They had been single-mindedly focused on chasing the score just now, with no energy to guard against Chi Tong's little tricks. Now that they had calmed down and thought about it, unease seeped through every inch of them.
No one could guarantee that Chi Tong would not suddenly create some unforeseen twist in the rest of the game, disrupting their rhythm and completely extinguishing their hopes of a comeback.
Sawakita Eiji raised a hand and fiercely wiped the sweat from his cheek. His rough palm scraped his skin painfully, but he did not care in the slightest. His gaze settled heavily on the scoreboard, his voice laden with unconcealable gravity and frustration.
The situation was getting worse and worse!
Nobe Masahiro had long been holding back a bellyful of anger. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he clenched his fist and slammed it hard into his thigh. His voice was full of rage as he said indignantly, "What kind of nonsense is this? We fought with everything we had, and in the end we only made up this tiny bit of ground. It's ridiculous!"
Fukatsu Kazunari forced himself to calm down and slowly drew a deep breath. The tightness in his chest eased slightly. He glanced at his teammates, whose expressions varied, and spoke in as steady a tone as possible, as if reassuring both them and himself.
"No matter what, the score hasn't been pulled apart again. That counts as a good thing for us."
"Even if that's true..."
Before Fukatsu Kazunari could finish, Masashi Kawata suddenly interrupted him. There was a trace of barely perceptible doubt and gravity in his voice, completely unlike his usual composure.
"Don't you all find this strange?"
The moment he said that, everyone else froze and turned toward Masashi Kawata in unison, their