Clang!
The backboard trembled violently under the sheer force of the slam. Akashi Asuka had once again bulldozed his way through with raw strength, forcing the ball into the basket for another two points.
The scoreboard now read 76:52.
Thanks to Asuka's explosive performance, Kaijo Junior High's scoring efficiency had noticeably improved in the second half. However, the point gap between the two teams had not shrunk in the slightest.
The only silver lining was that no one else interfered when Asuka was locked in a one-on-one showdown with Atsushi Murasakibara in the paint. Even so, after such a prolonged clash of giants, Asuka was beginning to feel the toll on his stamina.
Part of it stemmed from his original body's lackluster endurance. Generally speaking, the larger a player's build, the harder it was to maintain stamina during a game, an all-too-common flaw among big men.
The other reason was the increasing pressure coming from Murasakibara as the game went on.
"So… is he starting to erase his own 'safety line' because of my pressure?"
Asuka glanced at Murasakibara, who was now looking increasingly fired up.
Despite his monstrous presence on the court, Murasakibara was actually a kind and gentle soul at heart, just one trapped in a massive body. Because of that, he subconsciously held himself back, not wanting his overwhelming strength to hurt others. He'd imposed a mental "safety line" on himself.
That line restricted his power.
In other words, everything Murasakibara had shown so far wasn't his full strength. If that internal limiter were to break, it was hard to say whether he'd surpass Asuka's power, but one thing was certain: Asuka would no longer be scoring so "easily" over him.
BEEP~~~
As Asuka's dunk landed and the crowd roared, the third quarter came to a close.
===========
"Kuroko, you're up for the final quarter."
"Understood."
During the break, Akashi Seijuro made a substitution. Despite their twenty-point lead and the game all but secured, Akashi wasn't satisfied.
To him, failing to extend the lead in the third quarter was already a form of defeat.
When he spoke, no one was standing in front of him. But the moment Akashi finished, a boy with short blue hair and husky-like blank eyes suddenly appeared before them like a ghost.
"Wah, Kurokocchi! When did you get here?" Kise Ryouta was so startled he nearly fell off the bench.
"I've been here the whole time," Kuroko Tetsuya replied blankly.
"Huh? Really?"
Despite having long gotten used to their ghost-like teammate, Kise was still always caught off guard whenever Kuroko popped up out of nowhere.
Elsewhere on the bench, Murasakibara sat silently with a long towel covering his face.
Everyone assumed he'd been shaken by the third quarter and decided not to disturb him.
Except for Aomine Daiki, who walked over, clearly irritated.
"You look like you had fun in the third quarter."
"Huh? No way. I hate basketball the most," Murasakibara replied.
Aomine rolled his eyes. "Then wipe that stupid grin off your face before you say that, will ya?"
Murasakibara touched his lips, then slightly tugged the corners down.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't smiling. I just didn't want to lose. That's all."
Everyone has their own journey.
Some search all over the country for a worthy rival and never find one.
Some claim to hate basketball, hate the hassle of it all, only to find themselves suddenly confronted by an evenly matched opponent.
Right then, a staff member from Teiko brought over a box of honey lemons to help the players recover. Everyone got a few slices, except Aomine. By the time it was his turn, all the lemons were gone. All that remained was half a box of honey.
He dipped his finger into the honey and tasted it, only to still get a mouthful of lemon.
============
The fourth quarter began.
As Akashi Asuka stepped back onto the court, he instinctively looked over at the opposing lineup.
And just that one glance made him frown.
"Huh? One, two, three, four... Wait a second, someone's missing?"
He paused and counted again: "Akashi, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara... Where's Kise?"
Asuka scanned the court, then spotted Kise Ryouta sitting on the bench in Teiko's rest area.
That's when it clicked.
"So… they brought him in."
Asuka searched once more. This time, behind one of his own teammates, he finally caught sight of Kuroko Tetsuya, just for a second.
Then the so-called "Phantom Sixth Man" disappeared again, hidden perfectly behind his teammate, vanishing from Asuka's view.
============
The game resumed.
Because Murasakibara had secured possession in the first quarter, Teiko had the ball to start the fourth.
Akashi Seijuro dribbled past half-court and passed the ball toward Midorima Shintaro. Asuka immediately closed in, but just as he approached Midorima's position...
Suddenly.
The ball, which had clearly been passed toward the shooting guard, veered midair and somehow ended up in Murasakibara's hands in the paint.
BOOM!
A powerful dunk. Two more points.
78:52.
"Wait, what?"
"What just happened?"
"Wasn't that pass meant for Midorima? How did it end up under the basket?"
Kuroko Tetsuya's presence was so low it bordered on nonexistent. Even though Asuka had been on guard, when Kuroko appeared, Asuka only glimpsed him for a split second before his attention was pulled entirely to the ball's trajectory.
"Visual Misdirection," huh? What a completely unfair skill.
At this point, Asuka had no choice but to admit: this wasn't just a basketball game, this was full-on sci-fi basketball.
Teiko transitioned into defense after scoring.
But even though he'd just added two points, Murasakibara showed no joy as he brushed past Asuka. On the contrary, there was even a hint of disappointment on his face.
Seeing this, Asuka sighed to himself.
"Murasakibara, oh Murasakibara... you can't blame me for this. It's your captain who doesn't want to give you a proper shot at revenge."
==========
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