Chapter 676: Predator on move
Chapter 676: Predator on move
Though he could audibly hear the jeers of the Real supporters, Hiro wasn't bothered. However, he couldn't help but address the silence of the Atletico supporters.
At this stage, they should be cheering on him.
'Well, I guess it can't be helped,' Hiro sighed upon noticing the silence of the Atletico supporters. 'Can't blame them when the match is so tough.'
Soon Federico got close to him. Wearing a dull and exhausted expression, he walked over to Hiro. However, he didn't speak a single word even when he was about to exit the pitch.
"Good game," Hiro cheered on him before heading inside the pitch.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Though Federico was unwilling to cheer on him, it didn't mean Hiro was unwilling either. Federico might view him unfavorably but Hiro didn't.
To Hiro, Federico was an ally with the same objective, with whom he needed to tag along to win the common objective.
Though he needed to tie up with Federico, Hiro was well aware of Federico's intentions. He knew that Federico disliked him. However, he wasn't here to cause trouble with other teammates. Hence, he didn't bother about Federico's impression of him.
As long as he wouldn't get in his way, Hiro wouldn't care.
'Yeah, good luck. You'll need it,' Federico sneered upon exiting the pitch.
The others around Hiro didn't appear elated about the substitution either. He could even spot a few furrowing their brows in dissatisfaction.
Hiro could tell from their expression that they didn't expect anything from him.
'Hahaha, I guess, it's really a bad time to enter,' Hiro couldn't help but lampoon. Then again, he didn't feel hurt by their attitude either.
'But if they're not expecting anything from me then that means I can move freely without feeling pressured.'
A sharp glint flashed past Hiro's eyes as his eyes lit up with determination.
Hiro felt even more determined. The attitude he received further fueled his desire to make an impact.
With the help of the new feature, Hiro had already analyzed the field. He knew whom to target and whom to avoid. He was also aware of the weakest link of the opposing formation.
Though the opposing formation appeared impeccable from the outside, Hiro knew where to target to penetrate this impeccable iron fortress.
Beep!
The game resumed as the clock started ticking again. With every tick of the clock, Real Madrid were inching closer to victory. Hence, they were much more composed than the exhausted and frustrated Atletico players.
With calmness and precision, Real Madrid maintained their tempo, controlling the rhythm of the game. While Atletico Madrid struggled to retain the position.
'I admit you're an exceptional player. But without the ball, you're nothing but one of the pieces of chess on the board,' Yamada kept the ball out of Hiro's reach.
Previously, he was much more offensive. However, now he was much more docile.
Having witnessed Hiro's brilliance firsthand, Yamada wanted to keep the ball out of Hiro's reach in all circumstances. He knew Hiro was a difference maker, a clutch player, who was capable of changing the fate of the game at any given point in time.
Thus he wanted to keep the ball out of his reach.
'Classic Yamada,' Hiro complimented. Though the ball appeared to be moving flawlessly from one side of the pitch to the other, Hiro knew that Yamada was controlling the flow of the game. Like an anchor, he was spreading the passes, and controlling the tempo.
Even though Hiro was aware of the culprit behind the shadows, Hiro was helpless. He couldn't spot even a single space to exploit despite being aware of it.
It was as if Yamada was an entity controlling the game from a higher plane.
With the scale of victory tilting closer to Real's side, the Atletico fans were getting even more desperate. Their face appeared dull and tense as if a black shadow was looming over their head. They had already lost their will to fight.
Even after Hiro's addition, their team struggled to keep up.
Xavi Alonso on the sideline appeared pleased with Real's performance. Having left Bayern Leverkusen after a successful spell, Alonso had joined the Los Blancos a year ago. Since then, he has transformed the entire club.
Now under his wing, Real are looking unstoppable. Though they struggled with the win, they only lost a single game until now. If it weren't for their spell of draws, they would be sitting at the top of the table.
Five minutes after Hiro was subbed in, Hiro spotted a chance.
'Now!'
In a state of alert, Hiro sprinted.
"Phantom Steps" combined with a few other talents, Hiro dashed the moment the ball was played to Camavinga.
Camavinga who had been running around the field the entire match was on the brink of exhaustion. Thus, Hiro targeted him.
Like a predator waiting to make its move, Hiro patiently awaited this moment. Now the moment was here, he lunged forward with menacing fervor.
For the past five minutes, he had to keep his fangs and claws hidden. But now, it was the moment for him to bore his fangs.
Hiro's tousled brown hair danced freely with the wind as he weaved his path around the pitch. Lurking behind the blind spot of the opposition, Hiro lurked his way to Camavinga.
"Not good!" Yamada was one of the first few to notice Hiro's move.
Upon noticing, his heart rate spiked and he panicked for a moment. He had the impression that he could neutralize Hiro today and having kept Hiro at bay for now, his confidence had soared to even more unprecedented levels.
But now that Hiro had started to move after lying low, he couldn't help but panic.
In a state of panic, Yamada rushed to intercept Hiro. However, he was no match against Hiro in terms of speed.
It didn't take Hiro long to sweep the ball from Camavinga. Even before the ball reached Camavinga's feet, Hiro intercepted the pass.
Camavinga's eyes widened in panic. Gasping, he stared at Hiro, "Where did he come from?!"