The gentle breeze rustling around gently caressed Hiro while he stood firm. On the opposing side, Yamada and a few other veterans stood.
The mini-match was about to begin and the team had been allocated at random.
On Hiro's side, they had Naoto, Ito, Kubo, and Kein. The opposing team consisted of Yamada, Endo, Aya, Mitoma, and Tomiyasu.
With most of them being starters, it looked like Nanami had deliberately made this setup.
Hiro, however, wasn't intimidated.
Before continuing, Hiro looked at his stat. Despite the harsh training, they had gone through, Hiro found out that he still had enough stamina left for the match.
'Three tis and I'm done. So, I need to be careful.' Hiro contemplated.
Beep!
The match started.
It being a mini-ga, the duration wasn't long. So, they didn't need to hold themselves back. Instead, they could jump right into action.
Imdiately, Hiro scanned the pitch.
Hiro had a limited energy reserve but he wasn't planning on playing safe. So, without restraining himself, he imdiately utilized most of his skills.
Hiro hadn't simultaneously used multiple skills at the sa ti previously. But he wanted to find out if it would affect him if he spamd multiple skills during a ga.
In a way, this match was an experintal match for him.
On the sideline, the non-participating players were intently observing the match. They were curious about the winner. More than a mini-ga, it was more like a clash between two playmakers of the team.
So, they were even more interested in the match.
Though Hiro was at a disadvantage, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that both sides were evenly matched to so extent.
Imdiately, Mitoma sprang forward with the ball.
Utilizing his dribbling prowess, he easily passed Kubo. But he was cornered almost imdiately by Hiro and Kein. However, he didn't flinch despite being cornered.
Rather he tried to force his way through them.
Hiro who had already figured out multiple possible routes Mitoma would take, gestured for Kein and Ito to stand close.
Maintaining a tight formation, the three locked him.
Even so, Mitoma targeted their weakest link- Hiro. He was well aware that Hiro wasn't good at defending. So, he deliberately targeted him.
Hiro had been anticipating it to happen.
So, before rushing to confront Mitoma, behind his back, he gestured for Ito to head to a certain route. At the sa ti, he briefly rolled his eyes to Kein.
To mask the plan, Hiro took the initiative to defend.
Mitoma's lips curled into a smile as he thought, 'You think you can stop ?'
Overflowing with confidence, Mitoma challenged Hiro head-on. However, Yamada yelled from behind, "Don't go."
He had foreseen their trap. But he had noticed it late.
Before his voice could reach Mitoma's ear, Mitoma had already dashed.
'Is it because of your performance in the actual gas?' Nanami couldn't help but feel impressed by Hiro's ability to command a veteran player like Ito.
He was also impressed by Ito's willingness to trust Hiro.
'Things might change if this goes on,' Nanami felt delighted at the outco.
He had been wanting for Hiro to develop in this World Cup. But even he was starting to get astonished by the pace at which Hiro was developing.
It was both scary and astonishing.
On the field, Mitoma easily breezed past Hiro. It wasn't anything unexpected. But as soon as The got past Hiro, he lost the ball.
Ito rushed to him almost from out of nowhere.
The sudden appearance of Ito startled him. Despite that, he managed to outperform Ito.
However, he still couldn't deal with the third attack from Kein.
Instantly after stealing the ball, Kein passed the ball to Hiro.
Mitoma attempted to recover the ball. But Hiro passed the ball to Kubo.
Yamada and Endo rushed to defend. But instead of charging at them, Kubo swiftly changed his direction. He didn't fear Yamada but Endo was a different story.
Having faced him multiple tis, Kubo was aware that Endo was a defending powerhouse.
So, he cleverly avoided a direct faceoff by switching to the flanks.
In the anti, Hiro was already rushing from the center. It was the space Kubo had left vacant. Striking the ball with his heel, Kubo delivered a backheel pass to Hiro.
By switching to the flanks, Kubo had drawn Yamada and Endo to him.
However, he didn't manage to draw them to him. They were clever enough to cover the vacant space they would leave if they left their position.
So, even though Kubo managed to pass the ball to Hiro, he wasn't entirely open.
Both Yamada and Endo could reach him instantly. On top of that, Hiro also had to face Tomiyasu, a sketchy defender to beat.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Hiro had to take on the entire team if he wanted to get a chance at scoring.
Hiro, however, was calm. Though he noticed their presence, he wasn't panicking. Instead, he was already searching for his options.
Before he controlled the ball, his pupils rolled vigorously, scanning the entire field. He found himself trapped and the space limited.
But surprisingly he also felt relieved upon finding himself in that predicant. It was the mont like this he had been waiting to test his newly acquired talent.
With limited space, lack of maneuverability, and multiple opponents, it was the perfect condition to test the efficiency of Phantom Steps.
Instantly after he got the ball, Hiro's movent beca erratic.
The eyes staring at him were dilapidated at the sight.
"What kind of movent are those?"
With stunned gazes, the spectators watched him. They were confused and awed. So even
began to see afterimages.
"What's going on? Am I seeing things?"
They were astonished.
Yamada lunged at Hiro from the side, his feet aiming at the ball. 'I got it.' He rejoiced. The
delight on his face lasted briefly before it vanished.
'Huh? Didn't I get him?' He thought, confusion and frustration evident in his gaze.
Before long, Hiro breezed past Endo and Tomiyasu.
They were caught off-guard. But before they could even react, he was already behind them.
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