The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 79: Jun’s Awakening?!

In hindsight, someone from Hakodate Nishi should’ve noticed this scheme. After all, their opponent was the best team in the prefecture, and there was no way such a team only had one method to attack. They should’ve questioned how it was possible that Sappotani’s attacking method only revolved around Yuwell Carlson?

Now, they got the answer they didn’t want here.

Yuwell Carlson was just a bait all along, someone high-profile who was used to attract all the focus on him. The man’s presence was huge, making it impossible for anyone to ignore. Then, to make a bigger impression, his teammates also passed the ball to him all the time, giving the impression that he was the core of the engine.

This made Hakodate Nishi players forget that Yuwell Carlson was just a spear, with the engine running on his back. Unfortunately, when they figured it out, it was too late, as a through pass crossing the flank was already sent straight toward Sappotani’s number 12.

"Oh, yeah, Kawano! Run! Run! Run!"

Kawano, the left wing who was also the one who made the first shot-on-target in this game, dashed with lightning speed, trying to get to the ball first. Hori also followed from behind with teeth gritting in determination, but to his surprise, he saw that the opponent managed to increase the distance further between the two.

’Holy fuck! What is he, a sprint athlete?!’

The reaction was understandable. Hori was always the fastest one in the club, and now, his opponent left him in the dust, which left a stung feeling inside his heart.

’My attack is restrained, my defense sucks, and the speed that I am proud of is getting beaten? Then, what the hell am I doing here?!’

Unfortunately, that was the question for which he couldn’t think of the answer, as his face fell the moment Kawano sent a quick cross without hesitation. There, inside the penalty box, Yuwell Carlson, who had been quiet since the beginning of the game, suddenly rushed like a mad bull, forcing all the Hakodate Nishi players to step back in fear.

"HOLY SHIT! MOVE!" Makino gritted his teeth, getting blown away by Yuwell’s ridiculous speed.

The moment the ball was within his reach, the Swedish striker leaped high in the sky, ready to send another powerful header to Higo’s goal. However, this time, Higo didn’t need to take action, as before Yuwell could get the ball in the air, Jun suddenly appeared out of nowhere, taking over the duel and using his tall body to fight.

"WHAT?!"

BAM!

Those two collided in the air before falling on the ground immediately. In the end, no one got the ball, as Higo picked it up before it could go wildly outside of the box. However, everyone’s focus was definitely not on him, as all stared at Jun like he was an alien.

"Damn! He beats Yuwell?!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Yuwell has never lost an aerial duel here, right?!"

"Yeah, yeah! It seems Hakodare Nishi is not just a small fry that we can handle easily!"

This play alone was enough for Jun to make a name for himself. Even if it was just once, he managed to stop Yuwell in the aspect that the Swedish striker was proudest of, the aerial fight.

Even though their height was quite similar—Yuwell with 191 and Jun with 188—their experiences were different, and Yuwell could control his body movement better in the air. The advantage was so great that even for a moment, it looked impossible for Jun to win the duel.

And yet, here they were...

Yuwell Carlson himself was also impressed that, after getting over the dumbfounded feeling he had right then, he gave Jun a thumbs-up, saying so quickly in English before finally getting up as the game was still going on.

Jun’s expression was blank since he didn’t know what the Swedish striker was talking about. However, the affirmation he received from his teammates was enough to make his heart bloom with excitement.

"Good job, Jun! That’s how you do it!"

"Just keep it up, and kill everyone who dares enough to sneak into our territory!"

Those were said by the two ring-leaders of the team’s defense, Makino and Higo, so it was enough to make Jun believe that he had done something amazing. "Don’t worry, Senpai! Leave the rest to me!" He patted his chest reassuringly.

The one who was relieved the most was, of course, Kumiko. After all, the girl saw the disappointed look on Jun’s eyes when she told him to switch defense, thinking that it was a punishment. In hindsight, it looked like one, but the coach could vaguely see at that time that this was the best arrangement for the boy.

’He is clumsy and got easily beaten in a one-on-one duel, but his reaction is quick. So, it seems this is the best decision here. Making him do something simple, like sweeping all the balls that slipped through our defense and providing support defense for anyone struggling. He is the best safety net that we can have in this game."

Honestly, even Kumiko himself started questioning herself for not being able to see this fact earlier.

Then, in the next attack, the confidence built from the fact that he was able to stop Yuwell Carlson made Jun act more decisively. The moment the ball came into a space between him and Hori, he didn’t hesitate or even wait for his teammate to say anything, using his big body to block the opponent’s running path while also letting Higo take over the ball.

"Yes! Nice, Jun! That’s how you should do it!" Makino gave a thumbs up.

However, the wave of offense from Sappotani was far from over. No, instead, it got worse, with all the players gathering on Hakodate Nishi’s half, basically besieging the away team’s territory while slowly and patiently pushing further to get closer to the penalty box.

Higo also started to get worried, noticing the increase in the opponent’s attackers on the box. However, before he could say anything to his teammates, his eyes widened at the signal his brain sent, and while his body reacted, his mouth was a little bit faster here.

’FUCK! NOT AGAIN!’

BAM!