With Akashi Asuka's overwhelming strength, the fourth quarter completely fell under Seiho's control.
After getting his wound bandaged, Kasuga Ryuhei returned to the court, Seiho's five main players were finally back together, and they unleashed their full power.
"Ooooohhh~~~!"
"BANG!"
Omuro Yoshikasu drove into the paint and pulled up for a jumper. It missed, but was immediately followed by Tsutomu Iwamura's thunderous put-back dunk that rattled the entire hoop.
45:23.
"Yoshhh~~ Let's get another one!"
Iwamura roared, his fighting spirit blazing as he vented all the frustration that had built up over the earlier quarters.
However...
"Haah… haah… they're incredible. No wonder they're called one of 'Three Kings of Tokyo'. The gap between us is just too wide!"
"Yeah, and they're not holding back at all!"
"Well, our starters did piss them off earlier. You all know what those guys are like."
"Uh… but we're just the substitutes!"
The bench players of Kirisaki Daiichi were gasping for breath. Only when facing a powerhouse like Seiho did they truly realize how terrifyingly strong their opponents were.
Even though they were substitutes with more stamina, just three minutes into the fourth quarter, they already looked more exhausted than Seiho's starters.
The substitute shooting guard dribbled to the three-point line. Kasuga Ryuhei's one-on-one defense was suffocating. When he tried to pass, he realized there was no passing lane.
Every one of his teammates was locked down by Seiho's full-court man-to-man defense. Ironically, he was the only one who even had a sliver of an opening.
Grinding his teeth, the guard dribbled a few more times, desperately trying to find an option, but when nothing appeared, he was forced into a step-back three-pointer.
But before he could even lift the ball, Kasuga Ryuhei's hand darted out, steal!
Seiho immediately switched to offense.
"Damn it!"
The guard shouted, chasing after Kasuga with everything he had, but no matter how hard he ran, the distance only grew wider and wider...
Kasuga drove straight into the paint and finished with an effortless layup.
============
"It's over," one of the players in the stands sighed, one of several from teams who had previously been injured by Kirisaki Daiichi.
"Yeah… the gap's just too big."
"Kirisaki Daiichi was already weaker than Seiho in pure ability, and now four out of their five players on court are substitutes. In terms of physique, technique, and even fighting spirit, the two teams aren't even in the same league."
"At this point, the only way they could win is if they used their old dirty tricks again, but these bench players probably don't even know how. And besides..."
The speaker paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at a tall figure on the court.
"Even if someone did try something like that, with that guy out there, who'd have the guts to move?"
"Yeah. After seeing what happened to their starters earlier, I doubt anyone's stupid enough to try."
"Hah, serve them right. That bastard Hanamiya finally met his match!" someone else sneered.
Nobody here had any sympathy for Hanamiya Makoto. Seeing him so docile, barely touching the ball for the entire fourth quarter under Akashi Asuka's shadow, was deeply satisfying.
And maybe because Hanamiya had been so quiet this whole time, even Seiho's players had almost forgotten he was still on the court.
Everyone except Akashi Asuka.
He hadn't forgotten for a moment.
He'd already let his guard down once before. He knew better now, Hanamiya would never sit quietly without a plan.
If he was this quiet, there could only be one reason:
He was preparing something even more vile.
But Akashi didn't intend to stop him.
He was waiting for it.
With thirty seconds left on the clock, the score stood at 74:29. Seiho's victory was already guaranteed.
And victory often breeds carelessness.
At least, that's how it looked when Akashi Asuka suddenly stopped guarding Hanamiya.
To everyone watching, the move seemed perfectly natural, there was no point wasting energy now. The game was over.
Because of that...
No one noticed when Hanamiya quietly disappeared from where he'd been.
Everyone was crowded beneath the hoop. This was supposed to be the last shot of the game, a symbolic rebound, nothing more.
"BOOM!"
Akashi Asuka slammed the ball through the hoop with a powerful dunk.
The referee's whistle sounded, signaling the official end of the match.
Players began to disperse from under the basket. Akashi released the rim and landed gracefully,
Until someone noticed a face that shouldn't have been there.
"Wait, why… why is he here?!"
Kasuga Ryuhei's heart skipped a beat. Seeing Hanamiya's ghost-like figure suddenly appear beneath the rim filled him with a primal sense of dread.
"Akashi, look out!" he shouted instinctively.
"Hahahaha, too late! If I can't win, I'll at least take something with me! You're the one I can never forgive! Go to hell, Akashi Asuka!"
Hanamiya's twisted grin spread across his face as he suddenly thrust his leg forward, aiming straight at Akashi's descending body.
If that kick landed, it would completely destroy Akashi's ankle and knee.
But at that exact instant,
Instead of fear, Akashi turned his head slightly and gave Hanamiya a calm, faint smile.
"I've been waiting for you."
The smile froze Hanamiya's face in an instant. A wave of dread surged through his chest, pure, animal panic clawing at his heart.
He wanted to run.
But it was already too late.
Secret Technique: Thousand-Pound Drop.
Akashi silently recited the move's name in his mind as his descending foot came down hard, right on Hanamiya's ankle.
A jolt of pain exploded through Hanamiya's body, nearly making him faint.
Before he could even react, Akashi's body "lost balance," tumbling forward. His leg swung out, "accidentally", and smashed into Hanamiya's already-ruined ankle and the opposite knee.
"RIP!"
"CRACK!"
Two sharp sounds cut through the air.
Hanamiya's legs gave out instantly. He collapsed onto the floor, his face twisting in agony, contorted, terrified, and full of despair.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
=============
108+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support