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Teiko's series of plays stunned everyone in the arena.
A collective gasp of amazement erupted from the stands.
Such an explosive performance right from the start of the finals!
Many spectators felt their trip was worthwhile; even if the rest of the game proved uneventful, those opening three points alone were enough.
Kamata Nishi team were now under considerable pressure.
It had only been about a minute into the game, and they had already conceded three points—a humiliating start.
Kamata Nishi served again.
Kamata Nishi's captain personally controlled the ball.
He walked behind his teammates, his eyes fixed on Ryu and the others, not daring to be distracted for a single moment.
He carefully dribbled the ball into Teiko's half of the court.
He immediately felt an invisible pressure emanating from Teiko's side.
It was as if crossing the center line and stepping into the opponent's half would diminish his strength.
But what he didn't know was...
His feeling stemmed from the overwhelming aura emanating from the five members of the Teiko team.
Kamata Nishi's captain was the point guard.
Akashi, as his matchup, naturally stepped in to block him.
However, this time, seeing Akashi charging toward him, the Kamata Nishi captain immediately flicked his wrist and passed the ball out.
Kamata Nishi's center received the ball.
Because of Murasakibara Atsushi, he couldn't push past or drive past his opponent.
He was getting anxious; if he didn't hurry, time would run out.
Seeing that Murasakibara Atsushi was not going to let him pass, he had no choice but to pass the ball back to his captain in desperation.
Kamata Nishi's captain was somewhat taken aback but quickly regained his composure.
He glanced at the shot clock.
Less than 5 seconds left before a violation.
Without hesitation, the Kamata Nishi captain tossed the ball toward his shooting guard at the three-point line.
Thud…
A crisp sound made the Kamata Nishi captain's heart sink.
His eyes widened as he looked in the direction of the sound.
There, a hand intercepted the basketball he had thrown.
The one who intercepted the ball was none other than Ryu.
Ryu looked at him with a strange smile, then vanished from the captain's sight in a flash.
The Kamata Nishi captain's pupils contracted, and he looked around frantically.
Thump thump thump…
The sound of the basketball hitting the ground echoed throughout the court.
Almost instantly, the sound rang out from his side.
What?
A chill ran down his spine as he turned to look.
Then he saw a flash of silver disappear.
He turned around in alarm.
There, he saw Ryu dribbling the ball toward his team's three-point line.
The Kamata Nishi team was utterly shocked.
One by one, they turned to look at the person behind them.
Ryu leaped into the air, facing the empty basket of Kamata Nishi.
His legs were spread wide and his arms outstretched, like a roc spreading its wings, or an eagle soaring.
His hands seemed to possess a kind of glue, lifting the basketball high before slamming it down into Kamata Nishi's basket.
Clang…
8-0.
Ryu once again stunned everyone.
The stands were already erupting in cheers.
Everyone was chanting number 95.
Feeling the adoration of tens of thousands, Ryu felt his blood surge with power.
He almost shouted, but ultimately restrained himself.
At this moment, Ryu was extremely hot.
Anyone who touched his body would notice that his temperature was significantly higher than normal.
Ryu's fair skin was slightly flushed—so slightly that, to the untrained eye, it would simply be attributed to increased blood flow from exercise.
However, Ryu's condition attracted the attention of two pairs of eyes.
One was Akashi.
He simply felt that something was off about Ryu, that he was different from usual.
However, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different.
Ultimately, he could only attribute it to differences in individual constitutions.
The other pair of eyes belonged to Karupin, who was lying in the Teiko rest area.
It was staring at Ryu with its large, round, sapphire-blue eyes.
Ripples of light flowed within its vertical pupils.
After a long silence, its entire body trembled, as if it had witnessed something unbelievable.
Its previously ordinary cat face now displayed a shocking expression, almost human-like.
The game on the court continued.
Teiko's performance completely shattered everyone's expectations.
The score steadily increased with each of Teiko's defensive and offensive plays.
15-2.
27-5.
36-9.
This game was like Ryu's personal showcase, making the other four mere background figures.
Ryu returned to his half of the court and smiled at the other four.
"Everyone, do you enjoy playing basketball?"
Huh?
Akashi, Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara all stared at Ryu with bewildered expressions.
They didn't understand what Ryu was talking about.
Enjoying playing basketball?
This question seemed meaningless to them.
It seemed that, from some point on, the sole purpose of playing basketball had become winning.
Seeing the four's lack of reaction, Ryu continued with a smile.
"Don't be so serious. Relax a bit, let's just enjoy the game!"
Ryu's smile seemed to infect everything in the world.
In the Teiko rest area, Shirogane Kōzō had already stood up, his cloudy eyes fixed on Ryu.
A hint of doubt and contemplation appeared in his eyes.
Everyone could see the change in Ryu.
They just didn't know what was wrong with him; it just felt strange.
Momoi Satsuki blinked her pink eyes, her gaze constantly fixed on Ryu.
Kise and Kuroko also stared blankly at everything.
Ryu was like the most eye-catching light in the arena.
"Too strong, really too strong... Is he really Ryu?"
Nijimura Shuzō's mouth dropped open, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The teaching assistant's usually serious face now resembled a comical mask—a mixture of seriousness and shock, shock and surprise, surprise and doubt.
"Oh...?"
In the audience, a disheveled-looking middle-aged man with a full beard muttered to himself.
He carried a gourd of wine in his hand, looking like a drunkard.
However, upon closer inspection, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if they held a great secret.
Glug... glug... glug...
He shifted his gaze from Ryu, then gulped down several mouthfuls of wine.
Then, a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, hidden by his thick beard.
Beep...
As time passed, the referee blew the whistle to end the first quarter.
The scoreboard showed 53-14.
Teiko was leading Kamata Nishi by a full 39 points.
Most of the points were thanks to Ryu.
Ryu's game stats were also tallied.
In the first quarter of the finals, Ryu's stats were: 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 6 blocks, and 38 points scored in a single quarter.
Such terrifying stats sent chills down the spines of everyone who saw them.
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It's really frustrating.
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