Bab 16: Riding the Momentum of the Wind

Touchdown.

"YEAHHHHH!"

Despite being told that he had to focus in class, the student on the fourth floor was watching it from his peripheral view all along. And when Seiryuu High scored their first touchdown, he got up from his seat and yelled.

Fwip~!

Another board eraser landed on his head and everyone started giggling.

"Listen to the class." The teacher warned him for the second time, adjusting his glasses as he returned to his lecture.

Meanwhile, everyone from the first floor, and the second floor, as well as the audience gathered around the field were cheering for Sota. They knew that his Barrier Break pass was nothing short of impressive.

Although they don't play the game, and they had no idea how to play it, they could tell that that pass was out of this world. It whizzed past through the defenders so easily, like an uncatchable bullet.

And yet, it managed to land straight into Kaminari's arms. He almost dropped it due to its speed, but he was able to save his fumble right at the very end.

"What was that..." Renji slowly turned towards his partner, who was a quarterback as well, just like Sota.

"How would I know? I've never seen anyone pass like that." Takeru responded as he glared at Sota. "I knew it... he's a monster. No wonder I assumed he was the quarterback the moment we got here."

"Sotaaa!" Aiko screamed, cheering from the sidelines as everyone else did. Although her voice was drowned by everyone else's, Sota heard her loud and clear.

"Oi~! Sota, what on earth was that pass?!" Kaminari said, grabbing Sota by his shoulder as he slammed his hand on his chest.

"I told you, just trust me on this." He continued, his lips parting into a grin.

At that moment, Koenji silently sat on the bench, drinking some electrolytes. When he saw Sota's pass, he almost spat everything in his mouth. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and he was able to maintain his composure.

"Now, let's do our best in the extra point." Kaminari called out.

It wasn't that obvious in the first half since Kogane High kept on scoring, but in terms of flag football, there's something called the extra point.

The extra point is an additional point that could be added to the overall score after the touchdown. The team could choose whether to risk scoring from the 10-yard line (worth two points) or the 5-yard line (worth 1 point).

"Positions, at the ready." The umpire called out, giving the football to the center. Since this was their chance to score more points, the group unanimously decided to risk going for two points.

Set....

... Hut!

Once again, Sota received the ball, and he anticipated to pass it to Kaminari. Unlike the other parts of the game, Sota could only do one pass, or he could run towards the end zone and score himself.

He decided to pass.

Due to the commotion, though, Kaminari wasn't able to catch the ball, and Renji got in his way, slamming the ball on the ground as he intercepted it.

Still, the crowd erupted to cheers for Seiryuu High, the sound echoing across the field. After all, in just five seconds at the start of the second half, Seiryuu had scored their first touchdown. The energy was electric, a stark contrast to the gloom of the first half.

Sota jogged over, a satisfied smile on his face. Although Kaminari couldn't catch it, they still had the momentum they needed.

The score was now 24-6, and Seiryuu's players felt a renewed sense of hope. The Kogane High players exchanged uncertain glances, realizing they had underestimated their opponents.

As the teams lined up for the next play, Sota could feel the shift in the air. This was just the beginning. They were ready to fight back with everything they had.

The whistle blew again, and the game resumed. Seiryuu's defense was fired up, pulling flags from the Kogane players with newfound intensity. The opposition tried to advance, but Seiryuu's determination was palpable. They managed to hold Kogane back, forcing a turnover.

Now it was Seiryuu's turn to attack. Sota took his place as quarterback, calling the play. "Set, Hut!"

The ball was snapped, and Sota scanned the field, looking for an opening. He spotted another teammate who had taken up a position as a receiver. Sota threw a quick pass, and the receiver caught it, dodging a defender before having his flag pulled. They gained valuable yards, moving closer to the end zone.

Sota called another play, this time targeting Kaminari again. The ball was snapped, and Sota threw a precise pass. Kaminari caught it and sprinted down the field, but the defenders were ready. He was stopped just shy of the end zone as his flag was pulled.

Third down, and the tension was high. Sota huddled with his team, discussing the next move. "We need to get this. Let's go for a trick play."

Everyone nodded in unison with determination etched on their faces. The quarterback had shown his leadership, and they were ready to move like a well-oiled machine. They lined up again, ready for the snap.

"Set, Hut!"

The ball was snapped, and Sota faked a handoff before quickly tossing it to Kaminari. Kaminari darted to the side, catching the defenders off guard. He sprinted towards the end zone, crossing the line for another touchdown.

24-12. Seiryuu was closing the gap.

Kogane High's players were visibly frustrated, their confidence shaken. They called a timeout, trying to regroup. Of course, this gave Seiryuu High some time to strategize as well.

"You're doing great. Two more touchdowns and we're even." Aiko clenched her fists in a resolute manner. Although she wasn't the one playing on the pitch, she felt like she was a huge part of it.

Most importantly, she wanted to express and blatantly show her enthusiasm towards everyone so they would be more motivated. She didn't have to put in effort though since she was already vibrant enough as it is.

"Che~!" Koenji let his frustrations out by clicking his tongue. Although it still wasn't decided who won or who lost in their little game of rivalry, Koenji could feel the aggravating sense of defeat eating him up inside.

Of course, how could he not think about it when their team didn't even score during the first half? And now that Sota stepped into the game, he instantly enabled everyone to score not one, but two touchdowns.

Two touchdowns!

For the second time, Koenji wanted to click his tongue but he opted not to. Although he felt a sense of defeat, he didn't want to infect everyone with his negativity and irksome character.

At the very least, what he could do right now was stay silent and let the team ride the current to their win. 'They were on the momentum, it would be a shame if I cut that momentum in half.' Koneji thought to himself.