"OI, REF! FOUL!"

"LOOK AT HIM! THAT’S A FUCKING FOUL!"

Right after Kawabe fell, the closest Shohei High players surrounded the referee immediately, whining for a foul. After all, even though it wasn’t a penalty, the distance was still quite close enough to Hakodate Nishi’s goal, which could give them a good chance to score the first goal.

However, the referee wasn’t feeling pressured enough to give them the advantage here. The man just shook his head firmly, pointing at the sideline to signal that the best he could give was a free throw.

"You know that the tackle is on the ball. Your captain just falls because of the momentum, not enough to warrant a foul. Go back and let your captain speak. The next time you do this again without your captain, I will book you immediately."

It was quite harsh, but no one could complain about it. After all, only the captain could make a complaint. The others still could, but they were at risk of getting a yellow card, which definitely was not worth the effort.

Kawabe himself was still lying on the ground, his chest moving up and down slightly. The tackle really came unexpectedly, and his brain seemed to be short-circuited for a moment. However, the familiar sight that lent a hand to help him get up was enough to trigger a grin on his face.

"Don’t try to act like the collision is enough to knock you down, Senpai. We know it is a lie." Hiroshi just said it flatly.

"So, ye read my intention and dragged me down to the ground, huh?" Kawabe laughed a little, accepting the help here. "It is rare for ma opponent to be able to read me like that, but if one person could do it, that must be ye, Roshi. You will make this game far more interesting..."

Soon enough, the game continued again with a throw-in for Shohei High. However, the clearance from Hiroshi earlier was enough to kick the attack away from the danger area, forcing them to restart the attack. This time, Kawabe didn’t really force his way, just passing the ball back to the defender while dropping back a little, acting like a right midfielder.

With the 4-4-2 formation, the boy couldn’t just go all out and blitz his way through the opponent’s side so easily. No, Kawabe still had to coordinate his movement with the other two midfielders in the center, sometimes even having to act as one there.

This also gave Hakodate Nishi players room to breathe. It seemed Shohei High didn’t give the boy free rein, so at least they didn’t have to face Hiroki Kawabe’s infamous explosion all the time.

However, they forgot that besides being quick, Shohei’s captain was also infamous for having a powerful shot. It was at one small occasion, where Kawabe just received a normal pass in the area close to the center circle.

There should be no danger involved, what with how far it was from the goal, and every single Shohei player was guarded tightly. Kawabe also didn’t act like he was about to do something extraordinary, just pushing the ball gently before glancing slightly toward Hakodate Nishi’s goal. However, the moment the boy did that, Higo could feel his clairvoyance ability flaring up, and in the next second...

’Oh, fuck!’

BAM!

A shot was suddenly launched from the distance, catching everyone off guard. Its power was enough to pierce the wind, and the ball didn’t really float that high in the air. However, the most troublesome part here was the fact that the ball didn’t spin too much in the air, giving a wobbly effect that could make it unpredictable.

Fortunately, Higo, with the help of his clairvoyance ability, arrived on time. He shifted quickly to the far post, and when the boy saw that the ball was close enough, he flew, one hand extending far in a Superman dive. As a result, he managed to punch the ball away from the goal, but not without falling on the ground quite violently.

BRUGH!

"Fuck!" The boy spat out a curse as his shoulder hit the ground first. It was fortunate that he knew how to take a fall without injuring himself, or he would’ve been on the way to the hospital right now.

As the ball flew outside of the pitch due to his punch, though, all the audience on the stand rose immediately, shifting their gazes from Kawabe to Higo in disbelief.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that shot?!"

"I mean, I know he could do it, but I didn’t think he would dare to pull the trigger!"

"Shit! A knuckle ball?! And who the fuck is that goalkeeper?! He is fucking flying!"

If in the first game Higo didn’t really leave any impression due to how well the rest of the team’s defenders were playing, this was the scene that introduced everyone to his ability. The save was so unexpected that even Kawabe himself wailed in despair.

"Aaaah! That’s ma best Cristiano’s knuckle shoot! How could ye save that?!" He cried indignantly.

Makino didn’t really care about the boy’s antics. No, when he saw Higo rubbing his wrist silently, the captain approached his teammate immediately, patting the goalkeeper’s back in affirmation. "Good job, Chibi. You saved our ass again."

It was genuine praise, as the shot really made his heart jump. Makino really forgot that behind Hiroki Kawabe’s eccentric behavior, the boy truly had the capital to do so.

Higo himself still rubbed his wrist, feeling like the shot was enough to dislocate it. ’Damn, even with my clairvoyance ability, the ball’s movement is too crazy to predict.’ He cursed inwardly. "Oi, Teme, tell the midfielders, Kazawa especially, not to give any angle to shoot, no matter how far that bastard is. He can shoot, and I don’t want to face that shit again." He instructed the captain quickly.

"Sure." Makino nodded, offering a hand to help his friend get up before walking back to the others.

Right after that, commotion started to gather in Hakodate Nishi’s penalty box. It was the first corner-kick, and five away team’s players were already there, getting ready to get the ball. However, Shohei High decided to play it short to Kawabe on that flank, and even though he was surrounded by three Hakodate Nishi players, the boy still had his eyes on Higo’s goal, enough to twist the goalkeeper’s stomach.

’Shit! He is about to do it again?!’