The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 74: The Game Begins!

"Tail or head?"

For a moment, Makino stayed quiet, wanting to know what his fellow captain would pick. However, what he saw was so infuriating, as the boy in front of him just nudged his head at him, giving him the right to choose.

"Fine, tail." Makino clicked his tongue in annoyance.

It was the coin toss section, and honestly, Makino didn’t really notice it, but his whole body was so tense. He moved so stiffly like a cheap robot, glaring at the boy in front of him and the referees as well in hostility.

He might’ve never said it, but honestly, the boy was still traumatized by the devastating defeat the team suffered last winter.

At first, Makino thought that it was a past episode already, something that would never hurt him again. However, the closer he was to the game day, the more vivid everything flashed in his brain, getting replayed one by one in clear detail.

He could still recall what happened that day, from the excitement to play against the best in the country, the nervousness of facing a thousand of opponents’ fans, to the laughter in the end from the humiliating defeat in the final. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Yeah, they laughed.

On that day, they weren’t crying anymore.

People often said that the highest level of depression was when they couldn’t cry anymore, but laughed at their own misfortune, their own misery. Makino knew full well that feeling, the helplessness, and the desire to get eaten alive by the ground itself.

Now, the team was... He didn’t even know if it was a better one compared to last year.

It lost several key players, and he was the most senior one here. The addition of Higo on the back reassured him a little, but the captain was still skeptical about whether Higo would be reliable enough in a big game like this.

So, yeah... The team now was really not that strong compared to last winter, something that Sapporo Otani didn’t really suffer this time. However, it was a chance for a redemption arc, and honestly, even though this was like a Mission Impossible, the boy was so eager to pull a miracle today.

Clink!

The coin was thrown. As a result, it showed tail, and even though Makino didn’t show it, his fist clenched tighter, showing that this was the result that he hoped for.

"We’ll take the ball first." He announced.

The referee stared at the opponent’s captain, who just sighed. "Fine, we will take that side." He pointed at the side where the team’s supporters sang.

The referee nodded once again before saying, "This is a semifinal game, so I want respect from you both. If any of your teammates are dissatisfied with my decision, talk to me, but you are the only two who have the right to do so. I also want a clean game, no stupid or malicious fouls. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei!" Both captains nodded.

After a little bit more formality, Makino finally went back to the side where his teammates were waiting, as they all formed a huge circle as a sense of ritual. Their gaze was anxious, as if the news in Makino’s hand was a world-changing one.

"So, how is it, Senpai?" Hiroshi asked anxiously.

Makino just paused for a moment, staring at all of his teammates carefully. There, he saw anxiety, impatience, eagerness, nervousness...

Yet somehow, none of them had the resigned expression on their faces.

’Good. At least, they still think that it is possible.’ He nodded, satisfied. "We have the ball first." He finally announced, much to everyone’s relief.

"Good, God... It seems the football God still wants to take care of us!"

"Yeah, the luck part has already been taken care of! Now, it is time for us to do as planned!"

"Hey, don’t you dare to mess things up, okay?!"

Seeing the animated atmosphere here, Makino couldn’t help but smile before he coughed a little bit louder. "Okay, listen to me first, everyone."

This was enough to gain his teammates’ attention.

"I know that some of you are nervous, and some still have nightmares thinking of our last game against them. God, I am even talking about myself right now." He smiled weakly, eliciting chuckles from the others.

"Still, I want to say one thing here. Kumiko-chan has already formed so many tactics for us, drilling so many strategies, plans to help us survive today. They are not perfect, but we know they come from hard work and diligence, days and nights. So, let’s do our best to follow everything she said and leave the pitch with no regret, okay?"

They all stared at each other with a smile, and even though it was shaky, the foundation was solidified by the spark inside their heart.

"Sure, Senpai!"

-0-

Right after that, everyone finally moved into their supposed position, ready to start the game. The referee still checked the watch on his wrist, communicating with the linemen from afar to make sure that everyone was ready.

Once he got the nod of approval...

Fweee!

"Oh, yeah! It finally begins!"

"Come on, Sappotani! Come on, Yuwell Carlson!"

"Play with your heart, and make us proud, Mito!"

The moment the referee blew the whistle, the first to react was the supporters on the stand, as they all cheered as if this was a moment worth celebrating. It caught Hakodate Nishi players off guard for a moment, but fortunately, they were able to react in time before the opponent’s side could pressure them further.

"Shit! Come on, Takaaki! Move!" Makino shouted.

Takaaki gritted his teeth, waiting for the two strikers of the Sappotani team to rush at him. The moment they were close enough, he finally launched the ball forward, initiating the blitzkrieg attack.

This was something that Kumiko had already planned, aiming to score an early goal to help them establish a foothold in this game. However, this attack was different than the usual.

If before, Takaaki would always send a long ball to Kuroki for an aerial battle, this time, it was a through ball with incredible speed. The action caught all the Sappotani players off guard, and for a moment, they only saw the ball crossed through the middle of the pitch in astonishment.

This state didn’t last long, though, as they were snapped out of their daydreaming when Hiroshi somehow managed to sneak into the pocket area, receiving the ball perfectly before turning around to face the opponent’s goal in a direct attack.

"YES! NICE PASS, TAKAAKI!"