Although Loki was a forward,
compared to professional defenders, his defensive technique and experience were naturally far inferior.
But even so, for an ordinary player, trying to get past him was still nearly impossible.
After all, to react and execute defensive movements at such extreme speed, his reaction time, body coordination, and agility were all far beyond normal standards.
Unfortunately for him, the opponent he was facing was not an ordinary player.
It was Ryan Hoshino.
And not just Ryan Hoshino, but Ryan Hoshino who had awakened the Emperor's Eye.
The ability of the Emperor's Eye could be summarized simply:
It allowed one to foresee the future.
And the future seen by these eyes was absolute.
Anyone within the Emperor's Eye's field of vision,
their intentions whether to pass, dribble, or intercept
were completely laid bare before Ryan.
So for Loki to think he could defend Ryan one-on-one…
It could only be described as wishful thinking.
But Loki didn't see it that way.
After all, he was a supernova who had entered the top five European leagues at just seventeen.
Someone destined at least in his own belief to surpass Noel Noa and become the next world number one.
His pride was unmatched.
And more importantly, he had no idea what the Emperor's Eye was.
Nor could he possibly know.
This was a power Ryan had just awakened moments ago.
From their previous clash, at most, one might deduce that Ryan's reaction speed was terrifyingly fast.
Even Sherlock Holmes wouldn't dare claim someone could foresee the future.
Loki simply believed that Ryan reacted instantly the moment he fell, narrowly dodging the tackle.
Who would ever imagine someone could actually see what was about to happen?
"If you're so eager to suffer, then I'll graciously satisfy you."
Ryan looked at Loki, who stood at a neither-too-close-nor-too-far distance.
It was a defensive position, clearly guarding against Ryan suddenly bursting forward with speed.
Loki wasn't afraid of racing Ryan.
But their current position was extremely dangerous for him.
They were just outside the penalty area.
If Ryan slipped past him by even a small margin, it would be a direct shooting chance.
So this distance was perfect.
If Ryan tried to shoot, Loki could rely on his speed to block it.
If Ryan tried to accelerate past him, Loki could still intercept and deny him a shooting angle.
That was Loki's calculation.
But Ryan wasn't thinking about any of that.
Right now, he only wanted to properly test the Emperor's Eye.
Ryan dribbled straight toward Loki.
This move clearly caught Loki off guard.
Because by closing in like this,
Ryan had neither shooting space nor room to accelerate.
That left only one option.
Dribbling.
But speed-type players were usually not known for exquisite dribbling.
After all, if speed alone could beat defenders, why bother polishing technique?
Loki himself wasn't particularly skilled at dribbling either.
And subconsciously, he assumed Ryan was the same.
Loki locked his gaze onto Ryan, trying desperately to read his next move.
But it was pointless.
Ryan continued forward, his speed noticeably slower than before.
Loki shifted sideways, retreating step by step.
Yet the distance between them kept shrinking.
They were almost about to collide.
Loki stared at the ball at Ryan's feet.
It felt like if he simply stretched out his leg, he could touch it.
Loki knew this could be a trap.
But in the end, he couldn't resist.
He reached out, attempting to steal the ball.
To Ryan, this was already crystal clear.
Exactly as the future he had foreseen.
Loki extended his leg.
In that instant, his body subtly tilted.
It seemed as if Ryan would break through on the right.
Loki predicted this as well, planting his foot hard to stabilize his balance.
But Ryan never intended to give him that chance.
All he wanted was to destroy Loki's center of gravity.
With the inside of his foot, Ryan nudged the ball to the left.
Loki's pupils shrank.
So fast.
He tried desperately to recover and block Ryan.
But suddenly, his body stopped responding.
No strength. No control.
"What… what's happening…?"
"Kneel."
Ryan's low, commanding voice echoed by Loki's ear.
Like a decree from an emperor.
As if struck by fate itself, Loki's legs gave out.
His expression filled with disbelief as he dropped to one knee.
(He didn't fall to both knees. Ryan left him a shred of dignity.
After all, Loki truly was strong.)
This wasn't some mystical command.
It was the Emperor's Eye.
By foreseeing the future and manipulating Loki's balance through precise movements,
Ryan had completely broken his stance.
Without the Emperor's Eye,
Ryan would have needed far more effort to get past Loki.
Ryan didn't even glance back at Loki kneeling behind him.
Like stepping over roadside weeds.
He passed him cleanly and arrived in front of the goal.
One simple, forceful strike.
The net rippled.
GOAL!!!
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