At Fukuda’s invitation and with the support of Shun, Ashito goes to Tokyo alone for the tryouts of Tokyo City Esperion Youth team. Thoroughly impressed with Esperion’s facility, Ashito is escorted to the tryouts by Hana Ichijo, Fukuda’s sister-in-law. Among the 86 candidates of notable achievements, Ashito has no outstanding records. Nervous as he is, Ashito is excited to be able to play soccer on the beautiful field.

The final test turns out to be a game with the Esperion Youth team. Fukuda tells the candidates that he will give a piece of information to them during the game. While other candidates feel overwhelmed, Ashito is eager to beat the Youth team so everyone can pass the test. The candidates feel good about the game, but start to feel uneasy at the Youth team's sluggish play.

While the candidates are overwhelmed by the youth team, Fukuda rubs salt into the wound by telling them a piece of information. Unable to recover from the shock, the candidate team allows more goals to the youth team, making it a one-sided match. While his teammates feel completely beaten and lose their fighting spirit, Ashito, still feeling the pain from Akutsu's attack, starts to lose his will to fight.

Ashito arrives at Esperion's base, meets fellow test participants and meets future teammates. However, the team's coaching staff promises not to give an easy life to the players' desires.

Fukuda suggests that Ashito and other new Esperion Youth players play an intrasquad game. Anyone who proves their worth in the game will be promoted to the A team. All new players are excited at the prospect of joining the A team. Ashito, playing his favorite forward position, starts the game out well. However…

The intrasquad game will determine who gets promoted to the A team. However, no one is passing the ball to Ashito, who is not able to communicate with his teammates through his soccer. He stands in the middle of the field, unable to do anything. Date says that Ashito lacks "individual tactics" to keep up with the constant change of play. Akutsu, a senior player who attacked Ashito at the tryouts, appears in front of him after the game.

Ashit who can't easily master the basic soccer movement of "stop and kick". Togashi, who is in the same room, tells the true meaning of "stop and kick", not seeing the thoughtfulness of Ashito who is going to practice alone. However, Togashi's explanation is abstract, and night training is difficult. They both irritated each other, but eventually, from the movement of Togashi, Ashito finally got a hint of "stop and kick".

In the unusual mini game of 11-on-21, Ashito completely loses the trust of Kuroda and Asari for lack of cooperation. Date gives Ashito the assignment to figure out why they got mad at him. While the others enjoy the only day off of the week, Ashito sets out to practice alone, not being able to find the answer. Then, a sudden visitor appears.

Tokyo Metropolis League has opened. Ashito and others have their first official match against Seikyo High, but the mood of the team has been awful since the fight on the day of the entrance ceremony. The Esperion Youth B team struggles to coordinate, despite being chosen as a starter, Ashito hasn't found the answer to Date's assignment. Frustrated, Taira suggests that the first-year players switched out.

In the second half of Tokyo Metropolis League Match 1 against Seikyo High School, Ashito coordinates with Kuroda and Asari, and learns the importance of carrying the ball with three players. Having the answer to his assignment, Ashito initiates the counterattacks of the Esperion B team. As they make a comeback from the disadvantage of 0 -3, the game time is running out. In his extreme state of concentration, something strange is happening to Ashito's eyes…!

While still feeling unconvinced, Ashito makes up his mind that he must try and learn to be a full-back. He goes to practice, wanting to figure out Fukuda's intention. However, being unfamiliar to the position and disliking defending, Ashito doesn't quite get the meaning of "shuffle" and feels out of place.

Advised by Takeshima and Anri that he should study Kuribayashi's movements, Ashito pours over the broadcast of the J1 match to see Kuribayashi's play. Combing over the past footage of Kuribayashi's play, Ashito realizes that what set Kuribayashi apart is how he turns his head. Ashito tries to incorporate it in his practice right away, but it only confuses him. In his teammates eyes, that confusion looks like being unmotivated for having to play a full-back.

Ashito and others have an unexpected reunion with Nakano and Kaneda, who played alongside him at the tryouts. After failing the tryouts for Esperion, Nakano and Kaneda joined the current top team in the league, Tokyo Musashino Soccer Club Youth, where Tachibana used to play. While Nakano is happy to see Ashito and others, Kaneda blames Ashito for his failing the tryouts.

Esperion B team has a match against Tama Sports University. Thanks to Yoshitsune, they finish the first half with one goal lead. However, Togashi and Takeshima mess up their play at the beginning of the second half and allow the opponent a goal. With Isshiki out of the game due to his injury, the B team changes the formation, and Togashi and Ashito are instructed to move upfield. Date tells Ashito to take what he learned defending and apply it to attacking.

The game against Tokyo Musashino is the climax of the Tokyo Metropolis League for Esperion B team. Although the team has worked on countermeasures against Musashino, the air is still tense within the team and there's a clear sign of anxiety on the faces of many of them during the warmup. But right before the game starts, Takeshima disappears from the locker room with his girlfriend, Tae.

The match between Esperion and Musashino will determine who will dominate the Tokyo Metropolis League. Musashino's ace, Kaneda, takes advantage of the weak coordination between Togashi and Takeshima, giving Musashino a go-ahead score. Right before the end of first half, Kuroda injures himself due to his desperate defense play. During the halftime, Asari blames the center-backs, but Date disagrees with him. Togashi has resented Takeshima for a long time, but now…