"Rebound! Secure the rebound!" Miyagi shouted, eyes locked on the paint.
Coach Urano folded his arms and chuckled softly.
"This isn't something you can fix just by yelling."
"Got it!"
Hanagata rose above the crowd, secured the offensive board, pivoted smoothly — hook shot.
In.
Nango clenched his jaw.
"…That's disgusting."
With Sakuragi off the floor, Takano and Nagano sealed him from both sides. No matter how fiercely he fought for position, Hanagata always seemed to land in the more comfortable spot.
It was suffocating.
Under the rim, Kakuta gripped the ball tightly after finally grabbing a defensive rebound. His hands trembled slightly.
He had done everything he could.
But facing four players over 190 cm launching high-post shots, his 180 cm frame was stretched to its limit. Even fully extended, he couldn't contest properly.
Still, he had no choice.
Shohoku had no depth.
If he didn't hold the line, no one would.
"Listen!" Fujima called out while organizing the defense.
"Don't just think about scoring. Find a way to get Nango into foul trouble. Otherwise this is meaningless!"
"Yes!"
The four tall players responded in unison.
On offense, Miyagi abandoned any thought of challenging Fujima.
Rebounds were slipping away. That meant every possession was priceless.
He handed control to Nango.
The spacing was clear:
Nango vs. Hanagata at the top.
Miyagi dragging Fujima into the corner.
Mitsui and Hasegawa locked on the wing.
Rukawa battling Nagano on the baseline.
Takano planted boldly in the paint, leaving Kakuta two steps away — openly daring Shohoku to use him.
The disrespect was obvious.
Nango weighed his options.
Either he forced the issue himself…
Or Rukawa did.
He chose to go first.
Not out of ego.
But because someone had to manage stamina. Rukawa would need energy later to carry the second unit. If Nango didn't control the rhythm now, they'd both burn out.
Inside play was brutal. Every cut, every seal, every rebound was a wrestling match.
This kind of game would happen again in the future.
He had to learn to manage it.
Hanagata was quick for a center.
But not quick enough.
One sharp crossover.
Acceleration.
Nango slipped past him.
Takano rotated instantly, unconcerned about Kakuta standing alone under the rim.
That hesitation cost Nango a split second.
His point guard instincts took over.
He passed.
Kakuta caught it and banked it up—
The moment it left his hand, his heart sank.
Too strong.
Clank.
"Nango, I'm sorry!" Kakuta lowered his head.
"It's fine," Nango said immediately. "Don't tense up. Mistakes happen. Lock in on defense."
"Right!"
But before Shohoku could reset—
Fujima rose from deep.
Three.
Splash.
45–46.
With three minutes left in the half, Shoyo had taken the lead.
"Every possession!" Fujima shouted. "Don't relax now!"
Shoyo's momentum surged.
On the bench, Yasuda swallowed nervously.
"The flow's completely shifted…"
Sakuragi shot to his feet.
"Nango! Kakuta! What are you doing?! Why aren't you crushing them?!"
Nango's eyebrow twitched.
If you hadn't picked up two fouls, idiot, I wouldn't be wrestling two giants alone.
Mitsui snapped, "Sit down and shut up!"
Sakuragi dropped back into his seat, fuming.
"If I were out there—"
"Sakuragi," Haruko said softly, lowering her notebook. "They'll figure it out. We're the defending champions."
She sounded confident.
But her fingers tightened around the pen.
Kano, sitting nearby, murmured firmly, "Nango will fix this."
On court, Mitsui and Miyagi both cut hard, demanding the ball.
They were thinking the same thing:
We need the next basket. Now.
But Hasegawa and Fujima shadowed them tightly.
Their hands still reached out toward Nango.
He ignored them.
Because he was thinking the exact same thing.
Nango crossed over, stepped back sharply, and faded away over Hanagata's contest.
Swish.
If it were pure one-on-one, Hanagata couldn't stop him.
But basketball wasn't one-on-one.
Hanagata adjusted his glasses.
"If we get him off the floor, this game becomes easy."
Takano nodded. "Keep attacking the paint. Don't let him play comfortably."
Nagano added bluntly, "We don't even need clean shots. Just throw it at the rim. They can't rebound anyway."
Hasegawa glanced at Fujima.
Fujima smiled faintly.
"Do it."
Next possession.
Hasegawa drove hard against Mitsui and forced up a rushed shot.
It clanked.
Exactly as intended.
This wasn't about scoring.
It was about chaos.
Under the basket, Nango wedged Hanagata behind him. But Takano stepped in front, sealing space.
They formed a human sandwich.
The ball floated down between them.
All three jumped.
Nango tipped it upward, preparing for a second leap—
But trapped between two bodies, he couldn't generate force.
When he landed, Takano abandoned the ball entirely and focused solely on blocking him out.
Nango's path was sealed.
Hanagata secured the rebound.
One quick adjustment.
No hesitation.
He powered up—
This time, it wasn't a fake.
It was real.
And violent.