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Two weeks later.
Parking lot of a gymnasium.
Ryu and his group stepped off the bus.
Seeing the numerous reporters in the distance seemingly oblivious, Ryu suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.
He vaguely remembered being surrounded by reporters a year ago; compared to now, it was like night and day.
However, he felt nothing about it.
The current Toho Kotei Gakuen was unknown, but after today, it would resound throughout the entire Japanese high school basketball world.
Ignoring everything else, the group headed straight into the gymnasium.
"How strong are our opponents today?" Kugawa asked doubtfully.
Hanafuji Souji replied irritably, "Today's opponent is Hayakawa High School, an unknown school, not very strong."
"I see!" Kugawa nodded.
Kazuo Kamimono then addressed the group.
"Today is our first match, and also the first match in the history of Toho Kotei Gakuen. Everyone, keep your spirits up and show everyone our strength."
"Okay..." The crowd responded.
Ryu hugged Karubin, his heart pounding with excitement because it was time for him to reap the rewards again.
A mountain of [Cat Energy] was beckoning him from ahead.
He transmitted his voice to Karupin.
"We're going to start working again. Focus on absorbing energy, don't wander around."
Karupin rolled his eyes and replied irritably, "You don't need to tell me that, I know what to do. Just make the opponent dissipate their energy as much as possible!"
"Understood."
Ryu and Karupin both revealed sly smiles. And so, a secret deal was struck.
The group waited in the restroom for an hour.
15 minutes before the match began, Ryu and the others left the lounge and walked out through the passageway.
There were no cheers, no applause; the scene was unusually quiet. Only a few dozen spectators were scattered in the stands.
No one took this match seriously at all.
What kind of exciting match could two unknown schools possibly put on?
But no one could have imagined that this unassuming match would bring such a huge shock to everyone present.
Beep…
15 minutes later, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
The match between Toho Kotei Gakuen and Hayakawa High School began.
Both teams stepped onto the court and lined up.
Toho Kotei Gakuen's jerseys were predominantly yellow with black stripes, and the numbers on the chest and back were exceptionally conspicuous.
From a distance, they didn't look like basketball jerseys at all; they looked more like loose-fitting practice clothes.
The jump ball for Toho Kotei Gakuen was naturally handled by Kazuo Kamimono.
Seeing Kazuo Kamimono's towering 203cm height and fierce gaze, Hayakawa's center immediately cowered.
He was only 185cm tall, a full 18cm shorter than Kamimono.
Whistle...
The whistle blew. The basketball was tossed high into the air by the referee.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Two figures leaped into the air with a gust of wind.
Thud...
Kazuo Kamimono, grinning, stretched out his arm, exuding a powerful aura, and seized the initiative. The Hayakawa center, on the other hand, could only watch helplessly as the much taller Kamimono shrugged.
Kamimono ignored what his opponent was thinking. The moment he touched the ball, he slapped it towards Ryu.
Whoosh…
A gust of wind swept past the Hayakawa players, and then they heard a loud crash behind them.
They turned around in astonishment, their eyes widening in disbelief.
What had they seen? Why was someone under their basket? What just happened? When did he appear under their basket?
A barrage of questions flooded the minds of everyone at Hayakawa.
At Hayakawa's bench, the Hayakawa coach stood up the instant Ryu dunked the ball.
"How is this possible? How could he be so fast?" The Hayakawa coach stared in disbelief.
He couldn't believe that in the blink of an eye, the opposing player had surged from the centerline to their basket and successfully dunked. It was simply unbelievable.
What the coach didn't know was that they were facing one of the "Generation of Miracles," a prodigy.
"Well done, Ryu," Kazuo Kamimono patted Ryu on the back, congratulating him.
Ryuichi Kuroki gave Kazuo Kamimono a resentful look. "Captain, don't let Ryu handle this small matter. Pass the ball to me!"
Hanafuji Souji agreed. "Indeed, Ryu is our ace. Just in case, it's better to keep our strength under wraps."
"Hey! Are you really going to exclude me like this?" Ryu said to these few clowns.
"Hey... what does it matter? The other side is all weaklings anyway. Leave this cleaning up to us!" Kazuo Kamimono patted Ryu's shoulder and laughed.
Ryu's lips twitched, unsure what to say.
But now wasn't the time for him to overthink.
The other side was already charging in.
Seeing Hayakawa and his group's aggressive momentum, determined to turn the tide, Ryu stepped forward, reaching the centerline.
Ryu said to Kazuo and the others, "You all go wait under the basket on the other side!"
Huh?
Kazuo Kamimono and the others didn't understand what Ryu meant.
Ryu looked at their bewildered expressions and said helplessly, "I'll handle the defense of our half! You guys just wait under the basket on the other side."
"Um... you're not thinking of defending half the court by yourself, are you?" Ryuichi Kuroki asked, somewhat surprised.
He found it hard to imagine Ryu defending half the court alone.
But considering the bunch of weaklings on the other side, and Ryu's status... it didn't seem impossible.
Kazuo Kamimono asked more seriously, "Ryu, are you sure you're confident?"
A glint flashed in Ryu's silver eyes. "Don't worry, I have some trump cards you don't know about!"
