Chapter 133: The Comeback - Part 1

"Start!"

The referee gave the signal and the ball was in the hands of Jim's team. Jim refrained from giving them any speech at the moment as he knew anything he would say wouldn't be useful.

He lived his entire life under the suppression of others, cornered in a place where no one ever cared about him.

Despite entering this academy with many events, he was deeply appreciative of his friends. At least they weren't like the others and believed in him.

And that was why he didn't want to see them dejected, as this was something he never wanted anyone he cared about to experience.

"Spread up," he suddenly whispered to Rick while adding, "leave me behind."

Rick was first busy with his own feelings like everyone else so he didn't notice Jim's strange presence back here despite them having the ball.

And now he was asking him to move forward, leaving the entire back empty.

"Are you sure?" he had to ask.

"Just follow my words," Jim confidently said yet his confidence never managed to shake the heavy curtain of depression over Rick's face.

"Follow me," Rick said in a weak tone and Deno and Gordan moved with him while giving the last to stand Jim a short glance.

Like they never cared anymore about this game, as if they already lost it and lost their chance to join the league entirely.

"Damn, it's much worse than I imagined," Jim cursed while watching the ball being passed between his team without any plan at all.

And their opponents were standing their ground at their half, calmly waiting like wolves for the right chance to attack and steal the ball.

"Switch!" he suddenly shouted and all glanced in a weird way towards him. "Lim and Pat come in again," he shouted while the two tankers who joined the game left the field in heavy steps.

"I hope this works," he muttered before suddenly shouting, "bring it to me."

His sudden shout made Lim, the most experienced one here, able to respond and at once returned the ball back.

"What is he doing?" Rana asked while she refrained from interfering at this delicate moment.

"Shouldn't you… give orders or something?" her friend, Mera, walked as she said these words while her face was darkened. "They are about to break apart."

"You are wrong," Rana calmly said while watching closely the ball landing in the hands of Jim, "this is the moment where the real essence of the team would be formed."

"Essence?" Mera muttered before shaking off her head, "whatever, you players always use strange terms for me to understand."

Rana smiled and said nothing. She could shout, reprimand or give orders but she didn't. she could have done a switch like the moment she did before, however that stern and blaming look coming from Jim made her realize her own mistake.

"I treated them as an established team," she softly muttered, "and forgot this was their first game ever… I need to step back and let them run the game the way they wanted… the way he wanted…"

Mera gave her a silent glance before sighing, "Players are really bizarre!"

Rana didn't say anything to her while her eyes shone while watching Jim starting to move.

Jim received the ball and instantly moved out. He didn't hold back his speed anymore and just kept running with his fastest ever.

"That player… he is running fast, so fast…" the commentator suddenly went crazy, "he is the ace! The ace revealed himself so early in the game… is this team this amateurish? Or fools?"

The words Jim heard never cared about any while passing by the last line made entirely of his defenders. "Move out with me," he suddenly let the ball bounce towards Rick, "pass it to me," he shouted while running fast and his words were perfectly heard by everyone here and even the commentator.

"He is aiming to score," the commentator shouted in strange excitement, "but he forgot to keep his voice low… how bad will this end for them?"

Jim didn't care as he moved to the front. His silhouette flashed beside his team players while he kept asking them to move forward. As he reached the first line which was formed entirely of the hitters, he stopped.

"Come on boy," the hitter of the other team sneered, "or are you terrified to death now?" he laughed yet Jim didn't speak back or move forward anymore.

He simply stood there and then waited for the flying ball sent by Rick to fall in his hands.

"Hit him!" that hitter suddenly shouted and the other one moved with two tankers fast targeting Jim.

He was the ace, and he had the ball… it was the perfect time for them to go after him.

"Fools," yet he only sneered before receiving the ball, turned around, and started running back towards his team's half.

"Catch him," as he ran away the four players didn't lose targeting him. "Send it to me," Jim threw the ball towards Lim again before continuing to run towards the backline.

And just when his chaser was about to stop, the ball bounced back to him again and he simply caught it.

"After him," the hitter decided to keep pressing over Jim while feeling somehow challenged and irritated by what happened just now. "Pass it to me," Jim wasn't running using his fastest speed, so they were getting closer fast.

Yet he threw the ball to Rick at the distant back. Then he turned over himself in a half circle, slided over the ground in an arched way to the right before suddenly running fast, so fast towards the front.

He passed his four chasers while they couldn't stop in time to catch up to him. His trick was sudden and their speed was already high.

"Press forward," he suddenly shouted while the ball was roaring in the air while Rick threw it with a strange excitement.