BOOM!
The whistle blew, and the ball was passed out.
Tōō Academy's captain, Shoichi Imayoshi, received the ball and dribbled toward midcourt. His eyes narrowed as he took in Fukuda Sogo's formation.
What is this?
A 3–1–1 Zone defense? Impressive… But if they can't protect the paint, we have outside scoring specialists who can punish them.
Konichi tried to drive into the paint, but three towering Fukuda players blocked his path.
No opportunity. He smiled faintly and tossed the ball back. One of the rising stars, Sakurai Ryo, caught it and immediately fired a shot.
SWISH!
The clean swish of a three-pointer made a few Fukuda players flinch—but they quickly recovered.
Fukuda Sogo's point guard, Harano Shinichi, took the ball and pushed forward with a fast break. He reached just outside Tōō's three-point line, eyes wide at the suffocating man-to-man defense.
No passing lanes. With a shrug, he launched a three-pointer, a shot he wasn't known for.
The ball missed—but Suzuran Karasu grabbed the rebound and slammed it home.
The score: Fukuda Sogo vs. Tōō Academy, 32–32. Neck and neck.
On Tōō's bench, Coach Harasawa Katsunori studied Fukuda's 3–1–1 "three-main, two-support" formation and let out a sigh.
Such a strong formation… offense and defense in perfect sync. Fukuda Sogo is no joke. They're formidable.
Looking at the three 190+ cm players under his basket, he felt a headache coming on. This wasn't just skill—it was raw physical domination. Battling for paint territory required sheer contact.
But… with our full-court tight coverage and Sakurai Ryo's deadly outside shooting, we still have a chance. It all depends on execution.
Over at Fukuda's bench, Coach Ichiro Kudo's face brightened as he watched his team flow seamlessly. His effort was paying off.
Satisfied, his expression became more commanding and radiant.
In the stands, three special spectators stared at the players with disbelief, all tense.
Could a team without Generation of Miracles members stand a chance against this level of opponent?
Even Midorima Shintaro and Kise Ryouta, from the Generation of Miracles, weren't exempt from this unease.
"Midorima, this team is already top-tier! Some of these players are tricky enough—not far behind at all."
"Not quite, but enough to spar with them."
"Now that the five of us aren't in the same high school… high school basketball is getting complicated!"
"Do you think everyone else is weak?"
"Uh… haha, not really. We're just too strong ourselves…"
Takao Kazunari looked at Midorima and Kise as if to say, You two are monsters too, realizing just how small he felt compared to them.
Critical hit… straight to my weak little heart.
Enough talk—the players on the court weren't weak. Intense back-and-forth attacks began.
Tōō players were individually powerful, combining offense and defense with lethal outside shooting.
Fukuda Sogo, in 3–1–1 formation, held the interior firm, scoring steadily inside.
The two teams clung to each other like magnets. Even without Aomine Daiki and Haizaki Shogo, the match remained fiercely competitive.
Soon, the second quarter ended with Sakurai Ryo's three-pointer and Fukuda Sogo responding with a fast-break layup.
On Fukuda's bench, Coach Kudo addressed his exhausted players:
"Ishida Hideki and Fukuda Sasaki, swap in for Harano Shinichi and Okawa Sawano. Sasaki, guard Sakurai Ryo and curb his scoring. Mochizuki, you can focus on outside shots now."
"Yes, Coach!"
On Tōō's side, Coach Harasawa Katsunori also substituted two players, aiming to give them valuable match experience in the third quarter.
Against a powerhouse like Fukuda, using the match to train players was more important than chasing points or victory. A good coach knows that.
The third quarter resumed, this time with Fukuda Sogo pressing Tōō hard.
Fukuda Sasaki's unusual defensive skills slightly reduced Sakurai Ryo's three-point accuracy, suppressing Tōō's scoring.
Meanwhile, Fukuda's Mochizuki and Mochizuki expanded to outside shots, creating a dual-threat inside-outside attack and slowly pulling ahead.
By the end of the third quarter, the score was 82–74, Fukuda Sogo in the lead.
After another three-minute break, Coach Kudo leaned toward Haizaki Shogo:
"Go in, Shogo-kun. Time to finish this game beautifully!"
"Understood!"
On Tōō's bench, Coach Harasawa turned to Aomine Daiki:
"Your turn, Aomine. This is our home court. Don't let anyone underestimate us."
"Understood!"
Aomine's energy and intensity hadn't wavered.
As the fourth quarter began and both Haizaki Shogo and Aomine Daiki stepped onto the court, the audience erupted.
Finally… the highlight of the game!
"Midorima, who do you think will win?"
"Fukuda Sogo."
"Why?"
"The gap's a little too big. Haizaki alone can't let Aomine blow it open."
"True… then the loss would be on Tōō's coach!"
Is a practice game about the score or about developing players? Use your head!
"Hey, don't roast people like that."
"I'm just stating the truth."
The conversation ended as the game started. Kise Ryouta had already fixed his attention on the two aces.
"Daiki, how's it feeling on the cold bench?"
"You just sat there yourself!"
"Ha! Let's continue then."
Haizaki defended Aomine, tracking the ball as Konichi passed it into his hands.
He noticed Aomine's dribble speed gradually increasing.
This isn't just a change in pace… Aomine's maximum speed is creeping higher.
Being someone who practiced frequently with Aomine, Haizaki felt the monster's true acceleration.
Monster… he really is a monster!