The match began.
Jump ball segment. Yuuto personally came to the center circle to face Tsutomu Iwamura.
Tweet!
The piercing whistle tore through the air, then the second-year student acting as temporary referee tossed the ball high.
Almost simultaneously.
The moment the basketball reached its apex, Yuuto launched! He left the ground with both feet.
"So fast!" Iwamura was instantly startled.
His height was a few centimeters shorter than Yuuto, but that didn't determine the outcome of a jump ball.
Jump balls were a task that relied heavily on experience. Rhythm of the jump and timing were more important than anything.
And Yuuto.
A player who had never played the center position, without any experience, defeated him easily relying solely on physical function.
"Explosive power, reflexes, jumping ability, dynamic vision—are they all above mine?"
Slap!
The ball was batted by Yuuto into a teammate's hands.
Freshman team's ball.
That person swallowed his saliva, not knowing what happened, feeling pressured by the heavy responsibility entrusted to him.
Just as he was thinking about how to handle it, Yuuto had already opened his hands toward him.
When the Lion King asks for the ball, how can one refuse? He didn't hesitate and immediately sent the ball in Yuuto's direction.
Yuuto caught the ball with one hand at the top of the three-point arc.
He was used to this "Ball Hog" style of play.
What is the Ball Hog style?
Wait for teammates to pass the ball at the top of the arc, then have teammates clear out space to watch him perform.
Ryuhei Kasuga came up to meet him.
He was the number two figure in Seiho's First String and also Seiho's main scorer.
"Bring it on, Little Lion!"
"I will make you feel Seiho's power properly!"
He was confident to the extreme.
After all, Seiho made its living on defense.
Yuuto might be able to do whatever he wanted in middle school, but this was high school, and it was Seiho with the Strongest Wall of Tokyo.
"Then it's a promise."
"Make sure you let me feel Seiho's power properly."
Snap!
The basketball hit the floor and bounced into Yuuto's palm.
In the next second.
He smashed directly toward Ryuhei Kasuga.
With a BANG, Kasuga's thin, frail body collided with Yuuto.
Yuuto discovered.
Riko Aida's Data Eye talent wasn't useless.
At least he could see the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, as it was timely, accurate body data.
Take Ryuhei Kasuga for example.
A completely different type of player from Tsutomu Iwamura. If the former was "Hard," then Ryuhei Kasuga was "Soft."
He played tactics, psychology, technique—he just didn't play physical.
Yuuto played physical with him right upon meeting.
"Ugh~" Ryuhei Kasuga was knocked off balance, losing most of his center of gravity.
Having bulked up for two consecutive years under professional guidance, Yuuto's Strength attribute had reached 88 points.
Although he hadn't reached the target of 90 points, physical attributes required long-term accumulation of exercise.
However, he was currently the strongest in Seiho aside from Tsutomu Iwamura.
"Don't look down on people!"
Yuuto didn't speak, but the smile on that composed face deeply stung Ryuhei Kasuga.
He forced himself to stand firm, about to make the next move.
But.
Hum~
A brilliant golden light suddenly bloomed. Under his stunned gaze, Yuuto turned into a humanoid sun, abruptly swinging his body and disappearing from in front of him in one breath.
"He broke through Ryuhei's defense so easily!"
Whether it was the jump ball earlier or the drive now.
At the first meeting, Yuuto brought them a huge shock.
Whoosh~
His speed was extremely fast. It seemed he only took one step, but he had already appeared in the paint.
Tsutomu Iwamura decisively stepped up to help defend.
He didn't talk much; defense like a rock was his biggest characteristic.
And Yuuto.
Bilibili~~~
Sounds like electric current came from his body. Five fingers slapped the basketball, piercing the stubborn rock like a thunderbolt.
Yuuto spoke, "The weakness of a heavy tank center: training the muscles to be too hard and lacking flexibility."
Bang!
The moment the basketball hit the floor, he turned into a golden light and passed behind Iwamura.
Followed by a simple layup that any beginner could do.
Swish!
The ball went in. Yuuto pierced the defense of Seiho's number one and number two figures upon first meeting.
Actually, Iwamura's reaction and turning speed weren't slow, but compared to Yuuto, his turning speed was like an aircraft carrier making a U-turn.
The entire Seiho gym was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Those second and third-year players all widened their eyes.
Because they knew the level of their team captain and vice-captain.
"Mon... Monster!" They felt their mouths go dry.
Even Touou, famous nationwide for individual ability, couldn't pierce Seiho's Iron Wall so easily.
Yet now...
2:0!
"So amazing, Yuuto. What was that move? Is that the Thunder Dribble?"
...
Tomoki Tsugawa leaned in close to Yuuto, dancing with joy.
"If you can prevent Ryuhei Kasuga from scoring a single point, I can practice with you after the activity ends."
"Really? That's great!" Tsugawa's smile became even more hellish. "I will definitely prevent Senior Kasuga from getting a single point."
And Ryuhei Kasuga, who was originally in shock, heard this and felt anger surge instantly.
"There's a limit to looking down on people, first-years!"
He couldn't accept being despised by two first-years like this.
Transition of possession.
Immediately, he held the ball and started to attack from the three-point line.
Tomoki Tsugawa stuck to his side like a ghost.
"Oh, as expected of Senior, so amazing." Tsugawa kept saying "so amazing" while blocking Kasuga outside the three-point line, preventing entry.
Honestly.
...
Meeting such a freak really felt annoying.
Especially when you couldn't tear open his defense.
Ryuhei Kasuga was like this now. As the dignified main scorer of Seiho, he was actually defended so well he couldn't even enter the two-point line?
Especially looking at Tsugawa's smiling face, he wished he could punch him.
This first-year in front of him was simply too hellish.
"So amazing!"
"Is this the Namba Run? It really is different from normal footwork!"
"Yabai (Crap), almost got shaken off!"
This bastard.
Anger rose rapidly in Kasuga's heart.
Finally.
He really couldn't hold it back and smashed directly into him violently.
"Kasuga!" Iwamura realized it too late. Tsugawa fell with the momentum, and the referee immediately blew the whistle.
Ryuhei Kasuga committed a foul on his first attack of the game.
"This guy is really..."
Watching from the side, even Yuuto felt annoyed.
That chatterbox mouth didn't say anything very vicious, but listening to it just made one feel disgusted.
However.
He also initially understood Tomoki Tsugawa's defensive style.
First, physical athletic ability was excellent; speed, strength, and all aspects were balanced and reached top-tier levels.
While possessing such hardware, his defensive reading ability was outstanding, and his heart was dirty—chattering endlessly to irritate the opponent.
Over time, opponents who couldn't score for a long while would inevitably become agitated.
No wonder he could lock down Kise.
Good athletic ability, plus Kise hadn't been playing basketball for long at that time, and his copied skill set wasn't enough to pierce Tsugawa's defense. Being frozen was reasonable.
...
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