The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 81: Conceding a Goal?!

’Shit, Teme! You just added more jobs for me!’ Higo gritted his teeth, moving slightly to the right side while also keeping his eyes on the ball in the air.

He saw this scene already in his head, and yet, Higo was unsure whether he could get it. After all, while the first shot was not that powerful, after getting blocked by Makino’s knee, the ball soared so high, moving more like a lob straight to the top bins. For a short goalkeeper like him, this was definitely his biggest nightmare.

’Fuck, what is the use of knowing where the ball would go if I couldn’t stop it?’ He scowled. ’No, stay calm, just keep eyes on the ball and mind my timing... Mind my timing... Now!’

The moment he thought the ball was within his reach, Higo leaped to the back, left hand extending far to reach the ball before it could cross the goal line. His attempt was proven to be useful, though, as the boy could feel the ball in his hand. With a little flick, he was able to send it back to the pitch again.

Brugh!

’Urgh!’ He groaned after his body got slammed to the ground.

However, before he could let out a sigh, his clairvoyance ability flared once again, and he saw the opponent’s right midfielder had snuck already, so close to the ball.

"FUCK! NO!"

Higo jumped so stubbornly, pouncing straight to the ball while also ignoring the pain in his body. Unfortunately, this time, he was fooled completely, because that midfielder didn’t aim for the goal. No, that boy sent a short cutback to the middle, and Yuwell Carlson, who was the first one to fall in this attack sequence, was already there, tapping the ball easily to the goal.

Thud!

Silence...

Silence hit the pitch instantly, as the only sound that could be heard there was the ball bouncing softly on the ground. Some still couldn’t process what was going on here, while the others had their jaws dropped in disbelief.

Yuwell Carlson himself, the man who stole the protagonist role in the last second, was breathing heavily, glancing around to make sure the goal was valid. Then...

FWEEE!

The referee blew the whistle and was pointing at the center of the pitch, and that was when hell finally broke loose.

"OH, YEAH!"

"DAMN! FINALLY, WE SCORE ONE!"

"HAHAHA! I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOON!"

Yuwell Carlson laughed so freely, running so quickly to the stand where all the Sappotani’s supporters gathered before jumping high, punching the air passionately. He was followed by the other players, as everyone joined the celebration with the same passion.

"Good job, Yuwell!"

"Damn, you are really our lucky charm!"

"Come on, add more!"

The situation there was so festive, completely different than the grim atmosphere on the away team’s side. Everyone had their head bowed, with some still panting heavily, with tears falling from the corner of their eyes.

Higo himself hadn’t gotten up from the ground yet. No, he was lying on the pitch, covering his face with one hand while also trying his best to make his breath steady. The adrenaline kick before was too much, and once the confrontation was over, once everything was settled with him taking the L, he collapsed immediately.

"Damn... I am so fucking close..." He muttered under his breath, recalling his action before. "If only I didn’t jump at him... If only I didn’t rush at him..."

Yeah, his regret was clear right now. He jumped at that midfielder too quickly, while his clairvoyant vision was still not over. Once his mind was calmer, he could recall that his brain tried to tell him that a pass to the center would be sent, and yet, he was too reckless at that time, resulting in the team conceding a goal.

"No, Senpai, that was my fault." Jun suddenly spoke, his smile was so bitter and full of guilt. It seemed that Higo mumbled too loudly here. "It was me who lost Yuwell after that duel, letting him get into such a great position to get the ball. It is my responsibility to let him slip."

Everyone was so quiet, with none of them even willing to comfort the boy. They were too busy falling into the deep hole of depression, unable to get out of it.

In the end, it was Makino, who, even with a heavy face, still smacked all of them one by one.

"Okay, enough, Bastards!" He scolded them all loudly. "If you want to blame someone, blame me! I was the one who deflected the ball and forced Higo to make a difficult save before! But do it after the game is over! Now, focus on what is in front of you first! We still have three minutes before the first half is over, so let’s not make any stupid mistake again, and let Kumiko-chan think of the solution, okay?!"

Even though the atmosphere was still gloomy, the speech worked a little, as everyone was finally willing to move again to start the game. However, the effect of that goal was still lingering, with them moving confusedly like they were just a bunch of headless chickens.

Hell, at some points, before the first half was over, another attack came, and this time, taking advantage of the slow coordination in Hakodate Nishi’s defense, Kenji Harada sent a curl straight to the top bins, the spot where Higo had found it difficult to reach before. Fortunately, this time, he was able to react quickly, tipping the ball before it went into the goal.

BAM!

"Oh, almost!"

"Damn, keep it up, everyone!"

"Just add another goal before the break!"

"Come on, Sappotani!"

Higo himself just shook his head helplessly. Not like the usual, he didn’t shout or scold anyone, still having the taste of defeat from conceding a goal before lingering in his head.

The situation kept getting worse for Hakodate Nishi. Fortunately, their instinct to defend was so strong that it was enough to hold back Sappotani until the first half was finally over. And when the referee blew the whistle...

Fweee!

The first one who reacted was Kumiko, as the girl got up from the bench and said, "Come here, everyone. Huddle up."