Chapter 36: Burn the Boats — Team Y's Do-or-Die Counterattack
"Everyone quiet down and listen to me."
Inside Team Y's locker room, all eyes turned toward Ikki Niko.
He gritted his teeth. He knew what he was about to say was extremely risky, but at this point, Team Y had no other choice.
"We have nowhere left to retreat. This match has pushed us right to the edge of the cliff. Our only option now is to fight with everything we have. We can only use that tactic—full-team offense!"
If Hibiki Okawa couldn't break through Ryosuke Kira alone, then the entire team would attack Kira together!
No matter how strong Kira was, there was no way he could defend against an entire team's coordinated assault.
Niko believed this wholeheartedly.
...
"Chigiri is insane—how can he run that fast?!"
"Kira is the real monster. Okawa is their star player! And he's completely shut down!"
"Looks like Team Y is done for. At this rate, we should win without any trouble!"
Inside Team Z's locker room, the atmosphere was energetic and optimistic. Their opponent's offense had been completely neutralized, and with a two-goal lead, victory seemed practically guaranteed.
"We still can't let our guard down."
Unlike the excited others, Kira Ryosuke remained calm.
"Isn't it basically impossible for us to lose now? Leading by two at halftime—how could they possibly turn this around?"
Raichi expressed his confusion.
"With that turtle-shell formation they had in the first half, even if we don't score again, there's no chance they're scoring two."
"True, we hold a massive advantage right now," Kira explained. "But don't forget how much strength a person can unleash when pushed to absolute desperation."
"Team Y can't afford another loss. If they lose here, it's basically over for them. So they'll definitely go all-in—they'll attack with everything."
"You mean their entire second-half focus will be offense? A complete tactical reversal?"
Kunigami asked.
"Highly likely."
Kira knew that in the original story, Team Y had a desperate tactic—'One-Minute Kill Counter.' When the score was tied, they would unleash this tactic in the last minute: the entire team stormed forward to land a decisive blow.
Although this match wasn't tied, Team Y knew that if they kept defending passively, they would be doomed.
So they would absolutely burn their boats and attack with their full force.
Though it was the complete opposite of their first-half approach, and their defense would effectively drop to zero, if they managed to score, they would gain several seconds to retreat and reorganize.
The more desperate a person becomes, the more they tap into hidden potential. Getting eliminated could mean the end of their football careers; in a way, this tactic was pure survival instinct.
"So what's our second-half plan? Full defense?" Isagi asked.
Normally, all they needed to do was defend and prevent two goals.
Kira simply smiled.
"We just need to stop the first goal. If they score immediately, the gap closes to one, and their morale will skyrocket—"
He raised a finger.
"But if we successfully block their first attempt, it'll open a counterattack chance for us. With their entire team committed forward, they won't have the personnel to fall back. If we score the third goal, the scales will tilt completely in our favor."
"Got it."
"Let's go. Time to take our second win!"
...
A few minutes later, both teams returned to the field.
After their tactical shift, every player on Team Y wore a tense yet determined expression—they knew they were standing on the edge of despair.
And the greater the despair, the more the human body could explode with potential.
Team Y's formation had changed drastically. Okawa had fallen back into their own half.
"Okawa, let's break through Team Z's defense together," Niko said.
"Kira might be a monster in solo defense, but his teammates aren't. We'll target the weakest defenders on Team Z."
"Yeah."
Okawa nodded. The frustration and defeat from earlier were already fading, replaced by steel-like resolve.
There was no turning back now.
"As expected, their formation changed…"
From the opposite half, Kunigami studied them carefully. Just as Kira predicted, Team Y looked ready to fight to the death.
"They're coming!"
The whistle signaled the start of the second half, and Team Y immediately charged into Team Z's territory.
Down two goals, every second of the second half was precious—they had to fight for every opportunity.
Except for the goalkeeper, all ten players sprinted toward the goal.
It was a double-edged sword—if they managed to score right away, they still had hope for a comeback.
But if they failed, Team Z would have a wide-open counterattack path.
If they conceded one more goal, the match—and their hopes—would be finished.
This opening attack would decide the fate of the entire match.
Niko was on the ball, his eyes scanning the field like a satellite, observing every movement.
Kira is in the center—avoid him at all costs.
Okawa may not be able to beat Kira, but against the others, he should have the edge!
We must create a situation where Okawa faces anyone BUT Kira!
After a moment of thought, Niko raised his hand and made a special signal—the coded sign for one of the strategies designed specifically for Team Y.
Okawa spotted it immediately and darted down the flank at full speed.
Kira moved to intercept—
—but three Team Y players stepped in front of him simultaneously.
They were the strongest, most physically imposing players on Team Y.
This was Niko tactic: use other players to distract Kira!
Even if Kira was a defender, they would lock down his movement completely!
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〔TL〕
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