Chapter One Hundred Ten: If You Can't Entertain Me—
Change of possession. Touou's offense.
"You guys are really strange," Imayoshi dribbled through halfcourt, his gaze sweeping Ryonan's defensive line. "You've been leading since tip-off, yet you still look like you're facing mortal danger."
"That's because senpai's team is so strong~" Yagami flashed a cheerful smile. "Tokyo's 'Rising Tyrant'—just hearing that name is frightening."
"Heh. Fair warning." Imayoshi's eyes narrowed. "No matter how much you play weak, we've never underestimated you."
"Well, we're deeply grateful—"
Before Yagami finished, his right hand shot out, targeting the ball in his opponent's grasp.
Imayoshi had clearly anticipated this, quickly executing a retreat step to create space while precisely passing to Sakurai stepping up from the wing for support.
Koshino immediately pressed tight, but Sakurai simply lobbed the ball skyward.
"What's he trying? That doesn't look like a shot—"
Koshino looked back. Aomine had already cut inside, rising into the air.
"Not happening!" Uozumi muscled past Wakamatsu, leaping straight up with both hands extended to intercept.
"Slap!"
Aomine lightly tipped the ball mid-air.
"Swish!"
Two points!
[Ryonan 17 - Touou 17]
"Another Aomine bucket! Touou ties it up—both teams back on level ground!!"
"Something's off..." Coach Taoka sensed Touou's offense differed clearly from before, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the issue.
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Yagami advanced the ball. After crossing midcourt, Sendoh didn't call for it.
"Oh? Not continuing with your ace's isolation?" Imayoshi aggressively pressured Yagami, his lips carrying that irritating smile. "Giving up so quickly? Why not just surrender the whole game~"
Yagami paid Imayoshi's interference no mind, his gaze scanning the entire court.
Sendoh and Aomine faced off on the right. Uozumi and Wakamatsu battled in the paint. Ikegami tangled with Susa in the right corner.
Yagami signaled. Koshino immediately came up from the left. Uozumi simultaneously moved to screen Sakurai's pursuit. Koshino briefly created space.
"Very clever. Against Aomine, clustering together is your best option—your only option." Imayoshi maintained verbal pressure while his defensive footwork naturally shifted left, subtly sealing Yagami's passing lane.
"Swish!"
Yagami rose straight up for the pull-up jumper.
"What?!" Imayoshi looked toward Yagami, not even managing to contest. "Just like that?"
The ball traced an arc, dropping cleanly through the net.
"Swish!"
Three-pointer!
[Ryonan 20 - Touou 17]
Imayoshi had been mentally prepared.
In his projection, Yagami should first attempt a change-of-direction drive, perhaps even follow with a retreat and shot fake to bait his defensive commitment...
Naturally, Imayoshi would bite as expected. That's when Yagami would "definitely" find the perfect moment to slip a pass to an open teammate. At that moment, Imayoshi's preemptive positioning would prove decisive, stealing the ball at the critical instant!
"Shouldn't it have gone like that?"
Imayoshi had never doubted Momoi's judgment in this area. Moreover, his analysis of Ryonan's footage confirmed that when Yagami operated as point guard, this was his playing style.
Instead, Yagami just rose up and shot?!
"You seem to be overthinking, senpai." Yagami said lightly while retreating. "Sometimes, smart people are easier to fool than idiots."
---
Change of possession. Touou's offense.
Imayoshi collected himself, advancing quickly with the ball.
Susa promptly stepped up for a high screen. Imayoshi used it to shake Yagami's defense, cutting toward the free-throw line.
Ryonan's defensive formation instinctively collapsed. Uozumi also stepped forward to disrupt.
Imayoshi's wrist flicked. The ball shot precisely toward the left corner. Sakurai executed a reverse cut outside, momentarily shaking Koshino to receive.
"This guy!" Koshino immediately closed out.
"I'm sorry!" Sakurai caught the ball without any adjustment—his body hadn't even fully squared up—yet with shooting form so fast it was nearly invisible, he released!
The ball spun toward the basket.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net!
[Ryonan 20 - Touou 20]
Touou immediately answered with a three!
"Nice shot, Sakurai!" Imayoshi smiled, showing zero trace of the shock Yagami had just caused him.
"His release... so fast!" Koshino felt shaken. Just point-a-few-seconds delayed, yet the opponent found such a shooting window.
