I found the Football Ego:System

Chapter 1: The System Awakens

The air was thick with silence, pierced only by the rustle of leaves and distant echoes of a football being kicked in the park. It was early morning in Osaka, Japan. The rising sun spilled golden light across the fields, turning the dewdrops on the grass into sparkling gems. Most of the world was still asleep.

Except for Rudou Kagemori.

Seventeen years old. Obsessed with football. And recently—completely lost.

He stood alone in the empty practice field wearing a tattered jersey and muddy boots, his eyes focused on the goal 30 meters away. His body ached from training too long the previous day, but his mind was too loud to rest.

"I'm not enough," he whispered. "No matter how hard I train... I'm just average."

He backed up, took a deep breath, and charged forward.

His right foot slammed into the ball—it curved, but not enough. It hit the post and bounced wide.

Rudou dropped to his knees in frustration. His fists clenched the grass.

All his life, he'd wanted to become Japan's top striker. But every trial, every youth team, every scout—it was always the same.

> "You're talented... but not special."

"You work hard, but you lack presence."

"We're looking for someone more... explosive."

Each rejection piled up like bricks on his back. Still, he kept going. Not because he believed—because he didn't know what else to do.

That's when it happened.

A bright, blinding light engulfed his vision. He shielded his eyes, stumbled back, heart racing.

Then—he heard a voice.

Not from the sky. From inside his mind.

> [FOOTBALL EGO SYSTEM – INSTALLATION COMPLETE]

[WELCOME, USER: RUDOU KAGEMORI]

[ACTIVATING PLAYER PROFILE…]

"What the hell?" Rudou gasped, staring at the blue holographic screen hovering in front of him.

> [LEVEL 1 PLAYER DETECTED]

[EGO SCORE: 2.1]

[POSITION: UNSTABLE]

[STYLE: UNKNOWN]

[POTENTIAL: 67% LOCKED]

[YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE FOOTBALL EGO SYSTEM]

[DEFEAT ALL RIVALS. BECOME THE WORLD'S GREATEST PLAYER.]

"Is this... some kind of prank?" Rudou muttered, eyes wide.

> [NO PRANK. THIS IS YOUR PATH TO THE TOP.]

[YOU WILL RECEIVE EGO POINTS AFTER EVERY MATCH. USE THEM TO UPGRADE YOURSELF.]

Suddenly, a map appeared. A glowing blue dot blinked on the western edge of Osaka.

> [NEW QUEST: FACE YOUR FIRST RIVAL – LOCATION: TAKAMURA STREET COURT]

[REWARD: +10 EGO POINTS, +1 ABILITY UNLOCK]

Without thinking, Rudou grabbed his bag and sprinted.

Whatever this was—he couldn't ignore it.

---

Scene: Takamura Street Court

The location was an abandoned street court tucked between apartment buildings. When Rudou arrived, someone was already there—juggling a ball with inhuman control.

He was tall, with sharp black hair, piercing eyes, and a calm aura. His movements were smooth, efficient, almost mechanical.

> [PLAYER DETECTED: TAKUMI TENMA]

[EGO SCORE: 3.4]

[STYLE: CONTROL KING]

[SYSTEM USER: YES]

"Wait… he has the system too?" Rudou said out loud.

Takumi turned, smirking. "So you're the other one. Guess we're rivals now."

"You know what this thing is?"

Takumi pointed at his temple. "The System? Yeah. I got it two days ago. Changed everything. Suddenly, I know what I'm worth. I've already beaten three players with it."

Rudou stepped forward. "Then let's see who's better."

Takumi's eyes narrowed. "Thought you'd never ask."

> [MATCH INITIATED – 1V1]

[OBJECTIVE: SCORE 5 GOALS FIRST]

[REWARD: +10 EGO POINTS / FIRST ABILITY UNLOCKED]

---

The Duel Begins

The court was tight—walled off, barely space to breathe. Perfect for control and instinct.

Rudou started with the ball. His body moved automatically, as if guided by instinct. He pushed forward, feinted left—

But Takumi stole it in a blink.

"I see everything," Takumi whispered. "Your balance, your timing—it's readable."

He dashed forward, one-touch, two-tap, flick—shot.

> [0 – 1]

Rudou gritted his teeth. He restarted.

This time, he stayed calm. He absorbed the pressure, baited Takumi in, then used a sudden burst of speed—

Goal.

> [1 – 1]

The duel went back and forth.

Takumi was surgical. Calculated. Efficient.

Rudou was chaotic. Wild. Raw—but passionate.

The clash of styles lit the air like sparks.

By the end—

> [5 – 4 – WINNER: RUDOU KAGEMORI]

Both boys collapsed, breathing hard.

> [MATCH COMPLETE – +10 EGO POINTS AWARDED]

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED – "FLOW BURST"]

[TEMPORARY SPEED BOOST WHEN DRIBBLING UNDER PRESSURE]

Takumi chuckled. "You're better than I thought."

"You're not bad yourself," Rudou replied. "But I'm not stopping here."

They sat side by side, watching the sky shift colors.

Then their systems blinked again.

> [NEW QUEST UNLOCKED – THE BLUE WORLD INVITATION]

[TOP 300 SYSTEM USERS IN JAPAN WILL BE SUMMONED IN 3 DAYS]

[LOCATION: TOKYO]

[CHANCE TO ENTER THE FOOTBALL EGO PROGRAM]

They both stared at the screen.

Takumi said, "I'm going."

Rudou nodded. "Me too."

They didn't know it yet—but this moment would mark the beginning of a legend. A rivalry. A friendship. A war.

And the rise of the next generation of egoistic .