Inside the central hall, the air grew increasingly scorching with that man’s words.
The massive holographic projection sliced the entire space into five vibrant sectors.
Every single area represented a starkly different football philosophy—a living environment that countless professional players yearned for, yet feared.
“For your reference, I will provide some introductions to each league, filled with my own arbitrary bias.”
Ego pushed up his glasses, his pale finger pointing first to the power-packed red sector on the left.
“First up—England.”
Countless fierce, physical battle clips flashed across the screen in an instant: clashing muscle, long-distance sprints, and fast-paced transitions between offense and defense.
“Characterized by speed and hand-to-hand combat, this league revere the concept of snatching the ball using physical strength.
It is, so to speak, a dazzling and entertaining league.” Ego’s voice was icy cold.
“Here, fragile, delicate technical players will be crushed to pieces.
If you want to survive here, you either need cheetah-like speed or the body of a tank.”
Among the crowd, Chigiri Hyoma, with his long red hair, raised his head slightly, a spark flashing in his eyes: “Speed, huh…
sounds pretty fitting for me.”
Meanwhile, a lazy Nagi Seishiro let out a yawn, hanging his whole body onto Mikage Reo: “Sounds so tiring…
that kind of football where you run all over the place is the most annoying.
Reo, let’s not go there.”
“Shut up, idiot.” Though Reo cursed verbally, his gaze held a thoughtful look.
“But if you want to boost your physical confrontation skills in a short time, that place might be the best choice.”
Ego’s finger shifted, pointing toward the yellow sector radiating an artistic flair.
“Next up—Spain.”
The footage changed abruptly, turning into a dazzling display of passing control, delicate dribbling, and imaginative beatings of defenders.
“Seeking technique and creativity, simply shooting the ball into the net cannot satisfy the expectations of the nation in this league.
It is a gathering place for stylish players who pursue fun, play, and creativity.” Ego paused for a second.
“Over there, playing ‘ugly’ is a crime.
You have to play football like an artist.”
“Woah—♪” Bachira Meguru’s eyes instantly turned into stars as his body involuntarily swayed along with the footage.
“Sounds super fun!
My ‘monster’ says it wants to go dance over there!”
“Italy.”
“Favoring the use of cunning tactics to play matches, this league once glorified the aesthetics of winning 1-0, forging its history from it.”
Displayed on the screen were defensive formations as solid as iron walls, alongside deadly counter-attacking strikes.
“Fusing absolute individual ability with tight organizational strength gives birth to a brand-new tactical style.
Here, you don’t just need a body; you need a brain even more.
You need to learn how to search for that one-shot kill opportunity like a venomous snake within a rigorous defensive system.”
Oliver Aiku let out a whistle, rubbing the stubble on his chin: “Cunning tactics and organized defense?
Heh, that’s right up my alley.
If you want to become a world-class defender, that’s the best place for advanced study.”
Barou Shouei let out a cold snort: “Organization?
Boring.
No matter what tactics they use, before this ‘King,’ everything will be crushed.”
Ego continued his introduction, his finger pointing to a luxurious dark blue.
“France.”
On screen appeared countless young faces, alongside luxury stadiums built on piles of money.
“Within Europe, this is a league where rising stars or unknown talents all have the chance to leap through the dragon’s gate.
In recent years, due to investors behind the scenes pouring in massive funds, it has evolved into a major market, targeting the title of the world’s number one league.”
“Now, this place is worthy of being called a scorching battlefield.
Money, fame, the ambitions of youth…
all intertwine here into the most primal whirlpool of desire.”
That perverse, violence-worshipping Shido Ryusei was currently putting on an excited, cruel smile: “Sounds awesome!
A scorching battlefield?
So that means I can go wild however I want?”
Finally, Ego’s hand pointed straight to the center—that red and black sector operating like precision machinery.
In this moment, Isagi Yoichi’s breath visibly hitched for a second.
“Lastly—Germany.”
The image on the screen became exceptionally concise and efficient, every movement appearing as though it had been precisely calculated.
“Carrying through to the end the philosophy that ‘football is a sport about taking as many shots as possible,’ this league pursues the result of victory in an extremely rational, even ruthless manner.”
“No sentimentality, no flashiness, only efficiency.
As long as you can score, any means are rational.
This is an extreme form of ‘rationality.'”
Following that, a massive figure appeared right in the center of the screen.
That man had an expressionless face, his eyes cold as ice, radiating a suffocating pressure.
“On top of that, the man who holds the title of the ‘World’s Number One Striker’—Noel Noa—is right here.”
*BOOM—!*
It was as if a heavy bomb had exploded among the crowd.
The eyes of every striker grew blazing hot.
Noel Noa—that man standing at the peak of world football, the ultimate idol every striker wanted to surpass.
“Noa…” Isagi’s voice trembled, his fists clenching tightly.
“He’s in Germany…”
“That’s right, he’s there.” Ego looked at everyone’s fanatic expressions, nodding with satisfaction.
“This is the overlord of the German league—Bastard Munchen!”
“Simply put, that’s how it is.”
Ego spread his arms wide, as if embracing this brutal world.
“A special note needs to be made here.
Those who don’t aim to be strikers (FW)—such as you bunch of U-20 losers, or certain individuals forced into position changes…”
“Just make your decision based on the position you wish to hone.
Defenders heading to Italy to polish their defense, midfielders heading to Spain to hone their passing and control—these are all rational judgments.”
“Within the environment you choose, a new round of survival competition will unfold once again.
This is the final selection for the U-20 World Cup!”
Five massive doors opened slowly behind the holographic projection.
Behind every door led to a different country, a different future.
“This is also a test given to you based on world standards—a professional player’s ‘baptismal ceremony’!”
“Gamble everything about your future, and choose the environment you will fight in!”