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Reo Mibuchi sat on a bench in the locker room, tying his shoelaces.
He was under immense pressure today.
The thought of that green-haired boy from Teiko sent chills down his spine.
From the start of the tournament until now, that guy seemed to haven't missed a single shot.
That was simply inhuman.
He was a starter in today's final.
Whether they could win depended on whether he could suppress the opposing team's number 7, Shintaro Midorima.
Just then, a voice reached his ears.
"Reo, it's time."
"Oh, coming."
Reo Mibuchi stood up and walked out of the lounge.
On the other side, Ryu and the group also came out of their lounge.
The two teams walked out of the passageway amidst the cheers of tens of thousands of people.
"They're out! It's Rakuzan's Yaksha, Reo Mibuchi."
"Teiko's number 7, Shintaro Midorima! He hasn't missed a single shot from the start of the tournament to the final!"
"The two sharpshooters have finally met! Who will prevail?"
"I can't wait for the match to start."
The murmurs of the audience were naturally heard by Shintaro Midorima and Reo Mibuchi below.
The two looked at each other, and their eyes met.
Invisibly, two beams of lightning seemed to shoot from their eyes, colliding in mid-air.
An invisible aura of power and fighting spirit spread across the court.
...
Time ticked by.
Whistle...
A crisp, clear whistle blew.
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of people in the arena, the final of this year's Summer League, the National Junior High School Boys' Basketball Tournament, had finally begun.
As they took their positions, Midorima Shintaro and Mibuchi Reo faced each other, staring intently.
"I've seen you play! The unerring three-point shooter, Midorima Shintaro."
Hearing this, Midorima Shintaro replied expressionlessly, "Mibuchi Reo, I will defeat you and show you that my three-pointer is the only true proof."
Huh?
Mibuchi Reo was taken aback, then a smile crept onto his lips. "He's really not cute! Let's see if little Midorima has the ability."
Upon hearing this, a large 'well' sign (vein of anger) appeared on Midorima's forehead. "What did you say..."
Ryu and the others nearby couldn't help but chuckle.
Ryu suppressed a laugh, thinking to himself, 'If it weren't for this guy's male voice and that obvious Adam's apple, I'd really think he was a girl!'
Whistle...
The referee blew the whistle to start the final match, simultaneously tossing the basketball into the air.
Murasakibara Atsushi successfully snatched the ball from the opposing center. He slapped the ball directly to Akashi.
As Teiko's point guard, Akashi received the ball and faced off against Rakuzan's point guard.
A single glance swept across the court, and all the information was absorbed into his mind.
That day in the school basketball gym, influenced by Ryu and Aomine Daiki, a halo had faintly appeared in his eyes.
He found that he seemed to be able to see more clearly.
The Rakuzan player defending Akashi suddenly saw a blur.
Then he realized that the basketball in Akashi's hands had disappeared.
'Where's the ball?' He looked left and right, but couldn't find the basketball anywhere.
Suddenly, a series of thuds reached his ears.
He was startled and immediately looked in the direction of the sound.
Then he saw Ryu, wearing Teiko's number 95 jersey, dribbling the basketball towards the basket.
Seeing Ryu with the ball, Rakuzan's small forward and power forward immediately became alert.
Their coach had instructed them before the game: if Teiko's Ryu or Aomine Daiki had the ball, they should double-team them and limit their movement as much as possible.
Seeing the opponents suddenly appear on his left and right, Ryu's lips curled into a slight smile.
The instant the two opposing players reached him, he abruptly stopped his forward dribble, moved the ball behind his back with one hand, and flicked his wrist to pass it to Midorima Shintaro outside the three-point line.
Seeing this, Mibuchi Reo's vigilance reached its peak.
He stared intently at the basketball in Midorima Shintaro's hands.
Sensing the defensive pressure, Midorima Shintaro swayed left and right, then suddenly lunged forward to break through Mibuchi Reo's defense.
Mibuchi Reo reacted quickly, taking a step forward to block Midorima Shintaro's path.
