A muscular girl is presented to the passionate world of crossover anime.

"I..." He didn't ask the classic three questions of "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?", but he looked completely bewildered, having no recollection of what had happened since the start of the match: "How did I go from being in the locker room a second ago to being on the field the next? And we even took the lead? What happened? How did I hurt my hand?"

The poor boy was drugged and knocked unconscious by the assassin. When the assassin fled, he cut two wounds on the boy's arm to make it look like what others saw. When Taiping woke up, he only remembered that he was wearing a jersey one second and was lying in the locker room the next.

His teammates, however, were quick to defend him: "Haha, Taiping, you must have hit your head from the intense competition just now. Do you want to rest for a bit? You shouldn't play in this game."

"How could that be!" Taihei refused righteously: "I am Master Kakei's chief disciple! How could I miss such a crucial competition!"

"Pah!" Atlantic immediately objected, "I am Master Jian's number one disciple!"

The two exchanged a few words and ended up fighting, but in the midst of their playful brawl, the matter of Taiping Yang's "amnesia" was considered closed.

No one thought there was anything wrong, except for Kanon, who remembered the fake Taipingyang. She knew the strength of her own attack; the assassin's arm was more than just bleeding. Kanon had pinched and injured the tendons and muscles, so he should be unable to lift it now. Moreover, the unease of being watched had disappeared. All signs indicated that Taipingyang had been replaced by its true owner.

Now the real Taihei is back on the opposite side of Kanon, continuing the game. He knows nothing about it and only sees Kanon as an ordinary opponent on the court: "Was it you who bumped into me and caused me to have short-term amnesia?"

"I guess so..." Hanon didn't explain. If it came down to cause and effect, it made sense for her to take the blame. Anyway, the matter was over. The most important thing now was the American football game, where Deimon was still lagging behind.

Hiruma made a few hand gestures, and the Deimon players understood immediately. The ball was launched, and Sena and Menta ran together. Every single Deimon player, led by Hiruma, was trying their best to block the Kyojin players and push them away from Sena and Menta.

Sena and Menta have a deep friendship and excellent teamwork. One is fast and the other is good at receiving the ball. They can pass the ball while running, which makes Jushin very troubled by them. He was pushed back more than 20 yards in one go!

"Damn it, Lightspeed Masked Man 21 is definitely the person Deimon needs to be most careful about!" Only then did the man from the deepest place realize that the battle between Mizumachi and Kosuke on the front line was secondary; if they couldn't suppress Deimon's ace, it would be difficult to win the game.

So, after the next kickoff, Kyokusuke sent Mizumachi to catch Sena, while Kakei Shun pushed aside Toha who was blocking him and charged towards Sena...

"Hehehe, since you're all only focused on Lightspeed Mask 21..." Hirumon laughed eerily, "Then we'll switch to someone else."

The person who received the pass from Hiruma this time is named Ishimaru, the captain of the Deimon High School track and field team. His defining characteristic is that he's completely unremarkable. How unremarkable is he? Well, even though Kanon has been on the team for almost half a month, she still subconsciously ignores him...

"What! There's another person?" The players from the deep team panicked and quickly sent someone to tackle Ishimaru. Ishimaru wasn't very good and was quickly suppressed, but this time the run still advanced six yards.

The attack by the Deimon team was in full swing. On the bench, Coach Goroku was overjoyed: "Hahaha, it's been two years since I last saw him. Hiruma has even learned the 'crossbone' move."

Seeing that Xueguang, Lingyin, and the others around him didn't understand, Goroku explained: "'Forkbone' is a common formation in American football. It arranges three running players to cooperate with quarterback Hiruma, and Hiruma himself can also choose to run. This gives Deimon more offensive options. Although it's simple to explain, the foundation of all this is Hiruma's ball distribution. No one can guess what he's thinking, so they can't effectively stop him... Hiruma is Deimon's behind-the-scenes ace!"

With the help of Hiruma's "fork bone" tactic, Deimon continued to advance into the deep interior of the territory, and finally Hiruma dribbled the ball and scored Deimon's first goal.

Section 291, Chapter 288: Each Person's Tenderness

The Deimon team's "fork bone" was very effective. In addition, Kosuke, Mizumachi, Kanon, and Taihei had been causing trouble for a while, and the game had unknowingly passed the halfway mark.

