Soon, halftime ended, and as they stepped into the tunnel, the tension reached its peak.
Under the dim lighting.
The breathing of twenty-one players filled the interior with a bleak atmosphere.
Players who were usually so friendly did not even make eye contact with each other.
Even in El Clásico, it was rarely this tense.
It was the kind of scene usually seen only in a match as important as a Champions League final.
But.
'Ten consecutive wins in El Clásico.'
An unprecedented feat that had never existed before and might never exist again.
Ho-young's thoughts were focused solely on that.
And just as Barcelona's magnificent chant echoed outside the stadium.
"Let's all give it our best."
Ho-young's voice.
Just that single sentence changed the mood in the tunnel.
"¡Vamos!"
"Blancos!"
The players shouted loudly as they filed out of the tunnel.
"¡Vamos!"
"Blancos!"
A chant that might not be heard again for a long time.
Ho-young shouted until his throat burned as he ran onto the pitch.
"¡Vamos!"
[The second half begins with Real Madrid's kickoff. Can Real Madrid achieve ten consecutive wins?]
[The problem is the players. Forget stamina for a moment, there are already too many players with yellow cards. A lot of them were booked in the first half.]
Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Marcelo, Mertesacker, and Sergio Ramos, all of whom received yellow cards in the first half, had noticeably become more cautious in their movements.
The same applied to Barcelona, but because the refereeing favored the home side, Real Madrid had to be even more careful.
Iker Casillas' voice rang out.
"Wake up! Don't give up, run until the end!"
Starting with Casillas, voices from the players began to rise one by one.
"Everyone push a little harder!"
"It's the team we've beaten nine times already!"
"Don't be scared!"
Although Pepe, the defensive anchor, had been sent off, the players covered each other's spaces by running a little more for one another.
And with Ho-young's outstanding field coverage, doing the work of two or even three players, the team managed to maintain balance in both attack and defense.
The second half continued with fierce exchanges.
But as time passed, the disadvantage tilted toward Real Madrid.
No matter how great Ho-young's stamina was, it would eventually run out.
Had he not already run 7.7 kilometers in the first half alone?
And unfortunately.
Thud!
[Gooooal!]
[Messi strikes the net again! Lionel Messi completes a hat trick following Ho-young!]
[Bojan and Dani Alves did a fantastic job confusing the defenders. That allowed Messi to break through without anyone stopping him.]
'Damn.'
While Ho-young blocked Pedro's run, Iniesta's pass went somewhere unexpected.
Then came Messi's dribble, the kind you knew was coming but still could not stop.
The defensive line collapsed.
3-3.
As time passed, the situation grew worse for Real Madrid.
There were only twenty minutes left, but Barcelona's offensive pressure was overwhelming.
Their possession had already surpassed seventy percent.
To make matters worse, Ho-young was facing a stamina problem.
He had already run more than eleven kilometers.
Considering that Iniesta's activity was currently nine kilometers, it was an incredible number.
And his teammates were not unaware of it.
"Ho-young! Just hold that space and conserve your energy!"
It was Ramos, now responsible for organizing the defensive line after Pepe's red card.
Ho-young positioned himself in an important area and caught his breath.
"Hoo, hoo."
For Ho-young, this kind of intense match was a first. It felt like experiencing a completely new world.
As his skills improved, there were more things he could do than before.
At the same time, he felt the limits of his abilities more clearly.
'Don't get carried away. Don't get carried away.'
A strange sensation, as if the rising excitement was trying to take control of his entire body.
Ho-young fought hard not to be consumed by it.
He focused on the match and tried to guide the flow of the game.
But Real Madrid, having lost both momentum and control, could only be dragged along.
Eventually, near the end of the second half, they conceded a decisive chance.
It began with Ángel Di María's breakthrough after coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute.
Thud!
[Gooooal! Lionel Messi! As expected, it's Messi!]
[He truly lives up to his name. Lionel Messi is flying all over the pitch today, just like Ho-young. That makes it four goals.]
4-3.
The possibility of Real Madrid turning the match around looked almost nonexistent.
The game rushed toward the 90th minute.
There were breathless exchanges over ten minutes, but neither team managed to reach the goalmouth.
It seemed the match would end with Barcelona winning 4-3.
But suddenly, the game took an unexpected turn.
[Tevar with the interception!]
[Real Madrid regain possession after a long time! It goes straight to Higuaín!]
[The counterattack continues! Higuaín passes to Ronaldo and charges forward!]
[Ronaldo pushes forward down the flank. He has to be careful of Gerard Piqué.]
Bang!
As Piqué threw himself in, a heavy collision followed.
Both players already had yellow cards, but neither yielded an inch as they fought for the ball.
Then Abidal and Higuaín joined in, turning the situation into complete chaos.
After that.
"Those dirty Catalan bastards!"
"You cowardly Madrid dogs!"
A real brawl broke out.
It began when Piqué struck the back of Ronaldo's neck with the side of his hand.
Enraged, Real Madrid players rushed in, and Barcelona players joined the fight without backing down.
Eventually.
