Episode 4 – "The Wolf Among Us"
Word Count (Part 1): ~1,500
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[Scene 1 – Nighttime, Academy Archives Room]
Moonlight slices through dusty blinds. Somewhere deep beneath the main campus, Yuna flips through ancient files by dim lamp light. Her glasses glint as her fingers trace the edges of a sealed black envelope labeled:
"Operation: Legacy Protocol // Subject: H. Ren"
Yuna (whispering):
"So it's real…"
She opens the folder—inside is a photo of Hiro Ren standing with Coach Kurobane… and a masked figure in academy uniform, face hidden.
Suddenly—CRASH! A sound behind her.
She whirls around.
Voice (distorted, mechanical):
"You shouldn't be here, strategist."
Footsteps retreat into the darkness before she can react.
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[Scene 2 – Morning, Phoenix Eleven Cafeteria]
Kaito eats alone, head buried in his notebook. Riku sits nearby, focused on video playback. Elias leans against the wall, silent as ever.
Shun (hobbling in with a cane):
"Yo, Firehead! How's elite life treating ya?"
Kaito (smiling):
"Missing my wingman. Still sore?"
Shun:
"Only in spirit. Physically? I'm tougher than I look."
Kaito:
"You look like a chopstick."
Shun:
"Exactly—sharp and deadly."
Laughter breaks the tension.
Suddenly, a sharp ding echoes over the intercom.
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📢 Announcement:
"Attention all elite players. Report to Central Field at 0900 hours for surprise skills evaluation. Failure to appear results in ranking loss."
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[Scene 3 – Central Field]
All five elite players stand in a row: Kaito, Elias, Riku, Daichi, and Kanzaki.
Coach Kurobane steps out, holding a clipboard.
Kurobane:
"Today's test is different. One-on-one exhibition. No rules. One half-length. Win by points, not goals. Clean technique, superior tactics, mind over muscle."
The players glance at each other.
Riku:
"Sounds more like a psychological test."
Kurobane (nodding):
"Exactly. And your opponent... is a guest."
*A hush falls.
From the tunnel… a masked player steps onto the field.
They wear a plain black jersey. No number. No name.
Only the academy crest on the chest… and a silver wolf symbol stitched onto their shoulder.
Kaito (tense):
"Who is that?"
Coach Kurobane:
"Codename: Lupin. You'll face him… one by one."
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⚔️ Match One – Riku vs Lupin ⚔️
Riku steps onto the field, calm as ever.
Kurobane:
"No formations. No timeouts. Begin."
WHISTLE.
Lupin moves with brutal speed. His footwork is unorthodox—wild, unpredictable, yet sharp.
Riku holds his ground, reading every step.
But Lupin fakes high and slams low—breaking through Riku's defense.
Point: Lupin.
Final Score: Lupin 3 – Riku 2
Kaito (stunned):
"Even Riku couldn't beat him…"
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⚔️ Match Two – Daichi vs Lupin ⚔️
Daichi's defense is strong—but Lupin doesn't attack like a striker. He manipulates Daichi's balance, shifts rhythm, uses feints unlike any they've trained against.
Final Score: Lupin 5 – Daichi 1
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⚔️ Match Three – Elias vs Lupin ⚔️
Now the crowd grows silent. The two monsters face off.
Elias (cold):
"You should've stayed hidden, pup."
WHISTLE BLOWS.
Elias charges immediately—pure force. Lupin dodges like vapor. For every one of Elias's brute attacks, Lupin answers with an elegant counter.
But Elias is relentless. His stamina is overwhelming.
Point for Elias. Then another.
Final Score: TIE – 4:4
Kaito (watching):
"So… not even he could beat him."
Coach Kurobane (quietly):
"The Wolf is evolving…"
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[Scene 4 – Match Four: Kaito vs Lupin]
Kaito walks forward, tightening his laces. His necklace swings with every step.
Yuna (off-field, whispering):
"You're walking into a fight with someone who doesn't play by rules…"
Kaito:
"Good. Neither do I."
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⚔️ Match Begins ⚔️
WHISTLE.
First few seconds—Lupin controls the ball. Every step is like a dance, unpredictable. Kaito watches—not with his eyes, but with instinct.
He doesn't chase. He waits.
Lupin flicks the ball into the air—Kaito lunges and intercepts mid-air.
Coach Kurobane (watching):
"Hiro's move…"
Kaito spins, breaks free, cuts left, drops his shoulder—
Phantom Drive Shot—BLOCKED!
Lupin counters—moves at blinding speed.
Point for Lupin.
Kaito (gritting teeth):
"He's faster… but not smarter."
Kaito feints a shot—then taps backward, flicking it over Lupin's head.
He circles, regains control, sprints—Goal. Point.
Tied. 2–2.
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Final 30 seconds.
Lupin charges again—Kaito stands his ground.
Inner voice (Hiro's memory):
"Sometimes, winning isn't about beating them. It's about becoming someone they can't understand."
Kaito lets go of form. Lets go of technique. He improvises.
He feels the ball. His movements become wild, fluid, unscripted.