During the break, the Kyokushin team seemed a bit dejected. Mizumachi and Koyuki were evenly matched, but Atagito experienced Kobayakawa Sena's running style before halftime and was quite frightened by that "ghostly" figure. His partner, Tairahira, was also quite disheartened, because after dazedly entering the game, he and Kanon had a brief contest of strength on both ends of the court…

"Is that the ghost of Lightspeed Mask 21...? There's no way we can stop him, he's too fast, too terrifying..." Atlantic muttered to himself.

"So that's Lightspeed Mask 23... His strength is astonishing, no wonder I lost my memory after being hit by him." Taiping Yang said dejectedly.

Sensing the low morale of his teammates, the key figure of the Great Deep, Kakei Jun, spoke up: "We need to intercept the Mud Gate members one-on-one... The so-called crossbow formation relies on Hirumon to see through our defenses in an instant, and then choose the point with the widest route from among the many runners to launch an attack. Conversely, we can also decide to leave that gap ourselves and lure the Mud Gate into the trap."

Mizumachi immediately perked up: "Oh my, as expected of Kakei! So, which of the Deidara's weaknesses should we choose to let in?"

"Lightspeed Masked Man 21..."

"What?" The players from the deepest point were shocked. This was clearly Deimon's strongest point!

“I once fought the real Lightspeed Mask 21 in the United States. This guy from Deimon is a fake. He has speed but his overall strength is far inferior.” Kakei Shun once again showed his serious and earnest nature: “I will defeat this fraudster one-on-one! Mizumachi, you and everyone else hold off the rest of Deimon. As long as I can suppress this imposter, Deimon will be powerless.”

The second half of the match began quickly. The Deimon team was preparing as usual, but Hiruma approached Kanon and asked, "You brat, are you alright?" He had already noticed that Kanon was injured, and it was not something a high school student could do to injure the champion of the Kengan Association. So even though he didn't know the specifics, Hiruma could guess that something unusual had happened in the match.

"I'm fine..." Despite saying that, Hana touched her ribs. Although they weren't broken, a slight fracture was inevitable. Ever since the assassin's sneak attack, the pain had been with her.

"Alright then." Hiruma knew that Kanon was a little reluctant, but since she felt fine, Hiruma didn't waste any more words trying to persuade her to take care of her health. Instead, he had an important task for Kanon: "I need you to do something..."

With the referee's whistle, the second half of the game began. With the help of his teammates blocking the way, Kobayakawa Sena took the lead and charged straight into the heart of the Great Deep team. At the same time, just as the Great Deep team had planned during halftime, Kakei Shun rode alone and blocked Sena's path.

"One-on-one, Sena/Eyeshield Mask 21 is invincible!" The Deimon team all thought so, but just when they were looking forward to a satisfying run and score, Kakei Shun suddenly made a fierce tackle and pinned Eyeshield Mask 21 to the court.

The Demon Bat Ghost Shadow has been breached.

"This...this is impossible!" People exclaimed in amazement and disbelief. This was the first time Kobayakawa Sena had been stopped one-on-one since the American Death March!

Hanon was the first to notice the difference: "It's still a difference in physique."

“Yes.” Hiruma happened to be standing near Kanon. He nodded: “Kakei Shun is tall and has long arms, and his athletic ability is not bad. When Sena turned around according to her usual rhythm, it was already too late, and she didn’t have time to twist him away.”

At this point, Hiruma turned to Hanon: "Relying solely on Sena's running formation has limitations. If we have a good player, our tactical options will become more diverse, and defeating the giant Shen will no longer be difficult."

Yes, Hiruma's intention was to have Kanon step down from the offensive and defensive lines and become a kicker for Deimon. Although this guy is sharp-tongued, he is actually quite caring towards his teammates. Kanon was injured, and Hiruma nominally arranged a new position for her, but in reality, he wanted to reduce physical contact for Kanon. You could say it was the gentleness of a demon.

In American football, a normal kick scores three points, and a follow-up kick after a touchdown scores one point. In short, by making good use of the kicking strategy, a team can score many more points without even realizing it, thus greatly enhancing its strength.

"I'm fine with playing football..." Hanon's tone was somewhat hesitant, "But, don't you have any other tactics?"

