The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 30: The Mighty Blitzkrieg Attack!

The blitzkrieg strategy might look simple, but it required all the involved players to stay calm and composed in the process.

It started with Kuroki, the center forward, to pass the kick-off back to the midfield. Right after that, he would run into the pocket area between the opponent’s midfielder and the defender immediately, occupying the space there while also getting ready for the aerial duel.

He wasn’t the only one who rushed.

Hiroshi, Usami, Yuji, and even Hori, that reckless right back, would try to overwhelm the opponent’s defense by their sheer numbers. The opponent who still thought that they would fall back in a low-block defense again would be caught off guard to see so many attackers rushing into their territory, and the chaos created by that, sometimes, would be enough to create a dangerous threat.

To make the attack successful, everything had to be perfect. Fortunately, as Kuroki occupied a small area in front of the penalty box and turned around, he saw such a perfect long ball launched from the other side of the pitch, and he couldn’t help but grin when he saw this.

’What a rocket, Takaaki! Leave the rest to me!’

"Shit! The ball is coming! Someone, mark that #9!"

"Hey, hey! Keep your eyes around you! Don’t let anyone else slip!"

"What the fuck is going on here?! Why are they rushing so quickly?!"

Panic fell on Engaru High’s side as everyone was still caught off guard by the sudden pressure from Hakodate Nishi. This chaotic moment was enough for all the players with the black-and-white jersey to sneak deeper, and even though someone finally marked Kuroki, the sophomore striker was already in a very good position, scanning his surroundings before finally deciding where to send the ball.

’Here! Come on, Hori!’

Thud!

With a gentle header, he flicked the ball to the outer side of the right flank, where the fullback was already there, penetrating that side with his quick feet. This shocked Engaru High’s defenders, as everyone still focused on the attackers like Yuji or Hiroshi.

"Shit! Tono! Cover!"

"Fucking hell! Who will guard that #11?!"

"Just leave it first!"

The opponent’s position scrambled as one of their players approached Hori reluctantly, leaving Yuji unmarked. Seeing this, Hori grinned, not even controlling the ball first before poking it with his toe, aiming straight to the penalty box.

"Yes! It is going to be out!"

"Finally!"

Yeah, for a moment, the pass seemed to be too hasty, closer to the backline more than the player. Even Engaru High’s defenders also started to take a relieved breath, finding the situation finally controllable. Only one player, though, was still running frantically, and the grin on Hori’s face couldn’t get any wider anymore at that sight.

’Everyone seems to look down on your speed, but I know you can reach it, Yuji! Show it to me!’

Then, the unthinkable happened. As if he were a sports car, Yuji suddenly hit the accelerator, speeding up beyond what his marker could comprehend. His short body allowed him to sneak easily, and with a slide shot, right before the ball crossed the line, he sent it straight in Hiroshi’s direction, who was already inside the penalty box.

BAM!

In the next second, everyone had their jaws dropped, as the ball shook Engaru High’s goal violently. Hiroshi managed to execute the last attack perfectly, launching an unstoppable rocket straight to the top left of the goal.

Fweeeeee!

The moment the referee blew the whistle, hell broke loose instantly.

"HELL, YEAH!" Hiroshi jumped while punching the air passionately before turning around, pointing his finger at Yuji. "That was a crazy pass, Yuji-kun!"

"Hahaha! I know you will be there!" Yuji’s face flushed as he rushed, hugging the goal scorer enthusiastically.

The other Hakodate Nishi players in the vicinity also celebrated crazily, surrounding the two main actors of the play. Meanwhile, far on the other side of the pitch, Higo had both his hands pinching his cheek, trying to make sure what he witnessed was real here.

"What the..." He muttered in disbelief. "Oi, Teme! How many seconds have passed since the second half starts?!"

Yeah, even though at first glance, the play looked complicated, in reality, everything happened so fast. From the kickoff to the goal, not even a minute passed, and hell, the opponent’s players weren’t even ready for that yet.

Instead of answering directly, Makino turned his head at the bench, looking at Kumiko, who applauded the instant goal they scored. He was a normal human here, and it was impossible to track time manually and precisely like a stopwatch. So, it would be better for him to ask the one who held the tool there.

"27 seconds." Makino nodded in satisfaction after receiving the girl’s signal. "How is it, Chibi? The strategy is awesome, right?" He smiled smugly as if it were Higo who suffered.

Higo could only nod silently, though, as this was the first time he had seen a goal like this in his life. Well... Not like he had a vast reference here, but nevertheless, the boy knew that a goal within a minute after the kickoff was something extraordinary.

For this team to pull it out of nowhere...

"Snap it out, Chibi!" Makino suddenly slapped his shoulder with enough strength to wake him up.

Higo shook his head strongly, and before he realized it, all the Hakodate Nishi players were back in their own territory again, yet unlike the kickoff a few seconds ago, they all stared at the opponent’s players with fire in their eyes, as if they were the prey who were ready to hunt their next weak victim.

"Okay, focus, everyone!" Makino shouted once again, making his voice echo throughout the cracked, cold ear on the pitch. "We might have scored a goal already, but we still have a long way! The second half has just started, so make sure you go and defend everything with your life! Do you guys understand?!"

At that question, every single player with the black-and-white jersey on the pitch shouted simultaneously, "Yes, Sir!"