Tweet!
The referee ended the situation by pulling out two red cards.
[Ronaldo and Piqué are both sent off.]
[It's now a 9 against 10 match. This puts Real Madrid at an even bigger disadvantage, doesn't it? With Ronaldo, who had shown tremendous activity, sent off, the burden on Real Madrid becomes enormous.]
Just as the commentator said, Real Madrid was now in an even worse situation.
It was the 91st minute of the second half. Hoping for a miracle was difficult.
They had lost, but fought well.
Some players were already trying to comfort themselves with that thought.
Still, there was one thing.
There was hope.
[The match resumes with a Real Madrid free kick.]
[This is the final opportunity. Ten consecutive wins may be gone, but they can still achieve ten consecutive unbeaten matches in El Clásico.]
A draw.
Just one goal would be enough.
But the problem was that it would not be easy.
[The position is slightly right of center. The angle is decent, but the distance is 41 meters. It's only about ten meters from the halfway line.]
[A direct shot would be difficult. It would be better to float it in or use a combination play. There are only four minutes of stoppage time, so they must also be careful about counterattacks.]
'41 meters.'
Not an impossible distance.
Goals from free kicks beyond forty meters did occasionally happen.
But that required favorable conditions like wind strength, direction, or air flow.
Moreover, the goalkeeper was Barcelona's Victor Valdés.
Yet Ho-young stepped forward.
With a mysterious smile, he took six steps back.
[With that stride length, it looks like he's preparing for a no-spin free kick.]
[It's Ho-young's trademark. He has already scored two no-spin free kicks this season. Valdés must keep that in mind.]
[Abidal and Busquets form the wall. That's a good choice.]
Using tall players in the wall was certainly a good response.
Then.
[Ho-young takes six more steps back. That's quite a long run-up.]
[From the look of it, he might not take the shot himself. It seems more likely he will fake it and let someone else strike.]
Ho-young's unusual behavior did not stop there.
With sharp eyes, he alternated his gaze between the goal and the ball, then moved nine steps to the left.
It was impossible to tell whether he intended to shoot or perform a long jump.
Of course, Ho-young had a clear reason.
'Right here.'
Confidence.
With a confident expression, he rubbed his boot studs against the grass.
And just as he lifted his right foot.
Whoosh!
"...!"
From the right side.
Something flew from the stands and landed at his feet.
A yellow banana, still unpeeled.
When Ho-young turned his head, he saw a drunken spectator raising both hands and flipping him off.
A small disturbance caused by a fan hoping for Barcelona's victory.
[That's disgraceful. One ignorant fan is ruining the match. This is clearly a racist act. He must be identified and banned from the stadium permanently.]
[Ho-young must not be shaken. He needs to ignore it and stay focused.]
Contrary to people's worries, Ho-young simply smirked.
Was it not rather amusing?
Watching fans stake their lives on a game where a ball rolled around gave him a strange feeling.
Realizing he stood at the center of it all made something boil deep in his chest.
A competitive spirit.
[Unextinguishable Fighting Spirit (S+3) ↑]
The burning desire sharpened every sense in his body.
At that moment, Ho-young did something unexpected.
[Oh...?!]
[Hahaha! Ho-young responds with wit.]
He picked up the banana, took a bite, then kicked the rest out of bounds.
At that moment.
[Unyielding Boldness (S-) ↑]
"Haa."
His heart felt as if it would burst.
The stadium atmosphere grew even hotter.
Ho-young's completely unexpected action had the crowd on the verge of chaos.
He carried that momentum forward.
Step.
Keeping his body slightly angled, he began to move.
His run traced a path resembling the letter C.
The preparation for the shot had already begun.
He minimized unnecessary body movement while maintaining rotational force.
Just before striking the ball.
Using his torso and waist as the axis, he rotated his knees, hips, shoulders, and lower body simultaneously, gathering energy.
He focused it all into his ankle.
He maintained tension until the very end so the impact would not disperse.
It was extremely difficult.
But with this level of condition and focus, it was worth attempting.
He had practiced it countless times over the past months.
And at that moment.
Whoosh!
Sweet spot.
The optimal point where the ball could be struck powerfully and accurately without excessive force.
Ho-young targeted that point perfectly and unleashed all his energy.
His toes barely felt anything, but the sound was explosive.
Boom!
41 meters.
It was not just a number.
The ball, struck with perfect spin, curved dramatically toward the goal like an arrow released from a bow.
A massive rotation.
Valdés could not move even a single step.
He could only watch the artistic shot.
Clang!
An equalizer of epic proportions.
[Goooooal!]
[A super hat trick! A super hat trick! 4-4! It's level!!]
The curling techniques of Thierry Henry and Arjen Robben.
Combined with the rotational power of Rafael Nadal.
Together they created a masterpiece.
And.
[Overwhelming Free Kick (S) ↑]
A notification appeared, but Ho-young saw nothing.
Instead.
"UOOOOOOO!"
He roared loudly, releasing the emotions that had been building inside.
A dramatic equalizer.
Nothing in this moment was more valuable.
