Chapter 246: Chapter 246: The Only Way Out
"Let's move out, we're on our way..."
"Understood!"
Hyuga declared, taking the lead as Seirin rallied and headed toward their upcoming match!
Each member of Seirin wore a solemn expression, their eyes ablaze with determination.
Kuroko glanced at Kagami, who clenched his fist tightly. He then lightly tapped Kagami on the shoulder, making the guy turn to him.
Raising his eyebrows in confusion, Kagami looked at Kuroko.
As they moved out of the crowd and navigated through the corridors, Kagami's once-tight fist now relaxed. The journey led them to their changing room.
In the midst of the room, Aida stood, wearing a thoughtful expression.
The team members bustled around, preparing their belongings, until they were done and turned their attention to their coach, waiting patiently.
"...Riko, you there?"
Kiyoshi inquired lightly, causing Aida to be taken aback, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Right, sorry, I got distracted..." Aida coughed lightly, redirecting her focus to the team.
She slowly opened her mouth, addressing them, "...Alright, everyone, I'll brief you on our strategy for this game."
Everyone nodded in attentive agreement as they absorbed Coach Aida's words.
"We've delved into their records extensively, and I've noticed that Fukuda Sogo's Captain tends to initiate with a flashy move at times, usually with a specific purpose. It could be a distraction or an attempt to unsettle the opponent," she explained, recalling some of Fukuda Sogo's past matches.
Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm as she continued, "However, this occurrence is relatively rare. Despite their reputation for having a potent offense, Fukuda Sogo's Captain consistently adopts a deliberately slow playstyle at the beginning, akin to setting up pieces on a chessboard, preparing for a strategic opening."
"...And there's no reason to expect anything different this time," she concluded, her gaze shifting towards the Seirin players, gauging if anyone had questions.
Izuki raised his hand, interjecting, "Should we match their slow pace to observe the opening they create?"
A collective nod rippled through the team, indicating a shared concern. However, Aida responded with a smirk, shaking her head, "No..."
"Huh? Why?" Kiyoshi tilted his head, puzzled by Aida's counterintuitive response.
Aida stood her ground, elaborating, "Instead of allowing them to execute their opening while we figure them out, it would be more advantageous for us to disrupt the game's balance right from the start."
"So, we immediately go on an aggressive start?" Kagami voiced his surprise, his eyes widening.
"Advantageous? No, it would actually be disadvantageous for us," Kiyoshi mumbled to himself before widening his eyes in realization.
He explained, "Wait, yes, it puts us both at a disadvantage with the disrupted rhythm!"
"Explain it, Kiyoshi," Hyuga urged, adjusting his glasses with a solemn expression, drawing everyone's attention.
Kiyoshi wore a thoughtful expression as he nodded, "So, instead of waiting for his opening, which might put us in a tight spot, it would be better to drag them into the mud together. That's what our coach intended..."
"That's correct, Teppei. We aim to disrupt the rhythm, putting us both at a disadvantage," Aida affirmed with a firm nod.
Realization dawned on everyone as they nodded in unison.
Fukuda Sogo posed a formidable challenge, and Aida understood the impracticality of matching their opponent's pace, as doing so might result in being overwhelmed entirely.
Hence, this strategy became their sole option.
The reason?
Balancing the fighting ground by putting both sides at a disadvantage seemed to be the only viable path forward for them.
While everyone grappled with the weight of Aida's strategy, she slowly addressed the team, "...this is our semi-final."
All eyes focused on her petite figure as her expression morphed into a serious and determined look.
"And if anything, our opponent today is the toughest one we've had to face..." she continued.
"But we've trained hard, we're ready, and we're not backing down. Show them what we're made of, play with heart, and let's make this game our moment of triumph so as not to leave any regrets!"
Aida declared with fervent determination, and her sentiment resonated among the others. They responded with smiles, "Understood, Coach!"
As Seirin players were brimming with blazing determination as their excitement seemed to be bubbling across the atmosphere in their changing room, a quite contrasting atmosphere descended in Fukuda Sogo's changing room.
Tsuna massaged his temples wearily, concluding, "Well, that's about it. Raise your hand if you have any questions..."
Even Nijimura appeared speechless on the side.
"Understood, Captain!"
The team exclaimed in unison. Despite their agreement, not a single hand was raised.
Tsuna had explained their strategy in a manner that made it easily comprehensible.
Even if the players couldn't understand the precise objective behind the plan, they were at a stage where they would blindly follow Tsuna's directives. The complexities of their captain's strategy didn't matter, they simply followed orders.
"...Hey, do you think our coach will be coming at all?" Mochizuki whispered to Ishida, prompting Ogiwara to lean in closer to catch their conversation.
Haizaki curled his lips in irritation, questioning, "Why do I have to be part of this?"
Once again, he found himself reluctantly involved.
Ignoring Haizaki's protest, Ishida shook his head and responded, "The Captain said she'll be coming, so she should arrive soon..."
Ogiwara wore a wry smile at Ishida's optimism. He glanced at Tsuna's fatigued expression before turning to observe Nijimura's speechlessness.
Alexandra hadn't arrived yet!
"Let's give it another five minutes...."
Tsuna sighed as he conveyed the message to the team. He had hoped that, after finishing his explanations, Alexandra would have arrived by then.
However, he had underestimated her carefree nature.
"...."
Despite waiting an additional five minutes, there was still no sign of Alexandra. Tsuna gestured for everyone to stand up and prepare to head out.
Turning to Nijimura, Tsuna inquired, "...She's not picking up her phone."
"Whatever, let's just forget about her," Tsuna declared.
Nijimura opened the door for him, and Tsuna walked out of the room, with everyone from Fukuda Sogo following suit, wearing expressions of speechlessness.
As they made their way out, Tsuna contemplated whether he should assign more responsibilities to Alexandra, as her current workload seemed too light, allowing her to do as she pleased.
"Achoo!"
Meanwhile, a beautiful foreigner with long blonde hair sneezed in a nearly empty corridor devoid of people who had already made their way in and taken their seats for the next semi-final round.
"...It must be Tsuna."
A shiver ran down her spine.
"...Where is our changing room again?" Furrowing her eyebrows, Alexandra scanned her surroundings before scratching her head in confusion.
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