Hiori and Kurona looked at Murano with concern as he made his way to the free-kick spot. "Are you okay?" Hiori asked.
Murano reassured him and the team, "Yeah, I'm good. Don't worry."
Kurona asked, "Are you planning to score from this distance?"
"Maybe not. Just watch me," Murano said.
As he positioned the ball on the free-kick spot, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He stepped back and observed the scene in front of him.
The referee was still organizing the defensive wall, which only consisted of two players. It seemed that the U-20 team didn't think that a larger wall was necessary for a free-kick so far away from the goal.
They were instead preparing for a counterattack, just in case Murano failed to cross the ball to his teammates.
But, for the first time in the match, Murano could hear the crowd chanting his name. It appeared that he had impressed all of Japan with his performance.
"MuRaNo!"
"MuRaNo!"
"MuRaaNo!"
But he had to stay focused and block out the distractions.
Murano scanned the field, taking note of every detail. He observed how the U-20 team had positioned their defenders in front of their box, far from their goal.
They likely underestimated his free-kick-taking abilities, assuming he would cross the ball to a teammate instead of attempting a shot.
Murano smiled as he considered the possibility of being underestimated. But he quickly dismissed the thought and focused on the task at hand.
A few more seconds passed, and the referee finished organizing the players in front of the box.
The referee finally signaled for him to take the free kick, and Murano took a deep breath before making his move.
"Too far for Murano to think about it!" The commentator said it in the commentary box.
Without hesitation, Murano sprang into motion. He took a deep breath and focused solely on the ball as he angled his run towards it.
His agile run brought him to the perfect spot in front of it, where he forcefully swung his leg down and made contact, sending the ball flying.
The ball soared through the air.
A momentary silence fell over the stadium as they watched the ball head towards its destination.
At the end of it all, Fukaku, the U-20 goalkeeper, almost came out on top. His fingertips almost grazed the ball, but he couldn't save it.
Despite their efforts, Blue Lock had once again extended their lead over their opponents.
U-20 Japan Nation Team vs. Blue Lock Eleven
Minute 62'
U-20 Japan 2-4 Blue Lock
A slow smile spread across Murano's face. He didn't pump his fists and didn't jump to celebrate with his teammates.
He refrained from any of such celebrations, simply removing his Blue Lock jersey and holding it up for all to see.
He turned towards the stunned supporters and proudly displayed the number 10 and his name, Murano.
This was not an act of arrogance, but rather a statement. A silent declaration that on this night, in this stadium, he had destroyed the U-20 and made a name for himself in Japan.
[A/N: This is a little short lol because it was supposed to be a part of the last chapter but it wasn't refined yet, so I removed it last minute. Also, I'm posting a chapter a day around till I finish this arc.]