Then, as if remembering something, Ho-young ran toward the corner and made a half-heart gesture over his chest for Monica.
This was a match he could truly be satisfied with.
[An unbelievable free kick. The trajectory was absurd. Let's watch it again.]
[Look at the moment he shoots. His movement is much larger and more dynamic than other players. Yet the angle of his planted foot, his striking foot, and his balance remain almost perfect. It may be fair to say that was a scientifically near-perfect shot.]
[Yes. We have witnessed an incredible match today. I doubt I will ever forget it. 4-4. This El Clásico will surely be recorded in history.]
92nd minute of the second half.
Barcelona players, desperate, quickly grabbed the ball and urged the referee to restart play.
The referee immediately resumed the match.
About three minutes remained.
A draw would have satisfied them greatly.
But they could not waste this opportunity.
Their opponent had only nine players left.
And everyone was exhausted.
Three minutes was enough to score.
Barcelona increased the tempo and launched attacks at an insane pace.
At the same time, they remained cautious against counterattacks.
Their desperation almost paid off.
In less than two minutes, a decisive chance appeared.
Iniesta delivered a low cross into the goalmouth.
Tap.
[Ahhh! Casillas saves it!]
[Bojan Krkić slams the ground in frustration! He was just one step too late!]
And then.
"¡Vamos!!"
He threw it.
Casillas hurled the ball toward Ho-young, who was sprinting past the halfway line.
[Ho-young is running! Does he control it with his chest?]
[Busquets moves in quickly to cover! This is dangerous!]
Just before the ball touched the ground, Busquets leapt.
It was a reckless knee clearance attempt.
Whether it hit Ho-young's head, chest, or the ball did not matter to him.
But at that moment.
Tap!
Instead of using his head, Ho-young stretched out his long leg and flicked the ball with the tip of his toe, sharply changing its path.
"Gah!"
Busquets missed completely and fell.
After that, Ho-young nudged the ball upward with the side of his foot and moved forward.
It was not over until it was over.
Giving everything until the final whistle was the mark of a true professional.
Ho-young sprinted with fire in his eyes.
At that moment.
[Strong Professionalism (S-) ↑]
Thud!
The final sprint began.
Puyol, Xavi, and Dani Alves, who had been preparing for the counterattack, rushed toward the center.
But they were outmatched in speed.
Xavi fell behind immediately.
Alves chased at terrifying speed, but Ho-young was not alone.
"Ho-young!!"
Higuaín was running on the same line.
Tap!
"Go in!"
Bang!
Ho-young exchanged a quick one-two pass with him, creating the opportunity.
Carles Puyol backpedaled desperately to buy time but was helpless against Ho-young's sudden feint.
Overpowered.
Ho-young squeezed out the last of his strength and charged forward for forty meters.
"Huuuuk!"
Breathing heavily, he lifted his head.
Victor Valdés was rushing out of the penalty area, throwing himself forward.
'Almost there.'
Without slowing the ball, Ho-young flicked it upward with his heel.
A rainbow flick that lifted the ball over Valdés.
Then.
"!"
Ahead of him was an open goal.
Ho-young struck the ball cleanly in midair.
The net shook violently.
Clang!
Ho-young's fifth goal.
The goal that completely overturned the match had finally arrived.
[Goooooal! This is insane! Absolutely insane! I have no words!!]
The stadium erupted in chaos.
But there was no time for celebration.
The referee quickly restarted the match.
The one minute of remaining stoppage time extended beyond three.
Even so, the score remained 5-4.
Finally.
Tweet, tweet.
5-4.
The match ended.
[Real Madrid achieve ten consecutive El Clásico victories! Ten in a row!]
[Ladies and gentlemen, can you believe it? I cannot tell whether this is a dream or reality. This is the greatest match I have ever seen. No, I say it with confidence. This is the greatest match in the history of football.]
Ho-young exhaled deeply and collapsed onto the pitch.
Just when he felt like he might die from exhaustion, a familiar message appeared before his eyes.
Messi's potential.
[Potential (SS+2)]
It was a moment of joy.
Yet for some reason, his nose tingled and his eyes reddened.
Perhaps the burden and pressure had finally burst.
Then something surprising happened.
Clap clap clap.
"Well done!"
"That was incredible!"
About seven hundred Madridistas applauded him.
And then.
Whistle!
When a whistle sounded from one side, Barcelona fans also began to rise and clap one by one.
Just moments ago they had been shouting abuse at Ho-young.
Now, setting aside team loyalty, they applauded him as football fans.
[Ronaldinho once received a standing ovation at Santiago Bernabéu during his Barcelona days. But the opposite happening here is the first time in the 21st century.]
[It shows just how incredible Ho-young's performance was today. And what an intense match it was.]
[Yes. It's truly a magnificent scene. Many Real Madrid fans are shedding tears of joy.]
On the stadium screen, the faces of fans crying appeared one after another.
Then.
'Monica?'
Monica's face appeared in a close-up shot, tears streaming down.
Only then did Ho-young smile.
It was a moment he would remember for the rest of his life.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)