Episode 3 – "Storm in the Academy
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[Scene 1 – Flashback: A Stormy Night in Paris, France]
A boy stands in the rain, watching a stadium floodlight flicker out.
He has sharp ice-blue eyes, golden hair matted to his face, and a broken soccer ball in hand. Blood runs down his knee, but he doesn't flinch.
Voice (off-screen, French-accented):
"You are no longer welcome here, Elias."
Boy (quietly):
"I don't need welcome. I need a challenge."
Fade to black. Text appears on screen:
"Elias Raikkon – Ex-Youth Champion, Finland"
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[Scene 2 – Phoenix Eleven Academy, Morning]
Kaito, Riku, Shun, and Daichi are gathered around a bulletin board. A bright red poster is pinned up.
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📢 ACADEMY-WIDE RANKING MATCH – THIS WEEK
Format: 11v11
All players evaluated
Top 5 earn Elite Training Tier
Bottom 5 face CUTS
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Shun (shocked):
"Cuts!? Like… kicked out!?"
Daichi:
"That's brutal."
Riku (reading silently):
"They're raising the stakes earlier this year… probably because of him."
Kaito:
"'Him'?"
Suddenly the air grows cold as footsteps echo behind them. The students part like water. Enter: Elias Raikkon.
Tall. Cold. Dangerous. His eyes scan the team like prey.
Coach Kurobane (off-screen):
"This is Elias Raikkon. Transfer from the European Youth League. Effective immediately."
Elias (calmly):
"I came to test this academy. Let's see if it survives me."
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[Scene 3 – Practice Field]
The team is split into two sides for warm-ups. Elias joins Riku's group.
Coach Kurobane:
"Control is power. Today: no goals, no shots. One-touch passing drill. Thirty seconds max per rotation. Move or be benched."
Drill begins. Most struggle. Elias moves like a machine—ball in, ball out. Precision perfect.
Kaito's group fumbles three passes in a row.
Coach Kurobane (blowing whistle):
"RENEGADE TEAM! Five laps. Sloppy hands mean sloppy hearts."
Shun (panting):
"Who… is this guy?"
Kaito (watching Elias):
"A storm."
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[Scene 4 – Locker Room]
Later, tension hangs like fog.
Daichi:
"Word is Elias was expelled from three European academies."
Shun:
"Expelled!? For what?"
Riku (appearing from the shadows):
"For winning too hard. He broke two players' ankles during training in Germany. One quit football forever."
Kaito (serious):
"Then why is he here?"
Riku:
"Because Japan's his last battlefield."
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[Scene 5 – Kaito's Dorm Room]
Kaito flips through Hiro's old notebook again. A loose page falls out.
Text (in Hiro's handwriting):
"Legacy Protocol – Trust the crow. Beware the wolf."
Kaito (confused):
"What does that even mean…?"
He hears a soft knock. Yuna peeks in.
Yuna:
"Still reading the notebook?"
Kaito:
"Always."
Yuna (sitting beside him):
"Hiro was smart… too smart. He buried messages in plays and drills. Maybe it's not literal."
They both look at the words again.
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[Scene 6 – Rooftop at Night]
Elias stands alone under the moonlight, juggling a ball on his thigh.
Coach Kurobane approaches, slowly.
Kurobane:
"I didn't ask for you."
Elias (cold):
"Does a hurricane knock first?"
Kurobane (staring hard):
"Don't destroy what you can't rebuild."
Elias walks away without responding.
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[Scene 7 – Announcement the Next Day]
📢 RANKING MATCH TEAMS POSTED
> Team Titan (Black Jerseys)
Elias (Striker)
Riku (Midfield)
Kanzaki
Others
> Team Inferno (Red Jerseys)
Kaito (Striker)
Shun
Daichi
Others
Shun (nervous):
"You're going head-to-head with the frost king himself…"
**
Absolutely! Let's continue Episode 3 – Part 2 of Strikers: Beyond the Game, leading into the high-stakes Ranking Match. Tension builds, pressure mounts, and Kaito faces his most dangerous rival yet: Elias Raikkon.
[Scene 8 – The Day Before the Ranking Match]
Evening. Team Inferno trains under amber sunset light. Sweat glistens, voices echo.
Coach Kurobane (yelling from the sidelines):
"Focus, footwork, flow! If you break, you burn!"
Kaito pushes himself harder than ever. After 10 back-to-back sprints, he collapses to his knees.
Daichi (tossing him water):
"You okay, Ren?"
Kaito (breathing heavy):
"No… but I will be."
Shun (juggling nearby):
"Elias moves like ice but hits like lightning. We'll need to work like a pack—no solo hero stuff."
Kaito looks up, sweat in his eyes.
Kaito:
"Agreed. We take him as a team… or we don't take him at all."
[Scene 9 – Academy Infirmary]
A quiet room. A mysterious figure lies on a bed, bandaged and unconscious. His chart reads: "Takeshi Hozumi – Position: Defender – Status: Injured in match."
A figure in black walks in silently. It's Elias.
Elias (coldly, staring at the bandaged boy):
"Play harder… or don't play at all."
He leaves.
