On the sidelines, Sota and his team shared a moment of celebration, but they knew the game was far from over.
The second half continued with intense back-and-forth action. Kogane High managed to score another touchdown, widening the gap to 30-12. But Seiryuu refused to back down. "We still have time." Kaminari told everyone, going back to the 50-yard mark.
With minutes left on the clock, Seiryuu had possession again. Sota called the play, his eyes focused. "Set, Hut!"
The ball was snapped, and Sota scanned the field. He saw Kaminari open and threw a high, arcing pass. Kaminari leaped, catching the ball and sprinting towards the end zone. He dodged one defender, then another, before having his flag pulled just short of the line.
Fourth down, and the clock was ticking. Sota knew this was their last chance. He called the play, his voice steady. "Let's do this."
The team lined up, ready for the snap. "Set, Hut!"
The ball was snapped, and Sota faked a handoff before dropping back. That's when he noticed Kaminari being open, waving his hand at Sota while dodging everyone. He knew that he couldn't jump, since doing so would make him vulnerable to a flag-pull.
It happened many times before, someone jumping to catch the goal in the end-zone, but before they land, their flag would be pulled. Kaminari didn't want that to happen since they were running out of time.
'I'd have to rely on Sota on this one.' Kaminari said to himself.
Seizing his chance, and realizing that Kaminari was free, Sota prepared for his special technique, Barrier Break, arcing his back lower this time, so the pass would be around Kaminari's chest level.
Fwooosh~!
"There's that pass again!" Someone from the crowd screamed.
"Is that even possible for a human?"
"I know, he's like whipping his entire body forward. That must've hurt."
Like a bullet, the ball spun through the air, spinning rapidly before arriving squarely at Kaminari's chest. He let out an 'oomph' as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Nevertheless, he caught the ball, and they scored another point.
Momentum was still on their side. Although they missed the extra point once again, since someone from the opposing team was fast enough to dive and pull Sota's flag. It was supposed to be a foul since it was under five seconds, but the umpire did not call it.
30-18. Seiryuu was still in the game.
The final minutes were a blur of action. Kogane High tried to run out the clock, but Seiryuu's defense was relentless. They managed to force a turnover, giving their offense one last chance.
With seconds left, Sota called the final play.
There were only ten seconds. No one was fast enough to run fifty yards in under ten seconds, not with all the other players running around and obstructing the way.
Taking in a deep breath, Sota knew that he had no other choice but to pass. Fortunately, Kaminari seemed to understand the assignment, nodding his head as he waited for the snap.
Set.
Hut!
The ball was snapped, and Sota scanned the field. He waited until the last second before throwing it towards Kaminari who was sprinting towards the end zone.
Renji and Takeru, realizing that Sota was about to do another one of those crazy passes, decided to block the straight line where the ball would go. All of them didn't even bother going after Kaminari since they knew that Sota would aim for a crazy pass.
After all, it's only fitting to do that at the end, right?
Somehow, Sota knew what they were thinking, and a smile spread across his face. Without further ado, he arched his back forward...
... but this time, he didn't use his Barrier Break. Instead, he just passed it like normal.
Three seconds left.
Everyone started rushing towards Kaminari as he jumped. As long as they pull his flag, then it's all right. They won't allow Seiryuu to score another point!
Renji reached Kaminari within two seconds. Meanwhile, Kaminari finally jumped catching the ball with his left hand.
A grin spread across Renji's face as he realized he could make it. He reached out his hand, but Kaminari used his dominant hand to slap Renji's hand out of the way.
One second.
Touchdown!
An ear-deafening pause overcame the entire field as well as the other classes who were peering through the window. It's as if a directive was given that everyone had to hold their breath...
And then came the cheer from the crowd, a scream that attracted everyone's attention. Somehow, the scream kept on saying. "That's my brother! That's my big brother right there!" The voice said.
Sota instantly recognized the voice of his younger brother, and his lips parted into a smile. As if on cue, the crowd, as well as everyone watching through their windows, erupted into cheers, filling the school with a vibrant noise of victory.
Ironically, Seiryuu lost. But the fight was so intense that everyone couldn't help but cheer for both teams.
The final score was 30-24, Kogane High's favor, but Seiryuu had made an incredible comeback. As the teams lined up to shake hands, there was a newfound respect between them. Sota felt a sense of pride, knowing they had given it their all.
"You're good. We didn''t expect someone of your caliber to be in Seiryuu. I guess we're going to see you in the Inter-High." Renji said, shaking Sota's hand.
"But... I'm just a temp. I'm still undecided on whether I should join the flag football club or not. And also... you'd have to win the regionals first before joining the Inter-High, you know." Sota shortly responded.
A chuckle came out of Takeru's mouth as he placed a hand on Kaminari's shoulder. "Well, Aozora-san, make sure you drag him to the Inter-High. We're looking forward to seeing you there. We're not the only players in the team, you know." Takeru followed up.
As they walked off the field, Sota couldn't help but smile. This might be his last game, but he had left everything on the field. He had no regrets.