My system allows me to copy talents

Right now, almost every eye in the stadium was converged on Hiro and Mateo. With those two engaging in a thrilling battle of wills, the atmosphere of the stadium was getting rather heavy with anticipation.

Twisting and turning his body, while executing fancy footwork, Hiro tried his best to beat Mateo. But, Mateo was rather adamant. Following his every move, he nulled his efforts as if he could foresee every single one of his moves.

It was really as if he knew where he'd move. Mateo was a very tough nut to crack. And from the looks of it, it didn't seem that getting past him would be an easy task.

But, Hiro had already prepared himself. And, right now, he was playing without any restraint. Sure, he couldn't use two of his most useful skills but he still had many other arsenals under his belt which he could use.

Especially the talent, 'Equilibrium' which he had received from completing the recent quest, it was truly coming in handy. That talent had thoroughly boosted his dribbling to another level.

Though it appeared as if Mateo wasn't even breaking a sweat, in reality, he was actually struggling to keep up with Hiro's fancy dribbles as well.

Why does his dribbling style feel so familiar?

While trying to keep up with Hiro, a strange feeling of nostalgia struck Mateo. Though he wasn't sure of this feeling, right now it felt as if he was playing against his carbon copy.

Using Mateo's dribbling style albeit with a touch of his flavors, one could say that right now, Hiro was using Mateo's dribbling style against him. And, the reason why Mateo was having a hard time figuring it out was because of the modification Hiro had done.

But still, it'd only be a matter of time before Mateo would eventually figure it out.

"It pains me to say it but I gotta admit it, he's quite skilled," Gonzalez spoke while gritting his teeth, appearing rather anxious.

'That's right, he's copying me,' finally, Mateo figured out the strange feeling he was feeling, 'But, how could he be so flawless?'

Having realized that Hiro was copying him, Mateo's eyes dilapidated as he felt a bone-chilling feeling. Not only the boy in front had managed to flawlessly copy him, but he had also modified his skills in a way that would suit him.

For a moment, it truly felt as if he was looking at a genius. But then again, a feeling of joy overcame him. If he was copying him then to some extent he'd be able to tell where he'd move the next moment.

And, as predicted by him, Hiro did move toward the direction he had envisioned which only added to his joy and satisfaction. Closing in toward him, he leaned his body towards Hiro, trying to block him while at the same time, he swept his feet trying to snatch the ball away from Hiro.

Slightly curling his lips, he revealed a satiated grin, 'You're indeed skilled but you shouldn't have thought of pulling my moves against me'

That grin on his face, however, didn't last long.

All of a sudden, his eyes converged as he became startled by Hiro's next move. It wasn't what he had envisioned.

Pulling a rainbow flick out of nowhere, Hiro left him stunned. That once-satiated grin on his face was replaced by a dumbstruck expression as he turned to look at Hiro who had got past him.

"Woah!!"

The moment Hiro pulled that rainbow flick, a collective wow escaped the mouths of many onlookers as they were left utterly stunned by this marvelous display of skill.

Then, with a burst of speed, he sped up, leaving behind Mateo. However, because of the lack of skill Lightning steps, it took him a while to accelerate.Mateo however, quickly recomposed his composure and started to give him chase.

Soon enough, he was confronted with his next obstacle— two opposing defenders stood before him, blocking his path. Yet, he remained unfazed. Right past them, he could see the post of the opposing team. Thus, he didn't let his focus waver after coming this far.

Then, one of those defenders rushed toward him while the other followed him closely, glaring at him with vigilant eyes while appearing as if he would strike him any moment.

As he got close to the incoming defender, in one breathtaking moment of brilliance, he then executed a brilliant move that left the entire stadium in stunned silence. However, no sooner had he got through the first defender, than the other followed as he tried to recover their lost dignity.

Hiro however, once again with a lightning-quick feint sent the incoming defender sliding past him as he dodged both those defenders and locked his eyes on the goal.

The crowd upon witnessing this marvelous scene became extremely tense and ecstatic. A hope blossomed in the heart of many supporters of Japan, on and off the pitch.

"Come on Hiro, you can do it, " many people cheered for him as he approached the post of the opposing team.

In the blink of an eye, after leaving his pursuers in the dust, he appeared at the edge of the penalty box. Entering the penalty area, his talent Knight in the area, kicked in, boosting his attacking stat.

His eyes flashed with an eerie sharpness as he prepared himself to take the shot. From there, he then unleashed a shot of unparalleled power and precision.

As he struck the ball, the ball rocketed towards the post with unerring accuracy. But in the nick of time, it struck the pole and went astray.

Ahh!!!

"So close yet so far," both the commentator and the audience expressed their disappointment as they cried out loud witnessing Hiro's miss.

He rarely missed from that spot. But, today as if the god of bad luck had placed his hands atop his head, even after creating countless chances, he wasn't able to find the back of the net.

It appeared almost as if he wasn't destined to score in today's match.