Chapter One Hundred Four: Two Things Wrong
"Hey, what do you think is the coolest way to score in basketball?"
"Do you even need to ask? Obviously dunking! Whether it's the player soaring high or the crowd below, the instant that ball gets hammered through the rim, everyone's blood boils, right?"
"That's why you guys are hopeless. The coolest way to score is definitely the three-pointer, after all..."
The boy in the memory adjusted his glasses, his calm voice expressing his thoughts while teammates around him remained unconvinced.
"Hmph. Someday I'll prove it to all of you."
---
"Swish!"
"Oh! Another Midorima three-pointer!"
"Unbelievable! Since the second quarter began, even under intense defensive pressure, Midorima's gone three-for-three from beyond the arc!"
"His shooting is like it's been kissed by Lady Luck herself—absolutely perfect!"
Amid deafening cheers, Midorima adjusted his glasses expressionlessly, calmly turning to sprint back on defense.
[Ryonan 27 - Shutoku 29]
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Sendoh attacked with the ball, using a simple, efficient crossover to shake Miyaji before rising near the free-throw line. His mid-range jumper splashed through cleanly.
[Ryonan 29 - Shutoku 29]
---
Change of possession. Shutoku's offense.
The moment Midorima crossed halfcourt, the ball had already been delivered to his hands through two quick passes.
"Unfortunately, even if you can score continuously, it's meaningless." Midorima's calm words felt like a judgment as he caught the ball. "After all, you can't possibly stop my shooting."
Near the center circle logo, Midorima bent his knees without hesitation, rising immediately for an ultra-long-range attempt!
"Swish!"
Yagami fought desperately over the screen to contest, but his block came half a beat too late. He could only watch helplessly as the ball whistled over his fingertips.
The basketball's flight time seemed stretched, tracing a near-perfect arc that spanned half the court, carrying the entire arena's attention and exclamations.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net! Super-long three-pointer!
[Ryonan 29 - Shutoku 32]
"Another one! From the center circle—an ultra-long three!!" The announcer's voice cracked with excitement. "Midorima's hot hand continues!"
"OHHHH!!!" The entire gymnasium ignited, erupting with tsunami-like noise!
"MIDORIMA! MIDORIMA! MIDORIMA!"
"The momentum has shifted! Though Ryonan and Shutoku continue trading baskets on offense, ever since Shutoku took the lead on Midorima's three-pointers, the gap is being... gradually, undeniably... widened by his unstoppable shooting!"
"This guy, as expected, is really..."
Yagami stared at that calmly retreating green-haired figure, his chest clearly experiencing that long-absent, powerful sensation that only emerged when facing the "Generation of Miracles"—the uncontrollable excitement and fighting spirit born from confronting absolute talent and overwhelming strength.
"Using ultra-long-range shooting as a regular weapon?" Yagami's expression showed not anger but a smile, the gleam in his eyes growing sharper. "Just as I thought... to deal with someone like you, full-court pressure was necessary from the very beginning."
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Yagami actively called for the ball at the left forty-five.
"So that guy's preparing to make his move?" Coach Nakatani's eyes sharpened, watching Yagami alertly.
Yagami had spent most of the game focused on defense and containment. Now actively demanding the ball for isolation, his intent was obvious—he wanted to apply offensive pressure, drain Midorima's stamina, and diminish his offensive threat.
Sendoh understood perfectly. He protected the ball steadily, calmly drawing Miyaji toward the right side, clearing the entire left wing for Yagami.
Then a precise entry pass reached Yagami's hands.
Yagami caught it, facing Midorima's defense. First came two jab steps. His opponent's center of gravity remained stable, unmoved.
Immediately after, Yagami's shoulder faked upward with lightning speed, as if rising for a jumper. Midorima's judgment showed slight hesitation, his body lifting slightly!
In that instant, Yagami dropped low and accelerated, slicing past Midorima's side. One step inside the free-throw line, he planted and rose, his mid-range shot dropping cleanly!
[Ryonan 31 - Shutoku 32]
"From the matchup perspective, if it's one-on-one, Yagami seems capable of limiting Midorima's shooting while Midorima struggles to stop Yagami's drives. But..." Aida Yayoi murmured from the sideline.
"What's the point of all this?" Midorima looked toward Yagami after the bucket, his voice carrying calm, stubborn logic.
