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The first quarter ended.
Both teams returned to their respective rest areas.
Ryu's usually calm face showed a slight change.
Murasakibara's final dunk had actually broken his [Rin].
This was something Ryu hadn't expected.
'Murasakibara has gotten stronger!'
Ryu sat on the bench, thinking silently. However, he only expressed his amazement, without any real worry.
On the other side, at the Yosen rest area, Masako Araki was outlining a plan for everyone.
Murasakibara was silently eating snacks, head down, lost in thought.
Thud...
A muffled sound echoed as a thick bamboo sword struck Murasakibara on the back.
Masako Araki said irritably, "Listen carefully, and don't eat snacks during breaks!"
Murasakibara licked his fingers, then casually grunted, "Oh."
His indifferent attitude made Masako Araki's forehead bulge with fury.
Tatsuya Himuro quickly tried to smooth things over. "Atsushi, did you remember what the coach just said?"
Before he finished speaking, Kenichi Okamura interjected. "This guy probably didn't hear anything! Don't spoil him anymore, Himuro."
"Alright, let's continue," Masako Araki clapped her hands and said to everyone.
In the stands, Satsuki sighed. "Ah... I thought Ryu would break that shot!"
Aomine raised an eyebrow and analyzed, "This guy has gotten much stronger."
"Hmm? Who? Is it Ryu?" Satsuki asked suspiciously.
Aomine replied, "It's Murasakibara. He used to be on our team, so we know each other pretty well. We all had some idea of how far each person could go, but Murasakibara's performance has exceeded those expectations."
"Murasakibara seems different today!" Kise said, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Yukio Kasamatsu, standing beside him, asked, "How is he different?"
Kise explained, "If I had to put it in a way, it's just a feeling!"
His expression turned serious as he continued, "And what I'm more concerned about is Murasakibara's ability."
"Is there something wrong with his ability? That center was your teammate at Teiko, wasn't he?" Yukio Kasamatsu asked.
Kise nodded. "That's right, Murasakibara was my teammate at Teiko, but his ability has surprised me."
Yukio Kasamatsu didn't understand Kise's words, looking completely bewildered. "He's really strong! As a member of the Generation of Miracles, it's normal for him to have this kind of strength."
"That's not what I meant!" Kise explained. "Murasakibara's strength is a bit abnormal. Whether it's the interception from the baseline to the three-point line, or that dunk on the last shot, his growth is just too fast."
"Growing fast? Aren't you the same in that respect?" Yoshitaka Moriyama interjected.
Kise shook his head. "No, there's something different. As a former teammate, I can somewhat predict their growth, but Murasakibara is different. He's exceeded my expectations by far. This is clearly abnormal."
"Abnormal? But I don't see anything abnormal about it?" Takao asked, puzzled.
Midorima, standing beside him, adjusted his glasses and replied seriously, "His growth rate has far exceeded my expectations."
Takao didn't quite understand Midorima's words. "In short, you're saying he's very strong now, right?"
Midorima nodded, his expression grave. "Very strong, extremely strong."
"That must be related to his physical attributes! Murasakibara's physical attributes are probably the best among the Generation of Miracles, which is why his growth rate is faster than others."
Hearing Kuroko's explanation, the Seirin members fell silent.
Taiga Kagami suddenly asked, "So, according to you, he's stronger than Ryu?"
Kuroko shook his head. "I don't know. Neither of them is using their full strength yet. We don't know what Murasakibara has up his sleeve, and defeating Ryu won't be easy."
Hearing this, the Seirin members all nodded.
That's right.
They had all witnessed Ryu's strength. Someone who was so abnormally strong couldn't be easily dealt with just by being big.
Whistle...
A loud whistle signaled the start of the second quarter.
Both teams took to the court.
Toho Kotei Gakuen inbounded the ball.
The game had just begun when Ryu reached for the ball and, before Yosen could react, launched a full-court three-pointer.
12-10.
Ryu's sudden shot didn't surprise anyone.
Yosen had also anticipated this possibility.
At the start of the game, they ran towards Toho Kotei Gakuen's half of the court, trying to disrupt Ryu's shot. However, they hadn't expected Ryu's release to be so quick; they ultimately couldn't catch up in time.
The Yosen team was quite frustrated, but they quickly adjusted their strategy and began inbounding the ball towards Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Murasakibara arrived in front of Ryu.
The two were locked in a fierce battle.
Murasakibara, using his physique, firmly blocked Ryu's movements, giving him no chance to escape.
Ryu moved quickly, trying to break free from Murasakibara's defense. However, after several attempts, he was intercepted by Murasakibara's superhuman reflexes.
Ryu had to admit that Murasakibara's defensive ability was truly unparalleled. Under normal circumstances, he would find it very difficult to break free from Murasakibara's defense.
But Ryu was the abnormal one. He possessed the skills of a tennis player from The Prince of Tennis.
Zzzzt…
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky.
Murasakibara's eyes widened, a sense of unease rising within him.
He's gone...
Murasakibara remembered that Ryu had a technique similar to teleportation. Thinking of this, Murasakibara's heart pounded.
