"I can't believe it! He actually slipped through the defense of both of them."
"Shōhoku's number 9 is so fast! I blinked, and he was already at the other half of the court."
"He was able to break through the Sannoh players one after another, that's just unbelievable."
"Is this the newcomer who's said to be on par with Sawakita Eiji? He's incredible."
"Maybe Shōhoku really has a chance of beating Sannoh."
…
The spectators were stunned by Aoi Kunisaku's break through Sannoh's defense, followed by a successful dunk.
They never expected that Shōhoku, facing Sannoh, would be so evenly matched.
What's more, Aoi Kunisaku's performance seemed to overshadow Sawakita Eiji's.
At this point, even the other teams, who originally came just for the spectacle of the match, began to take Shōhoku seriously.
On the court,
The game hadn't stopped.
Since the moment it started, the pace of the game had suddenly accelerated.
Aoi Kunisaku increased the tempo of his attack, catching Sannoh off guard.
However, Sawakita Eiji quickly adjusted his rhythm and also sped up, barely managing to match Aoi Kunisaku's pace.
The two of them engaged in another high-speed battle.
This time, Sawakita Eiji displayed the power expected of Japan's "strongest high school student."
He dribbled the ball, cleverly breaking through Aoi Kunisaku's tight defense, and successfully entered Shōhoku's paint.
It was almost as if he was responding to Aoi Kunisaku's earlier shot. Under the combined defense of Akagi Takenori and Mitsui Hisashi, Sawakita Eiji skillfully avoided Aoi Kunisaku, making a precise shot into Shōhoku's basket.
Aoi Kunisaku's lips curled slightly, and a joyful expression appeared on his face as he said, "That's more like it!"
Soon, Aoi Kunisaku gestured for the ball, starting the counterattack.
Akagi Takenori hesitated for a moment, but still passed the ball to Aoi Kunisaku.
This time, Aoi Kunisaku locked his eyes on Sawakita Eiji, and his movements began.
Boom…
Boom…
Boom…
The basketball hit the floor, bouncing higher and higher, its speed increasing.
Aoi Kunisaku gradually started to increase his dribbling speed.
Sawakita Eiji's eyes were like burning embers, staring intensely at every move Aoi Kunisaku made, not daring to relax for even a moment.
After a few rounds of confrontation,
He deeply understood that to deal with Aoi Kunisaku, he could never have any luck-based thinking.
While dribbling, Aoi Kunisaku kept his eyes on Sawakita Eiji.
Suddenly, his lips curled into a faint smile, and his dribbling motion changed in an instant.
Boom…
The continuous sound of the basketball hitting the ground abruptly stopped.
At the same time, Sawakita Eiji's heart skipped a beat as his eyes blurred, and he saw Aoi Kunisaku become a blur, disappearing from view.
Whoosh…
In the next moment, a strong gust of wind rushed past him.
Sawakita Eiji's pupils narrowed, and his heart raced. "Can this guy's speed increase even more?"
There was no time to think. Sawakita Eiji quickly turned around and began to chase Aoi Kunisaku with all his might.
This time, he gave it everything, almost without holding back.
Quickly, the distance between him and Aoi Kunisaku started to close.
Feeling Sawakita Eiji closing in from behind, Aoi Kunisaku's excitement grew stronger.
Suddenly, Aoi Kunisaku's forward motion changed, a quick crossover behind his back, followed by a sudden turn.
Sawakita Eiji never expected Aoi Kunisaku to pull such a move, and before he could react, his momentum carried him forward, making him miss Aoi Kunisaku.
Aoi Kunisaku cleverly slipped past Sawakita Eiji, going around him.
As Sawakita Eiji caught on, he quickly stopped to turn around and defend.
However, at this moment, Aoi Kunisaku was already leaping high, his body leaning backward.
Sawakita Eiji, initially thinking of recovering, saw how far back Aoi Kunisaku leaned and ultimately gave up.
This kind of jump shot, nearly parallel to the ground, he had seen in Shōhoku's game footage.
This move was extremely difficult to block. Even if prepared, it was still hard to defend.
At this moment, Sawakita Eiji could only watch as Aoi Kunisaku launched the ball in midair, almost lying flat.
