Thump… Thump…
Takenori Akagi and Uozumi leapt almost simultaneously, their towering figures—each nearly two meters tall—seeming to freeze in mid-air.
Wham—
A sharp, heavy impact.
Their palms struck the basketball at the exact same moment.
The veins on their foreheads bulged, and the muscles in their arms tensed like steel cables.
For a brief moment, neither man could overpower the other.
Just when everyone thought the two were evenly matched…
Takenori Akagi's pupils tightened. Suddenly, the strength in his arms surged.
"What—?"
Uozumi's eyes widened.
Caught off guard, he was instantly pushed back by the force coming through the basketball.
Akagi seized the opening, flicked his wrist, and tapped the ball toward Miyagi Ryota.
Miyagi, already crouched with knees bent and arms guarding, quickly scooped up the incoming ball.
His footwork exploded into motion—within a heartbeat, he slipped past Ryonan's first line of defense.
Shohoku's offense shifted gears—fast and fierce.
Akagi planted himself firmly in the paint, locking Uozumi behind him. He could feel the pressure bearing down, but he gritted his teeth, unmoving, rooted like a spike in the court.
Miyagi's pass came right on time. Akagi pivoted, caught it with both hands high above his head, eyed the hoop, and powered upward.
Uozumi slid in front of him immediately.
But Akagi didn't slow down. He jumped right into Uozumi's defense and slammed the ball toward the rim.
Clang—
The hoop rattled violently as the ball sank through.
Ryonan 0 – 2 Shohoku.
When Akagi landed, the rim was still shaking.
"Good!" Akagi roared, fist clenched—half challenge, half mockery.
Uozumi stared back expressionlessly, but the fierce spark in his eyes was unmistakable.
The court shifted—defense to offense.
Ryonan refused to be outdone.
Sendoh received the ball and immediately sprinted toward Shohoku's half. His fingers danced on the ball, eyes sharp, scanning everything with effortless confidence.
Rukawa Kaede shadowed him closely, their bodies almost brushing.
Then—
Sendoh slammed on the brakes, bent low, and burst sideways with a sudden change of direction. It was slippery and precise—like a loach escaping a grasp—shaking off Rukawa instantly.
With a smooth flick, he sent the ball arcing through the air toward Koshino Hiroaki, who was cutting into the paint.
The moment Koshino caught it, Mitsui Hisashi lunged at him, arms raised.
Koshino didn't hesitate. He pushed off the ground, twisted his body slightly to slip past Mitsui's reach, and flicked the ball with his fingertips.
It brushed Mitsui's fingers and flew straight toward the hoop.
Swish—
Clean.
Ryonan 2 – 2 Shohoku.
The score was tied in an instant.
The next few plays turned into a whirlwind. Both teams attacked and defended at such a blistering pace it made the crowd dizzy.
Rukawa Kaede's individual brilliance shone.
Stationed beyond the three-point line, eyes locked on Sendo, he received a perfect pass from Mitsui cutting through the crowd.
Sendo immediately closed in.
Rukawa exploded into motion—quick crossovers, razor-sharp footwork, his center of gravity low, shoulders faintly swaying. He slipped through Sendo's defense like a gust of wind.
Charging into the paint, he met Uozumi towering beneath the basket.
Rukawa didn't think twice. He rose, twisted mid-air to dodge the block, and slammed the ball in with one hand.
Clang—
A powerful dunk.
At that exact moment...
From the stands—
"Rukawa Kaede! I love you! Rukawa Kaede! I love you! Rukawa Kaede! I love you!"
Three girls in ultra-short cheerleader outfits screamed as if possessed.
Their voices cut through the arena noise like knives.
Their wild cheering, flashy outfits, and long exposed legs made them stand out like a little island of madness.
Even the referees couldn't help glancing over.
But the game continued.
Mitsui kept moving along the perimeter, hunting for space.
Miyagi spotted him and sent a clever pass.
Mitsui caught it, planted his feet, leaned back, and released.