Hiruzen was taken aback: "Huh? There are other tactics, such as using long passes or changing formations to continue running, but they are never as simple and convenient as playing football. Why are you asking this? Could it be that your body can't take it anymore?"

“No, although I can still guarantee a success rate at 40 or 50 yards, it’s a bit too much for me right now. But at 20 or 30 yards, it’s not too difficult to hit the target every time. I’m thinking about something else…” Hanon looked into the distance. Hiruma followed the direction she turned her head and saw Kobayakawa Sena struggling to stand up.

Sena's body trembled slightly, whether from fear that Kakei Shun had stopped him or from excitement at encountering a formidable opponent. However, Hiruma knew Sena well; he knew that Sena was definitely looking for another challenge and would not easily admit defeat.

Having experienced the various events in the final battle, Kanon understands the mindset of a martial artist when facing a strong opponent. Applying this to Sena, if the opportunity to attack is taken away, it will likely leave a shadow in Sena's heart that he cannot defeat Kakei Shun. This is something Kanon does not want to see. That is why she asked Hiruma, implying that she wanted Hiruma to continue to give Sena a chance to try to break through his limits.

Hiruma has his gentleness, and Kanon has hers.

Hiruma saw through Hanon's thoughts: "I didn't expect you, Miss, to be so considerate... Alright, I'll give you another chance, but you still have to go play as a player and wait for your turn."

The match resumed, and Kakei Jun's successful elimination of Lightspeed Masked Man 21 reversed the morale of both sides. Jushin was in high spirits and began to attack, while Mudgate was somewhat at a loss and could only defend - and Mudgate has never been a team known for its defense.

Ju Shen did not choose to run into the formation, but instead, after advancing a certain distance, he took a shot directly. The ball flew high and went straight through the two upright poles.

"Ahhh, it's in!"

The Deep scored three more points, bringing the score to 10-6, but that's still a distance from which they could take the lead with just one touchdown.

"Only ten minutes left, we have to hold on!" The players from the Deep encouraged each other: "Pay special attention to the speed demon 21's runs... Huh?"

Before they could even finish outlining their tactics, just past midfield after the kickoff, another "lightning-fast masked man" on the opposing team launched a long ball that traveled nearly forty yards and sailed cleanly through the Deep Team's goal.

"Goal! Mudgate team scores 3 points, score 10 to 9—" To everyone's astonishment, the referee blew his whistle.

Suddenly, all eyes were on the new player from the Mud Gate...

"Hmm, even though I should give Sena a chance, it's too embarrassing for me to get scored on by the other team so soon after becoming a kicker." Kanon raised her head and thought, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, I'll give them a kick in return!"

Merry Christmas~.jpg

Author's Note: Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone!

Section 292, Chapter 289: Each Person's Struggle

Hanon's poor performance dealt a blow to Jushin's morale, causing their initial high spirits to plummet and making them much calmer. Now, Deimon and Jushin are back on equal footing, with only a one-point difference in the score. The decisive moment is about to begin!

"Ohira, you overlooked something! Isn't that the masked person you were looking for?!" Atlantic scolded Ohira, but was interrupted by Mizumachi: "You two, stop arguing!"

Mizumachi's attitude was surprisingly serious: "From now on, you two, me, and Kakei, the four of us, will work together to deal with Deimon! Kakei Shun, let's use 'Pasiton'! Let them see the trump card of the Deep Sea God Team!"

“Pushton? That’s… a time-delaying tactic…” Reminded by Mizumachi, Kakei Shun also realized: “That’s right, that’s the tactic to ensure the enemy’s demise when you have the lead!”

When the ball was restarted, people were surprised to find that Mizumachi did not come to the offensive and defensive line, but instead stayed back with the "Takanami" trio, forming an extremely tall defensive line.

Originally, it was the Giants' possession of the ball, but Deimon took it away right away. However, when Deimon was about to attack, Hiruma was shocked to find that he had no one to pass to – all passing routes were blocked. Long passes would be intercepted in mid-air by the Giants' team, and short passes would not be able to break through Kakei Shun's interception. The ball was quickly regained by the Giants.

