"Focus, focus, focus… This time, I must read his movements. Not a single detail can slip by."
Hyuga Junpei and Kiyoshi Teppei's eyes locked on Akashi Asuka, every muscle tense as they tracked his every move.
The next moment,
Akashi suddenly dribbled forward, bursting into a break.
Hyuga's heart leapt, and he instinctively adjusted his steps to follow.
Then Akashi abruptly changed direction, pulling back with a retreat step, then another, and lifted the ball into a shooting posture.
"Ahhhh! Enough of this!"
Kiyoshi took a step forward, closing the gap, letting out a powerful roar.
But he could only watch helplessly as the ball left Akashi's hands, rising higher and higher…
Swish!
No surprise, the ball sank cleanly into the net.
"Damn it!"
Hyuga clenched his fists, frustration evident as he swung at the air in disbelief.
Beside them, Aida Riko's hand hovered over the digital scorekeeper, which displayed a shocking tally:
5:0.
"So… so strong!"
Seeing the long string of numbers she had recorded, Riko could barely believe her eyes.
"I thought this guy excelled only at finishing near the basket and shooting threes, but seeing him in action… he's a complete player!"
His fundamental strength, speed, reflexes, stamina… even without mentioning those…
Was it because he faced such strong opponents before? He had never shown his dribbling or ball-handling skills in previous matches, but now his fundamentals are rock-solid. Maybe he's still a step below the Generation of Miracles, but compared to regular players, he's leagues ahead.
============
"Your turn now," Akashi tossed the ball to Kiyoshi.
"We won't hold back."
Kiyoshi caught the ball, exchanging a glance with Hyuga. Both could see caution in each other's eyes.
During the Summer Nationals preliminaries, Kiyoshi hadn't yet been released from the hospital, so he hadn't faced Akashi in that match against Seiho. Until now, his knowledge of Akashi came mostly from recordings and teammates' reports.
Now he finally understood what it meant to face a monster.
Not just him, Hyuga and Riko also knew Akashi hadn't even shown his full strength yet.
Because his strongest point was under the basket, and so far, he had destroyed their defense using only five simple shots.
They no longer expected to beat him one-on-one.
No, if they could even push him to show his full strength, they'd consider themselves lucky.
============
Possession switched.
Kiyoshi got the ball first.
Though a center, Kiyoshi was one of the rare high school big men with guard-like awareness.
"Let's see what kind of defense can withstand even the Generation of Miracles," he muttered.
Riko's gaze sharpened. Clearly, compared to Akashi's offense, she cared more about his defensive abilities.
Kiyoshi and Hyuga's coordination was excellent. No words needed, one glance, and Hyuga knew exactly where to move.
At the same moment Kiyoshi began to penetrate toward the paint…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kiyoshi used his usual post-up move, but as he approached Akashi, he couldn't even budge him.
"Too heavy! And the strength… it's insane. Not even Murasakibara has this kind of power!"
Kiyoshi's heart pounded. He'd faced Murasakibara in junior high and lost badly, yet even then, Murasakibara hadn't been this terrifying.
"No… if brute force won't work, I'll rely on skill!"
Slap!
Kiyoshi tried to pivot, preparing to use technique against Akashi.
But at that exact moment, a hand shot out from behind, swatting the ball away.
"What?!"
All three stared, eyes wide, as the ball flew out of Kiyoshi's hands.
"This half-hearted attack won't do. And… Kiyoshi Teppei, your current strength isn't enough to live up to the title of 'Uncrowned Kings'! Is it because of your injury?"
Akashi frowned slightly. He had been curious about Kiyoshi's true power, after all, he had been known as "the strongest below the Generation of Miracles."
But in actual combat, it seemed Kiyoshi's injury had cost him far more than Akashi imagined.
With this kind of strength… how did they ever defeat teams with the Generation of Miracles?
Riko's brow furrowed, tension rising. She bit her nails, thinking:
Incredible… I've never seen such a defensive presence. Strength, reflexes, speed, all top-tier. His defensive technique is exquisite. Even standing inside the three-point line, the entire area seems impenetrable.
"Even though Teppei has just recovered from injury and isn't at full strength, he shouldn't be this helpless inside the paint."
"This isn't Teppei being weak. This… this monster among monsters is just unreal."
Riko had a twinge of regret.
Though Kiyoshi had volunteered to test Akashi's strength, even the little they had seen so far was enough to cause despair.
And this guy hasn't even shown his true power yet.
It was good to gauge strength before the next official match, but if their players end up psychologically scarred, it could backfire entirely.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria