"Huh?"
Matsumoto Yukinori noticed the sharp stares from the white team's rookies and felt a jolt of unease.
"Don't tell me... those brats noticed?"
Even he was startled by his own thoughts. But a moment later, he shook it off.
No way.
This was their first time seeing Seiho's kobujutsu-based style. If the rookies could pick apart their weakness this quickly, then Seiho would've been crushed by their opponents long ago.
Unless… someone had studied Seiho's techniques thoroughly before enrolling.
But that's too far-fetched.
After all, if you already decided to join Seiho, what's the point in analyzing their weaknesses? It would make no sense.
No way, right?
No way a junior higher would be that bored, right?
============
On the court.
A rookie fixated on Kasuga Ryuhei's toes, trying to spot the flaw Akashi Asuka had mentioned. But the moment Kasuga exploded into motion, the rookie didn't even have time to react, Kasuga had already vanished from in front of him.
"Damn! That fast? With that kind of speed, even reading the move ahead of time doesn't help!"
The plan was solid in theory, but in reality, it didn't hold up.
The physical gap between the black team veterans and the white team rookies was massive.
First, high schoolers are in their growth phase.
Second, the black team's Seiho starters were mostly third-years, with two full years of extra training.
Unless you were an absurdly talented rookie, the combination of those two factors was enough to put senior players several leagues ahead.
So even if the white team rookies knew the opponent's weak point, it was still incredibly hard to capitalize on it.
Of course, Akashi Asuka never pinned his hopes on the rookies.
Tsugawa Tomoki stepped up to help on defense.
Compared to the others, Tsugawa's defensive intensity was on a whole different level, so much so that he could almost stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Generation of Miracles when it came to defense alone.
Kasuga tried a series of crossovers, faking left and right, but no matter how many times he shook, he couldn't shake Tsugawa off.
"Tch. So this year's rookies have more than one pain in the ass, huh?"
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Kasuga passed the ball. Omuro Yoshikasu received it and went for a mid-range jumper.
But just as he released the ball, a massive hand suddenly appeared above him.
"Yo, senpai. Don't you think you're standing a little too close to the rim?"
Smack!
A powerful block sent the ball flying across the court.
Everyone on the floor was left stunned. Especially Omuro Yoshikasu, his pupils reflected nothing but raw shock.
"You've gotta be kidding. That guy isn't just tall, his vertical is unreal!"
Tsugawa recovered the ball and launched a fast break without hesitation. At first, he wanted to push the tempo, but Akashi Asuka's earlier words echoed in his mind: Seiho's starters excel in drawn-out, back-and-forth battles thanks to their unique movement. So Tsugawa slowed it down.
Once his teammates were in position, he jogged past the three-point line and pulled up for a shot.
Clang!
A crisp iron bounce echoed through the gym.
Akashi boxed out with textbook form and claimed the rebound with ease. He didn't go for a put-back but instead kicked it back out.
Tsugawa shot again.
Clang!
Another beautiful miss.
Akashi gently leaped and snatched the rebound again, yet again, he kicked it out to the perimeter.
Watching those two shots, the black team's players, both inside and out, twitched uncontrollably. They could practically feel the murderous aura bubbling up around them.
"Bastards! Are you mocking us!?"
Even team captain Tsutomu Iwamura was losing it. Are you even acknowledging me as a center? Is this even basketball anymore? This was psychological warfare!
When Tsugawa pulled up for another three, both Iwamura and Omuro snapped and leaped early to contest the shot.
And this time, Tsugawa made it.
Swish!
The soft whisper of the net only made the scene more awkward.
11:2.
After landing, silence fell across the court.
The tension was thick. Some of the white team rookies looked like they wanted to say something, but before they could, Tsugawa opened his honey-coated mouth again.
"Wow, senpai, I'm impressed. You actually figured out we were provoking you?"
"But I mean, even if you knew, so what? It's not like you guys are getting those rebounds anyway."
"Honestly, I always thought Akashi's plan was kinda overkill. Even if we didn't provoke you, you wouldn't win. So why bother? Same outcome either way."
The other white team rookies looked like they'd turned green from secondhand embarrassment.
Even Akashi Asuka's expression stiffened slightly.
He knew Tsugawa was blunt, but he hadn't expected this guy to go full blast. It was like a damn area-of-effect nuke, roasting everyone in range!
Was Akashi provoking the black team?
Absolutely.
In fact, not just in this match, but even before the school year began, Akashi had already made a plan for himself.
Thanks to his cheat-like past life memories, his training methods would always be different from the norm. Even after enrollment, he was destined to stand out as a "special" player.
But to be seen as someone special, he first had to prove he was special.
That's why from the very beginning, Akashi had resolved to crush his opponents completely, no holding back.
And "tactical provocation" was a perfectly valid strategy in any competitive sport.
That said,
As a high schooler, Akashi had originally planned to provoke the black team in a more subtle, elegant fashion.
But looking at things now…
Ehhh... well, mission accomplished, right?
Anyway, since Tsugawa was the one running his mouth, Akashi was just an accomplice at most.
When this match ends and Seiho's upperclassmen explode in rage, Tsugawa will be the first one in the blast zone.
So really, this wasn't the best time to shut him up.
"Wait… hold up. Since when did I become this scheming?"
Suddenly, Akashi paused. He used to be a pretty straightforward, decent guy.
But now?
He was manipulating people like it was second nature.
What the hell? When did I get so damn underhanded?
"Damn it, who turned me into this person?!"
==========
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