"The three-pointer is the most efficient weapon on the court. It's basic math—the same scoring effort naturally means two points is one less than three. Obsessing over two-pointers, you'll never beat me."
"If you want to compete with me in scoring, you'll only move further from victory."
"Didn't know you were the talkative type?" Yagami merely glanced at him indifferently before falling silent, focusing entirely on tight defense.
From this moment forward, he'd pressure Midorima from the inbound pass onward.
"Pfft." Nearby, Takao couldn't help laughing at hearing Midorima get shut down.
"Hmph. Takao, remember to pass me the ball." Midorima snorted coldly, saying nothing more as he sprinted toward the frontcourt.
"Yes, yes~" Takao received the baseline inbound, steadily advancing toward Ryonan's half.
Before Sendoh could approach, the aggressively positioning Miyaji cut him off.
Sendoh showed no intention of fighting through. Ikegami had to quickly switch onto Takao.
However, though Ikegami claimed to be Ryonan's defensive specialist, his strength lay in shutting down catch-and-shoot players. Against a dynamic playmaking guard like Takao's on-ball penetration, his lateral quickness proved slightly lacking.
"Thud!" The ball pounded heavily against the floor.
After a dribble move, Takao decisively accelerated, blowing past Ikegami's left side!
Simultaneously, Shutoku's offensive formation began flowing.
Midorima ran tirelessly between both ends of the court, Miyaji and Kimura acting like two mobile barriers, continuously setting solid screens for him.
Yagami didn't call for Fukuda's help defense. Instead, he left switching and rotation duties to the more mobile Sendoh and experienced Ikegami.
Takao penetrated to the free-throw area. Rather than blindly collapsing, Ikegami keenly positioned himself on Kimura's next likely screening path.
Inside, Fukuda stepped up to seal off Takao's shooting space. Yagami's defensive strategy was clear—prioritize contesting shots, disruption suffices.
On the perimeter, Yagami's excellent anticipation let him fight over the screen early. Sendoh also lurked on the wing, ready to trap at any moment.
Under Ryonan's highly targeted rotation defense, Shutoku's not-quite-polished passing system operated sluggishly. Creating open looks for Midorima became increasingly difficult.
Seeing no perimeter opportunities, Takao chose to continue penetrating. He first pump-faked to lift Fukuda, then used his speed to slice toward the basket, successfully drawing help from Uozumi protecting the rim.
Fukuda's defensive attitude was aggressive. After landing, he spun and pursued quickly. Just as the trap was about to close, Takao flicked his wrist, finding the temporarily open Otsubo under the basket.
Otsubo caught it and rose without mercy, finishing with a two-handed slam!
[Ryonan 31 - Shutoku 34]
Having an absolute perimeter threat like Midorima, Shutoku's interior offensive spacing became noticeably clearer and more open.
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Yagami continued raising his hand on the wing, demanding the ball. His intent was obvious.
"What exactly is he calculating?" Coach Nakatani's brow furrowed deeply, his doubts growing.
Yagami was full-court pressing Midorima. His stamina consumption should be enormous. Yet now he repeatedly launched aggressive attacks. Even if the goal was draining Midorima, how long could his own conditioning hold up?
Could he be... planning a one-for-one trade?
Coach Nakatani's fingers stroked his chin faster and faster. If Yagami and Midorima both had to sit due to exhaustion, Ryonan—with their deeper rotation—would definitely hold the advantage.
"But if that's the thinking, isn't it a bit naive..."
---
On the court, Yagami caught the ball. Facing Midorima's defense, he used continuous change-of-direction moves to create half a step of separation.
This time, Midorima wasn't completely shaken. He leveraged excellent defensive instincts to immediately recover, sticking to Yagami's side, maximally disrupting his shooting rhythm.
Seeing this, Yagami lowered his center of gravity and accelerated toward the paint again.
Otsubo immediately abandoned his assignment, stepping up to help, blocking Yagami's driving lane.
"Thud!"
Yagami's dribble rhythm suddenly changed. He palmed the ball with one hand, as if about to deliver an entry pass to Uozumi inside.
Everyone assumed he'd pass. This convincing fake not only made Midorima instinctively reach to intercept but also fooled Otsubo's center of gravity into shifting back toward help defense.
However, the ball never left Yagami's control!
