Kainan's Starting Lineup:
Center: Takasago Kazuma (#5, 3rd Year)
Small Forward: Kiyota Nobunaga (#10, 1st Year)
Power Forward: Muto Tadashi (#9, 3rd Year)
Shooting Guard: Jin Soichiro (#6, 3rd Year)
Point Guard: Maki Shinichi (#4, 3rd Year)
Shoyo's Starting Lineup:
Center: Hanagata Toru (#5, 3rd Year)
Power Forward: Shoichi Takano (#8, 3rd Year)
Small Forward: Mitsuru Nagano (#7, 3rd Year)
Shooting Guard: Kazushi Hasegawa (#6, 3rd Year)
Point Guard / Captain: Fujima Kenji (#4, 3rd Year)
As soon as the game tipped off, Shoyo seized control of the pace.
Hanagata Toru received a bounce pass from Fujima Kenji in the paint, ignored Kainan's center Takasago Kazuma, and sank his signature fadeaway jumper — scoring the game's first basket.
Fujima quickly entered his "commander mode," orchestrating the team's offense with precision. Using Shoyo's height advantage, he created multiple alley-oop chances, while Hasegawa used his long reach to shut down Kainan's ace shooter, Jin Soichiro, keeping him scoreless for the first five minutes.
After ten minutes of play, Shoyo led 22–15.
Their dominance inside the paint was clear — a 16-to-4 scoring margin under the rim.
But by the thirteenth minute, Kainan's coach, Takato, made adjustments to counter Shoyo's height.
He ordered more off-ball movement and tighter screens to free up Jin Soichiro.
And it worked.
Jin caught fire, hitting three consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the gap to a single point.
Sensing momentum slipping, Fujima took control again. He started attacking the rim himself and setting up Hanagata, who drew multiple fouls in the paint and added eight points before halftime.
By the end of the first half, the scoreboard read Shoyo 43 – Kainan 38.
"Shoyo's leading!" Ikegami Ryoji leaned forward, his voice carrying a note of surprise as he glanced up at the scoreboard.
Sendoh rested his chin on one hand, smiling. "They're really going all out today."
Koshino nodded thoughtfully. "After being suppressed by Kainan for two years, this is their last shot at revenge."
"It's not that simple," Uozumi rumbled, cutting in with his deep voice.
Ake nodded slightly. "He's right. The first half was just a warm-up. The real battle starts now."
And just as Ake predicted, the second half was a completely different story.
The moment play resumed, Kainan launched a relentless offensive.
Maki Shinichi came alive, bulldozing through defenders like a force of nature. He repeatedly drove to the basket, muscling through double-teams, and even threw down a thunderous dunk over Hanagata Toru.
Kainan's signature fast-break system finally clicked into gear.
Kiyota Nobunaga used his incredible leaping ability to make back-to-back steals and fast-break scores, while Jin Soichiro, freed up by screens, sank multiple threes from the perimeter.
Midway through the second half, Kainan had overtaken Shoyo — 65 to 61.
The tide had turned.
With ten minutes remaining, Maki Shinichi drove past Shoyo's guard with explosive speed. Hanagata rotated over to block, but Maki lowered his body, absorbed the contact, and flicked in a one-handed layup — drawing the foul in the process.
The gym erupted.
That basket signaled Kainan's full-scale comeback.
Moments later, Kiyota intercepted another pass, darting down the court like a leopard before slamming home a one-handed dunk.
Fujima tried to rally his team, setting up two offensive plays, but both were dismantled.
First, Maki intercepted a pass intended for the paint, leading to another Jin Soichiro fast-break three.
Then, a pass to Hasegawa went off-target after Takasago's defensive pressure, rolling out of bounds.
In just three minutes, Kainan unleashed a 12–2 run.
The scoreboard now read Kainan 77 – Shoyo 63.
Shoyo called a timeout, but panic was already visible on the players' faces.
Their greatest strength — height — had turned into a weakness against Kainan's speed and precision passing.
Even after the timeout, Shoyo's resistance faltered. Hanagata battled hard, scoring a fadeaway jumper, but it couldn't stop the bleeding.
Maki dominated both as a scorer and a playmaker, finding Jin for two more back-to-back threes.
Meanwhile, Kiyota's defensive pressure was relentless — he not only forced turnovers but even blocked Fujima's layup on one occasion.
With five minutes left, Kainan led 88–70.
The 18-point deficit crushed Shoyo's morale. Their movements slowed, passes lost crispness, and even their free throws began missing.
In the final two minutes, Kainan showed no mercy.
Maki threw down another emphatic dunk over two defenders, pushing the lead to 20.
Jin followed it up with a smooth three-pointer from deep — the crowd roaring as the ball swished through the net.
By then, Shoyo was completely drained.
Fujima's steps were heavy, Hanagata fumbled a pass under the rim, and Hasegawa could only watch helplessly as Kainan passed the ball around and scored effortlessly.
Beep—
The referee's whistle cut through the noise like a blade, bringing the game to an end.
All eyes turned to the scoreboard:
Kainan 104 – Shoyo 82.
A 22-point blowout.
Shoyo had failed to topple the mountain that was King Kainan.
Players from other schools sat in stunned silence before murmurs filled the air.
"So this is the power of the Kanagawa King…"
"Too strong. Shoyo couldn't even keep up."
"And Kainan still looked fresh."
"Who could possibly beat them?"
"Twenty-two points…" Sendoh leaned back in his seat, his tone calm but tinged with awe. He had expected Kainan to pull ahead — just not by this much.
Koshino stretched his arms, whistling softly. "They really live up to their title. The King's pressure is no joke."
Ake stood, his eyes leaving the court. "Let's go. It's our turn next."
The Ryonan players rose one by one. The morning matches were done — their game would begin in the afternoon. It was time to head to the locker room, drop their gear, eat, and prepare.
Across the stands, Shohoku also got up.
Takenori Akagi straightened his back, sweeping his gaze across his team. "Alright, we've seen enough. Next is our showdown with Ryonan."
Kogure Kiminobu sighed. "Isn't it a little early for that talk? The game's not till later."
"I'm starving," Mitsui muttered as he passed by, hands in his pockets.
Miyagi stretched lazily. "I'm taking a nap in the locker room. Stayed up too late last night studying Ryonan's plays. Wake me up thirty minutes before the game."
Kogure's eye twitched. How could they be so relaxed when facing Ryonan?
Ayako chuckled. "Don't be so tense, Kogure-senpai. It's not our first time playing them."
"That's exactly why I'm nervous," Kogure thought grimly.
Time passed, and soon the afternoon arrived.
The gym was just as packed as before, the air thick with anticipation.
Kainan and Shoyo had already taken their seats in the stands, watching the next battle begin.
Even though Shoyo had lost, the Final Four was a round-robin — as long as they won their next games, they still had a chance at the national tournament.
Note:
From now on, for Every 100 Power stones, there will be a bonus chapter in the weekend
100 Powerstones = 1 Chapter.
Thanks for reading and your support <3