Inside the White Team's bench area.
Several first-years sat slumped in silence, utterly defeated and demoralized.
"I guess… beating our seniors really was impossible, huh?"
"We're not even in the same league."
"Actually, getting this far is already kind of amazing when you think about it."
============
"Huh?"
Hearing their dejected murmuring, Tsugawa Tomoki blinked in disbelief.
"Wait, don't tell me you were thinking like this during the entire second quarter? Did you guys forget what Akashi told you before?"
"You mean that 'observation' thing?"
The others froze for a second, then one of them shrugged as he replied:
"What's the point of that now? Even if we saw through their plays, there's no way we could keep up with their speed."
"Of course it's still important! You think we slowed the tempo on purpose in the second quarter for nothing? Akashi specifically bought us that time to analyze them! And now you're giving up?"
"Wait… seriously? That was planned?"
This time, the three first-years were truly stunned.
"Come on. Even if he's good, what can one guy do? You think he can beat all the Seiho seniors on his own?"
"You won't know unless you try, will you?"
"Alright, Tsugawa, calm down."
Just as it looked like Tsugawa was about to get into an argument, Akashi Asuka finally stepped in to interrupt him.
"They weren't our teammates before this. It's only natural if they don't trust us. You just focus on your own part."
Akashi wasn't going to force anyone to cooperate.
In fact, expecting perfect teamwork from people you've just met for the first time was the unrealistic part.
"Let's talk strategy for the second half," Akashi said as he casually wiped down his thick elbow with a towel. "I'll be spearheading the offense. Does anyone have a problem with that?"
"Great. Seems like we're all on the same page. Then our core plan for the second half is decided."
The White Team's new strategy could be summed up in one sentence:
Give the damn ball to Akashi.
And to everyone's surprise, or perhaps not, no one objected. Every single one of them raised their hands in agreement.
"Umm, I'm fine with Akashi leading the offense," one first-year spoke up cautiously, raising his hand, "but how are we supposed to get the ball to you?"
It was a valid concern, and the other two first-years quickly nodded in agreement. After all, in the second quarter, Akashi had been triple-teamed nonstop. Forget attacking, they couldn't even find a decent chance to pass the ball to him.
"Oh, that? Don't worry," Akashi replied casually. "Because I won't be attacking from the inside this time…"
============
BZZZT~~
As the whistle sounded, the second half began.
The Black Team, unsurprisingly, continued with the same defensive strategy from the second quarter: triple-team Akashi in the paint and lock him down completely.
But this time, suddenly, Akashi took off and ran toward the perimeter.
"What the…? What is he doing?"
Iwamura, Omuro Yuuichi, and Sakamoto Kenjiro all froze. Akashi's movement didn't make sense to them.
Sure, maybe he wanted to shake off the triple team, but what use was a center outside the paint?
The three watched Akashi pull away but didn't all follow him.
Or rather, they couldn't.
Triple-teaming inside the arc was doable because they could still rely on help defense.
But outside the three-point line? If they sent three men after Akashi out there, they'd leave the paint wide open for the White Team to feast. Even with only two defenders left, there was no way they'd survive a four-on-two.
Now positioned beyond the arc, Tsugawa passed the ball to Akashi without hesitation.
And Akashi, with just as little hesitation, went straight into a shooting motion,
"Wait, what!?"
"Oi oi oi, are you kidding me? Did you forget you're a center!? Since when do big men shoot threes!?"
The entire Black Team instantly assumed Akashi was just screwing around. A center shooting from outside? Ridiculous!
But the next moment,
The ball drew a perfect arc through the air…
Swish. Straight through the net.
29:24.
CRASH!
Down on the sidelines, coach Matsumoto Yukinori shot to his feet so fast he kicked over the bench.
On the court, the Black Team could only stare in stunned disbelief.
"That had to be a fluke, right? There's no way a center can hit threes…"
Even after that first shot, the Black Team remained skeptical. Everyone knew, thanks to the height and build of centers, they rarely ever had the finesse or range to shoot from deep.
Until…
Exactly one minute later.
After a Black Team fast break, Akashi drifted back to the perimeter again, received the ball, and fired without hesitation.
Swish!
Another clean three.
32:26.
This time, no one on the Black Team could convince themselves it was a fluke.
"This… this is a total disaster…"
Akashi's sudden long-range threat shattered the Black Team's entire defensive plan, and that was just the beginning.
============
Smack!
Without the triple-team, Akashi reclaimed his dominance in the paint.
When Omuro Yuuichi tried to drive inside, Akashi met him at the rim with a monstrous block.
The White Team immediately launched a fast break. Tsugawa pushed the ball across half court, but Kasuga Ryuhei quickly closed in.
So Tsugawa dished the ball off to Akashi, who was already repositioned for another shot.
"You're not shooting this time!"
Omuro flew in to block, leaping with everything he had, but even at full stretch, his hand could barely reach above Akashi's head.
At 205 cm (about 6'9"), and with enhanced vertical leap, Akashi's release point was now something few could even hope to contest.
"How the hell do you defend against that!?"
Omuro was practically ready to swear out loud. A center shooting threes at that height? That was just cruel.
And then,
Swish.
Hearing that all-too-familiar sound behind him, Omuro grit his teeth in frustration.
"This cocky son of a—his threes are way too accurate!"
Three-for-three.
That level of precision would be considered elite even among top-tier shooting guards nationwide.
35:26.
Akashi Asuka dominated both inside and out, instantly stretching the White Team's lead once more.
Kasuga wiped sweat from his brow and forced a laugh.
"Yeah… this isn't looking good."
"Huh? You're already out of gas?" Akashi smiled. "Because if I decide to get serious now, you're really gonna be in trouble, senpai."
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 702+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 233
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 215
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 145
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 79
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 68
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 58