On the court.
Sakuragi Hanamichi was humiliated by Kawata Mikio's actions.
He had originally planned to charge at Kawata Mikio again, but as soon as he made a move, Akagi Takenori grabbed him.
Akagi Takenori's face was grim, and his eyes burned with anger. He sternly said, "Calm down! You knew it wouldn't work, so why try? Are you out of your mind?"
"Huh?" Sakuragi Hanamichi immediately shot back with a scowl. "Big gorilla, if I don't do that, there's no way I can stop him."
At that moment, Rukawa Kaede passed by Sakuragi Hanamichi from behind, muttering lightly, "Big idiot."
"What did you say?" Sakuragi Hanamichi's anger flared up instantly, his head nearly steaming with fury.
He glared at Rukawa Kaede and yelled, "Damn Rukawa Kaede, stinky fox, you're the big idiot, idiot!"
sigh...
Rukawa Kaede, with his back to Sakuragi Hanamichi, shrugged and sighed in resignation.
This made Sakuragi Hanamichi so angry his face contorted. His teeth were bared, his forehead veins bulging as if blood might spill from them any second.
Akagi Takenori couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "Enough! Get a grip, you already have three fouls. If you foul again, I'll have to pull you out of the game. Think about it!"
Hearing that he might be taken off, Sakuragi Hanamichi deflated like a punctured ball. He asked anxiously, "What should I do? I don't want to be subbed out!"
The game continued.
Sannoh Kogyo repeated their strategy, pushing into Shohoku's half again.
Nobe Masahiro passed the ball to Kawata Mikio.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, having already committed three fouls, was being extra cautious. Although he still wanted to challenge Kawata Mikio, he was too hesitant to act recklessly.
Kawata Mikio caught the ball and immediately turned, stepping into Shohoku's key, then raised the ball high, aiming for the basket, preparing to take the shot.
Seeing this, Sakuragi Hanamichi couldn't hold back and rushed forward to block.
However, just as he neared Kawata Mikio, Kawata Mikio jumped, colliding with Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had been chasing from behind.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, struck by the force, lost his balance and staggered backward, eventually falling on his rear.
Sitting on the ground, Sakuragi Hanamichi's first concern wasn't whether Kawata Mikio's shot would go in but whether he would be called for another foul.
Whoosh...
The basketball left Kawata Mikio's hand, flying through the air in a smooth, perfect arc, and it landed cleanly in Shohoku's basket.
Swish...
The ball went through the net cleanly.
Shohoku 53 to 54 Sannoh Kogyo.
After making the basket, Kawata Mikio slowly turned his head to look at Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was lying on the ground. A goofy smile spread across his face as he asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Sakuragi Hanamichi's face turned bright red, a mix of shame and rage. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Kawata Mikio, unsure of how to respond.
Akagi Takenori glanced at Sakuragi Hanamichi still sitting on the ground. His tone showed some dissatisfaction as he said, "What are you still doing sitting there? Get up!"
It was then that Sakuragi Hanamichi seemed to snap out of it. He looked up anxiously, his voice betraying his unease, "I didn't commit a foul, right?"
"Big idiot," Rukawa Kaede's voice came again from behind Sakuragi Hanamichi, full of disdain.
Sakuragi Hanamichi gritted his teeth, turning quickly to glare at Rukawa Kaede, seething, "Ruka...wa...Kaede..."
The game continued, tension building with every passing second.
The momentum of the game was gradually shifting in Sannoh Kogyo's favor.
Kawata Mikio was like a moving mountain, rampaging through Shohoku's paint, scoring freely, while Shohoku's players had no effective way to stop him.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, wary of fouling, became tentative in his defense. Despite his efforts, he couldn't come up with a good way to stop Kawata Mikio.
Akagi Takenori was being tightly guarded by Kawata Masashi. Just dealing with Kawata Masashi's offense and defense was enough to wear him out, leaving him unable to help his teammates.
Rukawa Kaede wasn't afraid of Nobe Masahiro, but Nobe Masahiro didn't seem to want a direct confrontation. Whenever he found an opening, he would quickly pass the ball, making Rukawa Kaede's defense ineffective.
As for Aoi Kunisaku, it seemed like he had been completely shut down by Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji.
To be precise, the passing lanes to Aoi Kunisaku were completely blocked.
Shohoku's players couldn't find a good opportunity or route to pass the ball to Aoi Kunisaku.
The game had turned into a one-sided affair. Kawata Mikio and Kawata Masashi worked seamlessly together, passing the ball back and forth. One of them would either dunk or make a shot, while the other would do the same.
Shohoku was retreating under the relentless assault of Sannoh Kogyo.
The score continued to change with each of Sannoh's powerful attacks.
53 to 56.
59 to 64.
59 to 68.
Five minutes had passed in the second half, and Shohoku had unknowingly fallen behind by 9 points.
Thanks to Mitsui Hisashi's three successful three-pointers during this period, the gap hadn't expanded to more than 10 points.
Shohoku's bench.
Ayako watched the score gap widen with worry on her face. She couldn't help but ask Shimizu Kanon, "Kanon, we're down by 9 points. Is this really okay?"
Shimizu Kanon, with a calm expression and a slight smile, replied softly, "Don't worry, everything is fine. Besides, we still have Saku-chan!"
"Aoi? But he's being completely shut down now, isn't he?" Ayako looked at Aoi Kunisaku, tightly guarded by Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, worry written all over her face.
"Is that so?" Shimizu Kanon said calmly, not showing any concern for Aoi Kunisaku's current situation. "Saku-chan will never allow them to limit him."
On the court.
The atmosphere was so tense it felt like it could be squeezed for water.
Sannoh once again attacked Shohoku's key like a fierce tiger. Kawata Mikio charged toward the basket with great force.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stood in front of Kawata Mikio, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, unable to move forward or backward, his face full of distress.
The others on the court could see Sakuragi Hanamichi's predicament.
Akagi Takenori saw it and his heart raced. "This idiot."
Mitsui Hisashi also frowned. "If this keeps up, it's really bad."
Just as Kawata Mikio was about to take a shot in front of Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede suddenly moved like a black gust of wind. He quickly broke free from Nobe Masahiro's defense and charged toward Kawata Mikio.
"Kawata… watch out…" Nobe Masahiro, who had just regained his senses, quickly shouted a warning.
Kawata Mikio, already in position to shoot, paused slightly upon hearing his teammate's warning.
But before he could react, Rukawa Kaede was already behind him. His arm lashed out like a whip, aiming straight for the basketball in Kawata Mikio's hand.
Kawata Mikio was startled and, in his panic, passed the ball to Kawata Masashi.
The basketball flew through the air in a beautiful arc toward Shohoku's key.
Both Akagi Takenori and Kawata Masashi's eyes narrowed. They were ready to jump.
Whoosh...
"I told you guys!" Aoi Kunisaku, who was being double-teamed by Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, sighed lightly. His expression was calm, but his voice carried a touch of indifference. "You two don't really think you can block me like this, do you?"
Fukatsu Kazunari, his face stern, replied, "We have no choice. Your strength surpassed our expectations. This is the most effective method."
"Heh..." Aoi Kunisaku smirked, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "Effective? You guys are still a hundred years too early to stop me with a double-team!"
For some reason, Sawakita Eiji felt a surge of intense unease in his heart.
The next second, something astonishing happened.
Between Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, Aoi Kunisaku's figure faded like an illusion. It first grew faint, then completely disappeared.
What?
Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji were both stunned, their eyes wide in disbelief.
He disappeared?
"There!" Fukatsu Kazunari, having snapped back to his senses, caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He immediately shouted loudly.
Sawakita Eiji quickly turned to the direction Fukatsu Kazunari was pointing and soon spotted Aoi Kunisaku.
Though they still didn't know how Aoi Kunisaku had escaped the double-team, there was no time to think about it now.
Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji immediately started chasing after Aoi Kunisaku.
But Aoi Kunisaku, free from his restraints, moved faster than they could have ever imagined. His speed was beyond anything they could match.
Aoi Kunisaku transformed into a streak of red lightning, and within the blink of an eye, he was already deep into Shohoku's key.
Akagi Takenori and Kawata Masashi were preparing to jump, but to their shock, they suddenly saw a figure appear above them, catching the ball before they could.
What?
Kawata Masashi widened his eyes, his face filled with astonishment, unable to believe what had just happened.
Akagi Takenori, shocked, was overwhelmed with joy in his heart.
He immediately recognized the person—it was Aoi Kunisaku.
This moment was like a thunderclap, shocking everyone present.
Everyone had thought Aoi Kunisaku was trapped by Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, unable to escape.
But who could have imagined that, in such a crucial moment, Aoi Kunisaku had miraculously escaped their double-team and intercepted Sannoh's attack?
Aoi Kunisaku held the ball tightly, landing firmly on the ground.
Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji quickly recovered, rushing toward Aoi Kunisaku.
But Aoi Kunisaku wouldn't give them another chance to trap him.
He pushed off the ground with force, the sound of his footsteps echoing as he shot forward like a red streak of lightning toward Sannoh's half of the court.
Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, still rushing in from behind, hadn't even had a chance to set up their defense when they felt a strong gust of wind passing between them.
Aoi Kunisaku, like a ghost, slipped between them in an instant.
What?
Both of them turned in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
His speed… it increased again.
How is this possible?
The two were stunned, completely unable to understand what was happening.
Previously, Aoi Kunisaku's speed had already overwhelmed them, making it hard to keep up.
But now, his speed was faster than before, impossibly so.
Is this even human?
They couldn't help but think.
The entire crowd watched in awe and disbelief.
Aoi Kunisaku, in the blink of an eye, had crossed from Shohoku's key all the way to Sannoh's basket.
His speed was so fast that everyone in the arena was left speechless, their mouths hanging open in amazement, as if they had seen something impossible, like a ghost.
Aoi Kunisaku landed hard on the ground and immediately leaped with the ball. His arm swung high as he powered a dunk toward Sannoh's basket.
Crash...
The basketball slammed into the basket, ringing out as it swished through.
Shohoku 61 to 68 Sannoh Kogyo.
This moment had repeated itself countless times before.
The entire arena was once again plunged into complete silence.