Lupin freezes for just a second.
Kaito fires—Goal. Final point.
Final Score: Kaito 3 – Lupin 2
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🎉 [Scene 5 – Aftermath]
Everyone stares in silence.
Riku:
"He won."
Elias (narrowing eyes):
"He adapted…"
Lupin stands silently. Then, turns and walks off the field without a word.
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[Scene 6 – Coach's Office, Later That Night]
Coach Kurobane (on phone):
"Yes. Ren has reached the threshold… the Protocol is activating. Hiro would be proud."
*He looks at a photo on his desk: Young Hiro, Young Kurobane… and the same silver wolf symbol in the corner.
Great! Let's continue Episode 4 – Part 2 of Strikers: Beyond the Game, right after Kaito's intense showdown with Lupin. The truth begins to unravel, and a dangerous secret surfaces that could shatter the academy from within.
[Scene 7 – Infirmary Room, Late Evening]
Yuna sits beside Shun, who's resting his sprained leg.
Shun:
"So… that guy—Lupin… You saw his moves?"
Yuna (nodding):
"I saw everything. And more importantly… I've seen him before."
She opens her tablet and pulls up an old team photo. It's Hiro Ren's final squad. In the back row, a player with a blurred-out face… but wearing the same wolf crest Lupin had on today.
Yuna:
"This masked player… was part of Hiro's final team. The one that vanished after 'Legacy Protocol' began."
Shun:
"Then Lupin's not just a mystery… he's a ghost."
[Scene 8 – Kaito's Dorm, Same Night]
Kaito flips back through Hiro's old notebook. His hands stop on a page with a strange symbol: a crow and a wolf facing off. Below it, Hiro wrote:
"The crow remembers. The wolf erases.
When they clash… only one legacy survives."
Kaito slams the book shut. He steps out onto the balcony, staring into the night sky.
Kaito (to himself):
"What did you get caught in, Nii-chan…?"
[Scene 9 – Coach Kurobane's Office]
Assistant Coach (nervous):
"You let Lupin play publicly. Are you sure that was wise?"
Kurobane (calm):
"Ren passed the test. And now the others will evolve faster under pressure."
Assistant:
"What if Lupin reveals who he is?"
Kurobane (darkly):
"Then the wolves and crows will tear this academy apart… again."
[Scene 10 – Next Day, Academy Courtyard]
Students buzz with rumors. Some praise Lupin. Others fear him.
Student A:
"He moves like a demon."
Student B:
"They say he's part of the secret Ghost Squad—players trained off-record."
Student C:
"I heard he once broke a national striker's ankle in training. Intentionally."
Kaito walks through the middle of it all, ignoring the chatter. Riku catches up with him.
Riku:
"You beat him. Doesn't that bother you?"
Kaito:
"No. It bothers me that I almost didn't."
Riku:
"Smart answer."
[Scene 11 – Training Grounds: Elite Room]
Only the Top 5 are allowed inside this high-tech facility.
As the five enter, they find something new: a black envelope on each of their lockers. No names. Just the wolf symbol.
Kaito opens his. Inside is a single line:
"You've tasted the storm. Now survive the hunt."
— Lupin
[Scene 12 – Secret Passage, Midnight]
Yuna sneaks into an old tunnel behind the academy library using a map she decoded from Hiro's notebook.
With only her flashlight, she discovers an old underground chamber marked with academy crests from 10 years ago. On the far wall is graffiti that reads:
"THE WOLVES NEVER LEFT."
She takes photos, then pauses as she hears movement.
A figure stands in the dark, watching her.
Lupin's Voice (softly):
"You found their den."
Yuna (stepping back):
"Who are you really?"
Lupin:
"A legacy that refused to die."
He disappears before she can ask more.
[Scene 13 – Kaito's Dream Sequence]
Darkness. Echoes. A field of ashes. Kaito sees Hiro, back turned.
Kaito:
"Nii-chan… what happened?"
Hiro (without turning):
"You were never meant to play the same game."
A thunderous growl cuts through the air. A massive wolf looms over Hiro… then turns to face Kaito.
The Wolf (in Hiro's voice):
"Survive me."
Kaito jolts awake, gasping.
[Scene 14 – Early Morning Training Field]
Kaito trains solo. Sweat drenches his shirt. He repeats the same Phantom Drive Shot over and over.
Kaito (panting):
"Again…"
Riku appears.
Riku:
"You had a nightmare again."
Kaito (not looking):
"Yeah."
Riku:
"Then let's make you stronger in the daylight."
They start training together. A silent bond forming.
[Scene 15 – Coach's Meeting Room]
A screen shows multiple players training under extreme pressure. A file is displayed:
"Ranking Expansion Phase – Ghost Protocol Initiated."
Kurobane:
"It's time the whole academy learns what true survival means."
🌑 Ending Scene: Lupin's Chamber
Lupin kneels before an old crest—half burned. He pulls off his mask—face still hidden from the audience.
He opens a tiny case. Inside: an old Phoenix Eleven pin, covered in ash.
Lupin (softly):
"You abandoned us… but I never forgot."