My system allows me to copy talents

Chapter 394  Knockouts VI

Though the commotion around him had subsided to a certain extent, it was still rather noisy around him. While standing upright before the ball, he could audibly hear the disagreement of the opposing fans.

The opposing fans were still not dissatisfied with the referee's decision. At the same time, he could also hear the desperation of his supporters. He had won them the penalty, but if he couldn't convert it then it wouldn't amount to anything. That's why most of them were quite worried at the moment. Only if they knew that Hiro possessed an absolute skill that'd allowed him to score without fail, they might not have been as tensed as they were right now. Letting out a mouth full of turbid air, he then fixated his eyes on the ball. His focus was unbreakable, his determination ironclad. At this moment, suddenly it felt as if the air around him had started getting heavy. 'Where's he going to shoot?' Since Hiro wasn't looking his way, he couldn't be sure of it. If only he could track his eyes, he might have been able to tell where he was going to shoot. But, what was he supposed to do when he didn't even shoot a glance at the post?

Now, he could only rely on his intuition. Beep!!

The referee's whistle cut through the tension. Hiro began his run-up, every movement deliberate and measured. Just as his foot was about to strike the ball, his eyes flashed with an eerie sharpness, the only moment he glanced at the post. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bam!!

The ball soared, cutting through the air with precision and power, barely allowing the opposing keeper any opportunity to react. Nonetheless, Simon dived in an attempt to save the ball despite not being able to see where it was headed. Yet, somehow he managed to dive in the right direction. But the speed at which the ball was moving was just too fast that even though he reacted correctly, he still failed to save it. The ball effortlessly glided inside the post, unimpeded. "Gooooaaaallllll"

At once, a euphoric roar erupted forth in the stadium as supporters of Japan started to celebrate. Cheers from Japanese supporters surged like a tidal wave, drowning out the frustrated groans of the opposing fans.

The noise was deafening, a symphony of joy and relief. For a moment, Hiro stood still at his place, firmly staring at the post ahead, letting the rush of victory wash over him.

While he remained still at his place, his teammates swarmed him. Clapping him on the back, and ruffling his hair, they celebrated the moment, appearing extremely elated. Letting himself lose, he too started celebrating the goal alongside his teammates. Glancing at the stands, he could vividly see the jubilant faces of the supporters of Japan. And, it only acted as a catalyst to his celebratory spirit, fueling him to enjoy this moment to its fullest. For a while, the celebration resumed. Then after that, they all started heading back to their position to resume the match. As usual, the commentator was full of praise. Then as they started regrouping, Hiro's thought briefly drifted to the next challenge. They had taken the lead. But, the game was still far from being over. There was still more than enough time to turn the tide of the game. However, the damage had already been done. The opposing team had to be more careful about their approach from now on. Still, neither he nor his teammates could afford to get cocky. After all, they weren't playing against any riff-raff team— they were playing against an extremely formidable team; a team consisting of players of elite mentality and talent. But, for now, he could at least enjoy the feeling of celebration for a brief moment. Beep!!

Immediately as he heard the shrill sound of the referee's whistle, he snapped back to reality. Recomposing himself, he fixated his eyes in front of him. The opposing team kicked off. Despite the commotion, they appeared unaffected. It was almost as if nothing had taken place in the field a moment ago. Neither did they appear riled up nor they appeared discouraged. With minutes left on the clock for the end of the first half, the opposing team tried their best to level the score. Yet, before they managed to level the score, the referee blew his whistle, announcing the end of the first half. Just like this, the first half came to an end with them taking the lead. Almost every single one of Hiro's teammates heaved a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the halftime whistle. They couldn't be more glad about the timing. Utterly exhausted from running all over the field, they had drained themselves out. Sure, they had managed to take the lead but it still hadn't lifted the exhaustion. They needed a much-needed rest to recuperate. And, now they could do just that. They could finally rest. Thus, every single one of them was glad to hear the halftime whistle. After the halftime whistle, everybody slowly marched towards the tunnel. While the fans too got out of their seat to relieve themselves and get something to eat. The stadium provided a wide variety of snacks they could enjoy while watching the match. And, looking at the movement of the people in the stands, it appeared that many weren't willing to miss out on the selection of snacks the venue accommodated. As people walked out of their seats, the stadium started becoming empty. And, the sound of the music played on the speaker due to the absence of the people appeared louder than before. While making his way into the tunnel, Hiro received a lot of stares from both the fans and the players of the opposing team. He could vividly feel the hostility behind those stares. Yet, he kept a stoic face, appearing as if he wasn't even concerned about those hostile gazes. 'Well, I knew this was coming. But, it's a lot more than my initial expectations.' Initially after pulling off that stunt, he had expected some kind of negative reaction from the opposing fans and players. But, even he hadn't expected that he'd piss off the entire fanbase.