It all starts with a simple football match. The Alpine club vs. The Originals. The scoreboard shows 40 – 0. The entire Alpine team is lying on the ground, except for Shawn, who's barely standing, and the goalkeeper, who watches him from his knees from the goal.
– How is this possible? Who are you?
– We are The Originals, Shawn –says a mysterious young man whose face we can't see (although we can see the rest of his team)–. Surrender now. You don't stand a chance.
– No. Never!
– We have the primordial power of football. If you don't surrender, we'll return. And we'll keep winning by 30, 40, 50... to 0 –the boy says, forming a circle with his fingers in front of his eye–. Eventually, you'll give up. You'll lose hope and the passion for the sport little by little, and in the end, you'll be the ones to surrender on your own. The smartest thing would be to do it now, with dignity.
– But... –he says, standing fully upright– why? What do you want?
– We already told you, Shawn. We're going to destroy football –says the figure, smiling just before kicking the ball, grazing Shawn's head and heading straight to the goal.
Fade to black.
At the Inazuma Japan headquarters, the players are finishing training on the outdoor field. Only the players and a lot of fans are in the stands. The managers and coaches aren't there.
When they finish, they head to the locker room, but are intercepted by fans asking for photos and autographs.
– Jack, you're such an inspiration to me as a defender –says a dark-haired boy while shaking his hand.
– Thanks a lot –says Jack, embarrassed.
– You've got fans, huh Jack –jokes Hurley, making the big guy blush.
After changing and showering, the players enter the break room.
– That first training session was rough –says Jack–. I'm exhausted.
– No wonder, you spent the whole break sleeping –teases Scotty, laughing.
– Winning a World Cup takes a lot of rest. I still don't get why the coach called us back as soon as classes started.
– He shouldn't have –Jude mutters out loud, puzzled–. The Asia Cup isn't for another two years. There's no reason to be training again already. I've got a feeling there's more to this.
– Where's Shawn? It's strange that he didn't show up –asks Mark.
– He had a match with the Alpine yesterday. I guess he's tired –answers Xavier.
– Hey, did you hear? Brain Academy's football team shut down –says Austin, confused.
– So did Occult's –adds Samford–. You think something happened?
– I hope it's not aliens again –says Jack, scared.
– Relax, it's not –laughs Xavier.
– I heard there's a new superpowered team forcing them to shut down –says Nathan.
– Just like the Royal did –says Jude with regret.
– Well, we're not letting them get away with it –says Mark with determination–. We'll talk to the coach and see what we can do.
Once everyone's inside, Mark, Xavier, Axel, Nathan and Austin stay standing, chatting; Jack, Thor, Darren, Kevin, Scott and Hurley are playing Nintendo on the floor; Caleb and Archer stand watching the others, and Jude and Samford sit to watch TV.
On the TV, they're interviewing Chester Horse about recent events involving The Originals.
– With Alpine's defeat yesterday, that makes eight clubs shut down in the last month after being challenged by this powerful new team called The Originals. Mr. Horse, what's your take on this?
– Guys –says Jude, absorbed by the screen– listen to this, it's about the new team.
The players slowly start sitting on the sofa, the floor, or standing behind.
– I find it absolutely despicable. They're using strength to threaten these clubs and force them to quit playing. It's the same behavior Ray Dark used years ago.
– But they're not using force. They're just playing way better than the others –says another presenter facing Horse.
– Oh yeah? And how do you know they're not using something like Zeus or the Alius?
– You know that ever since, all league players get drug tested.
– Even if they were football gods capable of crushing the country's best teams, it doesn't change the fact that all they want is to destroy the sport. And you can't deny that, because Jay Son himself admitted it –Horse retorts to the presenter.
– So what do you propose we do? –asks the interviewer.
– We have to keep fighting and resist. We can't let ourselves be bullied by these third-rate thugs.
Back at the club, Kevin stands up from the sofa, furious.
– What do you mean they want to destroy football?! Who the hell do they think they are? Haven't we had enough problems already?
– Great, another threat to football –says Jack, scared–. My heart can't take much more.
– Neither can your belly –laughs Scotty.
– That's why you called us here, right Coach Travis? –asks Jude as the doors to the room open.
