"Is Eriri here to watch the match like Sanae?" Haruno's voice carried a gentle tone, creating an unexplainable sense of closeness between them.
"Who actually wants to watch this boring match? It's all Sanae's fault for dragging me here."
Eriri found the match incredibly dull. Her poor eyesight made it impossible to discern the details on the field, leaving her with nothing but blurry black dots moving rapidly.
Upon hearing her remark, Sanae tilted her head, paying little attention. She tightly clutched her binoculars, as if searching for something.
"By the way, your school uniform looks similar to Sobu's. How did you meet Hayama?" Eriri examined Haruno with curiosity.
"Huh? Eriri, don't you know? Hayama is actually from Chiba," Haruno blinked in surprise.
Eriri shook her head. Even when he stayed at her house, he never mentioned anything about his background. And once he left, her pride prevented her from asking others about him.
Haruno glanced at Sanae and suddenly had a wicked idea. "I remember Hayama stayed at your place for a while. Didn't he share anything about his background with you?"
"He didn't mention a thing," Eriri suddenly became alert. Considering Hayama's personality, it wasn't like him to share such personal information with others. "How did you find out that he stayed at my place?"
"Sanae told me! When she came to Chiba in search of Hayama, she had quite a conversation with me," she whispered into Eriri's ear.
Eriri shifted her gaze towards her friend.
Sneaky Sanae, going behind my back to track down that annoying Hayama! We had an agreement to stick together!
"I won't disturb you while you watch the match. I'm going shopping. Oh, Eriri, remember to bring a windbreaker next time you come to watch the game!" Haruno waved at both of them and made her way downstairs.
Eriri bared her teeth at Haruno's departing figure and approached Sanae with a forced smile. "Sanae, can you please tell me when you went to Chiba to find Hayama?"
"What are you talking about, Eririn? Don't interrupt my enemy reconnaissance, death!" she didn't turn around and responded casually, though her slightly trembling ponytail gave her away.
"Don't play innocent! Haruno already spilled the beans! You've been to Chiba!" Eriri suddenly shouted.
"If I've been, I've been! Why are you yelling? I went to Chiba to gather intel on the enemy, death!" she stomped her foot, irritated by Eriri's outburst.
"Why didn't you tell me that you went to Chiba?" Eriri repeated, her voice quivering with emotion.
"Tsk, why bother telling you if you don't even know that Hayama, the Great Demon King, lives in Chiba?"
"Damn it, Sanae, how did you find out Hayama's address? Did he tell you?" Eriri's voice lowered abruptly as she spoke.
"I got it from my parents! Geez, Eriri, you're so stupid!"
"I-I'm not stupid!" Eriri's confidence wavered slightly.
"You can't even learn English, you idiot, death!"
"Well, at least I know what 'Death' means! It's, it's probably a sign of effort."
Sanae blinked her eyes, feeling that her catchphrase had dropped a notch in coolness.
"Oh, by the way, Sanae, when you went to Chiba, did you actually meet him?" Eriri's voice softened and turned into a whisper.
"Hmph! Back then, I didn't even know the Demon Queen's true identity. I actually asked her to take me to meet Hayama, the Great Demon King! But she kept making excuses whenever I pushed her. I stayed at Yukinoshita's house in Chiba for three whole days, and I didn't even catch a glimpse of the Great Demon King, not even a strand of his hair, death!"
Recalling that trip to Chiba, Sanae felt a surge of anger. A little elementary school girl had mustered up the courage to secretly travel from Tokyo to Chiba, only to be denied the chance to meet him. Haruno had told her that Hayama wasn't home, but she couldn't accept that excuse in the slightest.
"Oh, I see." Eriri felt a strange sense of relief upon hearing Sanae's response.
"That annoying Demon Queen, she must have intentionally come upstairs earlier to disrupt my investigation, death! Where are the Witch and the Abyssal Succubus? Did Hayama, the Great Demon King, hide them?"
...
"The second half kicks off, and we see superstar Hayama Kazuto making a positional adjustment, shifting from winger to center forward. Could this be Toyogasaki's intention to confuse the enemy by using a new tactic?"
"During the first half of the match, Toyogasaki struggled under Sobu's constant pressure, resulting in an even scoreline. Can they turn the tables in the second half with this formation change?"
"And we're back in action as Sobu initiates the kickoff! It's Hayama Hayato on the ball! Hayato unleashes a powerful long pass, connecting directly with Sobu's Howler Monkey. It looks like Sobu is attempting to replicate Kazuto's lightning-fast goal from the first half!"
"No. 11 and No. 14 from Toyogasaki swiftly close in, intercepting Howler Monkey's dribbling route! Howler Monkey is left with no choice but to pass, and the ball finds its way to another Sobu player."
"Take a look at Hayama Kazuto's side! Sobu has implemented a pentagon tactic specifically to contain Kazuto, with three players marking him tightly and two players providing support both in attack and defense. At its pinnacle, Hayama finds himself surrounded by three triangular formations all at once! With such a tight defensive setup, can Hayama pull off his magic once again?"
"However, Sobu's decision to assign numerous players to mark Hayama Kazuto may not be paying off. In the second half, Sobu's attack appears to have lost some of its momentum, lacking the crisp and sharp edge it had in the first half!"
"Ten minutes have passed in the second half, and neither team has managed to break the deadlock. It's clear that both teams are feeling the tension, resulting in several minor clashes within this short span of time!"
On the field, Kazuto scans his surroundings, searching for that elusive opportunity amidst the dense crowd.
"Hmm? Where did Haruno go?" he wondered.
His attention is suddenly drawn to an empty seat where Yukinoshita Haruno was previously seated.
"So that's why Sobu has been resorting to dirty tactics in the second half. Now it makes sense."
A subtle smile forms at the corner of his lips.
"Tobe Kakeru intercepts the ball! He swiftly passes it! Sobu's fierce attacker receives the pass and breaks through the defense with incredible speed! No. 11 from Toyogasaki High School fails to catch up in time! Sobu's Howler Monkey is lightning-fast!"
"Oh my! Hayama Kazuto, Hayama Kazuto breaks through the pentagon encirclement! With a quick maneuver, he skillfully steals the ball from Sobu's attacker! Clean, precise, without a moment's hesitation! This, this is what a superstar looks like!"
"Hayama Kazuto's speed is truly extraordinary! He's even faster than Sobu's Howling Monkey! Like a brilliant lightning bolt, he charges ahead, blazing a trail that no one can stop! He's just moments away from entering the penalty area!"
"But wait! Sobu's Silverback makes a tackle! Huh? That tackle... Sobu's Silverback forcefully hits Hayama Kazuto's ankle! Kazuto's face contorts with pain, and there are even bloodstains visible on his socks! The situation looks dire. Can Hayama Kazuto endure and hold on in the second half?"