Midorima Shintaro showed no frustration at being blocked; instead, he suddenly took a step back, creating about a meter of distance between himself and Mibuchi Reo.
Seeing this sudden change, Mibuchi Reo's pupils contracted, his heart pounding with shock.
He quickly stopped and stepped forward to block the shot, but it was too late.
Midorima Shintaro had already jumped.
He held the basketball, aiming at the hoop.
Whoosh…
The basketball was launched right in front of Mibuchi Reo.
The ball trailed a long orange shadow as it soared high into the air above the arena.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, the basketball almost reached the ceiling, tracing a beautiful arc before plummeting downwards like an orange shooting star.
Thump… thump… thump…
Accompanied by the pounding of hearts, everyone at Rakuzan watched nervously.
The Rakuzan coach's hands were already sweating profusely.
Mibuchi Reo's eyes widened, desperately praying the ball wouldn't go in.
But, the instant the basketball hit the net, everyone witnessed the first miracle of the final.
Swish…
The basketball swished straight into the hoop.
A clean swish, not even glancing at the rim.
The net, impacted by the ball's fall, bounced back like a surging wave.
A fleeting moment of beauty was reflected in the hearts of every spectator.
3-0, Teiko takes the lead.
Mibuchi Reo was deeply shaken. 'This guy! Experiencing it firsthand is no joke. Is it even possible for a human to throw like that?'
Watching Midorima Shintaro turn to defend, Mibuchi Reo looked at him with a complex expression. 'He's a monster.'
He then dropped his serious expression, a smile spreading across his face as he murmured, "However, I will not admit defeat easily."
The tide turned.
Rakuzan served.
Rakuzan's power forward dribbled towards midfield.
However, his opponent was Aomine Daiki.
Before the semifinals, he might have been able to put up a fight, but Aomine Daiki had already begun to "blossom."
The difference in their abilities was vast.
The opposing power forward dribbled the ball towards Aomine and felt a chill run down his spine; a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
The pressure was overwhelming.
He even hesitated to look Aomine in the eye.
Finally, under this piercing pressure, he had no choice but to pass the ball to the small forward nearby.
Seeing this, Aomine Daiki was first stunned, then looked at his opponent with obvious displeasure.
He had originally thought he was going to have a thrilling duel!
But this was it…
For the first time, Aomine Daiki felt a sense of despondency towards basketball.
If all opponents were like this, what was the point of playing? With this thought in mind, Aomine glanced at Ryu. 'Perhaps only you are worthy of igniting my passion!'
The Rakuzan small forward received the ball and immediately adopted a triple-threat stance.
Ryu stood in front of him, arms slightly outstretched, appearing quite relaxed. After dribbling the ball a few times, the small forward suddenly changed his movements, quickly switching the ball between his legs, preparing to break through Ryu's defense.
"Your weakness is too obvious."
Ryu simply took a slight step to the side, easily and casually blocking his opponent's path.
Damn it.
The Rakuzan small forward gritted his teeth, then tossed the ball to Mibuchi Reo, who was facing off against Midorima Shintaro.
A cheer erupted from the stands.
"It's starting again, a duel between shooters!"
"I wonder if Mibuchi Reo can redeem himself from his earlier defeat."
The entire arena's attention was focused on Midorima Shintaro and Mibuchi Reo.
Mibuchi Reo dribbled the ball, not rushing to attack.
He observed Midorima Shintaro's every move.
Suddenly, he leaned back and jumped.
Midorima Shintaro's pupils dilated, and he immediately raised his hand to intercept.
Unfortunately, Mibuchi Reo was half a head taller than Midorima, and with the "Heaven" shot's fade-away motion, a direct block was impossible.
Whoosh...
Mibuchi Reo released the basketball.
The ball grazed Midorima Shintaro's fingers and landed steadily in Teiko's basket.
3-3.
Midorima Shintaro adjusted his glasses, then gave Mibuchi Reo a serious look.
Mibuchi Reo smiled back.
"Little brother, I won't hold back!"
Upon hearing this address, Midorima Shintaro's face darkened.
He was about to retort, but Mibuchi Reo had already turned around to defend with a smile.
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