Chapter 17 – Half-time Strategy

In the locker room, Team Z was buzzing with energy after their commanding first-half performance. Kuon clapped his hands, his voice filled with enthusiasm, "Good job, guys! Let's keep it up till the end!" The players were high-fiving, hydrating, and excitedly discussing their dominance over Team Y.

"They couldn't stop our offenses at all," Naruhaya grinned. "Did you guys see their faces? This game's gonna be a piece of cake!"

Raichi, however, had a different concern. "Tch, I still haven't scored yet. You guys need to pass to me more."

Bachira, never missing a chance to tease, chimed in, "We did! You're just bad at scoring!"

"My sexy shot is bad because you delivered a bad pass!" Raichi shot back, sparking a playful argument. Their banter filled the room with laughter, though it was clear Raichi's competitive spirit was still burning.

Amid the lively chatter, Isagi sat quietly, drying his face with a towel. His mind, however, wasn't on their success. Instead, it was focused on Niko, Team Y's key player.

'Whenever I press him, he always knows exactly when to get away,' Isagi thought. 'When I try to cut off his passing lanes, he dribbles and pulls me out of position, creating space for his teammates. I've let him slip by too many times, and every time, he's used it to launch an attack.'

Frustration mixed with admiration as Isagi replayed Niko's moves in his head. 'I can't let him do whatever he wants anymore!'

His eyes scanned the room, searching for inspiration, and then landed on Kira. 'That's right, I can ask Kira for help.' Feeling a spark of hope, Isagi made his way over to Kira, who was sitting on the bench, sipping from his water bottle. Kira noticed Isagi approaching, sensing his teammate's intensity. "What's up, Isagi?" he asked.

Sitting beside Kira, Isagi carefully thought about how to frame his question. After a moment, he finally spoke. "Kira-san, I've done what you asked and I understand that Niko is the heart of Team Y. But... how do I stop someone who uses everyone around him to attack?"

Kira listened thoughtfully before responding. "What do you think his weapon is?"

Isagi was taken aback. "Huh? Oh! I think he has great organizational skills on the pitch—he's able to move his teammates into positions where they can advance the ball."

Kira nodded. "That's true, but that's the second step. What's the first step? What allows Niko to make those plays? Why do you think he can direct his teammates so well?"

Isagi fell silent, pondering the question. "Well... I noticed he's always moving his head, constantly looking around. As if he's scanning the entire field…"

He trailed off, realizing the key piece of the puzzle. His mind clicked as he pieced together Niko's strength—his vision of the field. Seeing that Isagi had found his answer, Kira let him be.

Kira's attention shifted back to the rest of the team, where Bachira was now making funny faces at Raichi, who was chasing him around the room. Kunigami ended up being used as a shield by Bachira. Their argument had turned into a comedic spectacle, and the entire team was in high spirits, ready for the second half.

.

.

In the other locker room, the mood was far from hopeful. The air was thick with frustration and bitterness as Team Y replayed their humiliating first half against Team Z. Memories of their defeat to Team V resurfaced, compounding their anger as they faced the possibility of another devastating loss. Shouts and accusations echoed around the room as the players vented their frustrations, each trying to pin the blame on someone else.

"You call that defense, Takeyama!?" Rokkaku shouted angrily.

"Say that to yourself!" Takeyama shot back, just as heated.

"Why'd you let that number 8 dribble past you like it was nothing!?" Suzuki yelled at Kagura. "Don't you want to win!?"

"Why don't you try defending him and see how you do!?" Kagura retorted, his patience wearing thin.

Amid the chaos, Okawa tried to play the peacemaker. "Guys, calm down! We still have the second half to turn things around."

But his attempt backfired as the others turned their frustration toward him. "You shouldn't be talking, Okawa! What happened to that fancy shooting technique of yours?" someone snapped.

"Yeah, we wouldn't be in this mess if you'd scored!" another chimed in.

Okawa, already on edge, finally snapped. He began yelling back, and soon the tension in the room escalated into a full-blown argument. It was chaos, the players' frustrations boiling over, threatening to derail any chance of recovery.

Niko, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, had finally had enough. Normally calm and composed, Niko wasn't one to raise his voice, but this situation demanded it. The pressure of being in last place after their loss to Team V weighed heavily on him, and with everything on the line, he couldn't stay silent anymore.

"ENOUGH!" Niko's voice rang out, loud and commanding, cutting through the noise like a knife. The room went silent as all eyes turned to him, surprised by the uncharacteristic outburst from their typically reserved teammate.

"We don't have time for this nonsense! If we lose this game, it's over for us!" Niko continued, his voice steady but firm. "So get it together and focus on the second half!"

The weight of Niko's words sank in. The reality hit the team hard—if they lost, their football careers would be over. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as the players, some shooting guilty looks, others taking deep breaths to calm down, realized they had to pull themselves together.

Once the team had settled down, Niko began laying out their plan for the second half. "We need to disrupt their rhythm when they're passing and building up to our box. We can't let them do as they please anymore," he started.

"Easier said than done," Kagura muttered. "Numbers 7 and 8 blow past us with their dribbling like it's nothing."

"Number 9 has a strong shot, but we've managed to seal him off so far," another player added.

"Yeah, but it's impossible to steal the ball from number 7. He just doesn't lose possession."

Niko listened but steered the conversation back on track. "We need to abandon our original strategy and play aggressively for the rest of the game."

"That's going to exhaust us before we even get a chance to create goals," one player pointed out. "This tactic will take everything out of us, physically and mentally."

"If we lose, it's all over anyway," Okawa interjected. "I'll help out on defense too. Let's overload the midfield."

"So, Niko," another player asked, "what's your plan to disrupt their play?"

Niko nodded, ready to explain. "We may not be able to steal the ball from number 7, but numbers 10 and 11 are different. They're not as secure in possession."

The team leaned in as Niko outlined the details of his strategy. He explained how they would target Raichi and Isagi, waiting for the perfect moment to steal the ball and counterattack with everything they had.

"Seems a bit brutal, don't you think?" one player hesitated.

"I don't care! As long as we win the game!" Kagura shot back. "What, you scared?"

"I'm not disagreeing," the player muttered.

"Our attack depends on taking out those two. When we get the ball, we put everything into that one counterattack," Niko concluded, his voice filled with determination.

Team Y, now focused and unified, listened intently. They knew the second half would be brutal, but they were ready to follow Niko's plan and fight for their survival.