Chapter 849: Quarter Finals VIII

Like a shadow moving in a dense forest, like a sprinting predator, the figure darted into his sight.

Enzo was aware of the person closing in on him. Hence, instead of contesting him, he let the ball go.

The ball slid between his legs, and Daniel, who had been occupied with Enzo, didn’t see that coming either.

Before he could even adjust himself, the ball slid past him. He turned his head around, his expression twisted as panic settled in. Then, as he turned around, his heart hammered against his chest.

His pupils reflected the sight of a man who wasn’t there a moment earlier. Tousled brown hair, a rather tanned skin tone, and an expression carved with seriousness, the man darting before him was the opposing fullback.

Nico! He let out a gasp as his pupils expanded. When did he get there?

He was as clueless as a log. He hadn’t seen him coming. But then again, how could he miss him?

Even Enzo, who was behind him until a moment earlier, darted from the other side. However, he couldn’t bring himself to chase him.

In that instant, he knew he had to intercept Nico, the English fullback. Otherwise, the consequences would be devastating.

However, leaving Enzo could prove even more disastrous.

That man could shoot from almost anywhere on the pitch. Hence, allowing him space to operate might prove even more of a danger.

However, he couldn’t just leave the speeding monster alone either.

Captain, I leave him to you... He hesitated for a second before sprinting towards Nico.

Trust is something hard to build, hard to earn, but easy to break, and it’s something that can either make a team or break a team.

But in that instant, what Daniel felt toward his captain was what allowed him to proceed without holding himself back.

Had he held himself back, he wouldn’t have been able to give his all. But since he trusted his captain, he could focus on the problem before him.

This allowed Daniel to soar.

"Coach... Has he always been that fast?" One of the assistant coaches couldn’t hold his awe.

The stat said Nico was faster than Daniel. Had the two sprinted, Nico would leave Daniel in the dust.

There are a lot of factors determining the speed of a person. Be it a person’s stature, talent, or technique.

Technique can be learnt. However, talent and physique are inherent, and Nico surpassed Daniel in both those aspects.

But in that instant, the crowd witnessed something that was almost like a miracle. Daniel, who had been tailing the speeding monster, caught up to him just as he was about to make a cross.

The crowd held their breath, and a rather eerie silence descended in the stadium.

Even Nico couldn’t believe it. His expression was one of shock, brows raised, lips parted, and pupils expanded.

How did he catch up?

He couldn’t believe his eyes. He knew he had left Daniel behind in the dust. The two had faced each other multiple times, each time Nico coming out on top. But today, Daniel had caught up to him.

For a second, his gaze lingered on Daniel.

There was an air of seriousness surrounding him that made him hesitate. Had he been a second late, he would have delivered a perfect cross.

Erling was already lurking in the box, awaiting his pass.

But since Daniel stood before him, he missed the timing for the cross, and now he had to search for another option.

He could attempt to dribble past Daniel, but his opponent wasn’t just anybody. He might not be the type of modern fullback who can attack and defend at the same time.

But when it came to defensive duties, few could rival him.

His pupils rolled vigorously as he searched for his option. Though he missed the timing for the cross, he couldn’t afford to fumble here.

Then like a glimmer of hope, Enzo came to his rescue.

Without wasting a second, he tossed the ball to Enzo. But it wasn’t Enzo who got to the ball. Instead, it was Hiro who intercepted the pass.

Lurking in the background, he had been positioning himself for one such moment.

Enzo saw Hiro rushing, and his heart started beating faster than it should. His sense tingled as his expression twisted.

Him again! Enzo cried out inside before he lunged.

Though Hiro was ahead of him, he managed to tackle him. His outstretched feet touched the ball before he touched Hiro.

Hiro hadn’t seen it coming. Hence, upon contact, he lost his balance and fell down hard against the ground.

"Argh!"

Both Enzo and Hiro let out a groan.

Hiro groaned from the fall, and as for Enzo, he groaned in pain because Hiro fell atop his legs.

"Both players are down, but the referee hasn’t stopped the match."

"But you gotta praise Enzo for his commitment. There isn’t anyone like him on the pitch."

"Indeed, Enzo’s commitment is unrivaled. But so is Hiro’s positioning. You can tell that nobody had seen him coming until the last moment."

"That’s true. But the question remains, who’s going to collect that loose ball?"

The commentators debated among themselves.

But in the end, the ball fell at Lucien’s feet.

Despite the fall, Hiro didn’t lose sight of the ball, and he saw him coming. Something flickered around him as he rushed to collect the loose ball.

In that instant, Hiro’s heart rang in alarm.

Lucien, now draped in an ethereal armor of Gold, looked more magnificent than before, and as for his sapphire eyes, the intensity shone like a burning star.

His godly visage, his flair- there was no stopping him.

He swept his leg like a blade, and the ball soared like a cannonball fired from a cannon.

Bam!

The sound was crisp, almost like a detonating bomb that echoed throughout the silence of the stadium.

The fans of red and white clutched their hearts, their eyes revealing panic. Meanwhile, the home fans’ eyes lit up in anticipation.

However, Unai’s outstretched fingers grazed the ball, deflecting it off its course.