Under the dim glow of the streetlights, a lone figure stood on a deserted football field, drenched in sweat, body aching, but eyes burning with a fire that refused to fade.
Thud!
Another shot slammed into the goalpost.
"Damn… still not the perfect angle." Masaki Renjirou narrowed his eyes and stepped back, calculating his next move. His breath came in rhythmic bursts, the kind born from years of rigorous training. His cleats dug into the turf once more.
Thud!
This time, the ball curved just the way he wanted—low, fast, and lethal. It slammed into the bottom corner of the net.
"That's better," he muttered, wiping his brow. "Still not perfect, though."
Masaki wasn't just a talented player. He was the player—a once-in-a-generation genius who had taken the Japanese youth football scene by storm. At just seventeen, he had already become the poster boy of the U-17 national team. Scouts from Europe were begging for a signature. Journalists dubbed him the 'Neo Number 10'. Coaches whispered of his game IQ, vision, and technique—like Lionel Messi in his prime. But his athleticism, his vertical, speed, strength—those mirrored Cristiano Ronaldo.
He had it all.
And yet, for Masaki, it still wasn't enough.
"I'm not done," he muttered as he slung his training jacket over his shoulder and grabbed his duffel bag. "Even if the world says I'm the best, I still haven't played the perfect game."
As he walked through the quiet streets of his neighborhood, his phone buzzed.
📱 "New chapter of DAYS is out now!"
His eyes lit up.
"Heck yeah! Been waiting for this all week."
Despite his fame and status, Masaki was still a teenager. Still someone who geeked out over his favorite manga. Days had inspired him when he was younger—the story of Tsukushi, a boy with no talent, no strength, and no experience, yet he refused to give up. It resonated with him.
"I wonder what Jin's up to this chapter…"
He chuckled to himself, entering a nearby supermarket. Grabbing groceries for his mother, he noticed an elderly woman struggling with a basket and instinctively helped her. That was Masaki—disciplined, brilliant, but grounded.
As he exited the store, bags in hand, the wind brushed against his skin. A strange unease crawled down his spine.
Then, he heard it.
Footsteps. Running. Fast.
Masaki turned his head.
A girl—maybe his age—was sprinting down the sidewalk in full panic, her eyes wide with fear. Behind her, nothing visible… yet her expression said everything.
"Hey, are you okay—?"
Then he saw it.
A truck.
Coming from the intersection.
Speeding.
And the girl… wasn't slowing down.
His instincts kicked in.
"HEY!!" he shouted, dropping the bags.
She didn't hear him.
Go!
Without thinking, Masaki sprinted forward. His body, fine-tuned like an athlete at peak performance, moved faster than anyone else could.
He reached her.
Shoved her with all his strength.
She stumbled, tumbling safely to the side.
And Masaki—
HOOOOONK!!!
The impact was brutal.
His body slammed onto the road, bones cracking, lungs crushed. The world flipped. Groceries spilled. Blood pooled.
He couldn't breathe.
Pain flooded his senses.
His vision flickered.
"…Damn… this is really it, huh?" he thought, lying still on the pavement. People were screaming, running toward him. The girl sobbed nearby, crawling toward him.
But it was too late.
Masaki's lips moved silently.
"At least… she's okay."
He smiled faintly, blinking one last time.
"Mom… Dad… Nana… I love you."
And then, everything faded.
An Endless Void
Darkness.
Nothingness.
Silence.
Then—a heartbeat.
Thump.
Masaki's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't on a street. Not in a hospital. Not even on Earth.
All around him stretched an infinite, empty space—an endless void.
"…Where the hell…?"
He stood up slowly, his movements effortless. There was no pain. His body felt… weightless.
"Is this… the afterlife?"
[HEY.]
A booming voice echoed.
Masaki turned, instantly alert.
From the shadows emerged a tall figure—cloaked in mist, radiant yet faceless.
"You… Who are you?"
[I am ROB. Or, in simple terms, a Random Omnipotent Being.]
Masaki blinked.
"…You're kidding."
[Nope.]
He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "I mean, I did die, so I suppose this makes as much sense as anything else."
ROB chuckled. [You're surprisingly calm.]
Masaki shrugged. "I've already accepted my death. What's the point of freaking out? At least I saved someone."
ROB nodded approvingly.
[Indeed. That action—your final act of selflessness—was witnessed. And because of it, I've chosen to reward you.]
Masaki's eyes narrowed. "Reward me?"
[Yes. I'll grant you a chance to reincarnate into any world you desire. You'll get three wishes.]
He raised an eyebrow. "…Are you serious?"
[Absolutely. I don't offer this to just anyone. But your soul? It's special.]
Masaki took a deep breath. His mind whirred.
If this was real—if he truly could start again—there was only one world he wanted to return to.
"The world of Days," he said firmly. "Put me there."
ROB paused. […Interesting choice. Most people choose worlds where they're guaranteed to be the strongest, or filled with magic.]
"I don't need that," Masaki said simply. "Just give me a football, and I'll rise."
[Very well. And when?]
"Two years before Tsukushi Tsukamoto enters Seiseki."
[Ah… you want to build your legacy from the ground up.]
Masaki's eyes gleamed. "I'm going to create a new powerhouse—Seikan High. And I'm going to shake the entire football world."
ROB smiled beneath his shadows. [Then state your wishes.]
Masaki didn't hesitate.
"First, I want all of Lionel Messi's skills—dribbling, vision, control, balance, football IQ. Everything."
[Understood.]
"Second, give me Cristiano Ronaldo's physical capabilities. His strength, speed, agility, jumping, stamina—his athletic ceiling. and of course his talent in football and mentality"
[Noted.]
"And lastly…" Masaki's voice softened. "I want to be reborn into the same family I had before. My parents. My little sister. I want to see them again."
ROB blinked. Then nodded.
[That… is rare. Most people leave their old lives behind.]
"I'm not most people," Masaki said with a slight smirk. "They're my anchor. My reason."
[Very well… What about your appearance?]
"Leave it the same."
ROB raised his hand. A glowing door materialized from the void.
[Then go, Masaki Renjirou. Into the world you desire. Your new journey awaits.]
Masaki stared at the door. A nervous chill ran through him—but he clenched his fists, and stepped forward.
This time, he wouldn't just be great.
He'd be unstoppable.
And the name Masaki Renjirou would echo in the world of Days—not as a prodigy.
But as a legend.