– That's right, Jude –says Travis as he enters with Hillman, Aquilina Schiller, the managers and Willy–. Everyone, gather around.
All the players stand and form a semicircle in front of him.
– As you've heard, there's a new team called The Originals –he says, pressing a button on a remote, showing an image of the team on the screen–. This is their captain: Jay Son.
A picture of Jay immediately appears on the screen. Everyone turns to look: a boy with brown skin, green eyes, short black hair combed forward, and a yellow feather on one side of his head.
– Wait, isn't that Jack's fan? –says Hurley.
– He's been here? –asks Schiller–. He must've found out we're planning to bring you together to fight back.
– What do you mean by fight back, Coach Schiller? –asks Mark–. And, by the way, what are you doing here?
– The Prime Minister ordered it. This is a matter of national importance. As you know, this boy threatens clubs by humiliating them over and over until they lose interest and passion for football.
– He tells them he'll stop only if they shut down the club and stop playing altogether –adds Coach Hillman.
– That's terrifying. Is he really that strong? –asks Celia, scared.
– We can't let him intimidate us –says Nathan seriously–. Neither Raimon nor Inazuma Japan will stop playing football.
– What team does he play for, coach? –asks Silvia.
– This is his team: The Originals –he presses another button on the remote.
– I've never heard of that team –says Axel, confused.
– That's because it was only registered two months ago –confirms Schiller–. All eleven players are kids from the same neighborhood who've never been part of an official football team.
– What? Not even Jay Son? –asks Jude, shocked.
– No –says Nelly firmly–. There's no record of him ever playing football. In fact, I've barely been able to find anything about his life at all.
– He released this statement yesterday. Watch it –orders Travis.
Travis presses a button and a video of Jay speaking at a press conference with his team plays.
– Football is a corrupt sport, driven only by selfish economic interests. The spirit of the game has been lost. That's why our goal is to destroy every institution tied to it and return to playing it purely and honestly. One by one, we'll face every team in the country, whether they like it or not. And after crushing them, they'll have no choice but to shut down. We'll start with the youth league and move up. And believe me, we'll come for the rest. That said, if anyone beats us –anyone at all– we'll abandon our goal. But I warn you: that person doesn't exist –the video ends with Jay staring straight into the camera.
– Man, he gives me the creeps –says Scotty, shaken.
– Why would someone want to destroy something so beautiful and that brings people together? –asks Xavier–. What do you think, Mark?
They all turn to their captain, who's trembling with rage, fists clenched so hard his fingers are about to crack, his face full of fury and resentment.
– I won't let him. Where is that clown? If he wants to destroy football, he'll have to go through me first.
– Don't do it, captain –says Froste, badly injured, walking through the door–. That guy is a real monster. I've never seen a team so powerful.
– Shawn! –screams Celia as she catches him before he falls–. What happened to you? Did that Jay guy do this?
– No. I did it to myself trying to stop him. But it was useless: we were forced to shut down the Hokkaido club.
– WHAT?! –everyone yells at once.
– Calm down, everyone please –asks Travis–. It's clear that if he came to watch us play today on our first day back, it's because he wants to challenge us and humiliate the national team. So we need to be ready and start training.
– Yes, coach! –they all shout.
The players gradually leave, but Hillman stops Mark before he can go.
– Mark, we've learned that Jay works at his family's restaurant in downtown Tokyo. I know that if there's anyone who can talk to him and make him see he's wrong, it's you.
– Count on me, coach. I'll show him there's still real and pure football out there –he says, staring intensely at Jay's portrait.
Training ends, and everyone returns to their homes. Mark walks into his house and calls out that he's home.
– Son, the bath is ready. Go wash up and come down for dinner.
Mark quickly runs up the stairs to bathe. A little later, he comes back down with wet hair, sits at the table with his parents, and starts scarfing down food.
– How was your first training, Mark? –asks his father.
– It was great. I missed playing with everyone again.
– Is it true someone's trying to ban football? Our neighbor mentioned it and the news won't stop talking about it –asks his mother.
– I'm afraid so. But that's why we're here. We won't let that bastard destroy our passion.
– By the way, your grandfather called. Seems he's finally figured out time zones, but you were out. I told him you'd call back whenever you could.
– I'm not in the mood today, but I'll call him tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad –says Mark as he heads to his room to sleep.