"Seriously... you haven't changed at all."
BOOM!
Aomine intercepted Kuroko's strong pass using only one hand. That kind of pass was one he used to receive all the time. Just like in the show when he reached high school, the memory was etched into Aomine's muscles, allowing him to easily catch the ball even after a year.
"Haven't seen you in a year, and you're still exactly the same, Tetsuya."
"Maybe Akashi was right, your basketball can't win at all."
Aomine's voice carried a hint of disappointment.
The next second, Homi Academy's fast break instantly turned into a Teikō counter-attack.
"Damn it!"
Haizaki cursed, slamming his foot down to brake suddenly, then lunged forward with stored energy, chasing after Aomine.
"You're not going anywhere, Daiki!"
"I'll go where I please, don't mistake me for Kise."
Aomine and Haizaki were locked in a high-speed entanglement. Aomine's incredibly flashy and unpredictable playing style was too much for even Haizaki to handle. He couldn't predict Aomine's next move. His messy, formless basketball was the embodiment of chaos.
"Slap!"
Aomine bounced the ball off the floor towards Haizaki's face. Haizaki instinctively leaned back. That lean gave Aomine the opportunity he needed, and a streak of black light flashed past, leaving the defensive encirclement and even passing the supporting Kuroko.
"Be careful, Tetsuya, you'll get hurt."
He even had time to warn Kuroko, showing that he wasn't under much pressure; he was relaxed.
Aomine took a huge stride, ready to dunk. But at that moment, a large hand directly snatched the ball in mid-air.
Nani?! (What?!)
The Teikō bench was stunned. The one in their sight was Homi Academy's Number 10. He had moved with all his might on the defensive end, quickly returning from Akashi's side to the paint to complete the block.
Akashi watched, his pupils constricting violently.
"It's not just me, the others are the same!"
"Yuuto is quickly adapting to our playing style, or perhaps... he is continuously evolving during the game!"
If he couldn't be sure at first, the current situation allowed Akashi to confirm it. Yuuto possessed the talent to quickly evolve, or rather, to fix his own weaknesses. As the game progressed, Akashi could clearly see that Yuuto's offensive and defensive pace was becoming faster and stronger.
"You bastard!" Aomine still tried to exert force to slam the ball into the hoop. But Aomine, whose power was superior just a year ago, was now shocked to find that he was losing the physical contest against Yuuto.
"You're the only one standing still, Aomine."
"Swat!"
Yuuto violently slapped away Aomine's dunk attempt.
As they landed, the two briefly gathered themselves, then simultaneously exploded into a sprint toward the ball's landing spot. It was a speed even faster than Haizaki vs. Aomine. As the two fastest players today, both Yuuto and Aomine reached peak speed almost immediately after their initial burst.
"Come on, Yuuto!"
Aomine had been waiting for this day for too long. Since the end of the National Tournament last year, he'd been waiting for the chance to play against Yuuto again. In basketball today, besides his own teammates, only Yuuto could let him experience the joy of playing. In fact, even his teammates couldn't provide the same pressure that Yuuto did. To prepare for this game, he even went back to the gym to practice during the half-month break. His goal was simply to better enjoy the match.
However,
"Pass!"
Yuuto faked a move to create space, then passed the ball to Koyasu's position, choosing not to get entangled with Aomine. It was another absolutely open shot opportunity. Koyasu let the ball fly and the three-pointer hit the mark.
The point difference closed to 1 point!
It wasn't until the ball swished through the net that the audience reacted. The opening possession of the second quarter had been a sequence that made people forget to breathe. Both sides continuously pulled and countered in offense and defense, trading counter-attacks and delivering spectacular defense.
Seeing this, Coach Old Den turned to Satsuki Momoi.
"Momoi, what are Yuuto's stats right now?"
"Ah Yuu's stats?"
Momoi opened her notebook, which recorded that Yuuto played the entire first quarter. His stats were: 0 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 0 steals, and 1 block.
"That Yuuto, he still hasn't scored a single point?!"
At this, the entire Teikō bench was stunned. Last year, the only saving grace for the Tochigi Prefecture was Yuuto's single-game individual score of 50+. With the highest score of the game, he saved the Tochigi people from a complete rout. Yet, a player with such terrifying scoring ability hadn't managed to score even a single point in so long!
This was certainly due to the pressure Akashi exerted on him, but still, it shouldn't be this way. At the very least, even Akashi couldn't completely shut down a super scorer of Aomine's caliber. No one could stop such a player from scoring, especially since Homi Academy had Kuroko as well.
Teikō's head coach understood. Homi Academy's strategy was to let Yuuto focus completely on defense, using his incredible athleticism and his Eagle Eye to oversee the court, timely cover for teammates, and correct any deficiencies. This required a sacrifice from Yuuto: sacrificing his own offense.
"To be able to achieve this."
Kasamatsu Yukio had also come to watch the game with his coach today. When he saw Yuuto willing to sacrifice himself to help the team win, his opinion of the player instantly changed. A player who could drop 50+ points in a single game against the Super Teikō, was choosing not to score, but to shoulder all the "dirty work" and hard labor. How many people could possess such courage?
"No wonder Homi Academy is called the Steel Legion. With a captain like this, everyone is willing to fight for him."
"Strictly speaking, Yuuto is the one who sacrifices for the team first, setting an example that ignites the entire squad."
He was truly outstanding. Takenouchi Genta genuinely admired a player who placed the team above his own desires. It was easy to say but hard to do. Otherwise, why were there so many star players in the NBA who only cared about their own stats?
"That's why players like Duncan are so great. It's a happy thing to have such a leader on the team."
...
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