[Scene 10 – Morning of the Match – Locker Room: Team Inferno]
Kaito laces up. The atmosphere is tight. Hearts are pounding. Shun spins his headband nervously.
Kaito (standing):
"Today isn't just about points. It's about proving we belong here."
Daichi:
"I don't want to go home. Not yet."
Shun:
"Let's give 'em heat."
Kaito slaps hands with each of them.
[Scene 11 – Phoenix Eleven Stadium – Match Day]
The arena is packed with students, faculty, scouts, and ranking judges. Camera drones buzz through the sky.
Announcer:
"Welcome to the Phoenix Eleven RANKING MATCH! Today's format is single-match, full-length, academy-regulated rules. No substitutions. No second chances."
⚔️ Match: Team Titan vs Team Inferno ⚔️
Lineups Announced Over Speakers:
Team Titan (Black)
Elias (Striker)
Riku (Midfield Captain)
Kanzaki (Wingback)
Hide (Keeper)
More
Team Inferno (Red)
Kaito Ren (Striker)
Shun Tachibana (Wing)
Daichi (Defense Captain)
Arata (Midfield)
More
WHISTLE BLOWS!
⚽ First Half: Pressure Builds ⚽
Minute 4:
Riku commands the midfield like a puppet master. Kaito can't even get near the ball.
Minute 9:
Elias breaks through—single flick, sprint, and BOOM!
Goal for Team Titan.
Score: Titan 1 – 0 Inferno
Shun (jaw dropped):
"He didn't even break a sweat…"
Kaito (growling):
"He's toying with us."
Minute 14:
Team Inferno rallies. Kaito intercepts a long pass and dashes forward. But Kanzaki charges in and sweeps his leg—clean tackle, but brutal.
Kaito hits the turf hard, coughing.
Riku (approaching):
"Don't try to outrun the system, Ren. Outsmart it."
[Halftime – Locker Room]
Team Inferno sits silent. The score is 2–0. Elias scored again.
Daichi:
"We can't stop him…"
Kaito stands, fists clenched.
Kaito:
"Yes, we can. But not like this."
He looks at the chalkboard, draws a quick play.
Kaito:
"Elias plays vertical. Straight-line power. But he doesn't defend back. If we fake high pressure and hit weak side diagonals, we split the field."
Shun:
"And then we punch through the gaps!"
Kaito (nods):
"Exactly. We don't beat the storm—we dodge it."
⚽ Second Half: Fire Awakens ⚽
Minute 47:
Shun fakes a sprint down the right—Kaito cuts to the left flank.
Arata (midfield):
"NOW!"
*Quick one-two pass. Kaito sprints into open space. Shoots—GOAL!
Titan 2 – 1 Inferno
Minute 56:
Riku repositions, blocking lanes. Elias glares as Kaito begins rising.
Riku (to Elias):
"We handle this. No more chaos."
Elias (cold):
"Chaos is when I'm at my best."
Minute 64:
Sudden tackle—Shun goes down. He screams in pain, clutching his ankle.
Referee stops the match. Coach rushes in.
Coach Kurobane (checking):
"Sprain. You're out."
Shun (gritting his teeth):
"Ren… finish what we started…"
Kaito helps him to the bench, eyes burning with fury.
[Scene 12 – Final 10 Minutes]
Score: Titan 2 – Inferno 1
Kaito moves like a possessed soul. His speed triples. He calls to Arata—
Kaito:
"Left diagonal. Now!"
Arata arcs it—Kaito chest-traps mid-sprint. Elias lunges—Kaito spins, barely dodging—
Final moment—he strikes—
PHANTOM DRIVE SHOT!!
Ball bends in mid-air—Keeper lunges—misses! GOAL!!
Crowd erupts. Students rise in waves.
TIED – 2:2
[Final Minute – Clash of Titans]
Kaito vs Elias, mid-field.
Elias (snarling):
"You stole my spotlight."
Kaito (calm):
"I didn't steal it. I earned it."
Both lunge for a loose ball—CRASH—full-body collision—
Ref blows the whistle.
[Final Score]
TEAM TITAN – 2
TEAM INFERNO – 2
[Scene 13 – Results Ceremony]
Coach Kurobane reads from a digital board.
📋 TOP 5 – ELITE TIER
Elias Raikkon
Riku Ayama
Kaito Ren
Kanzaki
Daichi
📋 BOTTOM 5 – CUT LIST PENDING REVIEW
Silence fills the air. Then—
Coach Kurobane:
"From today forward, you five are Elite. The rest… fight harder."
Kaito looks at Elias. Elias looks back, unreadable.
[Scene 14 – Night, Academy Rooftop]
Kaito stands with Yuna, watching the field below.
Kaito:
"I should feel proud. But I feel… like the game just started."
Yuna (smiling):
"That's because it has."
Kaito turns to her.
Kaito:
"What do you see when you look at me?"
Yuna (quietly):
"I see fire. But I also see a fuse… leading somewhere dangerous."
🌑 [Final Scene – Elsewhere in the Academy Grounds]
A cloaked figure steps out of the trees and onto the field Elias trained on.
Unknown Voice (low):
"Phoenix Eleven… has finally lit the match."