Tension hung in the air as the whistle blew for the timeout. Seiryuu High's players jogged off the field, some of them visibly puzzled by the sudden interruption. Sota glanced over at Jack Mercer, who stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, eyes narrowed as if calculating their next move. The decision seemed to have taken everyone off guard—after all, they'd just managed to stop Midoriyama from scoring, and momentum felt like it was finally shifting back in their favor.
Aiko, brows knitted together in confusion, approached Mercer first. "Why now? We were starting to get back on track."