The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 124: Need More Test

"Jun, hold him back! Don’t let him get through you!"

"Fuck it, Denji, get ready to foul!"

Panic fell on Hakodate’s side as they watched Riku receiving the ball near the penalty box. Although the angle was still tricky for the boy to take a shot—except if he did a curl, of course—the sequence of dribbling earlier was enough to give them PTSD, and now, they didn’t dare to let the boy roam freely in front of them.

Jun was stepping back for a moment, ready to pounce when Riku took action. Ishinori also came, closing the other space to force the opponent into a tighter area. Those two were defending with all their might, and Makino also followed along as the captain was tracking every single player of Echigo Academy, making sure that no one was able to sneak in.

However, even with him being surrounded like this, Riku was still calm. The ball seemed to be glued to his feet, and with impressive footwork and change of pace, in the next second, the boy had already passed the two defenders so easily.

"FUCK!"

"No way! Captain, backup!"

Unfortunately, Makino was not in a position to back them up. No, he was entangled with two Echigo players sneaking behind him, and if the boy left them open, a cutback pass would hurt Higo more than right now.

’Sorry, Chibi, you have to fight him alone.’ Makino gnashed his teeth, apologizing silently.

Well, Higo himself didn’t really mind. If anything, this was exactly what he wanted. The chance to get a one-on-one duel like this would make sure that the last incident was real or just a coincidence.

’Now, come on... Let’s see where you are going...’ The goalkeeper licked his lips unconsciously, stepping forward to narrow the area that Riku could aim. Then, something flashed in his brain, and without hesitation, Higo kneeled. ’Down between my legs!’

However, in the next second, he froze, and somehow, his hand moved faster than his brain could comprehend. It waved at the air in a sweeping move, and once Higo felt a weight on that particular hand, he slapped it toward the outside pitch immediately.

Thud!

"Oh! Nice save, Senpai!"

"That’s what I am talking about, Chibi! Come on!"

Both Jun and Makino roared in celebration when they saw Higo manage to save this desperate situation. Riku himself clicked his tongue in annoyance, but his eyes shone differently when he stared at Higo.

As for the goalkeeper... Well, he couldn’t share their enthusiasm right now. No, his brain recalled everything inside his mind earlier, including why his hand suddenly moved without the impulse from the brain.

’No, it is not that my hand moves instinctively. I saw that as well.’ His mood was solemn. ’Right after I shut the area between my legs, another image of the future flashes inside my head again, showing that the previous future is not valid anymore. What is this, some sort of a butterfly effect?’

Honestly, this was the first time this happened, and Higo had no idea how to handle this matter. He just stared at Riku as if the blonde boy were an alien, and after thinking for a few more seconds, he came to Makino with a question in mind.

"Oi, Teme, even if I lost a goal, you wouldn’t really mind, right?"

Makino, who was taking a bottle of water near the goal post while also waiting for the corner kick to start, just looked at his friend confusedly. "Well, it depends on the situation, but as long as it is not from a stupid mistake, I don’t think anyone will blame you."

The captain himself knew the principle of handling a goalkeeper in the team. Being one was so difficult, getting blamed by the outside world for every goal the team conceded, even if most of the time, it wasn’t the goalie’s fault that it happened.

So, the best thing the defenders could do was to have their goalkeeper’s back, never blaming them except for a stupid mistake that could still possibly happen in the middle of the game.

"Good enough." Higo nodded in satisfaction. "After this, can you bait that boy into a one-on-one duel situation against me again? There is still something I need to confirm here."

Makino was startled, now starting to wonder if his friend had gotten sick right then. After all, who was in their right mind to ask the opponent’s best player to have a one-on-one duel against the goalkeeper? That was definitely a suicidal mission!

The captain even had the urge to ask whether something had hit Higo’s head before, but seeing the solemnity on the goalkeeper’s eyes, he swallowed all the question back to his throat, knowing that the boy was dead serious here.

"Honestly, I don’t know what you are trying to achieve, but this is stupid, anyway. I will give you one chance, but if you concede a goal, no more stupidity for the rest of the tournament, you get it?!"

For that, Higo just offered a weak grin as he nodded, "Don’t worry, Cap! Consider the mission done!"

Of course, it wasn’t an easy mission to get Riku to a one-on-one duel against Higo again. If Makino did it too deliberately, he could be suspected of a match-fixing scandal, and it would ruin his life forever. No, the captain needed subtlety, and that was not something that came quite naturally in the game.

However, soon enough, the opportunity finally came.

It started with Fujinaga failing to clear the ball far, and in return, it was intercepted by one of Echigo’s players, before they started making a combination pass from one to another to the point that the ball finally arrived at Riku’s feet.

It was also a failed transition attack, so the defensive shape was still in a scramble right now. Of course, normally, Makino would take an action, probably in line with putting more physical pressure on the opponent, to even foul him if necessary.

However, this time, he pretended to get caught off guard as well, reacting too late while also inwardly praying, ’I have given you the chance that you want, so please, don’t disappoint the team, Chibi!’