Chapter 263: Sapporo Otani’s Desperate Attack!

Author’s note: Sorry, the double-update day today will have to be canceled, being replaced with tomorrow. On that note, we will have double-update for tomorrow, 21/5, 23/5, 25/5, and 27/5. Thank you for all of your support for this novel! I really appreciate it!

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"Come on! Cover left! Cover left!"

"Shit! Hori, what the hell are you doing there?!"

"Back down! Back down! Watch the far post!"

BAM!

"FUCK, YEAH!"

Time was ticking so slowly, and right now, they were still in the 86th minute of the game. It might seem that Sapporo Otani had a little time to fight back, but for the Hakodate Nishi team, the last four minutes ran for so long, as if they were getting trapped in this loop forever.

Yeah, the last ten minutes seemed to become hell for them. Sapporo Otani really put all their attackers into the box, hoping that the chaotic scene there would give them one or two sneaky chances to score. The number also acted as a good distraction, allowing Yuwell to get a better space and position more.

Just in that short period, in total, Sapporo Otani had already launched 8 shots. Yeah, eight! Almost one in every fucking minute! That was crazy considering how they had to build up the play first to get a better chance, and yet, they still did it. The most insane thing, though, was that 6 out of the 8 shots they made turned into a huge threat. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Yeah, since they conceded a goal, Sapporo Otani really went crazy. In total, Higo had already made 5 saves, including a one-on-one battle against the opponent’s substitute player who managed to sneak through the right side, making at least 3 claims over aerial crosses, and having his throat sore from shouting at his teammates all the time.

The last one also came quite close.

Somehow, Hori’s defense got overwhelmed on the left side, and with the late support coming from Takaaki, a quick cross was whipped into the box.Three players with the sky-blue jersey were battling against four with the orange ones, creating a chaotic scene that was so hard to react to.It was fortunate that in the last second, Higo’s clairvoyance ability played a big role again, letting him see a ball slipping through the ground lowly, as his feet were quick enough to move.

Now, they were in a corner kick situation, and not wanting to give Hakodate Nishi time to catch a break, the home team’s side took a short route, restarting the game immediately. Their right winger passed the ball to the full back, and seeing that he had a slight room to whip another cross, the boy did so, aiming straight at Yuwell Carlson.

"Shit! Sano, fight him!"

"What do you think I am doing right now?!" Sano gritted his teeth, trying to overpower Yuwell in the air.

Unfortunately, for all the good things that Sano brought when he replaced Jun, the aerial battle was not one here. While yes, their height was not that much different, but Sano was still new to this sport, so he didn’t have experience in facing an opponent who could play a lot of tricks in the air.

In the end, Yuwell managed to win that fight, sending a strong header to the far post. However, before the ball could get in, Makino’s feet appeared, clearing the ball away violently.

BAM!

"Fuck, yeah!" Ishinori roared, high-fiving the captain. "Come on, Cap!"

Makino just nodded silently, accepting the hand offered to help him get up from the ground. No joy and excitement could be seen on his face, as the boy just murmured something that Higo himself also asked.

"How many minutes are left before this hell is over?"

Kenji Makabe, who was also in the vicinity, couldn’t help but reply, "Don’t worry, look, the fourth referee has already prepared his board." He pointed at the sideline.

Indeed, the referee had already been busy with the board, which meant the additional time would come soon. This gave them a chance to take a relieved breath, knowing that they were so close to entering the National Tournament.

"Kenji is right, we are so close." Higo nodded in acknowledgement. "However, they will become more desperate. So, don’t let any leak escape from our side, okay?"

"Sure." The others nodded, not even offering any words. They were too exhausted to speak, anyway, wanting to preserve their energy for the action next.

True enough, Sapporo Otani started to be more desperate. Both Rin Mito and Yuma Igari also came forward to add more heads to the penalty box, leaving only Hiroyuki and two full-backs protecting their own area. At this time, they were just gambling their life, hoping that they could steal a point here.

The most dangerous part, though, was that Yuwell Carlson decided to fall back outside of the penalty box, letting him control the ball more. This was a troublesome matter, especially since the boy’s long shot was so damn good.

"Kuroki-kun, reinforce the midfield! Keep an eye on him, and don’t let him face the goal!" Kumiko called from the sideline.

This was the most logical choice she could make. Although Kuroki’s speed was subpar compared to Yuwell’s, at this stage, pace couldn’t play a big role here. No, with the space so cramped like this, the most needed attribute was space, and the only way to restrain Yuwell in this case was by putting Kuroki, the biggest body on the pitch, to shadow that Swedish Striker.

While slightly panting, Kuroki nodded, accepting the role readily.

Soon enough, the fourth referee finally stepped onto the sideline, raising the board with the number ’6’ being shown brightly. Seeing this, all the players on the pitch groaned for some different reasons here.

"Fuck! Six whole minutes?! Why don’t you just give them a full half here?!"

"Only six minutes?! With so many clashes on the pitch?! Are you blind or what?!"

For Hakodate Nishi, this was going to be the longest six minutes of their life, while for Sapporo Otani, this was going to be the shortest one in their career. They all became more desperate, and just like any do-or-die battle, something big was always bound to happen in the most crucial moment.

It was in the first minute of the injury time, when Sapporo Otani’s number 16, the new substitution player, was trying to penetrate through the sideline. Both Denki and Ishinori were keeping close eyes on him, while Hiroshi was also tracking from behind for a case like the player suddenly passing back to a more open player.

In desperation, number 16 wanted to force a low cross from that position. The situation was far from being dangerous here, what with two bodies ready to block the ball. However, Ishinori’s hand moved a little bit higher here, and the ball itself hit his upper body, slightly close to his shoulder. As a result...

FWEEE!

"A handball from Hakodate Nishi High’s number 3! A penalty kick for Sapporo Otani!"