After activating [Lightning], Ryu flashed past Murasakibara in an instant, appearing before Kenichi Okamura, who was about to penetrate the penalty area.
Seeing Ryu suddenly appear before him, Kenichi Okamura's mind went blank for a moment.
Before he could make any move, Ryu successfully intercepted the ball from his hands.
After gaining possession, Ryu strode directly towards Yosen's half of the court.
Whoosh…
"Get back on defense…" Kenichi Okamura shouted.
Even without him saying it, the rest of Yosen had already done so.
Tatsuya Himuro was the first to act. He started chasing the moment he saw Ryu grab the ball.
However, as he watched Ryu get further and further away, a sense of powerlessness filled his heart.
'I can't catch up... Damn it...'
His resentful eyes could only watch helplessly as Ryu disappeared into the distance.
Suddenly, a purple figure flashed past his side. Tatsuya Himuro was startled, then saw a familiar figure appear before him.
'Atsushi...'
It was Murasakibara in his field of vision.
Murasakibara was following behind Ryu, his speed astonishing. In fact, his speed didn't possess the sharpness of Ryu and Aomine; instead, it gave the impression of closing the distance with large strides.
Ryu reached the three-point line of Yosen.
Just as he raised his hand to shoot, he felt a gust of wind beside him, and then a figure blocked his way.
Ryu, seeing Murasakibara before him, abruptly paused his initial movement, then immediately switched to a crossover.
He lowered his stance, slipping past Murasakibara's shin.
Murasakibara tried to stop him but was powerless. He had no good counter to this move and could only turn and chase.
In the blink of an eye, Ryu entered the restricted area. He leaped into the air, holding the ball in one hand, preparing for a tomahawk dunk.
At the same time, Murasakibara quickly turned, landing on one foot, then pushed off powerfully, arriving at the basket just in time.
Ryu only felt a blur before his eyes as a gust of wind whistled towards the basketball in his hand.
A glint flashed in Ryu's eyes, and he abruptly pulled the basketball back, then switched hands behind his back. He smoothly released the ball from under Murasakibara's arm.
The basketball flew towards Yosen's basket.
However…
Thud…
The crisp sound made Ryu's pupils dilate. Murasakibara's large hand slammed firmly onto the basketball.
A tremendous force emanated from the ball. Ryu frowned slightly, feeling the basketball was about to slip out of his control.
At the critical moment, [Rin] suddenly activated.
He used a clever technique to retrieve the basketball that was about to slip from his grasp, then passed it out towards the three-point line.
Hmm?
Murasakibara frowned. It felt like that again. It was because of this before that the basketball slipped from his hand.
Could this also be one of Ryu's tricks?
Thinking this, Murasakibara's wariness of Ryu intensified.
However, since they were still in the game, he quickly put the matter out of his mind. He had already noticed that Kugawa, who had received the ball, was preparing to shoot.
He strained his legs, unleashing a terrifying burst of power that propelled his body toward Kugawa.
It was almost instant.
Kugawa felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if a mountain was crashing down upon him.
Thud…
A crisp sound echoed throughout the arena as the basketball was violently slapped away from Kugawa's hands by Murasakibara.
Boom…
A cheer erupted from the stands.
"That was a beautiful block!"
"Clean and efficient, without any hesitation."
"His movements were so fast, he appeared in front of his opponent almost instantly."
Kugawa snapped out of his daze, and his face darkened. This guy completely blocked the shot. What a humiliation!
But he was powerless. The opponent was simply too strong. The pressure of the block sent a chill down his spine. But it was only for a moment. The game continued, and he quickly forgot about it.
The basketball didn't go out of bounds.
Kensuke Fukui and Hanafuji were chasing after the ball. To be precise, it was only Kensuke Fukui chasing it. Hanafuji was just interfering with his opponent's movements, preventing him from getting the ball back.
But in the end, Kensuke Fukui managed to retrieve the ball first. He casually slapped the ball towards Tatsuya Himuro.
Tatsuya Himuro received the pass immediately.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
He changed direction left and right, using two feints to break through Kugawa's defense. The two then traded blows, but Tatsuya Himuro ultimately prevailed.
Tatsuya Himuro's feints were nothing short of masterful, quickly creating a half-body distance between himself and Kugawa.
Upon reaching Toho Kotei Gakuen's three-point line, Tatsuya Himuro flashed a confident smile. He might not be able to handle the Generation of Miracles, but against an opponent like Kugawa, he had absolute confidence.
The basketball flew from his hand toward the basket.
However, suddenly, a large hand appeared in mid-air, blocking the basketball's path.
Slap...
A merciless slam sent the basketball flying.
Everyone in the arena stared dumbfounded at the person who had blocked Tatsuya Himuro's shot.
"When did he appear?"
Some people in the stands clapped and cheered. They had just witnessed a spectacular block, and now another spectacular block had unfolded so quickly.
Tatsuya Himuro stood there, dumbfounded. His eyes were filled with horror and confusion.
