Hiroshi couldn’t help but grin when he saw the ball landing straight into his boot. Hell, he didn’t even need to adjust his running- just a little flick with his toe to keep the ball forward, and everything was good for him.

’Damn, Takaaki! Your pass is getting more outrageous by days!’ He laughed inwardly.

"SHIT! COVER! RIGHT BACK, DON’T LET HIM GO!" Naoya cursed when he saw this.

"Don’t worry, I get this!"

"The middle is clear! The middle is clear! Slow him down and drift him to the edge!"

Unlike the situation during the first goal, this time, even though Toin Gakuen got caught off guard, most of them were still in their own territory, so their reaction was quite quick. They showed why they were one of the best defensive teams here, covering all the ground within a second since the attack started to run.

It also helped that no Hakodate Nishi players were found in the penalty box. With both Hiroshi and Kenji spreading apart, the best chance here was either Kenji or Usami popping from the far post, and now, that area was heavily guarded.

Now, Hiroshi only had Denji on the left side, and not only was he getting pushed away from the penalty box, but the boy could also see Naoya rushing at him at full speed like a rabid dog. At this point, everyone inside the stadium could see how this would end up, and it should be a change of possession to Toin Gakuen again.

Well... Everyone, but the Hakodate Nishi’s players.

While Toin Gakuen had the blind confidence that Naoya and the others would be able to stop the attack, Hakodate Nishi’s squad also had something similar here. The belief built by so many simulation trainings in the past played a big role this time, driving them crazy even when facing the toughest wall they had ever faced.

While holding the ball, Hiroshi didn’t panic here. He observed all of his players’ movements, and even though they didn’t communicate for a single word here, they all knew which scheme they should play.

The boy waited patiently, letting himself get surrounded by Naoya, who was coming closer to him. The moment the DM was close enough to extend his feet and try to snatch the ball from Hiroshi’s possession, Hiroshi let the collision happen, but not before passing the ball back to Takaaki.

Brugh!

"SHIT!" Naoya cursed when he realized that Hiroshi was falling on him. It wasn’t from the pain, but more of a panic from the realization that he just got baited for good. "DAMN!"

Thud!

Being the sniper he was, Takaaki didn’t even control the ball first. No, he didn’t want to give any Toin Gakuen players a chance to get closer to him. He pinpointed the ball in a beautiful curve cross, giving an illusion that the ball was about to get into the goalkeeper’s reach before it bent sharply toward the far post where Kenji and Usami were already there.

"HA! GOOD PASS, SENPAI!"

"DON’T LET HIM JUMP! DON’T LET HIM JUMP!"

Somehow, four players gathered there, and the goalkeeper couldn’t help but feel nervous. He had already taken an awkward step due to misjudging the curve motion on the cross, and now, the boy could see that so many areas of his goal were exposed quite openly. Kenji also noticed this, and even though two players were surrounding him, the boy still leaped higher than anyone else, reaching the ball first in the air.

Thud!

Even though the goalkeeper also took action, Kenji was still able to aim the ball at the hardest angle for the boy to reach. As a result, it slipped from his grasp, hitting the net gently for the second time today.

"OH! GOAL!"

"COME ON, KENJI! WHAT A GOAL!"

"HELL, YEAH!"

Even the ever-calm Usami roared, jumping on the boy’s back while also punching the air passionately. He was followed by Hiroshi, the twins, Takaaki, and the rest of the team, who ran crazily as if they had just scored the winning goal of the World Cup. Kenji himself didn’t celebrate that crazily like in the first half. However, he still didn’t forget to throw a jab at the opponent’s supporters, shrugging his shoulders helplessly as if he couldn’t help but score the goal.

"Stop provoking them like that, Brat!" Makino laughed, couldn’t help but scold his kouhai playfully. "Still, good job. Everything really goes as our scenario!" He ruffled Kenji’s hair fondly before finally joining the group hug.

In return, Kenji just grinned smugly. "Ha! What else did you expect, Senpai?!"

Meanwhile, the entire stadium went quiet for that goal. No one could imagine that a minute after the second half began—hell, it should be less, around 50 seconds, probably—the away team would steal a goal from Toin gakuen. None of them even answered the provocation shrug from Kenji, too dumbfounded by the scene in front of them.

"What the hell is going on here..."

"This should be too fast, right? I mean, I haven’t even taken a seat properly!"

"For God’s sake! Are we going to lose?!"

Even the crowd from the other teams was bewildered by this development.

"I mean, they also tried to launch a quick attack against us, right?" Mamoru Suzuki couldn’t help but ask his teammates here. "One time we played against them in Niigata, I mean? You guys remember that, right?"

"Yeah, but at that time, the play is still quite immature." Takagi, the team’s captain, replied solemnly. "At that time, I didn’t truly pay attention, thinking that it was just a wishful attempt on their part. But now... With how coordinated they moved..."

"It looks like everything is preplanned, right?" Mamoru finished with the same solemnity. "That was the kind of attack that they have to repeat so many times in the training session to make it perfect. That means the last time was not just a mere whimsical idea, but something that they tried to develop further..."

All eyes turned to Hakodate Nishi’s bench immediately, staring at Kumiko, who was applauding for the goal. "Heh... I think whoever looks down on them has to prepare to get beaten, because it doesn’t look like she is messing around, eh?"