My system allows me to copy talents

Simon's mind raced with thoughts as he thought of countless scenarios. In front of him, Hiro was about to breach their last line of defense.

Now, what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to wait for him? Or was he supposed to rush on him to intercept him?

There was only so much he could do in such a situation.

The last line of defense fell as Hiro swiftly got past the final defender and started cutting inside at a threatening pace. Now, nobody could possibly obstruct him.

Perspiration trickled down his forehead like a monsoon downpour as he closed into the opposing team's penalty box. His breathing was a little hurried, and his focus was unwavering. Right now, he could vividly feel his heart pounding.

The noise around him was subsiding with each passing moment. Taking a quick glance at the post, he locked eyes with the opposing keeper.

Those set of calm eyes were as deep as the ocean— mysterious and unpredictable. A true definition of a player of high caliber, Simon seemed extremely calm even in the face of danger.

But, even so, he couldn't afford to act impressed by Simon's qualities. After all that much was expected of him since he was chosen as the keeper of such an elite team.

Then, he cast a quick glance behind him to see if anyone from the opposing team was pursuing him. He also wanted to find out the position of his teammates.

Who knows they might be right beside him and he might miss their presence because he was too absorbed in what was in front of him. At all times, he needed to keep his perspective broad so that he wouldn't miss opportunities.

The more choice, the better.

But he couldn't locate any of his teammates. They were all lagging far behind him. And, if he waited for them, he'd miss the opportunity at hand.

Unable to locate any of his teammates, Hiro then came to a quick decision that it'd be better for him to take charge. It'd be better to complete the task he had initiated by himself than wait for anyone else to do it.

The post was in front of him, and he had the ball in his feet.

'He'll probably need to cut inside to find a suitable angle' Simon racked his mind, 'Wait.. no, I shouldn't be quick to judge. After all, he's bipedal. So, his positioning wouldn't matter to him much. But, I can still limit his shooting angle'

In just a quick second, he thought of countless measures to limit Hiro. The pressure on him was great, yet he still kept on racking his mind as if he had nothing to worry about.

His ability to think and analyze even during dreadful moments was what set him apart from other mediocre players. It wasn't his athletic abilities nor was his reflex that set him apart from his counterparts. But, his ability to think and predict accurately based on the clues present in hand is what set him apart from his counterparts.

Finally, after thinking for a while, he started moving.

However, right now, he wasn't the only player with such an incredible ability present on the field. Hiro too possessed this ability.

The ability to make quick decisions. The ability to improvise at the nick of time.

Despite catching the whiff of Simon's intentions, Hiro played along with it. Simon was trying to lead him away from the post. Yet, instead of trying to counter him, he purposely moved as per Simon's wishes.

Having entered the penalty box, the skill Knight In The Area was in effect. And, right now his attacking stats had received a slight boost due to it.

Not only was he more agile than before, but his senses were also greatly enhanced. Despite that, he couldn't see as many opportunities as usual.

This really showcased Simon's potential. He wasn't easy to trifle with.

Almost the entire audience held their breath as they kept their eyes fixated on the field. A fierce battle was unfolding on the pitch. A mix of trepidation and excitement was evident in the eyes of the Japanese supporters.

Successfully managing to lead Hiro to his desired destination, Simon was quite happy about it. His confidence right now was at its peak.

'You're trapped. Now, let's finish it.'

He thought as he took a few quick steps to close in the distance further and leaped towards Hiro.

All along, he had the impression that he had outsmarted Hiro. But, how wrong was he to think so? If only he could see glimpses of the future would he be able to see his shortcomings?

Slightly lifting the corner of his lips, Hiro smiled wryly.

The moment he had been anticipating for a while finally presented itself before him. His eyes flashed with a sense of gratification.

Then, he performed a quick sidestep at the nick of time, barely avoiding Simon. Though he managed to keep the ball away from the clutch of Simon, he didn't avoid Simon. Instead, he purposely slowed down his movements.

He could easily avoid Simon. But, he didn't want to avoid him. Yet, he couldn't be open about his intentions too. He had to make it seem as if he was trying to avoid him and go for the goal. And, he needed to make it believable.

If he wanted he could have scored a long ago. He didn't need to go through all these troubles. But, his real intention wasn't the goal.

His real intention was to rile up Simon and the other players of the opposing team.

They could easily return the goal. But, mental distress, how would they get rid of it immediately? Sure, they needed this goal. But the opposing team was way too calm to face the whole ninety minutes. They needed some sort of distress in the opposing team for them to make accidental mistakes.

His teammates were running out of gas. But, the opposing team, they were still as energetic as ever. In the long run, they'd lose for sure if it continued.

So to have a better chance of winning, he purposely went to find trouble with them.

Beep!!