A heavy silence settled over the Sanctuary of Kings.
The golden torches flickered.
The spirits of the Eleven Kings watched without speaking.
Kai Volkov stood at the center of the glowing pitch, his football balanced effortlessly on the top of his right foot.
Not once did it wobble.
Not once did he look down.
His icy blue eyes never left McCall.
“So…”
“The Heart chose someone younger than I expected.”
McCall walked forward until only a few meters separated them.
“I didn’t ask to be chosen.”
Kai nodded.
“I know.”
“None of us did.”
Arthur stepped between them.
“The Qualification Match begins tomorrow.”
“Until then, neither of you will fight.”
Kai shrugged.
“I have no objections.”
He looked back at McCall.
“I’d rather defeat you at your best.”
He turned and began walking toward the northern gate of the Sanctuary.
Just before disappearing, he stopped.
“Oh…”
He glanced over his shoulder.
“One more thing.”
“The Ravens aren’t your greatest enemy.”
Then he disappeared into the shadows.
McCall frowned.
“What did he mean?”
Arthur sighed.
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
Leo crossed his arms.
“Kai isn’t like the Ravens.”
“He fights fairly.”
“But…”
The young King’s cheerful expression faded.
“…once the match begins…”
“He never shows mercy.”
That evening…
Rowan led McCall into another section of the Sanctuary.
Unlike the stadium…
This place looked like an ancient library.
Thousands of books filled towering shelves.
Golden footballs floated through the air, lighting the room.
At the very center stood a crystal pedestal.
Resting upon it…
Was an old leather-bound book.
The cover bore the same crowned football symbol that glowed on McCall’s chest.
“The Legacy Archive…”
McCall whispered.
Arthur nodded.
“It contains the knowledge of every Football King.”
McCall stepped closer.
“But the System said it was locked.”
“It is.”
“The first page only opens after you defeat another Legacy Candidate.”
McCall stared at the ancient book.
“So everything depends on tomorrow.”
Later that night…
McCall stood alone on the Sanctuary’s practice pitch.
The stars above shone brighter than any sky on Earth.
He gently kicked the football into the air.
One touch.
Two.
Three.
He kept juggling in silence.
Not because the System had given him a quest.
Because it calmed him.
After several minutes…
A familiar voice interrupted.
“Your shoulders are too tense.”
McCall turned.
It was Ethan.
Or so he thought.
He blinked.
“What…”
Arthur appeared beside him.
“Don’t be alarmed.”
“That’s not Ethan.”
“It’s a Memory Echo.”
McCall frowned.
“A memory?”
Arthur nodded.
“The Heart stores important moments from your life.”
The transparent Ethan spoke exactly as he had during school training.
“Don’t fall behind.”
Then the memory vanished.
McCall looked confused.
“What was the point of that?”
Arthur smiled.
“The Heart isn’t only preserving the Kings.”
“It preserves everyone who shapes your journey.”
Suddenly…
The System appeared.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Pre-Match Training
Objective:
Learn One Original Technique.
Instructor:
Choose Wisely.
Time Remaining:
12 Hours.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
McCall scratched his head.
“One original technique?”
Arthur smiled.
“The previous Kings can teach skills.”
“But tomorrow…”
“You’ll need something that’s yours.”
The next several hours became the hardest training McCall had ever experienced.
Leo taught creativity.
The Silver Queen taught positioning.
Arthur taught patience.
Another King taught vision.
Another taught passing.
McCall learned.
Failed.
Repeated.
Again and again.
The moon slowly crossed the sky.
Still…
Nothing felt right.
He collapsed onto the grass.
“I’m trying…”
“But none of these feel like me.”
Rowan sat beside him.
“Good.”
McCall looked at him.
“Good?”
“If you’re copying someone else’s football…”
“…you’ll never discover your own.”
McCall lay on his back.
His eyes drifted toward the stars.
He remembered…
Being ignored during school matches.
Practicing alone.
Watching football videos until midnight.
Running with a ball through empty streets.
Failing…
Again…
And again…
Then something clicked.
He smiled.
“I know.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
“You do?”
McCall jumped to his feet.
“My greatest strength…”
“…isn’t speed.”
“It isn’t power.”
“It isn’t talent.”
“It’s adaptation.”
“I learn.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“I watch.”
“And every mistake makes me better.”
Arthur smiled proudly.
“There it is.”
“The answer we were waiting for.”
McCall placed the football at his feet.
He dribbled forward.
Then suddenly stopped.
Instead of changing direction with the ball…
He let the ball continue rolling for a split second…
Before spinning around it and reclaiming possession from the opposite side.
The movement was simple.
Unexpected.
Elegant.
Leo’s eyes widened.
“I’ve never seen that.”
McCall tried again.
This time smoother.
Again.
Even smoother.
Arthur nodded.
“A technique born from hesitation…”
“…turned into confidence.”
The System flashed brilliantly.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Original Technique Created
Shadow Turn
Grade:
Rare
Description:
A deceptive change of direction developed from the host’s instinct to adapt under pressure.
Bonus Effect:
Higher success rate against aggressive defenders.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
McCall laughed.
“I actually created something…”
Rowan smiled.
“Every King leaves something behind.”
“This…”
“…will be yours.”
The following morning…
The Sanctuary buzzed with anticipation.
All Eleven Kings occupied their thrones.
Adrian stood beside Rowan.
The golden pitch gleamed beneath the morning light.
At the opposite end…
Kai Volkov calmly walked onto the field.
He carried no fear.
Only confidence.
He placed his football at the center spot.
McCall walked from the opposite tunnel.
His heartbeat was steady.
His breathing calm.
The symbol on his chest glowed faintly beneath his training shirt.
Arthur stood between them.
“Today’s Qualification Match is simple.”
“No supernatural attacks.”
“No weapons.”
“Only football.”
“The first player to score three goals…”
“…will be declared the winner.”
Kai smiled.
“Perfect.”
He looked at McCall.
“Now let’s find out…”
“…whether the next Football King truly deserves that title.”
Arthur slowly raised his hand.
The whistle rested between his fingers.
The Eleven Kings leaned forward.
Rowan folded his arms.
Adrian held his breath.
Somewhere far away…
The Ravens watched through a crystal mirror, smiling.
The whistle echoed across the Sanctuary.
PHEEEEEET!
The first Qualification Match…
Had begun.