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Atsushi Murasakibara looked down at Teppei Kiyoshi, who had fallen to the ground.
"You really haven't learned your lesson! You're clearly not very strong, yet you insist on working hard, saying things like 'If everyone works hard, we'll win.' That's laughable."
Hearing Atsushi's words, Teppei Kiyoshi, supporting himself on the ground, stood up and retorted:
"Maybe it's like you said, maybe I'm not talented, but basketball is more than just winning and losing."
"To win the game, my teammates and I trained incredibly hard. Even if the final result wasn't what we wanted, at least we tried. So no matter what kind of opponent we face, I want to protect everyone; protect the basketball that everyone loves."
Atsushi's pupils contracted upon hearing this.
"Huh? You're already like this and you still talk about protecting? People like you are the most annoying."
With that, Atsushi turned and walked towards his own half of the court.
"Captain, are you alright?"
Teppei's teammates approached Teppei Kiyoshi and asked.
Seeing his teammates' concern, Teppei Kiyoshi smiled at everyone.
"Don't worry, I just slipped. Let's score another basket!"
"Okay..."
Offense and defense change.
Shoei's point guard dribbled the ball into Teiko's half of the court.
After being blocked by Akashi, he immediately passed the ball to his power forward.
However, facing Aomine Daiki's defense, Teppei's power forward couldn't find an opening to break through.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Aomine Daiki was suddenly blocked by a figure.
A pick-and-roll?
Aomine Daiki stared in astonishment at Teppei Kiyoshi.
Teppei Kiyoshi smiled slightly at him and said:
"Basketball isn't a one-man game."
Teppei's power forward, having broken free of Aomine Daiki's defense, moved as if there was no one there.
He dribbled directly to the front of Teiko's paint.
Looking at Murasakibara Atsushi's tall frame, he jumped, preparing for a mid-range shot.
Just as he was about to shoot, a figure appeared in front of him—it was Murasakibara Atsushi.
When did this guy get here?
Seeing his shot about to be blocked, in a moment of panic, he tossed the basketball backward and downward, passing it to Teppei Kiyoshi.
Aomine Daiki, standing nearby, tried to steal the ball.
Unfortunately, Teppei Kiyoshi easily grabbed the ball with one hand.
Aomine Daiki was dumbfounded.
This guy…
Aomine Daiki hadn't expected his opponent to have this move.
Teppei Kiyoshi was now a head taller than Aomine Daiki and the latter couldn't reach the ball at all.
He glanced around, then twirled and tossed the ball.
The basketball was passed towards Shoei's shooting guard.
Thud…
As soon as the ball arrived, Shoei's shooting guard prepared to jump and shoot.
Unfortunately, Midorima Shintaro anticipated his intentions and reacted in advance.
Seeing this, he had no choice but to retrieve the ball and look for another opportunity.
Just then, he seemed to see his captain calling for the ball in the paint.
Without thinking, he tossed the basketball through the box.
Receiving the ball again, Teppei Kiyoshi leaped up, slamming the ball down on the Teiko basket with one hand.
Atsushi Murasakibara, naturally, wouldn't let his opponent succeed, stepping in front of Teppei Kiyoshi to block his path.
Teppei Kiyoshi's hand, gripping the ball, suddenly twisted, preparing to pass it back to his teammate.
Atsushi Murasakibara's pupils contracted, and he reached out to stop him.
But before he could even extend his hand, he saw Teppei Kiyoshi's hand, gripping the basketball, suddenly slam it down.
Bang...
The basketball was slammed in right before his eyes by Teppei Kiyoshi.
9 to 7.
"You're really annoying," Atsushi Murasakibara said through gritted teeth.
Teppei Kiyoshi, on the other hand, smiled and said:
"I will protect the trust my teammates have in me."
Atsushi Murasakibara's face was incredibly grim.
"If it's like this again, I really can't help but want to crush you."
The following time was a back-and-forth battle between Atsushi Murasakibara and Teppei Kiyoshi.
Atsushi Murasakibara's offensive onslaught was unstoppable, but he repeatedly failed to defend against Teppei Kiyoshi.
Teppei Kiyoshi and his teammates coordinated their attacks, scoring numerous points over Murasakibara.
The score fluctuated constantly.
14-12.
26-22.
35-30.
After the first quarter, Teiko led Shoei by only 5 points.
Seeing this score, everyone was incredulous.
Teiko's strength was undeniable; they never imagined Shoei could put up such a fight against them.
This center duel showcased intense physical clashes and a violent beauty.
The entire arena gave Atsushi Murasakibara and Teppei Kiyoshi a resounding round of applause.
As soon as he left the court, Atsushi Murasakibara sat unhappily on the bench, drinking water.
Seeing Atsushi Murasakibara's expression, no one said anything.
Everyone knew Murasakibara Atsushi's personality well; he was like a child.
On the other side, in Shoei's rest area:
Teppei Kiyoshi was panting heavily, a towel covering his head.
Seeing their captain remain silent since leaving the court, several teammates looked at him with concern.
"The captain's sweating is a bit abnormal."
"It's only the first quarter."
Shoei's coach, seeing this, stepped forward and asked:
"Kiyoshi, if it's really not working, we can substitute someone. You should rest for a bit!"
Teppei Kiyoshi removed the towel from his head, looked at his coach, and said firmly:
"No, it's not the time yet. We still have hope. I won't give up."
Sigh...
Hearing Teppei Kiyoshi's words, he wasn't surprised.
He knew Teppei Kiyoshi's personality very well.
Since the other party was unwilling, he wouldn't force him.
Soon, the second quarter began.
At the start of the second quarter, Shoei faced a fierce attack from Teiko.
Murasakibara Atsushi relentlessly ravaged Shoei's basket.
His cries of pain drew cheers from the crowd.
Teppei Kiyoshi initially managed to score a few baskets over Murasakibara.
However, as time went on, Teppei Kiyoshi found himself being overwhelmed.
He felt the purple-haired boy before him was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with, putting more and more pressure on him.
Although he occasionally managed to score, he no longer possessed the efficiency of the previous quarter.
At the end of the second quarter, the scoreboard showed 71-41.
Teiko leads Shoei by 30 points.
Third Quarter.
Murasakibara Atsushi immediately blocks Teppei Kiyoshi's shot.
The ball falls into Midorima Shintaro's hands, and unsurprisingly, Midorima sinks a precise three-pointer.
Shoei's attack is immediately blocked by Murasakibara Atsushi.
He dribbles into Shoei's paint himself, dunking over Teppei Kiyoshi and Shoei's power forward.
Both players fall to the ground from Murasakibara's powerful dunk.
In the latter part of the third quarter, Ryu and Aomine begin to exert their strength.
The two form two sharp spears, completely dismantling Shoei's defense.
The score quickly reaches 113-43.
Fourth Quarter.
Shoei Junior High completely collapses.
Teppei Kiyoshi has reached his limit.
The other Shoei players are like zombies, showing no will to fight.
Ryu and his teammates launched successive attacks, widening the score gap slightly.
The final whistle blew.
The score on the scoreboard settled at 148-51.
As Murasakibara Atsushi passed by Teppei Kiyoshi, he looked down at him and said:
"So that's all it is in the end? I even took it seriously because I was annoyed! Looks like it was completely unnecessary."
"Oh, right, you said something about 'protecting' during the match, didn't you? And what happened? You didn't protect anything!"
Even after Murasakibara Atsushi had walked away, Teppei Kiyoshi remained standing there, his eyes vacant, head bowed in silence.
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