Swoosh!
For a moment, Hayama Kotaro didn't understand what Tsugawa Tomoki meant. Then, without warning, Tsugawa suddenly released the ball, tossing it upward in a sloppy arc.
"What!?"
Hayama's eyes widened. The angle was terrible, beyond terrible.
A throw like that wasn't just unsuitable for an alley-oop, it could barely even reach the rim.
"Reaching the rim is more than enough."
As if hearing Hayama's thoughts, Tsugawa grinned. "If it turns into a direct alley-oop, great. But even if it doesn't, Akashi can still score another way."
CLANG!
The ball struck the rim and bounced away.
"Rebound!"
Both teams shouted, as Rakuzan's Nebuya Eikichi and their newly subbed-in power forward rushed into the paint for position. But against Nebuya's brute force, Tsutomu Iwamura was shoved aside immediately.
However, before Rakuzan could celebrate,
Akashi Asuka stepped forward.
His presence was like a mountain suddenly forming beneath the hoop.
"Damn it… his strength is one thing, but even his positioning under the rim is insane!"
==========
"Uwah, there it is. The kind of rebound that completely ignores logic."
The stands were packed not only with the Generation of Miracles, but also many of their past teammates:
Shoichi Imayoshi and Kousuke Kazunari from Tōō.
Takao Kazunari from Shutoku.
Okamura Kenichi from Yosen.
…And many more.
And among them were players who had once tried, and failed, to battle Akashi Asuka for rebounds.
Which meant they knew exactly how terrifying he was there.
Especially Kousuke Kazunari.
He had faced Asuka in high school, and Nebuya in junior high.
In pure strength, he respected Nebuya's capability.
But even so,
He could clearly see Nebuya had no chance in this matchup.
Kazunari gripped the railing, voice low.
"Nebuya's probably experiencing it for the first time…That kind of absolute despair, where you can't even see the possibility of winning…"
==========
"Raaaah! Witness my MUSCLE REBOU—"
Before he could finish the word "-ND," Nebuya's roar stopped dead.
The ball was already in Akashi Asuka's hands.
Nebuya's extended hand was still half an arm length away from where the ball had been.
After landing,
Asuka immediately jumped again to dunk. Nebuya and the power forward moved instinctively to stop him, but the moment their bodies collided with his—hey were knocked back like dolls.
BOOM!!
The ball slammed through the hoop.
19:28.
Nebuya lay on the floor, eyes widening, pupils trembling.
"The difference… how could it be this big…?"
To most of the audience, he had simply lost a rebound.
But Nebuya knew,
He hadn't just lost a rebound.
He had looked directly into a gap so vast it was despair itself.
No one noticed the change in his expression.
The game continued.
Akashi Seijuro's solo offense was restricted, but Rakuzan still scored through others.
Meanwhile, Seiho relied on Akashi Asuka's absolute scoring presence under the basket.
A pure point-for-point struggle unfolded.
When the second quarter ended,
Score: 30 to 38.
==========
Seiho Locker Room
Iwamura, Kasuga, and Omuro sat on the bench. Sweat fell from their chins like beads forming a steady stream.
"S-So strong… This is the first time I've seen our seniors this exhausted… and it's only been half a game."
The younger substitutes watched in shock.
Because,
Seiho's pride had always been defense and endurance.
With their martial-arts-based footwork and relentless stamina training, they could normally handle full-court man-to-man the entire match.
But today,
Just half the game, and their bodies were already warning them.
"Is Rakuzan… really that strong?"
"Obviously. Don't forget, they've got three Uncrowned Kingsplus one of the Generation of Miracles. Just thinking about that lineup is scary!"
"Honestly… I think the seniors have done amazing just keeping the score like this."
The younger players whispered.
Matsumoto Yukinori frowned as he assessed the situation.
He had to admit, Rakuzan's strength exceeded expectations. Even with Seiho holding deep scouting advantages, they were still suppressed for two whole quarters.
These weren't tactics.
This was raw power difference.
"With Asuka alone, we can barely keep the score from widening. But that won't last. Not only does this pace fail to close the gap, Asuka's stamina won't hold forever."
Even with 85 points in Stamina, Akashi Asuka had nearly carried both offense and defense alone.
And because of his massive physical frame, his stamina consumption was far higher than normal.
"If we don't neutralize those three… this is just drinking poison to quench thirst…"
Having reached a conclusion, Matsumoto spoke:
"For the third quarter, we shift to a collapsed defense centered on Akashi. As for offense, Akashi, you're not attacking for now. Leave scoring to the others."
Akashi Asuka froze.
Before he could respond, Matsumoto turned to the rest:
"At the start of the third quarter, I'll give each of you half a quarter. For that time, fight your matchup with everything you've got."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria