The long-awaited match against Team V had finally arrived.
Inside the tunnel, Team Z walked side by side toward the field.
"Team Z we're gonna win this!"
"Yeah!"
Everyone took their positions.
The timer on the screen ticked down…
3… 2… 1… 0.
BEEP!
The whistle blew. The match began.
First Half: Clash of Fire and Ice
Team V started with possession.
Reo dribbled upfield, only for Raichi to immediately close in.
"Tch. Already sticking to me, huh? Then Zantetsu!"
Reo flicked the ball toward the wing, passing to Zantetsu Kensei.
Zantetsu was left-footed his style focused on cutting in sharply from the right flank and unleashing angled mid-range shots.
"Got it," he said confidently. "This one's mine!"
He drove the ball toward the box but two defenders stepped up, sealing his shooting lane.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Nagi!"
"Don't leave it to me, idiot," came Nagi's lazy reply.
Still, Zantetsu crossed it toward the center.
Juuen jumped up and got a head on it redirecting the ball outward.
"Huh?" Nagi blinked, startled that someone was actually there.
"Isagi! Take it!"
The ball dropped neatly to Isagi's feet.
"Bachira!"
He passed immediately. Bachira dribbled forward, facing a V defender.
With a light tap, he feinted right the defender followed.
Then Bachira spun the ball behind him, slipping past cleanly.
He launched a long pass forward.
"Ryan! It's all yours you got this!"
At first, Ryan Hoshino looked like he was casually strolling across the front line but the moment the ball flew, he exploded into motion.
The two defenders marking him didn't even have time to react. In an instant, Ryan's leg muscles tensed and released like coiled steel, propelling him forward with monstrous acceleration.
"Damn it we lost him! Stop him!"
The ball arced through the air toward Ryan's path.
A V defender was already waiting at the drop point, smirking.
"This ball's mine."
The ball fell perfectly toward his feet. He adjusted to trap it
"Move," a deep voice growled behind him, "you're in my way."
Ryan rammed forward, shoving the defender aside effortlessly.
The man tried to resist but the grip on his shoulder felt like an iron vice.
"Wh-what strength is this?!"
The ball lingered just beneath them for a heartbeat
then Ryan snatched it, sprinting full speed ahead.
Another defender rushed in from the side.
"Stop! You're not getting past me again!"
Ryan raised an eyebrow mid-dribble.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yeah! Ryan Hoshino I'll stop you right here!"
"Who cares?"
With a lightning-fast feint, Ryan flicked the ball around him in a spinning motion, a rainbow elastico.
He blew past the defender like a gust of wind.
"What the he's through! Keeper, move up!"
Now only the goalkeeper stood in his way one-on-one.
The keeper charged forward, trying to close the gap.
Ryan slowed slightly, shaping his body as if to aim for the far post.
The keeper lunged in that direction
but at the last moment, Ryan turned his foot and sliced through the ball.
The shot curved low toward the near post.
The keeper dove but too late.
GOAL!!!
The stadium erupted. Team Z surrounded Ryan, shouting in excitement.
"That was insane, Ryan! What was that shot?!"
"At this rate, we've got this match in the bag!"
Across the field, Reo Mikage smiled faintly.
"Impressive… this might actually be fun. Nagi, let's do that thing from practice."
"Ugh, what a pain…" Nagi yawned.
Isagi, overhearing them, blinked in confusion.
What are they talking about? We just scored on them and they're still smiling?
Ryan caught it too.
"Hey, Reo did you hit your head recently? Should I ask Ego to find you a doctor?"
Reo's grin widened.
"Just watch, Ryan. Nagi's talent is greater than even yours."
Ryan laughed, cracking his neck.
"That's cute. I've never met anyone better than me. But sure show me this 'treasure' of yours. I'll even look forward to it."
He turned and jogged back to position.
Team V's Turn
Reo restarted play, sending the ball forward in a long arc.
To Isagi, it looked like an overhit pass.
Too strong… that's gotta be a mistake.
But Nagi sprinted ahead, his eyes following the ball as two defenders closed in.
Then, in one effortless leap
His foot rose above head level, stopping the spinning ball dead against his instep.
The ball rolled perfectly onto his foot, balanced as if weightless.
"What the ?!" Isagi gasped.
Nagi tilted his ankle, flicking the ball forward and then, with a smooth swing of his leg, blasted a volley straight toward the goal.
But before it could hit its mark
a gray blur flashed across the box.
Ryan had appeared out of nowhere, leaping high and blocking the shot with his shin.
"Ah," Nagi muttered, blinking, "he stopped it."
Reo's pupils shrank. "What he reacted to that?!"
The sequence replayed in his mind: Ryan had read Reo's long pass instantly, understood his intent, and held back just to see what Nagi would do.
But when Nagi jumped, Ryan moved too timing it perfectly to intercept.
The collision afterward sent him tumbling into the goalkeeper, and the ball deflected out for a corner.
Ryan stood, brushed off the grass, and looked at Reo walking over to take the corner kick.
"Not bad, Reo. That almost caught my interest. But you're still a little short."
He held up his fingers in a tiny gap gesture "just a little."
"Tch," Reo scoffed. "My Nagi's only getting started. Watch closely."
Ryan chuckled. "Can't wait. Hope your 'treasure' can dazzle me."
The corner flew in. Ryan rose above everyone else to clear it.
Bachira snagged the loose ball and immediately looked up. Ryan was already sprinting ahead.
"I get it! You want this, huh?" Bachira grinned, launching a long pass forward.
Reo frowned. "Wait… that looks familiar…"
Ryan leaped up, planting his foot beneath the ball
And Reo's heart dropped. No way… He's copying Nagi's trap?!
It was flawless.
The ball stopped midair on Ryan's instep, perfectly balanced then, with one fluid motion, he volleyed it straight into the top corner of the goal.
GOAL!!!
A Day Earlier
After talking with Isagi that night, Ryan had fallen asleep quickly.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself once more in the realm of the Gate of Miracles.
The three great doors stood before him each representing a power he'd unlocked.
But now, the door glowing with golden light representing Kise Ryōta's ability was shining brighter than ever before.
Guess I can open it now, Ryan thought.
He placed both hands on the massive door and pushed with all his strength.
This time, unlike before it opened.
Light engulfed him.
When he woke again, it was morning.
He flexed his hands, testing his body nothing felt different.
Then he picked up a ball.
As he began dribbling, juggling, and spinning, he realized everything felt different.
The ball moved as if it were part of his body. Every motion flowed naturally.
Kise's ability… the power to perfectly mimic others' movements.
In the original story, Kise could copy any technique but only temporarily, and only when using his "Zone."
But Ryan wasn't Kise. He possessed Aomine's speed, Murasakibara's strength, Midorima's precision, and now Kise's mimicry all without limitation.
He could truly replicate anything.
He didn't have anyone worth copying in Team Z, but he figured the upcoming match against Team V might give him a chance.
And he was right.
When Nagi performed that beautiful first touch, Ryan's instincts tingled.
He tried it once and mastered it instantly, even smoother than the original.
Back in the match, Reo stared at him in disbelief.
He'd just watched Nagi's signature move get perfectly replicated before his eyes.
But he clenched his fists and reminded himself
No matter what, Nagi is unique. His brilliance isn't just technique. It's his creativity, his instinct. That's something Ryan can never copy.
Nagi, meanwhile, simply tilted his head.
"…Huh. He copied me."
And beyond that mild surprise he didn't seem to care at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash
~> Bonus Chapter every 300PS!!