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Yagami isolated Imayoshi, directly accelerating left through the drive, hitting a mid-range jumper.
[Ryonan 22 - Touou 20]
Change of possession. Touou's offense.
Imayoshi found an opportunity to feed Susa, who attacked inside the free-throw line for a floater.
"Swish!"
The ball bounced off iron.
Uozumi overpowered Wakamatsu for the rebound.
Ryonan immediately counterattacked!
Yagami received the pass. Facing Imayoshi's defense, a swift between-the-legs crossover shook him loose.
But it wasn't over!
With Sendoh locked down by Aomine, Touou understood clearly—Yagami was Ryonan's only offensive initiator!
Susa and Imayoshi double-teamed!
Yagami got stopped, but his hands kept moving, threading the ball through the gap between defenders.
"BANG!"
Koshino caught it just past midcourt. Though Sakurai desperately pursued, Koshino's release was equally swift.
"Swish!"
Koshino launched from beyond the arc!
"Swish!"
"You moron! Since when is your three reliable? Shooting like that?!" Coach Taoka roared from the sideline after hearing the clang.
Ikegami followed the fast break, catching the rebound and smoothly rising for the layup.
"Swish!"
Two points went in easily. At least the counterattack opportunity wasn't wasted.
[Ryonan 24 - Touou 20]
"That Yagami kid's making everyone more reckless." Coach Taoka sat down gruffly. "Hikoichi, note Koshino's performance just now. After the game, he's shooting three hundred extra threes."
"Yes!" Aida Hikoichi quickly pulled out his notebook, thinking privately: Koshino-senpai, really... If that were me, that three-pointer would've been money, hehe!
Coach Taoka grabbed the tactical board beside him, his gaze sweeping the court. Finally, he saw through their tactical adjustment.
Touou's captain—that point guard named Imayoshi Shoichi—was the one controlling the team's game rhythm.
First, he'd allowed Aomine free rein during the first half quarter. After discovering difficulty in pulling ahead through that approach, he immediately shifted strategy, organizing team offense and having other players serve as finishers.
"So even if Aomine himself doesn't care about stamina management, someone on the court is looking out for him." Coach Taoka thoughtfully rubbed his chin. Continuing like this wasn't necessarily bad, but they needed to build a larger first-quarter lead...
---
Time for the final possession.
"Swish!"
Ikegami's mid-range attempt got disrupted by Susa, missing.
"Rebound!"
Uozumi roared. With absolute height and strength advantage, he planted himself like bedrock, forcibly pinning Wakamatsu and the helping Susa, his massive hand seizing the flying ball mid-air!
He didn't choose to force it up. Instead, he protected the ball, his gaze finding teammates—Koshino was cutting around the arc off a Yagami screen.
"Great pass, Uozumi-senpai!"
Koshino caught it. Rather than shooting immediately, he took a deep breath to adjust.
Sakurai had already navigated the screen.
"Koshino, you—!" Coach Taoka watched Koshino raise the ball beyond the arc, nearly standing in fury.
However, Koshino only pump-faked, drawing Sakurai's jump. Coach Taoka's eyes lit up, about to praise—then saw him merely take one lateral dribble before still attempting the three!
"You stupi—"
"Swish!"
The crisp net-swish sounded. Nothing but net!
[Ryonan 35 - Touou 30]
"Nice—nice shot!" Coach Taoka pumped his fist, shouting.
"Nice shot, Koshino-senpai!" Aida Hikoichi jumped excitedly. That three from Koshino completely ignited Ryonan's bench!
"TWEET—!"
The first quarter buzzer sounded right on cue.
"Tch." Imayoshi adjusted his glasses. A two-point gap would've been perfect. Five points created some pressure.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sakurai immediately bowed in apology, his face full of chagrin.
"Don't apologize. Just stay tighter on him going forward." Imayoshi said.
"Y-yes!"
---
Brief intermission. Despite the lead, Ryonan's rest area wasn't relaxed.
"He really is troublesome, that Aomine." Coach Taoka crossed his arms, brow furrowed. "Sendoh, how's your stamina?"
"Still good." Sendoh wiped sweat with a towel, breathing slightly labored. "But completely limiting him is definitely difficult."
