The score had reached 37:28, and Fukuda Sogo now led by nine points. Possession returned to Yosen High once more, and this time Himuro Tatsuya personally brought the ball up the court. Himuro understood one thing very clearly.
Right now, he is no match for Haizaki Shogo.
So he had no intention of challenging Haizaki head-on. He passed immediately, and the one receiving the ball was Murasakibara Atsushi.
Catching it in midair, Murasakibara spun his body without hesitation and unleashed Thor's Hammer once again. This time, Haizaki was too late.
BOOOOM!!
The ball crashed through the hoop, and Suzuran Karasu, who had jumped up to contest him, was sent crashing to the floor again. Murasakibara landed steadily before turning and running back on defense. There was no pity in his eyes, no sympathy, and no intention of saying a single word. Inside the paint, Murasakibara Atsushi remained an absolute tyrant. Unless Haizaki kept watching the interior every second, Murasakibara could still score with ease.
Haizaki glanced at the clock. Twenty seconds remained in the second quarter, yet his expression never changed. Receiving Mochizuki Kazuhiro's pass, Haizaki didn't even cross half court.
Standing in his own half...
He launched a full-court shot.
Swish!
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Himuro, who had been waiting in Fukuda Sogo's half to defend him, stared with widened eyes, frozen once again. At this moment, Haizaki no longer looked human in Himuro's eyes. He looked terrifying, a complete player, an existence with no weaknesses.
"This... how... is that possible?"
"Too terrifying..."
Murasakibara glanced at Himuro and lightly patted him on the shoulder. He said nothing and instead ran toward Fukuda Sogo's side as the next attack was already beginning.
Haizaki moved up as well, preparing to defend Himuro. But just as the ball crossed midcourt, the buzzer sounded, bringing the second quarter to an end.
The score became 40:28.
Fukuda Sogo led by twelve.
Yosen's expressions looked grim. Haizaki Shogo was simply too terrifying, and Fukuda Sogo's teammates were showing incredible tenacity as well. Especially Suzuran Karasu. He had been beaten repeatedly and knocked down over and over, yet not once had he shown discouragement. Instead, every setback only seemed to make him stronger.
=========
In the audience, the players of Kirisaki Daiichi had also come to watch.
"Fukuda Sogo is terrifying."
"That Yosen guy, Liu Wei... he'll definitely have trauma after today."
"Tch. Trauma?"
"He might never play basketball again."
"No way, Hanamiya, that serious?"
Hanamiya Makoto clicked his tongue.
"That was a Death Dunk. High school kids don't have professional-level mental strength. There's no way they can withstand the pressure from a dunk like that."
"T-That... Haizaki Shogo..."
"He's dangerous."
"Extremely dangerous."
Hanamiya narrowed his eyes. "You idiots better avoid provoking him in the future."
Silence followed.
Midorima Shintaro slowly withdrew his gaze from the teams returning to the locker rooms. His expression was unusually heavy.
If I faced Haizaki now... Even with "Do Your Best," Zone, and Full-Court Shot activated... what would I do? Perhaps... one person's strength was no longer enough to stop Shogo.
Midorima raised his head and looked toward the upper level opposite him.
Rakuzan.
Their next opponent would definitely be Rakuzan.
And that meant...
He would face Akashi Seijuro.
Midorima sank into thought once more before Takao Kazunari suddenly interrupted him.
"Shin-chan, our opponents are over there, right?"
"Yeah."
"The guy I'll be matched against is your Generation of Miracles captain?"
"Correct."
Takao grinned. "I'm getting excited already."
Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Just don't lose your nerve when the time comes."
"Scared? You're joking."
"I'm not."
Throughout the stands, discussions erupted everywhere. People whispered among themselves, and many were already imagining how they would defeat Fukuda Sogo if they faced them. But nowhere was the atmosphere heavier than Yosen's locker room.
Coach Araki Masako rested her chin on her hand, her expression grave. After coaching for so many years, this was the first time she had encountered such a terrifying player. Haizaki Shogo was simply too troublesome.
The Yosen players also sat in silence. Liu Wei had already been sent to the infirmary. What if Haizaki used another Death Dunk? Would they even continue the game?
Araki felt a headache coming on.
That damn Haizaki Shogo...
Last season, he hadn't played against Yosen. Back then, she had never personally experienced his terror. And now, trying to come up with solutions felt painfully late.
Just then, a lazy voice echoed through the room. The tone was casual, but the seriousness behind it was unmistakable.
"Masako-chin... For the second half... I'll guard Haizaki by myself. Himuro can focus on scoring. Even his normal shooting can become a weapon."
Araki frowned. If Murasakibara guarded Haizaki, Fukuda Sogo's interior would be liberated. Okamura alone wouldn't be enough to suppress them.
She fell into deep thought. If Murasakibara guarded Haizaki, Fukuda's inside players would gain freedom. But at the same time, Himuro would be freed as well, which meant Yosen could regain offensive power.
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"Fine. Second half, you'll guard Haizaki alone. Tatsuya becomes the main scorer."
Murasakibara nodded. "I'll stop Haizaki."
Himuro finally reacted and placed a hand on Murasakibara's shoulder.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Atsushi."
"Mm."
"Don't worry."
========
Meanwhile, inside Fukuda Sogo's locker room, Coach Ichiro Kudo was in a much better mood.
First, they had finally widened the score gap.
Second, Haizaki's overwhelming strength had become a deterrent.
His presence had become Fukuda's anchor.
Their pillar.
"The second quarter was good. Suzuran Karasu, well done. Keep it up. Everyone else, keep moving. Support your captain at all times. Other teams know how to use double teams, so why don't you people know how to set screens?"
Then Kudo looked toward Haizaki.
"Shogo-kun, Murasakibara and Himuro still need to be contained."
Haizaki nodded. He understood. As long as he held down Murasakibara and Himuro, Fukuda Sogo would have room to breathe.
Time continued passing, minute by minute.
==========
In the stands, the ten-minute halftime break had already become unbearable. The crowd had been fired up by the incredible match. People had begun shouting the names of players, calling out school names, and cheering wildly.
Amid those deafening voices, the two teams slowly emerged from the locker rooms.
Without question, both had earned everyone's recognition.
Hyuga Junpei looked on and sighed.
"Yeah. Haizaki's strength. And Yosen's persistence. Everyone acknowledges them now."
Kiyoshi Teppei nodded, and Seirin's players all sighed softly.
When would Seirin become this popular?
Just then, Aida Riko snapped at them.
"Focus on the game. Stop thinking about useless things. The second half is starting."
Everyone immediately straightened up.
The battle was beginning once again.
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