Chapter 25 – Grinding Game

More than thirty minutes into the game, and neither team had managed to score. Team W launched another offensive, but this time they deviated from their usual tactic of relying on the Wanima brothers. Instead, they tried to probe Team Z's defense with strategic passes, resetting their play whenever they failed to find a breakthrough.

Raito, staying close to Raichi, grinned as he raised his hand, signaling his intent. "It's about time we put some excitement in this game, don't you think?" he teased, his voice dripping with anticipation.

Raichi, feeling on edge, shot him a wary glance. "What are you talking about?"

Before Raichi could get an answer, Team W began their passing routine down the right flank. The Wanima brothers joined the movement in the middle of the pitch, exchanging passes and occasionally sending through balls that were cut off by Team Z. However, their strategy slowly began to pull most of Team Z's defense to the right side, creating an imbalance.

Chigiri, in particular, was under heavy pressure from the Wanima brothers, being forced to chase them constantly. Meanwhile, Team W's deep midfielders abruptly switched tactics, sending a long vertical cross to the left flank. Raito took off, sprinting after the ball, with Raichi following closely behind. The ball landed perfectly on the edge of the midfield, setting up a one-on-one showdown between Raito and Raichi.

"Let's see which lightning strikes first," Raito taunted with an eerie grin.

"Try it, and I'll stop you!" Raichi retorted, his mind racing. 'This is it!' he thought, preparing himself for the crucial defensive moment.

As Raito approached the penalty box, Raichi maintained his distance, ready to react. Suddenly, Raito feinted as though he was cutting inside. 'NOW!' Raichi thought, pivoting quickly to block him. But it was a fake! Raito pushed the ball down the line instead, gaining a step on Raichi.

Frustrated but determined, Raichi recovered just in time to stay ahead of Raito, positioning himself to cut him off once more. But Raito was waiting for this. He executed a second, more deceptive feint, and Raichi overcommitted. In that moment, Raito easily slipped past him by cutting inside for real this time.

"Dammit!" Raichi shouted, watching helplessly as Raito moved into a dangerous position.

With newfound space, Raito wasted no time and unleashed a powerful shot, aiming for the top right corner of the goal. Gagamaru, Team Z's keeper, leaped toward the ball, but he wasn't the one to stop it. Kuon, coming from behind, jumped high and intercepted the ball with a header, sending it away from danger.

"Tch," Raito clicked his tongue in frustration, his moment of glory denied.

As the ball flew back into the midfield, Kira moved in to secure it. However, he was immediately pressed by Team W's attacking midfielder, a player with a much larger build. They fought for position, but Kira, using his agility and cleverness, tricked the bigger player into pushing too hard. Kira used the force to spin around, leaving the Team W player stumbling as he lost his balance. The ball landed exactly where Kira anticipated, and he trapped it smoothly, ready to restart Team Z's offense.

Raichi watched as the game continued, mentally replaying his earlier encounter with Raito. 'That bastard did a slight variation on his trick,' Raichi analyzed. 'And he's faster now.' His frustration deepened as he realized stopping Raito had become a much more daunting task. Suddenly, a loud clang from the crossbar jolted him back to the present moment. Team Z had earned a corner after another failed attempt to score.

Bachira, in charge of the set piece, placed the ball carefully on the ground, spinning it a few times before finding the right spot. He scanned the field, noting the players crowding the box, with Kuon among them, positioning himself to attempt a header. The rest of Team Z spread out strategically around the penalty area, waiting for their moment.

Bachira raised his hand, signaling the start of the play. "Don't let them have any space!" the keeper of Team W shouted. "Keep that guy, Kuon, from scoring!" another defender reminded his teammates near the crossbar.

Kuon, caught in a physical battle for positioning, muttered, "Khh, they're not giving any space at all." Bachira delivered the ball, aiming for Kuon, but it was intercepted before it reached him, flying out of the box. Both teams scrambled for possession, but once again, Kira arrived first. His marker, increasingly frustrated after repeatedly losing to Kira's trickery, couldn't contain himself. He wrapped his hands around Kira's shoulders and shoved him down to the ground in frustration.

PRIT!

The intercom blared, "Team W number 5, you've committed a foul. That will be a yellow card."

Realizing what he'd done, the Team W player stood frozen for a moment before being pushed away by Kunigami, who rushed to Kira's side. "Kira, are you alright?" Kunigami asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kira replied, sitting up and brushing the dirt off his jersey. Kunigami extended a hand, pulling Kira back to his feet.

"Who's gonna take the free kick?" Isagi asked as he approached alongside the other attackers from Team Z.

"I can do it!" Bachira eagerly volunteered, but Kira quickly interrupted, "No way, I'm the one taking it."

The team didn't argue, knowing Kira's determination wouldn't waver. They scattered around the box, positioning themselves as potential passing options. Kira carefully placed the ball on the ground, eyes focused on the goal as Team W set up their human wall with the help of their keeper.

'Around 25–26 meters from the goal,' Kira calculated, assessing the distance. A smirk crossed his face. 'I can make it.'

As both teams finished their preparations, the whistle blew, signaling Kira to begin. He took three steps back, angling his body to the right in the typical stance of a right-footed player. Kira inhaled deeply, then made his approach. His foot struck the ball just below center, slightly off to the side, sending it curling into the air.

The ball soared over the human wall, perfectly arcing toward the top right corner. The keeper leaped, stretching his fingertips, but it wasn't enough. The ball sailed past him and into the back of the net.

Team W: 0 – 1 : Team Z.

Kira's goal broke the deadlock, and Team Z celebrated, huddling around him, cheering for the fantastic strike. Meanwhile, on the other side, Team W was scrambling. Junichi's face contorted into an ugly sneer, his frustration evident. Keisuke, translating his brother's rage, snapped at the defenders, "Hey! You're our defense, so stop them, you idiots! That's what my big bro says!"

One of Team W's defenders clapped back immediately, "Tch, then you should score on all those chances you waste!" The atmosphere on Team W's side grew tense as they began bickering and pointing fingers at each other.

Raito, sensing the growing discord, quickly intervened. "Focus, guys! As long as we equalize by halftime, we'll be fine," he reminded them, bringing the team back to the task at hand.

Team W settled down and restarted the game from the middle of the pitch. But as the minutes ticked away toward halftime, they struggled to capitalize on their chances, with the Wanima brothers unable to break through Team Z's defense again. Sensing the opportunity to press their advantage, Team Z began using more players in attack, overloading the final third with passing options.

Bachira threaded a through ball to the center, where Isagi was already making his run. Isagi wasted no time and struck the ball toward the right side of the goalpost, but Team W's keeper reacted swiftly, catching the ball and denying the goal.

"Too slow," Isagi cursed, frustrated by the missed opportunity.

Wasting no time, Team W's keeper launched a powerful kick downfield, sending the ball to their left flank. Raito, in a one-on-one situation with Raichi, accelerated down the sideline, forcing Raichi to match his pace.

"Tch," Raichi grumbled, struggling to keep up as Raito charged forward. Near the penalty box, Raito chopped the ball inward, subtly shoving Raichi in the back. The move caused Raichi to lose his balance, leaving Raito with the space he needed.

With Raichi out of the way, Raito unleashed a powerful shot aimed at the top right corner. This time, neither Gagamaru nor Kuon could stop him, both arriving a split second too late.

Team W: 1 – 1 : Team Z.

Team W had equalized just before the halftime whistle, leveling the score and setting the stage for an intense second half.