LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 44: The Awakening of the Predator
The day of the second match had arrived. The field stretched before them — silent, empty of any crowd. Just the cold, hard battlefield where only the strongest would survive.
But this time… Team Zeta was different.
Renji Kurogami stood at the center of the pitch, his crimson eyes burning with a hunger no one had seen before. The crushing 5-0 defeat still echoed in his mind — but not as humiliation. No, it had become fuel. Fuel to grow. Fuel to destroy.
They faced Team Omega today — and they would devour them.
The night before, it finally happened. Renji's mind shattered through its limits.
He had been facing Riku Saionji in a brutal one-on-one. Sweat poured down their faces, both refusing to back down. Riku dashed forward, his movement swift — his signature feint nearly unstoppable.
But then… something clicked.
Everything slowed. The field stretched in his vision. Every movement, every breath, every shift of weight — Renji saw it all. He knew where Riku would go before Riku himself did.
In a flash, Renji cut off the path and snatched the ball. But he didn't stop there. In that instant, his body moved without thinking — executing Riku's own feint with terrifying perfection. Except faster. Sharper. More ruthless.
Riku's eyes went wide. "That's—!"
But Renji was already gone, moving past him like a shadow.
That was the moment Renji awakened his Spatial Awareness — the ability to see and predict everything on the field. But there was something else. As he absorbed his teammates' skills, he modified them, sharpening their techniques into something deadlier. Faster. His ego surged, and so did his evolution.
He became a predator — one that devoured strength and made it his own.
But Renji wasn't the only one evolving.
Sora Amagi unlocked his Phantom Step — a speed so deceptive it left afterimages, confusing his opponents.
Kaede Arata mastered Ironclad Defense, reading his opponents' movements and sealing their attacks before they even began.
Riku Saionji refined his Flowing Feint, a movement so fluid and unpredictable it shattered defensive lines.
Jin Kazama found his own awakening in goal — Reflex Fortress, reacting to shots with near-inhuman speed and instinct.
Each player unlocked their key — their hunger driving them to rise. But even among them, one stood above the rest.
Renji Kurogami.
The whistle blew, and the match began.
Omega wasted no time. Tetsuya Aikawa, their captain, surged forward with explosive speed. But Kaede Arata was ready.
"Not happening!" Kaede growled, stepping in — and Ironclad Defense activated. He mirrored Aikawa's movements perfectly, blocking his path and forcing the ball away.
The ball shot toward Riku Saionji. He danced around his opponent with Flowing Feint, slipping past two defenders with ease.
"Go!" Riku called, launching the ball forward.
Renji was already moving. His Spatial Awareness painted the entire field in his mind — every position, every opening.
And then… he copied.
In a blur, Renji used Sora's Phantom Step, leaving afterimages as he closed in on the goal. Omega's defenders froze, unsure which one was real.
He saw the keeper readying to dive — and that's when Renji modified. He twisted his body mid-shot, sending the ball in the opposite direction.
Goal!
The net rippled. Team Zeta led 1-0.
But Renji wasn't smiling. His hunger hadn't been satisfied yet. He needed more.
More skills. More strength. More power.
"Let's see what else I can take from you," he muttered — his eyes locked on his own teammates.
The Devouring Begins