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Bang bang bang bang bang…
Clang…
Swish…
Everyone was watching the figure practicing in the distance.
Their eyes were filled with complex emotions.
There was envy, jealousy, and bitterness.
Talent, once the object of others' envy, had now become a poison they envied.
Some who had come to terms with it knew they would likely be bench players forever.
Though unwilling, they were helpless.
Squeak…
The gym door opened.
A dark-skinned boy and a tall man with purple hair entered.
"Oh, it's you guys!" Nijimura Shuzo greeted.
Momoi Satsuki waved to the newcomers.
"Dai-chan, Murasakibara."
Crunch… Crunch…
Murasakibara Atsushi stood behind Aomine Daiki, eating a delicious stick, occasionally licking his fingers.
Ryu stopped what he was doing and greeted the two.
"You two are really slow today."
Aomine Daiki said helplessly:
"I couldn't help it; it's my turn to be on duty today. I ran into Murasakibara halfway there, and that guy took up a lot of my time."
Aomine Daiki's tone changed.
"Let's not talk about that now, how about we have a match?"
"Huh?" Ryu looked at Aomine Daiki.
Seeing the fighting spirit in his eyes, Ryu shrugged.
"Alright then, it'll be good for me to see your current strength."
Aomine Daiki smiled excitedly.
"Then you'd better watch out, I'll definitely beat you this time."
Ryu's lips curled into a smile.
"That's not necessarily true. You didn't beat me in our previous one-on-one matches."
Aomine Daiki was speechless.
Ryu was telling the truth.
They had sparred since the day he joined the club.
In the days that followed, the two faced off numerous times.
Because of the [Data Basketball] and [Eye of Hyotei], Aomine's data and weaknesses were completely exposed to Ryu.
As a result, Aomine Daiki was thoroughly outmaneuvered by Ryu.
Even though he could execute some moves beyond his usual abilities, he ultimately lost to Ryu.
However, Aomine Daiki was no longer the same.
After so many matches, he had grown considerably.
His wildness had also deepened compared to when school started.
Ryu dared not be careless in the slightest.
When everyone heard that the two were going to have a match, they all went to the sidelines to watch their game.
Ryu tossed the basketball to Aomine Daiki.
"You should warm up first! I don't want you to get injured because of this; we still have a game later!"
Aomine Daiki didn't refuse.
He caught the basketball and began to warm up.
Murasakibara Atsushi found a spot to await the duel between the two.
He had no interest in those weaker than himself.
However, he had nothing to say about those stronger than himself.
He lacked confidence in defeating either Ryu or Aomine.
The duel between these two naturally piqued his interest.
Just then, the gym door opened again.
The newcomers were Akashi Seijuro and Midorima Shintaro.
Upon entering, they saw a group of people gathered at the sidelines, watching Ryu and Aomine play in the second half of the game.
Seeing this, the two seemed to guess what was going on.
"Are they playing one-on-one again?"
Midorima adjusted his glasses, clearly intrigued.
Akashi Seijuro was also watching the two intently.
"Yeah, let's go check it out!"
The two approached Momoi Satsuki.
"Eh... Akashi, and Midorin too."
Hearing Momoi Satsuki's address, Midorima Shintaro's face darkened.
"Don't call me that."
Momoi Satsuki giggled and called out again.
"What does it matter, Midorin?"
Midorima Shintaro remained silent, his face dark.
He couldn't do anything about it since she insisted on calling him that.
On the court.
Aomine Daiki seemed to have finished warming up.
A few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's get started!"
Seeing Aomine Daiki's impatient look, Ryu took two steps forward and lowered his body slightly.
"Then bring it on!"
Ryu's meaning was clear: he wanted Aomine Daiki to attack first.
Aomine Daiki didn't hesitate and immediately assumed an attacking stance.
Their auras clashed, as if two invisible waves were canceling each other out.
Several spectators exclaimed in surprise.
"Both of them have such strong auras."
"They don't seem like middle schoolers at all."
"Is the difference in our talent really that big?"
Midorima Shintaro suddenly asked:
"Akashi, who do you think will win this time?"
Akashi Seijuro was silent for a moment before speaking.
"It's hard to say. Aomine has improved very quickly recently, while Ryu..."
He paused.
"He's like he's shrouded in mist, impossible to see through."
Akashi Seijuro's words silenced everyone.
The most unfathomable player in the basketball club was Ryu.
This guy always brings unexpected surprises.
Endless tricks, bizarre moves, exaggerated basketball skills.
Anyone facing him would probably have a headache!
As the crowd discussed amongst themselves, the duel on the court finally began.
Aomine Daiki's gaze was cold, his face serious.
The basketball in his hands bounced repeatedly on the ground.
Thump...thump...thump...
Suddenly, Aomine Daiki moved.
His body swayed left and right, the basketball constantly changing hands, trying to find an opening to break through.
Ryu calmly intercepted Aomine, appearing quite relaxed.
In his Hyotei Eyes, Aomine's weaknesses were laid bare.
Even so, Ryu dared not be careless.
This guy might do something earth-shattering at any moment.
Seeing that he couldn't break through, Aomine Daiki lowered his center of gravity and suddenly accelerated and changed direction.
His speed was so fast that he was almost a blur.
Ryu instantly caught him with the Eye of Hyotei, flashing to block Aomine's path once more.
Seeing this was blocked, Aomine immediately attempted a crossover dribble, trying to shift Ryu's weight.
Unfortunately, such a trick was futile in Ryu's eyes.
Because his weaknesses were simply too numerous.
'This guy is too obvious,' Ryu couldn't help but mutter.
In the Teiko team, the player Ryu saw had the fewest weaknesses was Akashi Seijuro.
Compared to Aomine Daiki, Akashi put far more pressure on him.
This doesn't mean Akashi Seijuro is stronger than Aomine Daiki.
There's a matter of skill matchup here.
The two figures moved swiftly across the court, neither giving an inch.
The offense and defense went on for a long time without a clear winner.
"So fast, these two monsters."
"Just how fast are they?"
"Their skill has surpassed the level of middle school students."
The crowd on the sidelines was also astonished.
"Having these two on the team is both a blessing and a curse," Nijimura Shuzo commented.
Momoi Satsuki calculated:
"These two have grown again; their speed is even faster than before the game."
Murasakibara Atsushi stopped eating his snacks.
His eyes were fixed on the court.
Akashi Seijuro and Midorima Shintaro's expressions also changed slightly.
The two frowned slightly, a sense of urgency rising within them.
They were both top-tier geniuses, naturally unwilling to lag behind.
But seeing Ryu and Aomine's strength...
"Broken through..."
Just then, someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone snapped back to reality and looked towards the arena.
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