The ball sailed in a perfect arc—like a falling meteor.
Swish—
A clean three-pointer.
Ryonan answered immediately.
They refused to let Shohoku widen the gap.
Uozumi dominated inside. He spread his arms wide like a wall, blocking Akagi's approach. Every rebound that came near him, he soared up, snatched it, and used his strength and footwork to search for scoring angles.
After training under Ake, Uozumi's strength had become comparable to Akagi's.
They were evenly matched—neither yielding an inch.
Give him even the slightest opening, and he'd score instantly.
No one expected the match to be this heated from the very beginning.
During a fast break, Sendo took the lead. Two Shohoku defenders converged.
Sendoh didn't panic—he slowed down, drawing them in.
Just when everyone thought he would force a drive…
He slipped his hand behind his back and gently pushed the ball away.
The pass flew out smoothly, landing perfectly in Ikegami Ryoji's hands.
Ikegami caught it, steadied his breathing, jumped, and sank the shot.
Koshino was just as relentless on the perimeter—running smart, finding open space, scoring on fast breaks again and again.
Half of the first half had already passed.
The tension in the arena thickened—the air itself felt heavy.
Shohoku attacked again, but Ikegami blocked Mitsui's shot cleanly.
He grabbed the rebound and immediately fired the ball toward Ake sprinting forward.
The moment Ake caught it, Miyagi pounced like a predator.
Lowered center of gravity, bent knees, arms wide—Miyagi blocked his path with perfect form.
He stared at Ake intensely.
'His presence is insane… Is he really a first-year?'
Thump… Thump… Thump…
Ake dribbled slowly—almost too slowly.
Both teams reduced their movement, eyes locked on the duel.
For a moment, Ake and Miyagi became the entire focus of the arena.
Ake shifted left—then right. The moves were simple, nothing fancy. But effective.
Two small direction changes were enough to pull Miyagi off balance.
Ake immediately raised his arm and tossed the ball over his head.
"A pass?!"
Miyagi jumped to intercept but was a step too late.
The ball dropped perfectly into Sendoh's hands.
Sendoh slipped into the paint. Shohoku reacted too slowly—he was already mid-air.
Layup.
Score.
Miyagi frowned even deeper.
'He's quick, but not that quick. Why did it feel so normal?'
'What's going on?'
Off the court…
Coach Taoka sat calmly, unsurprised.
Ake was clearly executing a plan.
There was nothing to worry about.
The game continued.
Ake kept playing "ordinary" basketball—simple passes, unflashy assists, unremarkable drives.
And yet every pass arrived at the perfect moment.
Sendoh's attacks, Uozumi's post-ups—Ake set them all up effortlessly.
Minute by minute, the first half wound down.
The scoreboard kept changing, but the gap never widened.
Last 30 seconds.
Shohoku possession.
Miyagi broke through, dodged defenders, and passed to Rukawa on the wing.
Sendo immediately closed in.
Rukawa didn't hesitate—he jumped, leaned back in mid-air, and released a difficult jumper.
The ball hit the backboard, bounced off the rim twice…
Then finally dropped in.
Ryonan 45 – 47 Shohoku.
Shohoku led by two.
Only 10 seconds remained in the half.
Everyone assumed Shohoku would hold the lead into halftime.
But Ryonan struck again.
Ake brought the ball up—this time noticeably faster.
Facing Miyagi, he accelerated sharply, lowered his shoulder through a tiny gap, and slipped past like lightning.
He charged into Shohoku's half and shot Uozumi a glance.
Uozumi instantly understood and sprinted toward the paint.
Before Miyagi could close in, Ake lofted the ball high.
A perfect arc.
Shohoku could only watch.
Uozumi leapt, snatched the ball mid-air, and in one motion spun and hammered it into the hoop.
Clang—
The ball dropped through cleanly.
Ryonan 47 – 47 Shohoku.
At the same moment—
Beep—
The halftime buzzer sounded.
Note: Thank you all for the powerstones , I'll be posting bonus chapters today