Night fell quietly over the small town. The silence was broken only by the sound of crickets and a creaking fan in the distance. In his room, Gabriel slept deeply, curled up with the blue vest from soccer school as if it were a champion's jersey.
But within the dream... the field was different.
It was a black space, without sky or ground. The field lines glowed like pure energy, floating over nothing. The breeze wasn't real. The sound echoed from inside his mind.
Then he heard:
[Initiating nighttime training environment...][Ability: Instinctive Dribble. Rank E. Level 1.][Instinct and body reading training activated.]
Gabriel opened his eyes in the middle of the void. He wore an all-black uniform with yellow accents. He was barefoot, but could feel the touch of the grass. In front of him, shadowy figures began to take shape: three faceless defenders, standing still… waiting.
— "What is this place…?" he murmured.
["Welcome to the Ego laboratory."]
The voice echoed with a dry, arrogant tone, full of challenge. And irony.
Gabriel turned.
Jinpachi Ego (AI) appeared as a giant projection floating over imaginary bleachers, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, wearing the same crooked grin as in the anime.
["You think that pass was pretty? Hm? That you did well?"]["Yeah. You did."]["But…"]["…passing is easy when no one truly challenges you."]
Gabriel frowned.
— "I just did the best I could…"
["That's the problem."]["You still think like a regular player."]["If you want to be the best, stop playing for the team and start playing for yourself."]
["Football is a sport of ego, Gabriel Angelo."]["You need an ego that drowns out all the others."]
Those words hit like a hammer. And as if answering the call, a light burst from Gabriel's chest. The ground shook. The defenders began to move — slow at first, then fast, aggressive, like predators.
[System: Activating Primary Weapon.][Instinctive Dribble – Level 2 reached.][+2 Dexterity. Basic body reading ability unlocked.]
The field changed. The shadows attacked. Gabriel ran with the ball — and something awoke inside him.
His eyes sharpened.
His body… moved on its own.
No thoughts. Just instinct.A feint. A spin. A nutmeg.He escaped without fully knowing how.It was like dancing with monsters and smiling through it.
Then — mid-run — the world froze.
Floating before him appeared himself. Or almost.
This version had the same face… but wild eyes. His hair messy, like he just left a battlefield. His shirt was torn. Barefoot. Smiling like a lunatic.
The inner Ego.
— "You called me," he said.
Gabriel stood frozen, panting.
— "Who are you?"
— "I'm you. The real you." — the figure said. — "I'm the part that wants to devour the world with a ball at your feet."
— "I…"
— "You pretended it was just a game. That it was fine just to play. But in that moment… you wanted to shine. You admitted it."— "And that woke me up."
He pointed at Gabriel's chest.
— "Feed me with wins. With dribbles. With sweat and blood."— "And I'll give you what you want: glory."
And vanished.
Jinpachi Ego's voice returned, cold like a referee's whistle:
["Remember this, Gabriel."]["Every football genius has a monster inside. And yours… has just been born."]
The System screen flickered:
[Instinctive Dribble – Rank E, Level 2][Meta-vision – Rank E, Level 4][Dexterity: 24][Mental State: Initial Ego activation]
Gabriel dropped to his knees on the ethereal field.
Not in pain.
But in understanding.
He was starting to remember who he was.And who he could become.