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nUpon scoring Hiro ran straight to the corner. Then as he approached the corner flag, he punched it hard while roaring enthusiastically, “Yeah-”

nHe couldn’t tell why he got the urge to punch the flag. It was almost like he was venting his anger on the flag.

nWell, he was bothered by the matter regarding the reporters invading his personal space. So, it might be because he wanted to warn those folks that he won’t stay silent.

nOr it might be pure enthusiasm.

nThe flag pole wobbled vigorously for a while.

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nEven so, Hiro’s enthusiasm was well received by the people as they felt even more excited seeing such passion leaking out of him.

nReciprocating to his enthusiasm they roared alongside him.

nThey couldn’t help but cheer him.

nIt was like the battle cry of the Vikings, fierce and intimidating.

nWhile the entire stadium was in an uproar, Shun who had failed to stop the shot glanced at his palm. For some reason, his hand was slightly shaking and he could feel a bulging sensation almost as if he had been hit by something hard.

nHis gloves appeared a little worn down. Also, there were some obvious signs of tears at the tip of his fingers. That was the part that had managed to touch the ball.

nGritting his teeth, Shun then furiously smacked his hand on the ground.

nAfter the celebration ended, Hiro and the rest returned to their position. Hiro, however, was warned by the referee for his celebratory gesture. After all, he could have caused some disruption if he had broken the corner flag.

nSo, he was told that his gesture was unacceptable.

nHiro was aware of it as well. But he had merely acted on a whim earlier. It wasn’t his intention to punch the pole. So, he just apologized and went back to his position.

nBeep!

nThe game resumed with the referee’s whistle.

nCoach Haruki looked at the other side, peeking a glance at the opposing coach, “Now, what will you do? Will you continue playing the same way?”

nHe was curious about their decision.

nAfter all, initially, they probably wanted to win the game by preserving their lead. However, now that Hiro had equalized, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to make some changes to their strategy.

nPark the bus didn’t seem suitable given their situation.

nWell, it wasn’t entirely unfeasible. After all, they could still opt for a tie. Then again if they chose that option they’d have to defend the score for almost an hour if we include the extra time.

nThen they could hope to win the match in the penalty shootout.

nHowever, even if they opted for that option, it was unlikely that they’d gain an advantage. After all, Naoto’s track record in the penalty shootout was equally impressive if not less than Shun’s.

nAlso, most of the opposing players were rather skilled.

nThe skill difference between the two sides was already evident.

nFor a moment, it appeared that they were bound to get knocked out of the round of sixteen.

nBut since they had put so much effort into reaching here, they weren’t willing to back down easily without putting up a fight.

nFor the next twenty or so minutes, Kawasaki dominated the match.

nHiro with his uncanny ability to find space tormented the opposing players giving them nightmares without any break. He was like a magician that could appear and disappear at will.

nOne minute they’d find him in the flank, the next moment he’d appear in the center almost as if he was teleporting.

nKaoru could tell what he was doing.

nAlmost all the time, he found him turning his head as if he was scanning the field. But at the same time, he never stopped moving even for a second.

nJust how was he able to scan the field while running and supporting his teammates at the same time? He found it hard to believe that he was doing all of it at once.

nEven Messi the genius had to pause to look for space.

nBut Hiro, a sixteen-year-old could scan the field without stopping. It was simply ridiculous.

nIf someone had told him, he could multitask such difficult tasks like it was normal, he might not have believed them.

nHowever, he could experience it firsthand.

nDid he improve even further in that short period that I didn’t see him?

nHe couldn’t help but wonder.

nKaoru was baffled upon finding the truth. It was hard to believe but he didn’t have any other option than to believe.

nDespite Hiro’s brilliant performance, they struggled to find another goal.

nHowever, the constant onslaught of Kawasaki was straining the opposing players. Though they had managed to hold on until now, exhaustion was evident on their faces. Panting heavily, Kaoru turned to look at the scoreboard, “Seven more minutes huh? Huff—”

nAlthough the fans were delighted by the performance that the players had put up on the field, the unchanging score was making them anxious.

nThey hated to admit it but the opposing side was putting up a fight worthy of respect.

n“Tch! If it continues the match will go on extra time”

n“I thought that Hiro would win us the game but seems like it’s gonna be difficult”

nThe fans couldn’t help but worry.

nBy now, Hiro had covered more distance than many who had played since the beginning of the match. Even so, one couldn’t find any signs of exhaustion on his face.

nIt was almost as if he could run an hour more like he had been running until now.

nThe stamina he possessed was so commendable that even the opposing coach couldn’t help

nbut praise him.

n“Our players are already looking exhausted. But on the other side, he appears as if he hadn’t even broken a sweat. Just what kind of ridiculous stamina does that kid possess?” the opposing coach commented with a deepening frown on his face.

nDark clouds loomed over his head.

nBut at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little hopeful. If his players continued to

ndefend like this, he could come up with some strategy in the extra time.

nHowever, just as he entertained such thoughts, his eyes widened in horror.

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