Chapter 400 Knockouts XII


    ??Carrying the hopes of thousands of supporters, Alex steadily approached the opposing box. While at the same time, Shun confronted him in a one-on-one duel.


    The intensity rose in the field as thousands of eyes converged on the two of them. And, suddenly an eerie calm swallowed the entire stadium.


    Fearlessly, Alex then closed into Shun without ever losing his momentum. Then he swerved to the right. Shun followed,unching him onto Alex''s feet.


    Alex however chipped the ball over Shun''s outstretched hands and avoided his reach. Then he himself jumped over Shun to avoid getting tackled by Shun.


    Bam!!


    Alex struck the ball cleanly, sending it hurtling toward the empty post.


    "Goal"


    The stadium erupted in a cacophony of sound. Cheers and groans mingled in a whirlwind of emotions. The Spanish supporters exploded joyfully, their triumphant cries echoing through the stands.


    While at the same time, a crushing silence fell over Hiro''s team. Many of his teammates buried their faces in their chests as they ceased their chase. It was toote for them to chase now. The damage had been done.


    Hiro who had been desperately chasing after Alex slowed down as well. Finally, he then came to an abrupt pause. There was nothing more he could do.


    The opposing yers on the other hand were running amuck on the field. Alex was buried under the bodies of his teammates who hade to celebrate the moment with him.


    Seeing them in such a jubnt mood one could hardly differentiate their faces from a moment ago when they were under a pinch. Just a moment ago, they appeared to be shaking with fear and now look at their happy faces. It waspletely different.


    And so was the atmosphere in the stadium. It was totally different than what it used to be.


    The scene at the opposing bench was no different either. Their reserve yers had sprung onto the sidelines to express their joy. Even their coaching staff had joined the celebration. Yelling and hugging, they were celebrating this moment to the fullest.


    A pr opposite to the scene at the opposing box, the reserve yers of Japan were wailing in their box. It was a huge blow. A blow that could possibly knock them out.


    Yet still, they hadn''t lost the game. Though a rather crucial goal, the game was far from over. So, they had to pull their shit together and prepare themselves for what was about toe.


    After wailing for a while, most of them rposed themselves for the remaining time. Hiro too did the same as he let go of the worries that shackled him for a brief moment.


    If only he had scored that goal, the scenario might have been different. He couldn''t help but feel guilty about missing such an opportunity. But he couldn''t continue to sulk. What has happened has happened.


    "No risk, no reward," Hiro reminded himself, freeing his mind from the guilt that had been weighing him down. He knew he had to move forward and learn from this experience.


    Tilting his head up, he nced at the sky.


    It was already dark and the shimmering lights of the stars had begun to dot the vast expanse. The stadium lights were casting a bright glow on the field, contrasting sharply with the night sky. And, the atmosphere was still as electrifying as ever.


    Still, he didn''t feel overwhelmed by the buzzing atmosphere in the stadium. Instead, he felt quite calm about it. Be it when the cheers were for him or against him, it was the ce where he belonged to.


    So, he felt quite at ease now that he made peace with himself. Even if it was because of his inability to score that led to this situation, he still couldn''t shy or hesitate from taking risks.


    He took a deep breath, feeling the cold night air fill his lungs. Then he walked to his position to resume the game.


    After a while of celebration, all of the yers regrouped for the continuation of the game. Just as they positioned themselves, Manager Haruki decided to make some changes in the team.


    Along with Akutsu, he made several other substitutions. In ce of defenders, he brought in attackers,pletely altering the formation of the team.


    It was a risky move. But, they could no longer shy from taking risks. What''s the worst that could happen? They might concede yet another goal.


    But does it even matter? They were already losing and if they did nothing about it, they''d get thrown out of the tournament.


    Their hope for advancement depended on this victory. So, they had to do everything in their power to win this game.


    Beep!!


    Once again the game resumed with their kickoff. And from the had to do everything in their power to win this game.


    Beep!!


    get-go, they rallied toward the opposing post, vying for a goal. Theyunched a full-frontal attack as every single one of them made a desperate struggle for an equalizer.


    However, despite trying their absolute best, they failed to score.


    As the final whistle sounded, the opposing yers erupted into a triumphant cheer as the realization of their victory washed over them.


    They copsed to the ground, some lying on their backs, staring up at the sky with a mixture of exhaustion and tion. Others knelt, heads bowed in prayer or thanks, overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions.


    At the same time, a rather heavy feeling of defeat gripped the hearts of the yers of Japan, making them wail. Many covered their face in shame as they couldn''t bring themselves to face their supporters.


    Slowly, tears trickled down their face. At first, only some wept. But as time passed, more and more of them started weeping. And soon an outburst took ce in the field.


    Even the toxic fans could no longer bring themselves toin after seeing the burst of emotion on the field. Now how could they bring themselves to tell that they didn''t try hard enough after seeing them weeping like that?


    They had given their best but it wasn''t enough. And what could be more concrete proof than those tears?