's the only way you'll survive."
"Devour… each other?" Haruto Inoue whispered.
"That's right." Hoshikawa continued. "You've all got talent. But talent means nothing if you can't work as one. You'll never beat Team Alpha — or anyone else — if you keep playing selfishly. You don't need eleven stars. You need a team that can devour each other's abilities and rise together."
Renji's heart pounded. This was what they were missing. The hunger to become stronger by pushing each other beyond their limits.
"And," Hoshikawa added with a sly grin, "there's more. There's a key each of you must unlock during your training this week. A key unique to your playstyle — and one you'll need to win. You'll only find it through blood, sweat, and battle."
The room was quiet again, but this time it wasn't despair filling the air. It was fire. Determination.
The next day, the field became a battlefield. The eleven players of Team Zeta faced off against each other in brutal one-on-ones and chaotic team clashes. The goal wasn't just to win — it was to evolve. To break past their limits and claim their key.
Renji Kurogami pushed himself harder than ever before. Every time he lost the ball, he fought to take it back. Every time his shot was blocked, he tried again. He wasn't just playing against his teammates — he was devouring their strengths, learning their movements, understanding their skills.
"You're not getting past me, Renji!" Kaede Arata growled, intercepting a pass.
"Don't underestimate me!" Renji shot forward, his speed blazing, and stole the ball right back.
Nearby, Sora Amagi and Riku Saionji clashed fiercely. "You're too predictable, Riku!" Sora taunted, but Riku smirked, reading his move perfectly and sliding in to take the ball.
Shun Takagi's agility became sharper. Yamada Goro's defense turned ironclad. Reiji Sakamoto's vision expanded. Itsuki Maeda's precision became deadly.
Jin Kazama stood in goal, blocking shot after shot, his reflexes faster than ever. "If you want to score," he roared, "then bring something I can't stop!"
The hunger to grow, the drive to surpass — it burned in every single one of them.
On the sixth day, something changed. The air around them felt different. Their bodies were exhausted, but their eyes burned with a new light. They weren't just players anymore. They were beasts, on the verge of evolution.
Renji stood at the center of the field, the ball at his feet. His teammates surrounded him, ready. He grinned. "One more round."
They charged at him — and something snapped. His vision expanded. Every movement slowed, every detail sharpened. He could see it — the paths his teammates would take, the opening about to form.
He passed the ball without looking — and it landed perfectly at Sora's feet. Sora didn't even hesitate, launching it toward the goal. Jin dived — and for the first time, missed.
The ball slammed into the net. Silence. Then Sora grinned. "Looks like we're getting closer."
As they stood on that field, something became clear. They were on the verge of unlocking their keys.
And with their next match only a day away, they had one final night to discover exactly what those keys were.
To Be Continued…