As usual, Tsugawa Tomoki's blunt, no-filter remark made Kasuga Ryuhei flare up, but oddly enough, he was starting to get used to it.
So instead of taking the bait, Kasuga ignored Tsugawa's taunt and began dribbling to the left to break through.
However,
Whoosh!
Like a sudden gust of wind, Tsugawa was already standing directly in front of him.
"Tch! What an annoying rookie!"
Realizing that he still couldn't shake Tsugawa's defense, Kasuga didn't push it any further and quickly passed the ball.
But this time...
Just a second before the pass, Tsugawa extended his right hand, almost as if he had predicted it, and with a crisp smack, intercepted the ball cleanly.
"What!?"
Caught completely off guard, Kasuga's expression changed. But before he could even react, Tsugawa was already speeding across midcourt, cutting straight through toward the black team's basket.
Kasuga had no choice but to sprint back on defense. He barely managed to block Tsugawa's path before the layup.
"It's no use, Kasuga-senpai. I've already seen through your tricks."
Tsugawa suddenly burst to the right. Kasuga stayed with him, but then Tsugawa pulled back, only to accelerate right again a split second later.
This time, Kasuga was a step too slow. His body froze for just a moment, just enough for Tsugawa to blow past him and score with a layup.
Swish!
37:26.
============
"He broke through... Tsugawa actually got past Kasuga-senpai!"
"Wait, does that mean everything Akashi-kun said earlier was true!?"
"OHHH! That was amazing, Tsugawa-kun! You're seriously incredible!"
The white team's bench exploded with cheers. Though Akashi Asuka had been scoring steadily on his own, Tsugawa beating one of the black team's core players felt like something completely different, not just for the rookies, but for everyone watching.
Because for them, Akashi represented something unreachable, pure talent.
But Tsugawa? Tsugawa represented hope.
============
"Kasuga couldn't stop that rookie? No way!"
While the white team celebrated, the black team's main players stood frozen in shock. Many of them had already faced Tsugawa in the previous games. He was a strong defender, sure, but his offense? Middling at best.
By all logic, there was no way someone like him should've been able to break through Kasuga's defense.
"What just happened?"
"I didn't see it clearly either," said Tsutomu Iwamura, frowning. "But... ever since before the second quarter started, I've had a really bad feeling. Kasuga, what happened out there?"
Kasuga forced a bitter smile and turned to his teammates.
"Guys, I think we're in real trouble. It's like... they've completely figured us out."
"Ahhh, I'll take it all back!" groaned coach Matsumoto Yukinori, pulling at his hair on the sideline. "These rookies aren't just amazing, they're monsters!"
"Coach, what just happened?" one of the players asked.
"What happened?" Matsumoto sighed. "Nothing special, really. We just got completely read by the other side. That's all."
He couldn't help grumbling again. "Seriously, who the hell is this first-year freak? Got too much time on his hands, huh? What kind of lunatic studies our team inside and out before even joining?!"
Matsumoto glanced toward Akashi Asuka on the court. Based on how things were unfolding, the mastermind behind this mess was almost certainly him.
He had to admit, he'd seriously underestimated this kid.
Akashi wasn't just physically gifted and technically skilled, he had a damn sharp mind too.
Unfortunately... there was something not quite right with that brain.
After all, who in their right mind would do a full-on strategic analysis of their own future team before even joining it?
And not just a shallow analysis, Akashi had uncovered a weakness that even top-tier national teams had failed to exploit.
Was this kid born to be a traitor or what?
"At this rate," Matsumoto muttered, "I'm going to go bald."
Because now that someone had finally found a crack in Seiho's armor, that meant the technique they relied on was becoming outdated. And outdated strategies don't win championships.
============
"Coach, does that mean... even our ancient martial arts have a weakness?" asked Kitayama Yuzuki, catching on.
"Yeah," Matsumoto nodded. "Nothing in this world is perfect. Our style boosts speed and stamina using old martial arts principles, sure, but it also creates a very subtle vulnerability."
"Normally, even if opponents noticed it, they wouldn't be able to capitalize right away. But those two brats taunted Iwamura and the others on purpose."
"Sure, Iwamura and Kasuga held back and didn't show their emotions outwardly... but deep down, they were pissed. And that anger made their movements more exaggerated."
"The rhythm we use, honed by ancient martial arts, normally takes at least two full quarters for someone to adapt to. But because of their emotional outbursts, the rookie picked up on the pattern in just over a quarter."
Even Matsumoto himself couldn't help but marvel.
These two first-years hadn't just figured out Seiho's technique, they'd picked apart the entire team, mentally and physically.
"What? So Iwamura and the others are in trouble now?" Kitayama gasped.
"In trouble? They should be praying those rookies show them mercy and don't humiliate them completely."
Matsumoto saw it clearly. Seiho's unique "martial rhythm" technique was strong, but once the weakness was exposed, it became a dangerous liability.
The senior players had spent two full years mastering that rhythm. By now, it was second nature, deeply ingrained in their instincts.
And habits that are ingrained can't be undone overnight.
Worse still, there was Akashi Asuka.
That guy was the real problem.
Even if the rookies had spotted Seiho's flaw, their bodies still couldn't keep up physically. Normally, the black team could just overpower them with brute force.
But Akashi changed everything.
Even without exploiting the flaw, he alone could suppress the entire black team.
==========
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