The whistle announcing the goal echoed through the stadium.
When that sound reached Loki's ears, it was unbearably sharp, as if it were mocking his helplessness.
I… lost.
Completely lost.
Loki tried to stand up, but the weakness in his body relentlessly reminded him of everything that had just happened.
He lowered his head, staring blankly at the grass beneath his feet, like a toy that had been mercilessly discarded after being broken.
The rest of the World Star Team standing nearby were not in much better shape.
The shock in their hearts was written all over their faces.
"No way… Loki actually lost?"
There was no trace of arrogance left on Silva's face. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at Loki, who had been defeated so thoroughly.
They all knew Loki's level very well.
From league matches to various cup competitions, they had encountered him more than once.
On the pitch, Loki's presence never lost out to anyone.
With his speed far beyond ordinary players, he could breeze past countless opponents.
Of course, on rare occasions, he would be completely locked down by top-tier defenders.
After all, he was only seventeen. Facing defenders in their twenties or thirties with powerful physiques, getting shut down was hardly abnormal.
It could be said that among players stronger than him, none were as young as him.
And among players as young as him, none were as strong as him.
The outside world firmly believed that as long as Loki was given enough time, he would surely become the next world number one striker after Noa.
Yet now, Loki had lost to a player his own age, perhaps even slightly younger.
The shock of that reality was no less than someone claiming that prime Manchester United-era Cristiano Ronaldo had lost to some unknown underage Chinese player who appeared out of nowhere.
Of course, victory and defeat were common in competition. No one won forever.
But seeing such a scene with their own eyes was still deeply unbelievable.
Nearby, Luna also felt a wave of surprise.
But unlike Silva, his focus was elsewhere.
He felt nothing in particular about Loki's defeat itself.
After all, he firmly believed that there was always someone stronger, and the sky was always higher.
What truly caught Luna's attention was the dribbling technique Ryan had displayed just moments ago.
Despite having participated in countless leagues and cup matches, and having seen hundreds, even thousands of players…
He had never seen anyone dribble like that.
There were no flashy tricks.
No unnecessary movements.
It was as if Ryan knew exactly what the opponent was going to do, and then calmly chose the most optimal counter.
Almost like… he could see the future.
Luna shook his head slightly, dismissing that absurd thought.
How could that be possible? There were no superpowers in real life.
What's wrong with me?
Is it because I've been in Japan too long and started reading too much manga?
There was also another detail that couldn't be ignored.
In fact, they had all noticed it.
But no one said it out loud, because it was simply too embarrassing.
Especially for someone Loki's age, where pride was valued more than life itself.
If anyone said it directly, it would be no different from publicly tearing his face off.
That was
When Loki faced Ryan, his body had seemed completely out of control.
He had actually dropped to one knee.
This was something Luna had never seen before.
He had seen players lose their balance, get fooled, spin around helplessly…
But kneeling?
Never.
Luna had noticed it.
Though it was only a guess, this explanation seemed to make the most sense.
At that moment, Loki's posture was already unstable. Combined with Ryan's extremely fast dribble, Loki's eyes may have seen it, but his body simply couldn't react in time.
That delay destroyed his balance, leading to that humiliating kneel.
Looks like this trip to Japan was really worth it.
To think I'd get to witness something this interesting.
Luna didn't dwell on it any longer. He saw Loki still slumped on the grass and walked over.
"Seriously, get up already. If you keep kneeling like that, your knees won't be able to take it. You need to take good care of your body."
Luna reached out and pulled Loki up.
Loki staggered to his feet. Although the weakness in his body had eased slightly, his legs still felt unsteady.
Seeing that Loki still looked like he'd lost his soul, Luna slapped him firmly on the back and spoke in encouragement.
"Alright, Loki. Winning and losing are normal in any situation. What matters most is having the courage to start over again."
"At your age, being able to reach this level is already incredible. But your road is still very long. Don't let such a small setback discourage you."
Looking at Loki's youthful face, Luna couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Too young.
His life had been too smooth so far.
That was why, when he finally encountered a setback, it crushed him so completely.
Luna then looked toward Ryan, who was surrounded by his teammates.
You really should thank him.
Only by facing your own weakness, only by recognizing your own inadequacy, can you truly grow.
It's a good thing you encountered this now.
If it were at a moment when the championship was just one step away, only to fail at the very end…
A bitter smile appeared on Luna's face.
At that point, you wouldn't even have a place to cry.
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