The door to the Champions League locker room was silent as it swung open. But Noah Ramsey's heartbeat was anything but.
The pressure that had accumulated over the weeks had finally reached its peak. His mind buzzed with a thousand calculations, a thousand futures that unfolded every time he blinked. Every move, every touch, every pass was amplified, becoming not just a part of the game, but the game itself.
The second leg against Inter Milan was the final test. No more excuses. No more room for error. The whispers had reached the farthest corners of Europe — Noah Ramsey, the inhuman force on the pitch. But the world didn't know what he was up against. The Kaiser template had melded with Itoshi Rin's vision, and the result was nothing short of terrifying.
As he walked past the mirrored walls of the changing room, Noah caught sight of his reflection. A cold, emotionless version of himself stared back. A king in the making.
---
Inter Milan vs Liverpool – Champions League Round of 16 (Second Leg)
The San Siro had been a fortress for centuries. But tonight, it felt like a tomb.
Inter Milan's players took to the pitch, roaring with pride, but Noah stood at the center, unbothered. The deafening noise of the crowd felt distant, like an echo through glass. He was beyond it. His mind was already inside the game. Already predicting the counterattacks, the openings, the movements that no one else could see.
The match began with the intensity of a warzone. Inter threw everything they had at Liverpool. But Noah? He simply flowed. His movements were silent, ghost-like, as he anticipated every pass, every change of direction.
In the 12th minute, he intercepted an errant pass from Barella, threading the ball between two defenders. Elliott was there, a perfect touch, a perfect goal.
1–0 Liverpool. The stadium froze.
By halftime, the score was 3–0. Noah had scored once, assisted once, and created chaos in the final third that Inter couldn't handle. The crowd began to murmur — Is this real? Is this a man?
---
System Update
> [Itoshi Rin Sync: 67%]
[Template Fusion Progress: 43%]
[New Ability Unlocked: Vision Distortion – Create temporary blind spots in defenders' line of sight]
[Cognitive Load: 91%] — Warning: Dangerously High
Side Effects: Emotional Detachment, Memory Fragmentation, Complete Loss of Sleep
---
55th Minute – Noah Ramsey, The Ghost
The second half began, and with it, the final unraveling.
Noah had transcended the game. His vision had reached a level beyond what even the greatest football minds could comprehend. He moved with the confidence of a machine, but with the cold, calculated aggression of a predator.
A perfect through ball found him on the edge of the box. He hesitated for a split second — a millisecond — before slipping the ball through Handanović's legs. The keeper had no chance.
4–0.
The Inter fans were now silent. In the stands, some covered their eyes, unwilling to witness what was happening. It wasn't just a defeat. It was a dissection.
---
The Final Whistle – A King's Ascension
As the final whistle blew, Noah stood motionless at the center circle, his breath even, his pulse slow. His mind was already calculating the next game, the next step in his evolution.
The scoreline was brutal. Liverpool 5–0 Inter Milan. Noah had scored a hat-trick, assisted once, and created a near-perfect symphony of football.
Klopp walked over to him, eyes wide. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He didn't need to speak. Noah already knew.
"You're beyond the game now, aren't you?" Klopp finally managed to say.
Noah didn't respond. He didn't need to. His eyes said it all.
---
Post-Match Interview (Delayed Release)
Reporter: "Noah, after such an incredible performance, is there any pressure left for you? You seem almost emotionless."
Noah (coldly): "Pressure is a limitation. I no longer have that."
Reporter: "So what comes next for you? Can you even be stopped?"
Noah:
> "No one can stop what is already inevitable. I'll be the last one standing."
---
System Update
> [Template Fusion Progress: 56%]
[New Ability: Unstoppable Force – Break through any defensive formation with increased strength and speed]
[Cognitive Load: 99%]
Warning: Critical Threshold Reached
---
Aftermath – The Crownless King's Solitude
Back at his apartment, Noah sat alone, staring at the screen. The walls of his mind were closing in on him. He could feel the weight of his own power, pressing against his consciousness like a storm.
Kaiser whispered: Destroy them.
Rin whispered: Embrace the inevitability.
But Noah? He didn't speak. He didn't blink. His fingers hovered over the screen.
For the first time, he felt something: a crack in his mind.
A quiet whisper from within.
> You have reached the edge of humanity. Will you step beyond?