Of course, when Jushin attacked again, without Mizumachi, their offense and defense were a complete mess. They were overwhelmed by Kurita, Kosuke, and the "Haha Trio" and lost possession again. However, even Deimon couldn't break through, and when they attacked, they were pushed back, and possession changed hands again...

The two teams began a dense and intense offensive and defensive battle, seemingly evenly matched. However, because the "Pushton" defensive line composed of the four giants of the Giant Gate was too solid, the Giant Deep steadily squeezed the Mud Gate's living space, advancing step by step, extremely steadily, towards the Mud Gate's territory. In this stalemate, the game time was about to run out.

In the final minute, once again, Sena's attempt to break through was suppressed by Kakei Shun, and it seemed that Deimon had no other options.

“Imitation…” Shunya Kakei declared his victory to Sena: “You are indeed very fast, but to force your way through the center, the running back needs to have a certain physique. That’s the difference between you and the real Lightspeed Mask 21. You only have the physique of an imposter, and that’s the limit you can’t break through.”

Kakei Jun's words shocked Sena, leaving him stunned on the spot. But then someone patted Sena on the shoulder; it was Kanon.

"Don't be discouraged. I've observed your running style carefully, and there's still room for improvement. I've seen many short people defeat much stronger opponents. Technique, strength, and speed—any one of these can be maximized, let alone two of them."

"Ah, you..." Sena was very touched and wanted to thank Kanon, but then he suddenly realized that he didn't even know who the person behind the mask was, so he could only say "thank you" in a simple way.

Soon after, Hirudo also came over and said, "Hey, you brat, listen up. I don't care if you can do it or not, but the only way for you to break through Jianjun is to do so now."

"Yes, I know." To Hiruma's surprise, Sena showed no confusion or fear. Kanon's words had inspired him, making Sena very determined: "I will break through his defenses!"

"...Alright, the outcome is now in your hands!"

Hiruma truly embodies the spirit of a great general: "If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." Next, Deimon kicks off, and the offensive and defensive lines block most of the deep-dwelling players, leaving Sena and Kakei Shun for a one-on-one duel. This time, Sena's running style has changed; not only does he sway left and right, creating a "ghostly" effect, but he also adds a single-leg spin dodge, avoiding Kakei Shun's most threatening long-reach attack!

"Breakthrough!!!"

Amid cheers, Sena sprinted towards the deep scoring zone. At his speed, once there was no one in front of him, no one behind him could catch up...

It really does.

With his genius-level focus and indomitable spirit, Mizumachi caught up with Sena at the last moment! Sena's turn to avoid Kakei Shun slowed him down by 0.1 seconds, and it was this difference that made it possible for Mizumachi to reach out and touch Sena—Mizumachi is a giant who is over 1.9 meters tall and has an extremely long arm span!

Although he only grabbed Sena's clothes, Mizumachi actually tackled Sena outside the scoring zone, and Deimon's last-minute run... failed.

However, the situation is not so bad. There are still three seconds left, and the score is only one point behind. The Mudgate team can also launch close-range attacks from just a few meters away from the goal, so they have many options.

"Hiruzen, let me jump over!" During the final pause, Sena, brimming with confidence after successfully breaking through Kakei Shun, volunteered to launch the final attack.

“Hehehe, alright then, you little brat, it’s up to you…” Hiruzen was about to agree when Hanon stepped forward: “The success rate of running the formation at the last moment is still a bit low, so let me play the ball instead.”

Indeed, in close-range attacks, kicking the ball is undoubtedly the most reliable way to score. According to professional statistics, the success rate of adding one point after a touchdown is as high as 94%, while the success rate of adding two points through running is only 43%, which shows the difference in difficulty between the two attacking methods.

Previously, Deimon didn't have a qualified kicker, but now they have Hanon.

"Alright, let's have Lightspeed Masked Man 23 take the lead in the attack. Everyone, protect him and don't let him get distracted by the giants."

"Thank you." Hana smiled. "Then let's all do our best and get it into the Christmas bowl!"

...Everyone fell silent for a moment. Then, Kazuki Jūmonji, one of the "Haha Trio," said in surprise, "Huh? That's strange. So this guy is such a sociable person?"

Well, okay, Kanon really doesn't interact much with the Deemon team and seems very unsociable. Suddenly she said something heartwarming, which immediately had the effect of shocking everyone.