"Yes! Come on, Hiroshi!"

"Nice shot! That should be the goal of the tournament, right?!"

"Ha! If anyone records it, you can brag about this goal for the rest of your life!"

"Come on!"

It was the 89th minute of the game, and the super-long shot from Hiroshi really sealed the deal. With three goals behind, even if the home team put ten more players on the pitch, they wouldn’t have any time to tie the score, let alone overtake it.

It seemed that everyone knew about this as well. Some of the Hokkaido Science High players had already thrown themselves to the ground with the butt first, their spirits getting crushed by the situation. Now, they were not even willing to continue the game anymore, just wanting to disappear from earth.

The only reason they still hadn’t run away, though, was that because the crowd was still here, shouting as loudly as at the beginning of the game.

"Come on! Don’t show us something like that!"

"Get up, everyone! Even if you lost, show some character here!"

"Yeah, you can be defeated, but you cannot just stop like this!"

It was crazy that even though the final result had basically been determined, they still kept going, with so few having already left the pitch here. They still showed their unwavering support, demanding that the players on the pitch show their spirit. The fact that they were so close to the players inside also made their voice louder, making even their opponents feel goosebumps right now.

"Damn, they sure are impressive, huh?" Higo couldn’t help but mutter as he glanced at the boy close to his height, still shouting behind his goal. "For a new team, I have to give them a hat’s off for this kind of loyalty."

Makino, who overheard that, couldn’t help but nod. For a new team, it would usually take quite a long time to build an emotional connection with the fans. Usually, if they could gather some numbers, most of them would only be there just for the glory.

Now, to see the people around still supporting the team when they were on this steep road, he had to say that this was an impressive display.

"Anyway, just concentrate on the game, Teme!" Higo slapped him on the back once again, snapping him from his thoughts. "The final result is already secured, but I still want to keep my clean sheet record here. Any complaint?"

Makino shook his head quickly. If he had a choice, he would also want to keep the goal clean here. After all, any goal they conceded would be associated with how bad the defense was, as the blame would never fall on Higo’s head.

Fortunately, everything went well for the rest of the game. No dangerous attack came from the opponent’s side, and the duo of Sano and Makino was able to repel all the threats from coming to their own side.

The referee gave four minutes of additional injury time, but at this point, the game had died already. They all were just waiting for the final whistle, and the moment the referee blew it, all the Hakodate Nishi started to laugh in celebration.

"YES! Come on!" Makino hugged Higo quite tightly, knowing that the goalkeeper was the biggest contributor to today’s defense. "We are going to the dome again! Come on!"

The others were also cheering each other, with them all gathering around the twins.

"Denji, you bastard! Are you trying to steal my position or what?!" Ishinori laughed while rubbing his kouhai’s hair fondly.

"Bah! Get ready, Nori! Soon, you will be sitting on the bench together with me!" Hori retorted sarcastically. However, the arm around Denki’s shoulder told everyone that the boy himself had already made peace with this fact.

While the others were still celebrating, Higo saw Abraham Nori, the player who had been troubling him since the beginning of the game, lying on the ground, having no energy left to run. Seeing this, he pondered for a moment before approaching that boy, offering a handshake.

"Good game." He spoke genuinely. "You don’t know how many times I thought you would just hit one to the back of the net. You are a good player, and this result is not your fault."

Indeed, the game itself, overall, only troubled Hakodate Nishi’s midfield. Other than that, while Makino and Jun were knackered, the threat was just too one-dimensional, always focusing on Abraham Nori. There was no variation or initiative for the other players to try, and that also made Higo’s job easier today.

Abraham Nori blinked for a moment, surprised that he would be approached by the opponent here. His curly hair was still disheveled, and his dark skin couldn’t even hide the sweat glistening on his face.

Facing this praise, though, he could only smile wryly here. "Yeah, no shit. Just be honest, okay? We couldn’t even throw a threat that could make you sweat, right? No wonder you are considered the best goalkeeper in this prefecture. You will go far in the future."

"Ha! Do you think I need to hear it from you?" Higo grinned, patting the boy’s shoulder firmly.

The others could also be seen shaking hands with each other. While the Hokkaido Science High’s players were still depressed, they had already moved, not wanting to be here for too long. They came to the sideline, bowing deeply to the supporters. This was the gesture they had to show, especially since the people back there had been supporting them even in their lowest moment.

All the Hakodate Nishi players also watched them carefully. Some of their opponents could be seen crying, telling them all how seriously they treated the game here. Seeing this, Makino couldn’t help but smile here.

"Next year, they are going to be a more formidable opponent. So, get ready for their revenge, okay?"

All the players besides Kuroki, Higo, and Makino, who were about to retire this year, cringed for a moment, not wanting to think that far. Still, they etched the scene in front of them into the back of their heads, knowing that next year, this team would be way more dangerous than now.

’Damn, it seems, a stronger team will appear in the future! Hokkaido cannot stay calm anymore!’