He gripped it tightly. Yagami pulled the ball back, then utilized this brief defensive window to rise from his spot, leaning back for the jumper!
"Swish!"
Nothing but net!
[Ryonan 33 - Shutoku 34]
Ryonan clung tightly to the score.
"You really are persistent." Midorima looked at Yagami, who'd immediately pressed up defensively after scoring. He finally couldn't help speaking. "Expending so much mental energy and stamina, ultimately you only gain two points."
"Haven't you realized? The efficiency gap can't be overcome with willpower alone."
Yagami only shot him a sideways glance, saying nothing.
---
Change of possession. Shutoku's offense.
Midorima's competitive fire had clearly been stoked. Barely past halfcourt, he extended his hand two steps beyond the arc, calling for the ball—he too wanted isolation against Yagami, responding with his specialty three-pointer!
He knew Yagami's defensive strategy was defending shots over drives, but he'd shoot anyway!
After receiving the ball, Midorima showed his shot immediately. Due to the shooting threat he'd established earlier, this successfully lifted Yagami's defensive commitment.
Just as Yagami's body began descending—that moment when old momentum expired and new power hadn't generated—Midorima truly rose, possessing perfect, uncontested shooting space.
"Thud!"
Yagami attempted a second jump to contest, but Midorima's extremely high release point was now beyond reach.
"Swish!"
The ball answered cleanly, crisply dropping through.
[Ryonan 33 - Shutoku 37]
Using a pump fake to create timing separation, Midorima buried the three-pointer. The gap widened again.
"Tweet!"
"Ryonan requests timeout."
---
Ryonan's players quickly gathered around Coach Taoka.
Coach Taoka's expression was stern. First, he looked at Yagami, asking the most critical question: "Yagami, why are you competing with Midorima offensively?"
In his impression, Yagami always played intelligently during games. This shouldn't be...
Wait—Coach Taoka suddenly realized. When exactly had he developed this illusion that "this kid plays rationally"?
Never mind. Coach Taoka quickly refocused, tapping the tactical board.
"Since Fukuda's on the floor, he should be the primary offensive option."
—Otherwise his scoring ability gets wasted, especially since Fukuda's defensive contributions are limited. The second half of that thought, considering Fukuda's sensitive pride, Coach Taoka only completed mentally.
"Mm, that's right." Fukuda nodded seriously, quite agreeing with the coach's assessment.
"Makes sense." Yagami's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "Then let's sub out Fukuda-senpai first. The rest of the second quarter, I'll be the offensive focal point."
"???"
"Hiss!" Fukuda reflexively assumed his signature "snake fist" defensive posture, his eyes full of shocked "betrayal" and resistance.
Even if the suggestion came from Yagami, he absolutely couldn't agree easily!
...At least not this simply!
"What nonsense are you spouting? You need to preserve stamina for defending Midorima. In this situation we should—"
"I'll shut down Midorima." Yagami interrupted Coach Taoka, speaking seriously. "I just need a bit more time."
Coach Taoka instinctively glanced at the arena clock. Less than five minutes remained in the second quarter.
"Fine." After weighing the options, Coach Taoka ultimately chose trust. But he stared hard at Yagami, delivering his bottom line: "I'll let you try, but the prerequisite is absolutely not letting the gap widen further!"
"Uh, the gap might temporarily still—" Yagami was about to explain honestly but looked up to meet Coach Taoka's nearly murderous glare.
"...I understand." He very wisely swallowed the rest of his sentence.
---
Timeout ended. Play resumed.
Koshino entered, replacing Fukuda. Ryonan's possession.
After Sendoh pushed past midcourt, he still passed to Yagami. He enjoyed this relaxed feeling—like fishing.
Yagami caught the ball a full meter beyond the arc. Midorima planted on the three-point line, arms spread wide, watching him alertly.
"Midorima, you're wrong about two things."
Yagami adjusted his dribble rhythm, then suddenly stepped back, rising for a pull-up!
"From this distance?!"
Midorima quickly closed out but was clearly too late.
"First, I'm not obsessed with just two-pointers."
"Swish!"
The ball dropped through clean!
[Ryonan 36 - Shutoku 37]
Immediately after timeout, Yagami answered with a super-long three of his own!
Midorima watched the shot drop, then whipped around to stare at Yagami, who'd already stopped talking—
What about the second thing?!
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