It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, and yet, Denji saw it. Amidst the crowded penalty box, where Yuji was trying to make a run to the left side and attracted the opponent’s defenders even just for a moment, a space opened for Denji to take a direct shot.

The target was just a small spot on the top bins, and if he failed to aim at that, this would’ve just been a wasteful chance. There was definitely pressure on his shoulder right now.

However, Denji lived for this kind of moment. He didn’t even hesitate, not showing any weakness. Before anyone could close down that spot for him, the boy hit the ball quite hard, using his laces to give a boost of power to it.

BAM!

The ball travelled like a bullet, piercing through the wind before slamming the back of the net violently. Hokkaido Science High’s goalkeeper couldn’t even move, too shocked by the sudden attack.

It was just 32 seconds since the second half began, and it only took three passes for Hakodate Nishi to get to this point. From Yuji in the kickoff to Kazawa, to Hiroshi, who gave a cheeky backheel, and now, Denji executed the shot perfectly; no one could see this coming.

Only after Denji saw the ball bouncing weakly on the ground did the boy finally react.

"FUCKING HELL! I DID IT!" He laughed crazily, running to the corner spot while laughing his ass off to celebrate the goal. "I DID IT, DENKI! HAHAHA!"

He jumped crazily, with his face flushing in excitement. Hell, the boy even had an impulsive thought to hit a knee slide, before the last cell in his brain warned him that this is not a grass pitch.

The other Hakodate Nishi players followed as well. The first one to rush was, of course, Denji’s twin brother, who jumped on his back for a piggyback. Then, Hiroshi came, followed by Yuji and Usami, and the other players who were far from the frontline.

"Damn, Denji! What is that shot?!"

"Are you crazy or what?!"

"Good job, Brat!"

Denji just grinned widely, accepting all the hugs and love from the others.

Of course, when there was happiness, there would also be sorrow. In this case, the joy was just on the smaller part of the pitch, while the shock and frustration completely overwhelmed the whole surroundings here.

The people on the sideline just gasped, having their jaws dropped from the shock that Denji sent earlier. Once they were awoken from their dumbfounded state, though, whispers of complaint started to echo from all around the pitch.

’Goddamnit! What is going on here?’

’I know, right? Conceding the second goal so quickly! Are they playing seriously or not here?’

"Are we going to lose this game?’

While there were no boos or something like that, the negative tone of the whispers was enough to make the home team’s players ashamed. They were just a new team formed before the tournament began, and after two brilliant games before, this was the first time they were getting the scrutiny from their own supporters, and the feeling suck.

They themselves were still confused about what was going on here. They still believed that they were playing better than their opponent, and yet, two goals sitting on the back of their nets definitely told a different story here. They had never faced such a team with a quick and decisive counterattack like this, and it was fair to say that they were overwhelmed by everything right now.

"Okay, keep calm, everyone!" Abraham Nori, the team’s captain and also the biggest name among them all, clapped loudly, trying to rescue the team from drowning right then. "We still have 45 minutes remaining! Don’t worry about the score and the other complicated things, let’s get one first before thinking about the others!"

Well, he said nice words here, but this wasn’t enough to lift the mood. Abraham Nori knew that only a goal could give them hope, and that was what he intended to get.

After a while, everyone was finally back to their own area again, and Hokkaido Science High had to start with the kickoff again. This time, it was clear that the quick goal before affected their state, as their movement became clumsier. Contrary to that, Hakodate Nishi’s frontline rushed at them like a pack of hungry wolves, ready to pounce on whoever had the ball.

However, the home team wasn’t just a paper tiger here.

While yes, they were just a new team, and they were down by two goals right now, their quality was still there. It also helped that Abraham Nori decided to drop back further to the midfield area, giving a new life to the team’s engine.

He didn’t just get the ball and redirect it to his teammates, but also controlled the tempo and even dribbled it to attract the opponent’s defenders. If before, the impression everyone had about him was that he was a beast whose off-the-ball movement was like a lunatic, this time, he became a true maestro on the pitch, guiding everything to go the way he wanted to be. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Fortunately, with him retreating, the boy also took away his team’s most threatening spear. The player who filled in the gap on the front line didn’t pose the same weight for Makino and Jun, as those two clearly had an easier time dealing with this.

It was probably the disadvantage of only having one goal scorer on the team. Take him off the frontline, and the team looked so bleak, clueless on how to convert their chances.

Abraham Nori clearly noticed this state as well, and he could only sigh before turning around at the bench helplessly.

’Sensei, can you do something about this?’ He mouthed silently, pleading for help.

Well, the coach was decisive for this. A moment later, two players came off the bench, the ones with the jersey numbers 8 and 11. It was clear based on the number that they were in to add more threat to Hakodate Nishi’s defense, and the away team noticed this fact as well. They just looked at each other solemnly, knowing that everything would change after this.

’Yeah, this should be where the real game begins, huh?’