The game continued.
Kainan launched another counterattack.
Shinichi Maki dribbled into Ryonan's half, his pace steady and controlled. This time, he didn't force a breakthrough. Instead, he began to orchestrate—quick, clean passes designed to stretch Ryonan's defense.
First, the ball swung to Jin Soichiro on the wing.
Jin raised the ball, selling a convincing shot fake. The defense shifted instantly.
In the same motion, he snapped the ball back to Muto Tadashi at the high post.
Without pausing, Muto redirected it sideways—
Straight into the paint.
Kiyota Nobunaga caught the pass cleanly.
"Heh, watch me," Kiyota grinned, eyes blazing with confidence.
He gathered the ball with both hands, light on his feet, clearly intent on recreating his earlier highlight play.
Another dunk.
Another roar.
But—
A white figure exploded in from the side.
A hand flashed.
Wham!
The ball was slapped cleanly free.
Kiyota froze, staring at his empty hands.
"Huh…?"
He turned sharply—
Akashi stood beside him, eyes calm, hand still extended from the steal, as though he had merely plucked something ordinary from the air.
"What the—?!" Kiyota's mind reeled. Wasn't he guarding Maki?!
He instinctively looked back.
Sendo was already in front of Shinichi Maki.
"…When did they switch?" Kiyota's heart pounded.
He hadn't noticed it at all.
Akashi didn't allow even a heartbeat of delay.
With a smooth flick of his wrist, he sent the ball forward.
The basketball skimmed low through the air and landed perfectly in Fukuda Kiccho's hands.
Fast.
Precise.
Lethal.
Fukuda didn't hesitate.
He turned and sprinted.
Kainan was still reacting to the steal when Fukuda had already stormed into the paint.
He leapt, arms extended—
Boom!
The ball was slammed home.
Ryonan 6 – Kainan 4
The arena erupted.
The momentum had completely flipped.
But before Kainan could recover—
It happened again.
Kainan resumed their offense, still favoring ball movement.
Jin Soichiro drove, met resistance, and immediately kicked the ball back out toward Kiyota.
Just as the pass left his hands—
A white blur cut across the passing lane.
Snap!
The ball vanished mid-air.
"What?!"
Jin and Kiyota's pupils shrank simultaneously.
Akashi.
Again.
He was supposed to be on Maki.
No one saw him move.
Akashi caught the ball effortlessly and, without even landing fully, tossed it forward.
The pass flew like lightning.
Downcourt.
Koshino Hiroaki was already there.
Maki turned and sprinted—but he knew immediately.
Too late.
Koshino caught the ball at the three-point line, feet set, posture flawless.
No hesitation.
No adjustment.
He rose.
The ball left his fingertips in a smooth arc.
The entire arena held its breath.
Swish.
Ryonan 9 – Kainan 4
The net snapped sharply.
The pace was suffocating.
Steal.
Fast break.
Three-pointer.
All in one breath.
Kainan inbounded again.
This time, Maki slowed the tempo deliberately.
"Don't rush," he said in a low voice. "Play steady."
They had been pulled into Ryonan's rhythm.
As he crossed midcourt—
Sendo stepped into his path.
Hands open.
Center of gravity low.
A relaxed smile on his face.
Maki's eyes shifted briefly.
Akashi was firmly locked onto Jin Soichiro.
So they really switched.
A faint, amused curve appeared at Maki's lips.
"Switching defenses?" he said lightly. "You think this'll work?"
Sendo smiled back.
"Guess we'll find out."
Maki moved.
He dribbled forward—
—and stopped short.
His eyes narrowed.
Sendo's… holding me?
Sendo's defense was airtight.
Low stance.
Perfect spacing.
His hand hovered just close enough to disrupt, never committing.
Maki suddenly accelerated.
The ball blurred.
His shoulder brushed Sendo's arm as he faked a power drive.
A move that had crushed countless defenders.
Sendo didn't budge.
He adjusted his shoulder angle, absorbed the contact cleanly, and cut off the lane without fouling.
Maki raised an eyebrow.
Solid…
He pushed harder.
Exploding to the right, he tried to muscle through.
Sendo slid with him instantly, foot scraping the floor, hand reaching in—
Maki yanked the ball behind his back and spun.
Sendo was already there.
Their bodies collided.
Steel against steel.
Maki couldn't move forward.
Sendo felt it too.
He's stronger than I thought…
The crowd roared.
Even Kainan's bench was stunned.
Coach Takato stared in disbelief.
"That's Shinichi Maki…" he muttered.
"And Sendo is stopping him?"
Only a handful of players in the entire country could do that.
Maki exhaled, almost impressed.
"So you weren't bluffing."
Then—
He smiled.
Sendo's instincts screamed.
Maki suddenly stepped back, creating space, and snapped a sharp bounce pass toward Jin Soichiro.
The angle was perfect.
Sendo reacted instantly.
He vanished.
A white streak cut across the court.
"What—?!" Maki's heart lurched.
Jin opened his hands—
—but a hand appeared between him and the ball.
Sendo.
The ball was deflected.
It skidded toward the sideline.
Out of bounds.
Silence.
The entire arena froze.
No one spoke.
Kainan's players stared.
Coach Takato stood rigid.
Stopping Maki was one thing.
Reading him. Chasing him. Interrupting his pass.
That was something else entirely.
Even though possession went out—
Everyone understood.
Ryonan wasn't just strong.
They were complete.