Kosuke Wakamatsu was completely confused, but there wasn't much time for him to stay confused.
So he immediately turned and took the shot.
Don't ask why he didn't drive for a layup.
There wasn't enough time.
That's right… there simply wasn't enough time.
Atsushi Murasakibara yawned as he watched Wakamatsu release the ball.
Then…
Clang.
The ball bounced off the rim and dropped right into Murasakibara's hands—while he was still yawning.
Catching the unexpected ball, Murasakibara instinctively muttered,
"Huh? It didn't go in?"
Seeing this, Daiki Aomine immediately shouted,
"Damn it! Wakamatsu! Are you an idiot?!!"
Wakamatsu shot back without hesitation,
"Aomine, shut up! That was a mistake!!"
Their heated argument left Miyamoto and the others momentarily unsure what to say.
Murasakibara walked over to Miyamoto with an innocent expression.
"Miyamoto-chin, I already let him shoot, but he just couldn't make it."
Miyamoto rubbed his forehead helplessly.
How should he put it…
He had already done everything he could.
But Aomine's teammates…
Well… it was hard to describe.
Kirisaki Daiichi organized their final possession, and Miyamoto finished it with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
With that, the first half came to an end.
Both teams headed toward their locker rooms.
...
Off the court.
Riko Aida stared at the scoreboard, falling into deep self-doubt.
The score read: 79 to 38.
You could say that in the last few minutes, Tōō hadn't scored a single point.
The player most likely to score…
had failed to do so.
Junpei Hyuga's expression was grave as he said in a low voice,
"Tōō… is actually struggling this much."
Shun Izuki's face was just as serious.
"Even Aomine is being suppressed."
Taiga Kagami clenched his fists tightly.
He couldn't even defeat Aomine in his normal state.
So just how strong was Miyamoto, who could suppress Aomine even when he had both Zone and Animal Instinct activated?
Perhaps…
Suddenly, an excited smile appeared on Kagami's face.
"This is getting interesting!"
The atmosphere at Shūtoku and Kaijō was equally tense.
But the most oppressive atmosphere belonged to Yōsen.
At that moment, the Yōsen players were all silent, creating an extremely strange tension.
Masako Araki gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Damn it! Where the hell did these guys come from?! Why is every single one of them like a monster?!"
"And you guys! Didn't you all say you'd teach Kirisaki Daiichi a lesson? Why is everyone suddenly quiet?!"
The Yōsen players looked at each other.
None of them dared to boast anymore.
There was no helping it.
They really couldn't beat them.
Masako Araki knew that too.
But she just couldn't swallow her anger.
"Damn it! When we get back, everyone doubles their training!!!"
There was no other choice.
They could only train harder.
Play dirty?
They couldn't win that way either.
...
On Tōō High's side.
Aomine walked alone at the very back of the group, a towel covering his head so no one could see his expression.
Ryo Sakurai looked at him worriedly.
He wanted to say something, but in the end only managed to whisper,
"Sorry."
There was nothing they could do.
The rest of Tōō simply couldn't provide Aomine with any help.
Shoichi Imayoshi's expression was also extremely serious.
Because he had figured something out.
He realized that Kirisaki Daiichi had deliberately left them open.
Their purpose was probably to force Aomine to pass the ball.
In fact, Imayoshi had already suspected it when Kirisaki Daiichi started leaving them open.
But after personally seeing Haizaki pass the ball to Wakamatsu, he became certain.
Kirisaki Daiichi…
was deliberately trying to make Aomine pass.
But what was their real goal?
Even now, Imayoshi still couldn't figure it out.
Aomine walked at the back, adjusting his breathing as he moved.
As expected, the only person I can rely on is myself.
After seeing Wakamatsu miss that shot, Aomine's determination to play solo only became stronger.
If you can't score even when I pass to you, why should I pass?
Only by keeping the ball in my own hands…
can we win.
...
Back in the locker room, Katsunori Harasawa looked at the team and spoke.
"You all did your best in the first half. But the game isn't over yet, so don't give up."
"I'll arrange our strategy for the second half. Also, Aomine, you could try passing—"
Before he could finish, Aomine interrupted him in a low voice.
"Is that necessary?"
Harasawa narrowed his eyes.
"Hm?"
Aomine raised his head, his tone cold.
"Do I need to pass?"
"If I pass to you guys and you still can't score, what's the point of passing?"
"Can you beat Murasakibara? Can you beat Nijimura-senpai?"
"Or can you score against Haizaki and that terrorist?"
"Can you?!"
The last sentence was shouted.
Wakamatsu had a fiery temper and immediately exploded.
"Aomine, you bastard! What the hell are you saying?!"
As he spoke, Wakamatsu stood up and rushed toward Aomine.
Imayoshi quickly shouted,
"Stop it, Wakamatsu!"
But Wakamatsu didn't listen at all.
He charged straight at Aomine and threw a punch at his face.
Aomine snorted coldly, grabbed Wakamatsu's arm, and smoothly executed a shoulder throw.
Bang!
"Ugh…"
Wakamatsu groaned and lay on the floor, unable to get up for quite a while.
After all, landing flat on your back like that…
"Aomine!"
Imayoshi and Harasawa immediately rushed forward and grabbed Aomine to stop the situation from escalating further.
Aomine didn't struggle and simply let them hold him.
"Coach, Imayoshi, I'm not impulsive."
"You saw it yourselves. That was self-defense."
Harasawa understood, but still warned him.
"Aomine, don't cause trouble."
Aomine waved his hand dismissively.
"I know, Coach."
"But in the second half, I won't pass."
As he said this, Aomine slowly walked toward the locker room exit.
At the doorway, he turned his head slightly and said,
"If you want to run offense and play teamwork…"
"Then steal the ball yourselves."
With that, Aomine walked out of the locker room, leaving the Tōō players standing there in silence.
...
On Kirisaki Daiichi's side.
The group walked together toward their locker room.
Shuzo Nijimura walked beside Miyamoto and said,
"Miyamoto, are you still planning to let Murasakibara play in the second half?"
"Aomine is pretty strong right now. I'm worried Murasakibara might…"
Miyamoto smiled faintly.
"Nijimura-senpai… did you forget?"
"Only under pressure and in desperate situations…"
"can people awaken the power hidden within them."
...