In the center of Hiroshima, at the gymnasium.
The sun shone down on the square, casting two distinct shadows—one tall and one short.
The taller figure was extremely imposing, roughly two meters tall. He wore a baseball cap with the brim slightly lowered, covering part of his eyes.
He wore a tight yellow T-shirt that outlined his muscular build.
His lower body was dressed in shorts that came just above the knee, revealing his exceptionally muscular arms and legs. The muscle lines were clearly visible, showcasing his strength.
Despite his tall and robust stature, his face radiated the youthful energy unique to a teenager.
The shorter figure beside him was a middle-aged man, somewhat unkempt.
His face was covered in stubble, and his hair was tinged with gray, with a few silver strands shimmering in the sunlight, looking a bit messy.
The two walked slowly, engaged in conversation.
The young man tilted his head slightly, a look of confusion and doubt on his face as he asked, "What exactly is Sannoh?"
The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face as he replied, "How can you say something like that! Your words have made the reporters angry. They think you insulted the 'king' in their eyes."
The young man shrugged nonchalantly and said, "But I really didn't know!"
The middle-aged man was at a loss for words, remaining silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Anyway, I need someone like you. To defeat the Sannoh dynasty..."
Just then, a deafening roar of cheers and screams suddenly erupted from the gymnasium. The sound surged like a wave.
The young man's eyes brightened when he heard it. "Sounds like it's pretty lively."
The middle-aged man nodded and explained, "Sannoh is quite popular."
The young man, curious, asked, "So, who's their opponent?"
The middle-aged man thought for a moment before replying, "I think it's Shohoku! I remember reading something about them. Apparently, there's a really interesting kid on their team!"
...
Soon, the two passed through the square and entered the gymnasium, heading towards the Shohoku vs. Sannoh match.
When they saw the score on the electronic scoreboard, the young man's expression remained calm, as if it didn't particularly affect him.
But the middle-aged man, on the other hand, couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
Sannoh was behind?
His expression immediately became serious, and he quietly thought, "The first half is already over, and Sannoh is still behind. Shohoku is pretty capable..."
His gaze slowly turned towards Shohoku's bench, his eyes filled with a sense of gravity. He thought to himself, "Looks like I'll need to investigate Shohoku properly when I get back."
From the faces of the Shohoku players, he saw nothing but confidence and excitement. There was no fear or hesitation towards Sannoh.
"That's incredible! That Shohoku number 9 really can make those kinds of shots."
"Sannoh's probably in real trouble now. I wonder how the final game will turn out."
"Exactly! That Aoi Kunisaku really is as good as they say. Amazing."
...
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd around him, the middle-aged man's mind stirred, and he looked once more at Shohoku's bench.
This time, he was searching with a clear purpose.
Soon, he spotted Aoi Kunisaku, sitting there in his Shohoku number 9 jersey, a white towel wrapped around his head, his face hidden.
"Is it because of him that Sannoh is trailing?" the middle-aged man frowned, his eyes filled with contemplation.
At this moment, some of the audience had recognized the young man and the middle-aged man standing there.
"Wait, isn't that the coach and center from Meihou High? They came to watch the game too?"
"That tall guy... Could it be the super center, Morishige Hiroshi? He's so tall!"
"I heard they crushed Aiwa Gakuen in the qualifiers! Seems like Aiwa's star, Moroboshi Dai, is in the hospital!"
...
On Shohoku's bench, the atmosphere was light and relaxed.
To be in a position like this against Sannoh in the first half was something Shohoku players had never even dared to imagine before.
Everyone knew that if they could maintain this state in the second half, they might really have a chance to beat the formidable Sannoh.
And all of this was thanks to Aoi Kunisaku.
The players understood that without Aoi Kunisaku, facing Sannoh's two key players who had awakened their 'wild instincts,' Shohoku might have been completely overwhelmed.
Coach Anzai sat quietly, looking up at the score on the electronic board, his eyes filled with hopeful light.
His basketball dream seemed to be within reach.
If they could beat Sannoh in this game, it would mean Shohoku had reached the pinnacle of high school basketball in the nation.
