"Akashi!"
Kobayashi Koichi passed the basketball straight to him.
Akashi caught the ball and calmly lifted his gaze, surveying the court as he began to dribble forward.
Thump… thump… thump…
The steady rhythm of the basketball echoed across the court.
To Kyuuseki's players, it sounded ordinary.
But to Seiyo—
It was like the beat of a war drum.
Because they understood Akashi.
Because they trusted him.
Hope quietly ignited in their hearts.
Akashi crossed half-court without haste.
Almost instantly, Kyuuseki's point guard stepped forward to block him.
He swept his gaze over Akashi, a trace of disdain flashing across his face.
"Is Seiyo really that desperate?" he sneered.
"Sending a kid like you onto the court?"
Akashi didn't respond.
He simply looked at him—calm, composed, unreadable.
Seeing his taunt ignored, Kyuuseki's point guard snorted.
"Being a point guard isn't something just anyone can do. I'll teach you how it's done."
A confident, almost cruel smile crept onto his lips.
In his eyes, Akashi was nothing more than prey.
Akashi remained unmoved.
Thump… thump… thump…
The basketball continued to bounce steadily.
Then—
Thump.
The sound abruptly stopped.
At first, Kyuuseki's point guard didn't realize what was wrong.
But a split second later, his pupils shrank.
The sound was gone.
He instinctively looked down—
The ball was no longer there.
"What—?!"
Before he could finish reacting—
Thump!
The sound of dribbling echoed again.
From behind him.
His head snapped around in disbelief.
At some unknown moment, Kirihara Hayato had already received the ball and was charging straight toward Kyuuseki's basket—completely unguarded.
Kirihara leaped calmly and laid the ball in.
Swish.
Seiyo 20 — Kyuuseki 36
The arena fell into stunned silence.
"What just happened?"
"When did he pass the ball?"
"I didn't see anything!"
Kyuuseki's players stared blankly at the court.
Akashi spoke calmly, his voice carrying clearly.
"Have you learned how to be a good point guard?"
The words hit like a slap.
Kyuuseki's point guard stiffened, his expression darkening.
Moments ago, he had mocked Akashi.
Now, his confidence had been shattered in front of everyone.
"Give me the ball," he barked to his teammate.
He wanted revenge.
Possession changed.
Kyuuseki's point guard charged forward aggressively, dribbling straight at Akashi.
Akashi's expression didn't change.
In an instant, the distance between them vanished.
"Don't get cocky," Kyuuseki's point guard growled.
He suddenly changed direction, attempting to shake Akashi with a sharp fake.
Then—
Slap!
A crisp sound rang out.
His hand went light.
The ball was gone.
"What?!"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Akashi hadn't moved his feet at all.
He had simply raised his hand—and taken the ball cleanly.
Before Kyuuseki's point guard could react, Akashi was already past him, dribbling toward the basket.
"Damn it!"
Kyuuseki's point guard spun around and chased.
Akashi wasn't fast.
But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't close the gap.
At the same time, Kyuuseki's shooting guard rushed in from the side, forming a pincer.
Front and back.
A perfect trap.
Or so they thought.
Akashi's wrist flicked.
The basketball slipped through the narrow gap beneath the defender's arm and bounced backward—
Straight into Kobayashi Koichi's hands.
Kobayashi took a long stride into the paint and jumped.
Boom!
A powerful dunk.
Seiyo 22 — Kyuuseki 36
Kyuuseki's point guard clenched his teeth, glaring at Akashi.
Humiliation burned in his chest.
He had been completely dismantled.
The spectators were equally stunned.
They knew their point guard wasn't weak.
He might not be elite, but he was far from ordinary.
Yet in front of Akashi—
He looked helpless.
Some tried to comfort themselves.
He must've been careless.
Just a mistake.
But the game quickly destroyed that illusion.
Slap!
Akashi stole the ball.
Slap!
Another steal.
Slap!
Again.
No matter what Kyuuseki's point guard tried—breakthroughs, feints, passes—
Everything was seen through.
Intercepted.
Shut down.
From the moment Akashi stepped onto the court, Kyuuseki's point guard never escaped his control even once.
It was as if Akashi already knew every move before it happened.
A perfect record.
A 100% steal rate.
Terrifying.
Kyuuseki's players stood frozen in disbelief.
Seiyo's players were equally shaken.
They knew Akashi was strong.
But this—
This was unreal.
And it didn't stop there.
Akashi's passing sent wave after wave of shock through the arena.
He always looked straight ahead.
Yet the ball never went where anyone expected.
No-look passes.
Instant decisions.
Impossible angles.
It was as if Akashi had eyes everywhere.
Whoosh—
Another pass slipped past Kyuuseki's point guard.
Too late.
The ball was already gone.
Sendo caught it.
Accelerated.
Layup.
Score.
Assist +1.
Beep!
Halftime.
The scoreboard glowed brightly:
Seiyo 58 — Kyuuseki 40
The crowd stared in disbelief.
Just minutes ago, Seiyo had been trailing by eighteen points.
Now—
They were leading by eighteen.
A complete reversal.
When Kyuuseki's point guard walked off the court, his posture was slumped, his gaze unfocused, as if his spirit had been completely drained.
The stands erupted.
"Who is that guy?! Why haven't we seen him before?"
"He's insanely strong!"
"That must be Seiyo's first-year ace!"
"With him and Sendo, Seiyo is terrifying!"
Players from other schools fell silent.
They understood.
With Sendo—and now Akashi—
Seiyo had become a nightmare matchup.
The second half began.
There was no suspense left.
Kyuuseki's point guard was completely suppressed.
Without his command, Kyuuseki fell into chaos.
Seiyo launched relentless attacks.
The score skyrocketed.
Beep!
The final whistle sounded.
The match ended.
Seiyo Middle School 132 — Kyuuseki Middle School 77
A staggering score.
This wasn't an early-round match.
This was the quarterfinals.
Such a margin sent shockwaves through the entire middle school basketball scene.
If Seiyo could crush Kyuuseki like this—
What about the remaining teams?
The answer was unsettling.
Seiyo Middle School advanced to the semifinals.
And Akashi Seijuro—
Had announced his terrifying strength to everyone.