The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 85: Is Higo Okay?!

In any blitzkrieg attack scenarios that Hakodate Nishi players trained for, the second ball would always be a transit point, where the one who acted as the anchor would send the ball to the other players sneaking around and penetrating from the flank. However, it was completely different for Sappotani.

No, they had Yuwell Carlson, a behemoth who could do anything on the pitch.

Right after he received the ball from the back, the Swedish striker used the crudest and yet roughest way to break through Hakodate Nishi’s side. He controlled the ball with his chest, and using his superior height and weight, the boy overpowered Makino instantly, leaving the captain in the dust.

"FUCK! JUN, COVER THE FRONT! FUJI, PUT PRESSURE FROM HIS LEFT SIDE! TOGETHER WITH HORI! DON’T LET HIM GET AWAY!" Higo shouted to the point his voice turned hoarse, finding the situation to be dangerous.

He had already seen Makino’s fall before it happened, which made the command relayed on time. Three players were able to surround Yuwell Carlson within a second, not giving the boy any chance to escape.

However, like simple math, when there were three players gathering, there would be more space empty on the other side to exploit, and that was what Yuwell Carlson did.

He sent a quick through pass, aiming straight at the left wing, where Kawano, the player with the jersey number 23, had already made his run.

"FUCK! HORI, RUN! RUN! RUN!"

"I FUCKING GET IT! SHUT UP!"

Hori scowled, gritting his teeth while also trying to activate all of the muscles on his lower body to increase his speed. The boy even felt the burn on his calf, but right now, that was the least thing he cared about. No, his attention was fully on the opponent in front of him, trying to stop that player before he reached the ball.

"FUCK! I CANNOT DO THIS! SENPAI, CHARGE!" He roared, getting out of breath.

The position was indeed reachable for Higo to interfere. However, it was far from ideal for the goalie to charge in. After all, the ball was on the edge of the penalty box, and Kawano was already two steps behind the ball. If Higo blitzed in right now, he would only make a fool of himself.

’No, I have to use my prediction to the fullest. Come on, tell me where the ball is going in...’ He gritted his teeth, eyeing the ball carefully while also waiting for the cross to fly.

He still had his hand on the goal post to make sure that no shot would be aimed at that tight angle. However, the moment his brain caught something, the boy moved immediately, not even thinking about it.

’THERE!’

The cross was low, but the direction was tricky. Higo could reach it with a dive, but he had to duel first since Yuwell Carlson, with his rhinoceros physicality, also slid with one foot extended far to reach the ball after running at the maximum speed, leaving his three defenders to dust.

In the end, though...

BRUGH!

"AAARGH!" Higo roared, feeling a sharp pain in his thigh.

When the dust was unsettled, the scene there sent horror to all the witnesses’ eyes.

There, they saw Yuwell Carlson, a big guy with a height of over 190 cm and a weight of around 90 to 100 kg, having one of his feet land straight at Higo’s inner thigh. To make it worse, the studs of his shoes scratched the skin, leaving a long scar and even a trace of blood that looked way more painful than anyone could imagine.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" It was not often for Kumiko to curse, but when that happened, the problem would always be way beyond her capability, enough to make her panic. "MEDIC! MEDIC, WHERE ARE YOU?!" She asked frantically, blood drained from her face.

This was not something that she, a sophomore high school student, could handle. Fortunately, this was Sapporo Dome, and the medical team here was professional. After the referee also signalled them to come over, a medical team with two people ran toward the pitch immediately, checking the injury on Higo’s thigh.

While she watched Higo getting treated, the girl bit her lips, somehow getting anxious as time went by. Her eyes also darted to the side where Higo’s mother was sitting, just to find the woman looked like she was about to pass out. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Fortunately, even with the worst-case scenario lingering inside everyone’s head, the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed. After getting several treatments, the medical team gave an okay, ran back to their original spot, and one of the men informed what had happened to her.

"Don’t worry, just a skin injury. The scar might look nasty, but it isn’t that deep. Just go to the clinic after the match is over and follow the treatment given, and the scar will disappear in a week."

Hearing that, relief washed over her shoulders as she bowed quickly. "Thank you for your help, Sensei..."

It could be said that all the Hakodate Nishi players were also on the same boat here. They didn’t even have the mood to complain to the referee for this excessive call, only waiting silently for the matter to be resolved.

The one who was the most nervous here had to be Jun, as he was the only backup goalkeeper that the team had. If only Higo couldn’t continue the game anymore, he had to replace his senpai, and based on his performance as an emergency goalkeeper in the past, the boy was so sure he wouldn’t be able to survive the wave of offense from Sappotani High.

That was why, the first time he saw Higo standing—even though his senpai was still limping—the boy was the first one who came.

"Senpai, you really scare the shit out of us here!"

Makino followed with a nod. "He is right, Chibi. Bloody hell... You can be passionate, but please, prioritize safety."

Higo cringed a little, somehow feeling offended that the captain thought he was too reckless. However, the long, thin scar on his thigh, coupled with the vain trace of the studs there, was enough to show that they had a point here.

So, with a reluctant expression, he just gave a nod. "Don’t worry, I will be extra careful later."