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Gasping, Naoto picked himself up, ‘That was close. If I had reacted a second late, it would have breezed past me.’

While thinking, Naoto turned to look at his hand. The tip of his glove had a graze mark like something harsh had brushed past him.

It hadn’t even been that long since he had entered the field. Yet, he was already feeling under pressure.

‘I can’t let my guard down.’ Naoto averted his gaze from his hand and looked at the clock. “Four more minutes huh?” he muttered after noticing the time that had been added.

“Good job, Naoto.”

Ito and a few others patted his back, praising him for the save he had made.

Their compliment lightened his mood and further flared his determination. With a newfound vigor, he shifted his focus to the ball.

Players of both teams were gathered inside the penalty box, preparing for the set-piece. The crowd was as loud as ever. Even louder were the Portuguese supporters, their voices echoing throughout the stadium.

While Bruno was preparing to take the corner, the players of both sides were competing against each other. Hustling and tussling, they fought for a better position.

Even Naoto was being pressured right now. The opposition was doing everything in their power to limit him. His vision was partially blocked while he was being cramped.

Often due to the tussle going on in the box, the referee had to intervene.

Finally, after a lot of intervention, Naoto could move more freely. But yet still, he couldn’t get a better view of the area before him.

Compared to the titan-like opposing players, they were relatively short. So, the Japanese players were at a disadvantage.

Despite the height difference, they weren’t willing to admit defeat.

Though height difference played a huge role in such a situation, one could lessen the advantage.

Amidst the hustle and tussle, Hiro found it incredibly hard to position himself. Especially, since Felix was keeping him in check.

Perhaps, he had figured something but for some reason, Hiro could frequently feel his sharp gazes aimed at him. It was like he was sneakily stalking him.

With all the stoppage, they had already wasted considerable time and because of it, the crowd was getting even more anxious. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

The Portuguese supporters feared getting knocked out of the group stage. If they failed to equalize their dream would shatter. And, once again, they’d have to experience their legend’s heartbroken figure.

They had experienced it once and didn’t want to experience it again.

At this moment, some Portuguese supporters were on the verge of tears while a few could be seen praying. On the other hand, the Japanese supporters appeared equally anxious. Though they were winning, they knew that this set-piece could change the game’s outcome.

So, they couldn’t help but feel worried.

Finally, after the chaos subsided, Bruno delivered a brilliant cross inside the box. The ball curled inside the box, evading the reach of those who tried to reach it.

From a glance, it seemed like anybody’s ball.

The tussling increased even more after Bruno delivered the cross. Both sides competed against each other for the ball’s domination.

In the end, a lone figure rose high above the others, towering over those who attempted to win the ball. His shadow engulfed the figure of those underneath.

With eyes full of shock, Hiro watched this figure.

It was like he was levitating in the air.

‘Does he not age at all?’ Hiro marveled at the sight, astonished by the huge leap of Cristiano.

The spectators were equally stunned. They could hardly bring themselves to believe it happening on the field. It was like the time, he had scored a header against Juventus.

Suddenly, it felt as if he had returned to his prime.

Rising high above others, Cristiano headed the ball. The ball traveled straight to the post. However, he lost his balance and fell hard on the ground.

“Goal!”

The crowd erupted, their excited roar echoing throughout the stadium. Finally, the much- awaited goal had been delivered and it came from the person they expected the most.

The fiery sea of supporters buzzed like a fiery pot of lava, their emotions traveled far and wide. Hugging and dancing, the Portuguese supporters started to celebrate the goal. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Ronaldo rose slowly. His teammates rushed to him to help him stand. If it were him from the past, he would have already been sprinting to the sideline to celebrate.

However, unlike those times, he found it hard to stand.

At this moment, Hiro felt that he had indeed gotten old, ‘So, you’ve gotten old. I guess previously you were purely driven by your passion and thirst.’

‘How can you be so passionate even when your body is clearly showing signs of deterioration? Just why are you so tenacious?’

Hiro felt a mix of awe and confusion. He couldn’t help but wonder what was driving Ronaldo to push himself. But he couldn’t bring himself to mock him either.

For a brief moment, Hiro kept staring at him.

Just then Ronaldo glanced at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he averted his gaze

away.

Hiro felt a little taken aback. ‘Is he telling me that the game isn’t over yet?’

Hiro could palpably feel a burning passion radiating from those eyes. For a while, Hiro stood

there contemplating.

“What’s wrong, Hiro?”

Suddenly, he was brought to his senses by Naoto’s voice.

“Huh, nothing. Why would you ask that?” Hiro responded.

Naoto frowned, his expression turning hesitant, “You’re smiling.” Naoto answered, his tone sounding worried.

“Am I huh?” Hiro feigned ignorance. “Let’s focus on the game. Don’t worry about the goal. It isn’t your fault,” Hiro added before quickly changing the topic of their conversation.

Hiro could tell that he must be aroused by the determination he had experienced. Probably, he must have started smiling even without realizing it.

Hiro had become normal in an instant. So, Naoto didn’t bother about the creepy smile he had witnessed before.