The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 354: Hakodate Nishi’s Reaction!

’Kenji, you fucking bastard...’ Denji gritted his teeth as he increased his speed; his thighs started to burn inside. ’What the fuck are you trying to do, kill me?!’

While indeed, Kenji managed to deceive the opponent with his little flick like this, the touch was heavy, going so fast that it was so close to the baseline. Now, the only thing Denji could do was to run as quickly as he could, hoping that he could get in touch in time after this.

"FUCK! STOP HIM!"

The pass truly came unexpectedly, especially since the opponent’s full back thought that Kenji would execute it alone. It also helped that Denji came from everyone’s blind spot, giving him an edge in this race. Now, that fullback tried his best to chase Denji, but the boy was one step ahead here.

This also attracted Taiga Nagai’s attention in the middle. After all, if that fullback failed to stop Denji, it would be he who had to clean up the mess. This left a little space in the penalty area, one that Usami managed to sneak into.

Unfortunately, Denji was too busy chasing the ball here. He didn’t have any time to glance at the box because the ball was already a foot away from the line. With the last drop of fuel inside him, the boy finally gritted his teeth, sliding on the ground with one foot extended far to reach the ball before forcefully crossing it to the middle.

Thud!

"Oh, yes, Tiger-san! Another awesome defense!"

"Come on!"

Taiga Nagai didn’t have any difficulty in blocking that cross. In fact, the boy felt pity that he couldn’t clear it forward, only giving Hakodate Nishi an unnecessary corner kick. Still, with their average height, he was confident that no team in Japan would be able to get them in this regard, so he didn’t lament it for too long.

It seemed Hakodate Nishi players also realized that.

Kenji, who was following behind, didn’t even wait for the players to gather in the box. He picked up the ball on the sideline, putting it immediately in the corner spot before sending a pass to Denji, who had already gotten up from the ground.

"Shit! A quick corner!"

"Shut him down! Shut him down!"

Hannan University High’s defenders proved how easy it was to surround a player on the flank. Right within a second, they encircled Denji there, ready to kick the ball away from the play. However...

"Denji, send it back!" Kenji suddenly shouted, pointing at the space behind him. "I’ll get it!"

Well, Denji didn’t have any choice here. He rolled the ball with his sole, giving it to Kenji, who had already moved back after executing the corner kick. The boy also moved quickly. He didn’t stick with the ball for too long, sending it to the center area slightly outside of the penalty box.

"YES, TAKAAKI! THAT’S YOUR CHANCE!"

"SMACK THEM!"

Takaaki had a glimmer in his eyes when he saw the ball rolling toward him. ’This kind of chance will not come twice in a day, right?’ He adjusted his stance a little bit, ready to whack the ball. However, the boy also noticed two players shutting down all the routes in front of him, so he changed his mind quickly.

’Captain, this is for you!’

With a dummy move, he pretended to shoot the ball on his own, just to let it slide between his legs smoothly. Those two defenders earlier got caught off guard, widening their eyes in shock with curses coming out of their mouths.

"FUCK! DON’T LET HIM SHOOT!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. Even though Makino’s position created a slightly difficult angle for him to whack the ball with power, the boy also possessed a good technique. Coupled with the fact that no pressure was coming from the opponent’s side, he took all of his time in the world before bending the ball toward the back post.

CLANK!

"Fucking hell..." Makino stared at the ball hitting the goal post with his jaws dropped, clutching his head before cursing once again. "Goddamnit! So close!"

"OH! What a strike!"

"That’s his captain, right?! It seems they still have something hidden!"

"Come on! Show us more!"

The supporters also grew restless at the shot, knowing that they were going to see more of Hakodate Nishi’s untapped potential today. The same sentiment couldn’t really be shared toward the players on the pitch, though, as right now, all the Hakodate players wanted was to pick up a lead again.

"Don’t mind, Captain! That’s a good attempt!"

"Come on! We can do this again!"

True enough, after the goal from Hannan University High, the game became more open. The duel in the midfield started to intensify, especially since Makino played a more active role in battling both Kei Murakami and Matthew Edwards. With him being around, Takaaki’s job in dictating the tempo was also a little bit easier, as he didn’t always have to worry about not having a backup behind him.

While it wasn’t their usual style, compared to Hannan University High’s midfielders, whose focus was more on scrapping any second ball, Hakodate Nishi also started to get more control. In this scenario, Takaaki and Usami shone the most as the commanders on the center line, dictating the tempo in Hakodate Nishi’s favor.

"Go left! Go left!"

"Denji, behind you!"

"Pass it faster! Don’t hold it for too long!"

"Yes, Takaaki! Get through him!"

The crowds were also amazed by how Hakodate Nishi’s midfielders ran the game.

"Holy fuck... I know they can do it! They just want to take an easy way to defend after getting the lead!"

"That glasses boy is a pure engine! Can you see how he always gets the ball every few seconds?! This is crazy!"

Unfortunately, while Hakodate Nishi started to get more possession, their offense met a brick wall. Kenji and Hiroshi couldn’t really break through the combination of Taiga Nagai and Ritsu Onishi, finding them always able to read their whole movement. Kenji, in particular, started to get frustrated as he was being shadowed at all times by the national-level defender.

’Fucking hell... I cannot move at all!’