At this moment, his heart was beating violently, and his breath became quick. The excitement in his heart would not calm down.
Mitsui Hisashi, on the other hand, gently closed his eyes, quietly resting, trying to recover his stamina as much as possible.
He knew that this was his last year of high school basketball, and he didn't want to be substituted due to exhaustion and leave with any regrets.
He yearned to give his best performance in this match.
Rukawa Kaede's gaze passed over the court and landed on Sawakita Eiji from Sannoh.
The words Coach Anzai had once said echoed in his mind.
"First, become the strongest player in the country."
And the Sawakita Eiji in front of him was the opponent he had to defeat in order to achieve that goal.
Aoi Kunisaku, with a towel on his head, sat motionless as if he had fallen asleep.
The team was already used to this. Every time Aoi was involved in a fierce confrontation, he would turn into this state afterward.
Shimizu Kanon stood in front of the players, her expression serious as she said, "Everyone has done well. Just keep it up. No need for personnel changes for now. If we get the chance in the second half, let's try to widen the score. But be careful, Sannoh's strength isn't just this; they surely still have tricks up their sleeves."
Hearing Shimizu Kanon's words, the players, who had been enjoying their lead over Sannoh, saw their smiles fade, their expressions becoming more serious.
Only then did they realize they might have been a little too optimistic.
Even though Shohoku had Aoi Kunisaku's powerful assistance.
Throughout the first half, Sannoh had always closely followed Shohoku's score, which was enough to show how formidable Sannoh's strength was.
If we look at it from another perspective, what would the game have looked like without Aoi Kunisaku?
Sss...
The thought sent a chill down their spines, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
The once cheerful Shohoku players were now tense once again.
Akagi Takenori took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination as he said loudly, "Everyone, stay focused in the second half. There are just 20 minutes left. If we win this game, it means we are the strongest. This is our last chance, so... we must defeat Sannoh."
"Defeat Sannoh..." The team responded in unison.
...
The commotion from Shohoku caught the attention of everyone in the arena.
Sannoh Kogyo's bench.
All eyes turned toward the other side.
Fukatsu Kazunari sighed deeply, a look of admiration and helplessness on his face. He murmured, "They really don't give us any chance to breathe!"
Domoto Goro's expression was serious, his eyes full of gravity. He spoke in a low voice, "It's the most terrifying when you face an opponent full of fighting spirit and power."
Sawakita Eiji, exhausted, frowned slightly and complained, "Geez, why do they have to push so hard?"
Kawata Masashi shot Sawakita Eiji a glare and said impatiently, "Sawakita, focus! Don't let their number 9 outplay you."
Domoto Goro scanned the team, his gaze deep in thought. After a moment, he said, "We need to change our strategy. We can't focus all our attention on their number 9. We need more players to step up."
With that, he looked at Matsumoto Arata and said firmly, "Matsumoto, swap in for Kawata Mikio."
Matsumoto Arata nodded, showing no objection.
Domoto Goro then turned his gaze to the tallest, most muscular player in the team, saying, "Kawata, you'll be the main attacker now. Sawakita, Fukatsu, you two will focus on containing their number 9. If you have the chance, pass the ball to Kawata."
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari straightened their bodies and responded in unison, "Yes…"
...
Time passed unnoticed.
The halftime break quickly came to an end.
The players from both teams returned to the court and gathered at the center, preparing for the tip-off.
The players responsible for the jump ball were Akagi Takenori from Shohoku and Kawata Mikio from Sannoh Kogyo.
Kawata Mikio, standing over 2 meters tall, was the only player on the court who surpassed the 2 meter mark.
Just standing there, his massive frame gave off a strong sense of pressure.
Akagi Takenori, looking at the man who was half a head taller than him, couldn't help but feel a great weight on his shoulders. But his eyes also revealed a hint of resolve, with no sign of retreat.
The two stood facing each other, their bodies slightly leaned forward, silently waiting for the referee to announce the start of the match.
The next moment.
Toot...
The referee blew the whistle.
Immediately after, the referee tossed the ball high between Akagi Takenori and Kawata Mikio.
The second half of the game officially began.