Whoosh…
The basketball flew over Sawakita Eiji's head, drawing a perfect arc in the air and landing precisely in Sannoh's basket.
Swish…
The sound of the ball going through the net echoed.
Shōhoku 8-4 Sannoh.
Sawakita Eiji looked at Aoi Kunisaku, his expression growing more serious. The fire of battle slowly burned in his eyes, and his aura began to rise.
Sannoh Kogyo resumed their work.
Sawakita Eiji was dribbling the ball, taking large steps across half-court, but quickly faced opposition from Aoi, who blocked his way.
Seeing Aoi in front of him, Sawakita Eiji revealed an excited smile and said, "I haven't had this much fun in a while. Let me see what you've got!"
As his words finished, Sawakita Eiji started to move.
He swung his arm with force, using his palm to quickly slap the basketball against the ground.
The ball bounced up, and he swiftly switched hands, following up with another powerful arm swing.
Sawakita Eiji continuously changed his dribbling techniques, trying to confuse Aoi's judgment.
However, it wasn't enough. The next moment, Sawakita Eiji suddenly made a sharp move, attempting to break to Aoi's right.
But Aoi didn't step across to block him like the others. Instead, he did something that caught Sawakita Eiji off guard.
Aoi took a step back, intentionally leaving a gap that would allow Sawakita Eiji to break through.
This sudden change caused Sawakita Eiji to freeze for a moment.
But considering Aoi's strength, he didn't rashly attempt to break through. Instead, he quickly withdrew his step and prepared to try another direction.
However, Aoi had already tightly blocked his left side.
To break through from the left, Sawakita Eiji would have to take an extra step, but that would take more time.
With Aoi's speed, he would certainly be able to react and block.
Seeing that he couldn't break through Aoi's defense, Sawakita Eiji quickly decided to pass the ball to the side.
Hm?
Aoi was taken aback when he saw Sawakita Eiji's action.
He had expected a direct confrontation, but instead, Sawakita Eiji passed the ball away.
"How boring." Aoi said, clearly displeased.
However, Sawakita Eiji seemed perfectly fine with his pass.
While passing the ball, he also made his next move.
He swiftly sidestepped and got around Aoi, charging toward Shohoku's inside.
Aoi glanced at the location where the ball flew.
There stood the captain of Sannoh, Fukatsu Kazunari.
Aoi had already guessed why Sawakita Eiji had made this choice.
He couldn't defend against multiple players on his own.
He had to either catch up with Sawakita Eiji or defend against Fukatsu Kazunari's shot.
Aoi ultimately chose to defend Sawakita Eiji.
Just as Aoi had anticipated, Fukatsu Kazunari took a three-pointer right in front of Miyagi Ryota.
Miyagi Ryota leaped with all his might, but still couldn't touch the ball.
The basketball flew through the air in a beautiful arc.
Swish…
The ball swished through the net.
Shohoku 8 – 7 Sannoh Kogyo.
Aoi was unhappy with Sawakita Eiji's previous move and furrowed his brow. "Are you planning to admit defeat?"
Sawakita Eiji helplessly spread his hands and replied casually, "How could I admit defeat? Didn't the shot go in? If I can score, it means I won."
Aoi stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "You're not trying to talk about teamwork, are you?"
"What's wrong with that? Basketball is a team sport!" Sawakita Eiji said as a matter of fact.
For a moment, Aoi couldn't find any words to say.
He looked at Sawakita Eiji's fighting spirit in his eyes, seemingly understanding something.
Hmph...
Aoi snorted coldly and, after calming down, said indifferently, "Such naive thinking. But forget it, it's just a game. Let me see how strong the 'best team in the country' really is!"
Just a game?
Sawakita Eiji froze for a moment, thinking, 'Could he really be serious?'
The players from Shohoku and Sannoh who were nearby heard their conversation.
Shohoku's players immediately darkened, wanting to refute Aoi's words, but they held back the words they were about to say.
The players from Sannoh couldn't take it any longer.
They glared at Aoi with clear displeasure.
They were Sannoh Kogyo, the reigning powerhouse, yet he dared to say such things, treating their game as a mere joke.
In an instant, the Sannoh players felt a surge of anger rise in their hearts.
They silently vowed to show Aoi what true "national strength" was all about next.