'Why is he in front of me? He was clearly under my basket! I confirmed his location.'
Murasakibara's gaze sharpened further as he looked at Ryu. He had just witnessed Ryu vanish in a flash of lightning, then reappear in front of Tatsuya Himuro.
"Damn it, Yu-chin!"
He stomped his foot, trying to vent his anger at not stopping Ryu.
The basketball, after being swatted away by Ryu, rolled towards the Yosen half of the court, heading straight for Murasakibara's feet.
Seeing this, the Toho Kotei Gakuen players, who had intended to chase after it, stopped in their tracks. They knew they couldn't possibly steal the ball from Murasakibara.
Murasakibara picked up the basketball from the ground. He dribbled the ball, advancing step by step.
Ryu was still at his own three-point line, unable to stop him in time.
Murasakibara dribbled the ball, forcefully pushing aside Kuroki Ryuichi and Kugawa who tried to block him. Just as he was about to reach the three-point line, Ryu suddenly appeared, blocking his way.
"Yu-chin..."
Murasakibara gritted his teeth, not pausing for a moment in the face of Ryu's obstruction.
The two faced off once more.
Murasakibara's arm holding the ball was taut, the veins on his arm clearly bulging. A wild aura suddenly emanated from Murasakibara.
Sensing the sudden change in his opponent, Ryu was not to be outdone. Wisps of red aura emanated from his body. [Beast's Aura] activated.
Red and purple clashed, yet remained distinctly separate.
Ryu's strength and speed, enhanced by [Beast's Aura], rose to another level. However, after colliding with Murasakibara, he was still forced back several steps.
'Why is this guy still dribbling like this!' Ryu thought to himself, but his footwork never faltered.
He stood firmly in front of Murasakibara, waiting for the moment he would dunk.
He pushed in, backing him down further.
Murasakibara stepped into the restricted area of Toho Kotei Gakuen, pushing against Ryu.
Ryu's gaze was calm, as if he was waiting for something.
The phantom behind Murasakibara was a giant ape formed from purple flames. It clenched its fists and pounded its chest, seemingly taunting Ryu before it.
Ryu, now surrounded by crimson flames, remained unmoved by the giant ape's threat. His eyes held a terrifying intensity, causing Murasakibara to hesitate to dunk inside the restricted area.
The two were locked in a stalemate. Time ticked by.
The 24-second violation deadline was fast approaching.
A sudden anxiety gripped Murasakibara. He had a feeling that if he dunked, he might be blocked. Although he had absolute confidence in his dunking ability, this feeling wouldn't go away. This was why he hesitated.
Just as the violation deadline arrived, Murasakibara finally moved. He didn't choose to dunk, but instead passed the ball out.
The basketball flew from the restricted area to the three-point line. Tatsuya Himuro successfully received the ball.
Ryu's eyes flickered; he understood Murasakibara's intention. He was about to move when Murasakibara blocked his path.
Ryu's lips twitched, thinking to himself, 'This shot is probably lost.'
And that was indeed the case. Tatsuya Himuro received the ball, used a fake to shake off Kugawa, and before the opponent could defend, successfully sank a three-pointer.
12-13.
Taiga Kagami was somewhat surprised. Kuroko explained, "Murasakibara is different from the others. He's rather lazy, so he usually leaves offensive matters to his teammates. Therefore, it's not surprising that he chose to pass the ball."
"However, in this way, they've found a way to contain Ryu," Junpei Hyuga analyzed.
"Idiot," Riko Aida said irritably. "Suppressing Ryu isn't that simple. Don't forget, he also has a Zone-like ability."
"Murasakibaracchi is really amazing, suppressing Ryucchi to this extent," Kise said excitedly, his eyes shining.
Murasakibara's performance today had indeed surprised him. Having fought Ryu before, he knew very well how strong the opponent was. Murasakibara's ability to suppress the opponent's score already spoke volumes.
Although Ryu hadn't used his full strength yet, he could tell that Murasakibara hadn't used his full strength either.
He grinned and muttered, "I'm really looking forward to it!"
"Has Ryu really been suppressed by Murasakibara?" Satsuki was somewhat worried; although she thought it was impossible, she was still concerned.
Aomine, his eyes glued to the court, spoke up. "That's impossible. I know Ryu's strength very well. Even if Murasakibara has strength beyond everyone's expectations, he can't suppress Ryu."
"It's a stalemate!" Takao wasn't very interested in the stalemate.
Midorima remained silent, simply watching Ryu and Murasakibara on the sidelines.
In the following time...
The two teams began a full-team offensive and defensive battle. Anyone could score.
The two teams were locked in a fierce battle, the score constantly changing under their attacks.
15-16.
20-21.
27-28.
32-32.
The score showed no sign of widening.
The two teams' ace players, Ryu and Murasakibara, marked each other closely. This resulted in neither of them scoring another goal since.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the battle of offense and defense gradually intensified.
Because the overall strength of Toho Kotei Gakuen was significantly higher than that of Yosen, the Yosen players were sweating more.
At this point, the match had reached a strange equilibrium.
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