The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 84: Second Half Begins!

"Come on! Second half!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Sappotani! Sappotani! Sappotani!"

"Let’s go! Let’s win this game and go to the final!"

As the players stepped outside of the tunnel, the crowd was buzzing once again, with drums and chants echoing throughout the entire stadium. However, this time, Sappotani’s supporters weren’t the only ones here, as the group of Hakodate Nishi’s fans was ready to put up a fight in this contest.

"Ha! Don’t underestimate the spirit of Hakodate, you city boys!"

"Come on, Brats! I have come here to show my support, don’t you dare lose!"

"Show those city boys what our people are made from! Especially that blond and handsome boy! Ha, he doesn’t even reach half of the handsomeness that I had in my youth!"

Makino was probably the most embarrassed one here, as he kept hearing his father shout about city boys while also looking down on the opponent’s supposed upbringing like crazy. Honestly, facing the dumbfounded opponents and the teasing smile from his teammates, all he wanted to do right now was to disappear to the ground, leaving no trace of him ever being alive here.

As he kept rubbing his heated ears, the captain also took a glance at Higo for a moment. Usually, the goalkeeper wouldn’t let the chance to mock him miss so easily. However, this time, the boy was contemplating so seriously, ignoring the commotion around him.

’Well, good.’ The captain couldn’t help but nod, feeling satisfied with Higo’s current situation. ’This is definitely a far better situation compared to his half-death state before.’

Higo himself walked into the goal quietly, his mind still pondering over the question his mother had asked before. Then, his eyes darted to the bench, particularly the girl who had been his friend since they were even too young to remember their first meeting.

Kumiko also noticed this, and she waved cheerfully as if there was nothing wrong there. However, Higo knew his best friend well enough that there was still a trace of worry hidden beneath her smile, and this was definitely a punch to his guts.

’Yeah, what am I doing here...’ He chuckled bitterly. ’While I am falling into depression, Kumiko-chan has been working so hard, ensuring that everyone still has the spirit to come back. How could I be a burden for her like this?’

While he himself didn’t care about his current state, Kumiko was a different matter here. She was like his bottom line. As long as she was okay, then the boy wouldn’t feel anything complicated.

Now, though...

’Yeah, I cannot stay like this anymore!’ He slapped his cheek furiously, leaving a red handprint there that startled the boys around him. ’One goal conceded... It is bad, but fuck it! This still can get worse. I cannot let that happen! At least, I have to make sure that this is the last goal I concede today, so that I can walk with head high when I come back to her later!’

Makino, who had been observing Higo’s mood for a while, sighed in relief when the swing happened. "So, you are back in the game again?" He asked, punching the boy’s shoulder casually.

"Yeah, sorry to make you worry like that." Higo nodded; this time, the familiar determination burning in his eyes.

"Ha! Tell that to Kumiko-chan! I swear, she is worrying sick for nothing!" The captain grumbled grumpily, which elicited a huge grin on Higo’s face. However, the atmosphere turned somber immediately as Makino added, "Be wary of the second half. It is going to be far more difficult than before."

Higo was stunned, but then, he nodded his head solemnly. The goalkeeper knew where the captain’s concern came from.

Now that the team needed a goal, they had no option but to play more openly, and that was when cracks would usually appear in the game. It was like a snowball effect. To build a perfect ball in the beginning, the players had to put their 110 percent effort. However, once that ball was formed, they could just let it roll, watching as everything turned into chaos.

Then, as they changed sides, Higo also had to worry about the boos and the noises from the crowd.

Yeah, this time, he was going to play straight in front of the 1000 fans of Sappotani High, and honestly, that thought was enough to make his skin crawl. Now, not only would he have to face the opponent on the field, but every distraction out there could also affect his reaction as well.

’Also... My clairvoyance ability seems to work on my focus level. If I kept losing focus, I don’t know if that ability would work or not...’ He couldn’t help but mutter worriedly.

Unfortunately, before he could solve the problem, the referee had already blown the whistle, asking all players to get ready for the second half. There, in the middle, Higo could see Yuwell Carlson, the culprit of the first goal, warming up lightly while still communicating with the other players.

Inwardly, Higo clenched his fist while glaring at the Swedish striker on the other side, promising himself, ’In the second half, I would never let you pass through my hand again! Put that in your fucking mind, Bastard!’

Then, after waiting for one final check, the scene that everyone was waiting for finally happened.

Fweee!

The referee blew the whistle, signalling the beginning of the second half!

The ball started from the Swedish striker, as the boy sent it to his teammates before rushing toward a good area at the back. Rin Mito, the one who received the ball, somehow smirked smugly when he saw Yuji approaching him.

’You guys are fond of a blitz attack, huh? Then, how about us replicating it in front of your goddamn nose?’

Without hesitation, the captain sent a precise long ball to Yuwell Carlson, the exact same pattern that Takaaki used as the blitz attack in the first half.

"DAMN! YOU DARE TO USE MY OWN SPELL AGAINST YOU?!"

"Fucking shameless! Do you think you can just copy our hard work?"

"Dream on!"

Everyone on Hakodate Nishi’s side scolded their opponents mercilessly while also moving frantically to anticipate the attack, feeling like they were being disrespected here. However, that changed immediately when Higo felt his clairvoyance flare up out of nowhere.

"FUCK! NOT AGAIN!"