"Stop him, quickly!"
Otoya Eita was the first to pounce towards Tendou's position. Karasu Tabito was not slow either, voicing his speculation.
"Be careful! This guy... can see our future!"
What?
Otoya's heart trembled violently.
Can see the future?
What is this crow talking about? Is it a literal meaning? If there really was someone who could do that, then that person would be a god on the field.
While he was thinking, Otoya and Karasu had already closed in on Tendou. The former went in for a slide tackle without reservation, aiming for the ball at Tendou's feet. The latter stretched out his hands with all his might to pull Tendou.
At a time like this, who cared about fouls?
Tap!
Success! Otoya's eyes lit up. The two of them had perfect chemistry. A pincer from the front and back, left and right, had successfully resolved the crisis. Moreover, successfully winning the ball back in front of the opponent's goal, while breaking up their attack, was also an excellent opportunity to tie the score.
However.
The screen froze at this point. Time seemed to rewind until the moment Tendou got up.
And then.
"Stop him, quickly!" Otoya shouted, pouncing on Tendou.
"Be careful! This guy... can see our future," Karasu said to his teammate. The two of them moved forward in unison, pressing to win the ball back on the spot.
And Tendou, having seen this scene from the future, suddenly accelerated and rushed in front of the ball.
BAM!
Before Otoya and Karasu's pincer could form, Tendou had already blasted the ball out.
The ball instantly lifted off the ground and flew at high speed towards Mikage Reo in the midfield.
Karasu's outstretched hand only managed to touch Tendou's jersey at this moment.
"Damn it! A step too slow again."
"How are we supposed to play a match like this?!"
Karasu was anxious in his heart. This was a situation he had never encountered before. His own actions were always one step behind the opponent's.
Swish!
The ball arrived precisely in front of Mikage Reo. Tendou's long pass was not made in a hurry but was the result of a precise calculation by his Big Data Statistics.
Reo trapped the ball under his foot while simultaneously using his arm to shield Hiori.
On the other side, Chigiri, sensing the opportunity, had already made a rapid forward run from the back, charging wildly along the wing towards the opponent's penalty area. As long as the ball was passed, it would be an excellent one-on-one opportunity.
This point, Reo knew, and Hiori also knew. The clash of minds happened in an instant. Just as Chigiri was about to arrive, Reo suddenly swung his right foot.
But.
This kick did not connect with the ball but stopped to the side of it. Pull the ball, change direction, man goes past, ball goes past. This was actually the Cruyff Turn that Otoya had just demonstrated a moment ago.
"First the crow, now Eita?" Hiori was deceived and lost his position. He had already stuck out his foot to tackle. But he couldn't be blamed for it. If he hadn't acted, Reo might have passed the ball directly, giving the opponent a one-on-one chance. Who would have known that Reo would steal Otoya's skill pack at a time like this.
Nearly 90% imitation. From the movement to the timing of the kick, to the shoulder drop and change of direction, it had a strong Otoya flavor.
BAM!
The ball flew off the ground again, from Reo's feet to the other end of the field.
"What a good boy, Reo!"
"After we get back, I will definitely have to reward you!"
Chigiri sprinted along the wing. Facing Reo's pass, he lightly jumped and controlled the ball. The quality of this pass was definitely the best Chigiri had ever received, second only to Tendou's.
"You really think you're a queen, huh, you idiot Young Lady No. 1!" Reo retorted without mercy. But his eyes had become sharp. He couldn't help but think.
Perhaps temporarily separating from Nagi wasn't a bad thing. They had been together for too long, back to back, always relying on each other, to the point where they couldn't get the evolution they should have. And now, just by playing one game with Tendou and the others, he had found his own direction.
Since I can't reach 100%, then I'll just raise everything to 99%, and push everything I can do to the absolute limit.
Perhaps his Nagi had seen this point and chose to separate from him.
Swish!
"BEEP!"
"GOAL!!"
The ball went in, the whistle blew, and the four English letters lit up the walls.
3:1!
Just two more goals, and Tendou's team would win this match.
"Amazing, that Reo!" Anri felt very surprised. In just one round, Reo had copied three of the opponent's abilities. No wonder Tendou had called this young master a "jack-of-all-trades" and had chosen him for his team.
"This kid's eyes... they might be hiding an ability we don't know about," Ego said, taking a sip of hot coffee to calm himself down as much as possible.
During this period of observation, he had discovered that Tendou's judgment of people was extremely sharp. He alone had stimulated the potential of Chigiri, Isagi, and Reo. It was as if he had known all along that these people could do those things.
Ego's eyes were fixed on one of the multiple screens. There, Tendou's pupils were magnified. Those eyes were more brilliant than any gemstone.
...
"But the match is very intense. It's still hard to say who will win."
The score was now 3:1, with Tendou's team in the lead. But Anri felt that Karasu's team was not completely without a chance. At least every time they attacked, they could threaten the opponent's goal. They were only one final kick away from scoring. If they could get this final step right, a comeback was not impossible.
"In the world of football, there are too many 'just one final kick away,'" Ego said, shaking his head. "But it's also this final kick that is often the hardest to take."
Karasu, Otoya, and Hiori had already done their best. To break through the opponent's gate, they had to surpass themselves. Otherwise, this match would have no suspense. Tendou and his team would definitely win.
...
"You damn crow, what did you mean by what you said just now?!"
"It's a literal meaning."
Karasu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression looking a bit dejected, lacking the composure he had at the beginning.
"At first, it was just a suspicion. But after that pass just now, I can be certain."
"That guy's eyes can see things we can't see."
What bad luck.
I should have listened to Yo earlier. And here I was, talking about snatching the No. 1...
...
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