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.

The letter of acceptance arrives to Ashito in Ehime. Ashito and his friends are overjoyed at the news, but Noriko, Ashito’s mom, looks at the celebration with mixed feelings. Hana tells Ashito to have a heart-to-heart with Noriko, but he never gets the chance until the day of his departure.

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.

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…!

During the celebration dinner for the victorious match against Seikyo High, a soccer game comes on the TV at the BBQ restaurant, showing Kuribayashi making his J1 debut. Around the time Kuribayashi finishes his interview for his incredible play, Mibu receives a call from Date, telling him that there will be some member change between the A team and the B team, since Yoshitsune injured himself. Ashito makes some great plays at the promotion game. Will Ashito be able to move up to the A team?

Fukuda tells Ashito to change position to defender, which was not something Ashito could stomach. His teammates, wondering why Ashito didn't show up to the announcement of the A team promotion, learn the truth and feel shocked. Tachibana, Ohtomo, Togashi, Kuroda, and Asari go and look for Ashito, but he's nowhere to be found. It is Hana, who walks up to Ashito, sitting at a bus stop all by himself.

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.

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…

Thanks to Ashito's great bird's-eye view, Esperion B team succeeds in bringing down the defense of Musashino and scores a tie-goal. Esperion gains the momentum, while Musashino is confused by Ashito's flexible play. Kaneda can't hide his frustration at seeing just how much Ashito has improved. The desperate battle between the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan League, Musashino, and the challenger, Esperion: Who will win in the end...?