The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 31: Busy Second-Half

The goal really shocked all the players on the Engaru High’s side, as no one expected that the opponent would launch such a deadly blitz attack this quickly. They finally woke up when their head coach started to shout; the man’s face was red in fury.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING THERE?! WAKE UP, YOU MORONS!" Kosuke Takuya shouted, his tone livid. "GO AND GET THEM BACK! DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE FALLING ASLEEP AGAIN, YOU GET IT?!"

Poor them all, they looked so pale as if blood had been drained from their face. The referee even had to come to the sideline to reprimand Takuya for his colorful language and loud and disturbing shout. Fortunately, that was enough to make all the players with the red jerseys regain their composure, which was what they needed after conceding a goal.

Seeing this, Makino couldn’t help but turn to Higo and say, "Get ready. Things will get worse after this."

Usually, Higo would retort with a sarcastic tone. However, this time, he just nodded solemnly, seeing as well that the opponent’s eyes changed. Now, they were filled with anger and killing intent, and even Higo himself knew what would come next.

’Yeah, they will go berserk after this. A wounded predator is definitely the most dangerous animal in the forest.’

True enough, the moment the game restarted, Engaru High rushed forward like a bunch of hungry beasts. They are still stuck with their possession ball, passing it all over the place to put more pressure on the home team’s side. However, this time, they dared to launch one or two more shots even when the probability was slim, something that couldn’t be seen in the first half.

BAM!

"Urgh!"

Higo groaned as this was the second time in five minutes he had to dive to get the ball first. If before, he could still get it a bit easier, this time, the shot was dangerous, curling sharply to the top left of the goal. If not for his clairvoyance ability, Higo didn’t know whether he would be able to jump in time or not.

"Nice save, Chibi!"

"Senpai, thank God you are quick enough!"

At the praises from the others, Higo just clicked his tongue in annoyance, wiping the dust and wincing unconsciously at the rough scratch on his forearms.

"Goddamnit! Don’t thank me so easily like that!" He scolded the defenders bluntly. "Be a little bit quicker! Don’t just stand still and use your body to block my sight! Dive, Bastard! Dive! Slide! Try to deflect the ball!"

Jun, who felt like the last attack was his responsibility, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was indeed not that good with his feet, and it seemed that the opponent had already noticed this weakness right now.

"Okay, stay focused, Jun! Also, Chibi, keep your complaint for later. For now, concentrate on the next play!" Makino interrupted.

Higo shook his head, also noticing that the opponent’s players were ready. His save earlier resulted in a corner kick, and now, the penalty box was surrounded by so many players from both teams.

This alone was enough to make Higo nervous, as, even with his ability to see the future, he would find things difficult in such a chaotic mode.

Fortunately, Engaru High is still stuck with the same strategy, using the short pass to execute the corner kick. Then, with the pressure from Fujinaga and the other players, the ball was forced to be sent back to Engaru High’s territory, nullifying the attack and the momentum earlier.

However, it seemed that the opponent also noticed the lack of height on the frontline. Kosuke Takuya made a substitution immediately, not even hesitating to replace the left back and the defensive midfielder with two tall strikers, wanting to have a competition in the air. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Fucking hell... They are going to start bombarding us with a long ball..." Higo cursed under his breath.

"Well... Look at the bright side here." Makino smiled wryly. "At least, with less possession, we will be able to control the ball more, which might let us score the second goal later."

What a naïve thought.

In reality, even with two new tall strikers, the flow of the possession didn’t change at all. Hakodate Nishi players still had to run all over the pitch, chasing the ball frantically like a bunch of headless chickens.

The intensity of the opponent’s long ball to the penalty box also increased. Fortunately, Jun was very good at that, and Higo, with his clairvoyance ability, managed to pluck the ball in the air several times to calm down the situation.

However, one thing was sure here. Since they had to chase the ball so often, their stamina drained more quickly, and some of the players started to have a frantic breath already.

"God... Goddamnit... How could... How could a new team be this good..." Fujinaga, probably the one who ran the most here, panted so heavily, his shirt drenched with sweat.

"That only means that a new team is scarier, right?" Takaaki smiled wryly, taking a bottle of water on the sideline before pouring it on his face, trying to refresh himself.

Seeing the two unstoppable engines panting on the sideline, Makino couldn’t help but approach them, asking, "Do you need to take a rest?" Because if so, he wouldn’t hesitate to ask Kumiko for a substitution.

Both Fujinaga and Takaaki stared at each other for a second, and somehow hesitated about accepting the offer or not. They still wanted to be stubborn and stay on the pitch, but they themselves didn’t know how long it would be until the game was over.

Yeah, this was the downside of grassroots-level football. No player on the pitch would be able to know the current time, which was torture during the last couple of minutes before everything was over.

In the end, though, Fujinaga shook his head strongly, saying, "No, I think I can still survive for thirty more minutes."

"Same as well," Takaaki added.

Of course, it was a boastful remark. However, Makino just nodded in agreement, sending a thumbs-up to Kumiko as a signal that everything was okay.

The game continued, and while Higo was a little bit busier in the second half, other than one or two dangerous shots after the team scored, he didn’t face any immediate threat that made him sweat. However, he knew that the game was far from over, especially since none of the Engaru High players showed a hint of giving up.

Then, a new player walked to the sideline, ready as a substitute for Engaru High. When Higo saw the opponent’s reaction to this new player, somehow, he got a feeling that a fiercer wave of offense would come next.

’Still, who the hell is he? To be able to inject hope instantly like that... There is no way he is an ordinary player, right?’