Chapter 848: Quarter Finals VII

Fwee!

The whistle restarted the match, and at once the home side burst into action.

Just as Hiro had anticipated, the tempo of the match surged. Hiro adjusted himself, his gaze scanning the field.

For the next couple of minutes, the home side dominated the field. Be it positioning or attacking threats, the home side dominated. Even so, the score remained unchanged.

During this time, the venue witnessed a lot of moments that left the people gasping and clutching their hair.

Especially the blonde Viking; he appeared like a different breed. During this time, he registered four shots on target, the most by any player on the field, each attempt closer than before.

However, the iron dome couldn’t be penetrated.

Fwee!

The whistle cut through the air, bringing a sudden halt to the match. This wasn’t the whistle to end the match.

Hiro, now drenched in sweat and gasping like he was running low on air, raised his head to look at the scoreboard.

"Four more minutes before halftime..." He muttered under his breath as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Then the match resumed.

Hiro turned to look at the players around him, his gaze scanning the field like he had been doing so far. Until now, he had been rather efficient and excellent in his endeavours.

But this time, before he could even register the players around him, the ball found Lucien.

Hiro’s gaze converged on him, and for an instant the Frenchman didn’t move. He froze in his spot, almost as if he were slowing the tempo to match his pace.

He wouldn’t have thought much of it; after all, he and his teammates had been under relentless pressure until now.

But this time, Lucien paused, and for some reason, Hiro couldn’t help but feel unsettled.

While the Etihad roared for blood, Lucien stood over the ball with an almost insulting calm. His eyes lifted once, sweeping across the pitch, not searching for an escape route, but mapping one.

Hiro felt his instincts prickle for some reason.

Lucien touched the ball, a single effortless drag of the sole.

Hiro gauged their distance. However, he seemed out of reach for some reason. Even if he accelerated, he wouldn’t be able to reach him.

Hence, he shifted his attention to positioning.

He rolled his pupils, scanning the field.

Lee rushed to intercept, expecting Lucien to shield the ball or perhaps pass it behind. Instead, Lucien flicked it between his legs, spun around the challenge, and emerged on the other side with the ball glued to his feet.

The Etihad exploded.

"Lucien!"

When it came to dribbling, there were moments where he was even superior to Hiro. The Blues had paid more than 150 million Euros for him, making him their most expensive signing.

Rumor had it, there were a few clubs who were willing to offer even more.

The red and white side panicked at the sight. Though he got through Lee’s tackle, he wasn’t open yet.

Before he could even adjust himself, another obstacle presented itself as another opponent closed on him.

But this time, he didn’t even take a glance, almost as if he had sensed him coming.

He simply rolled the ball left, then cut inside before the defender could commit. The movement was so clean it looked rehearsed, as he had already rehearsed this exact escape a thousand times in his mind.

Even so, Hiro knew better than to abandon his post and chase him.

Hiro’s gaze found their captain, the leader of a man called Romero. Exuding an aura of calm and confidence, he guided his men, the defenders of red and white.

Despite being under pressure, he didn’t look pressured at all. Even his expression remained unchanged.

The stadium light was bright on his face, and his entire face was as clear as day. But there was something dark about his presence, something ominous hidden in those calm-looking pupils.

Hiro didn’t doubt his captain. When it came to defending, there were few who rivalled him. Even so, for some reason, the unsettling feeling gnawing at his heart didn’t subside.

Under normal circumstances, he would be assured of having such reliable teammates behind him.

In football, for attackers to play properly, there needs to be a reliable backline, and his side had one such backline.

Hence, he could attack without a single concern.

However, for some reason, he couldn’t resist this urge to warn his teammates.

"Close him down!" He shouted.

For a split second, his teammates’ gaze fell on him before their gaze returned to Lucien.

But in that split second, Lucien had vanished from his spot.

He carried the ball through midfield with terrifying economy. No wasted touches. No hesitation. Every stride seemed calculated to pull another defender out of position.

Enzo dropped deeper, trying to cut the passing lane.

Lucien’s head tilted a bit, his gaze finding Enzo. For an instant, it seemed as if he was going to pass Enzo.

Then he struck the ball in that direction.

The red and white scrambled to intercept the pass, and Enzo himself rushed to collect the ball.

From behind, one of Hiro’s teammates rushed to intercept Enzo.

From the looks of it, their momentum would come to a halt. Daniel Martinez, the Spanish fullback, was on Enzo’s tail, and the people present in the stadium were aware of his brilliance.

He was one tough opponent to beat, a fullback who excelled in defense.

Every face in the crowd was aware that he was one tough nut to crack. Though his stature wasn’t much, he had been nothing but impressive till now.

Despite facing countless situations that challenged his credibility, he had come out on top in each situation until now.

And this moment didn’t seem much different either.

He had closed enough space to force Enzo to retreat, and it seemed as if there wouldn’t be much time left for Enzo to turn.

Hiro should feel assured. He should be at peace. But for some reason, the unsettling feeling didn’t leave his side.

Then a figure came into his sight.