"As expected." Coach Taoka looked toward Yagami. "Sorato, looks like we're advancing the plan. You'll take primary defense on him in the second quarter. Sendoh, on offense you need to help Yagami share organizational duties. We need more complete offensive execution to stay ahead."
"Understood." Both nodded simultaneously.
"Uozumi, the paint's yours! Ikegami, Koshino—defense must stay tight, especially on that number 13 (Sakurai). Absolutely cannot give him easy looks!"
"Yes!"
---
Second quarter began. Touou's possession.
Imayoshi dribbled past halfcourt. Seeing the defender on Aomine had switched to Yagami, he adjusted his glasses, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Oh? Switching again?" He spoke without hurry. "Didn't expect Ryonan's ace would need rotation rest just to barely keep up with Aomine's pace."
Sendoh wore his casual smile, simply staying tight on Imayoshi, completely ignoring his trash talk.
"...Tch." Imayoshi clicked his tongue softly. These two Ryonan guys were completely impervious.
---
Right side of the three-point arc.
Aomine sensed Yagami's focused defensive stance—center of gravity lowered to the perfect height, sharp gaze, plus that unyielding pressure.
He broke into an excited grin: "Finally your turn, huh."
Aomine suddenly cut backdoor calling for the ball. Imayoshi's pass arrived immediately.
The instant he caught it, Aomine showed zero wasted motion, rising directly for the pull-up! His acceleration defied logic, his shooting form carrying unique casualness.
Yagami followed right behind, leaping with maximum effort to contest, fingertips nearly touching the ball.
"Swish!"
Yet the ball still dropped cleanly through.
[Ryonan 35 - Touou 32]
"Useless." Aomine landed, glancing at Yagami. "Maybe your defense has slightly more pressure than Sendoh's, but the result won't change."
"Nobody can stop me."
---
Change of possession. Ryonan's offense.
Returning to the offensive end, Yagami held the ball on the left.
"Let me settle things with him first." Sendoh called for it from the right high post.
Yagami passed without hesitation. Aomine, who'd been preparing to switch, stopped.
"What, you still got new entertainment for me?"
Aomine felt uneasy. These two Ryonan guys kept switching who faced him, but it didn't feel like avoidance—more like they were choosing...
Aomine aggressively pressed forward, applying maximum pressure to Sendoh, refusing to give him any comfortable dribbling or observation space.
Sendoh backed in to protect the ball, feeling the tremendous force from behind.
"BANG!"
Sendoh attempted a spin move. Aomine didn't get pushed back, simultaneously sliding laterally to remain behind him, his footwork alarmingly quick.
"Sendoh!"
Seeing this, Ikegami immediately abandoned Susa, stepping up to help.
Susa fronted the defense, naturally stepping up to trap Sendoh with Aomine.
One-on-one getting disrupted, Aomine looked annoyed. Sendoh felt somewhat helpless too.
"BANG!"
However, Sendoh's hands kept moving. The instant the trap formed, a bounce pass threaded through the gap between Aomine and Susa, accurately finding the cutting Ikegami!
"?!"
Ikegami hadn't expected receiving a pass in this situation. After a momentary freeze, he immediately spun toward the basket.
Wakamatsu rotated over on help defense.
"Give me the ball!"
While Sendoh and Ikegami's "connection" briefly drew Imayoshi's attention, Yagami cut from the left, launching skyward!
Ikegami instinctively passed. Yagami caught it, facing only the rim ahead.
"Don't get cocky!!" A roar came.
The retreating Aomine came from behind, rising into the air at alarming speed from the back angle! With incredible leaping and wingspan, Aomine's hand nearly pressed onto the ball Yagami had raised!
In a flash, Yagami tucked slightly mid-air, avoiding Aomine's fingertips, then flicked his wrist, changing to a soft underhand layup.
Aomine's hand forcibly changed direction mid-air, swinging down hard—
"SLAP!"
The ball flew out of bounds!
"He got blocked?!!"
Yagami landed, his expression grave as he looked toward Aomine.
"I told you—you can play however you want." Aomine grinned, revealing a beast-like smile. "You didn't think I was still the same as a few months ago, did you?"
"Thanks to you, I've been training properly for a while now."
"You call that proper?" Imayoshi thought privately from the side.
"If you can't entertain me—" Aomine stepped forward, staring at Yagami, his tone turning dangerous.
"I'll personally destroy your entire team."