Upon hearing this, Kazuo Kamimono and his companions widened their eyes.
What?! Ryu has some hidden cards they don't know about? Are you kidding me? This guy is a monster.
Kazuo Kamimono and his group were almost numb, but hearing Ryu's words still shocked them.
So, the Generation of Miracles really are different from ordinary people?
Seeing the opposing team closing in, Ryu gave Kazuo Kamimono and his group a wink.
Kazuo Kamimono and his group understood and simultaneously rushed towards the opponent's basket.
Seeing their opponents not defending them but instead running right past them, Hayakawa and his group were completely dumbfounded.
However, it was still a game, and they quickly regained their composure.
Although they didn't know the reason, this was their chance, and they absolutely couldn't let it slip away.
Looking at the half of the court where only one player stood ahead... the eyes of the Hayakawa team lit up. The opportunity had arrived.
However, unbeknownst to them, this was only the beginning of their nightmare.
Ryu activated [Eye of Hyotei], instantly seeing through the weaknesses of all the Hayakawa players in front of him.
He moved, charging towards the Hayakawa power forward who had the ball.
Seeing Ryu charging towards him, the Hayakawa power forward prepared to pass the ball.
But all of this was seen through by Ryu's [Eye of Hyotei].
Ryu shifted his body to the side, taking a large step, moving almost simultaneously with his opponent's arm.
The instant the Hayakawa power forward changed his passing posture, Ryu had already blocked his path.
Before the Hayakawa power forward could even react in surprise, Ryu had already begun to steal the ball.
Snap...
A crisp sound rang out.
Ryu successfully intercepted the ball.
He didn't charge forward with the ball; instead, while stealing it, he slapped it towards Hayakawa's basket.
His teammates were there, so Ryu wasn't worried about them missing the pass.
Kugawa caught the ball.
With no hesitation, he stood beyond the three-point line, calmly raised the ball, aimed, and shot.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc in the air.
Swish…
The basketball went in.
5-0.
A commotion erupted from the stands.
"My god! That person actually stole the ball!"
"Am I seeing things? The Toho Kotei Gakuen players were waiting for the ball under the opponent's basket? Did they really trust their teammate to steal the ball?"
…
The discussions in the stands didn't affect the game below.
The Hayakawa team was completely bewildered. They had no idea what was going on. How did they get the ball stolen? How did the opponent score again? What was happening?
Whistle...
The referee blew the whistle, reminding Hayakawa to inbound the ball as soon as possible.
The Hayakawa team finally snapped out of their daze. They inbounded the ball again.
This time, Hayakawa switched to a shooting guard dribbling.
Seeing this, Ryu gave his teammates a signal, just like before.
Kamimono and the others understood and stepped towards Hayakawa's basket.
Ryu was now alone at the centerline again.
Seeing this, the Hayakawa team was thrown into disarray.
Does he really think he can defend against all of us alone?
What a joke.
The Hayakawa point guard immediately launched a long pass, sending the ball towards their shooting guard who had run into Toho Kotei Gakuen's half of the court.
However, a figure blocked the ball's path. It was Ryu.
Ryu spread his arms.
Thud…
The basketball was firmly in his hands.
Before his body even touched the ground, he launched a long pass.
The basketball was tossed directly towards Hayakawa's basket.
As for who would get the ball, that was up to Kazuo Kamimono and his teammates.
This time, it was Souji Hanafuji who received the ball.
He didn't shoot, but instead took two steps into the paint and made a layup.
7-0.
Seeing this, the dozens of people in the stands erupted in cheers.
Only a minute into the game, the previously listless and uninterested audience had become incredibly excited.
Their eyes were all fixed on Ryu. Their thoughts had subtly changed. This game didn't seem so boring after all!
Beep...
Hayakawa High School called a timeout.
After leaving the court, Ryu and the others all looked calm and composed, not even out of breath.
On the other hand, on Hayakawa's side, fine beads of sweat appeared on everyone's foreheads.
Although their breathing was still relatively steady, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that their breathing rhythm was somewhat erratic.
Coach nodded to Ryu and the others. "Well done, keep it up."
"Yes..." The group responded, and then they returned to their positions to rest.
Meanwhile, the matches in various zones were also in full swing.
Kyoto:
Led by Akashi Seijuro, Rakuzan High School was forcing their opponents into a series of defeats, leaving them miserable.
They were all playing with great ease, as if adults were toying with children.
Akita:
The Yosen players, tall and strong, defended their baskets like ancient trees with their roots intertwined.
Murasakibara Atsushi watched his opponents grit their teeth and persist in their attacks, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes.
He didn't even attempt a shot; the opponent couldn't even get past the three-point line. He was practically falling asleep under the basket.
Tokyo -Area A:
With the addition of Midorima Shintaro, Shutoku High School's offensive firepower was like a nuclear bomb, leaving opponents utterly helpless.
Midorima Shintaro's three-pointers brought unparalleled shock to everyone.
His unerring three-point shooting, combined with Shutoku's dominance in the paint, left opponents with no choice but to grit their teeth and struggle on, unable to defend him effectively.
Tokyo, Area D:
This area hasn't changed much from the original story.
Their opponent, just like in the original story, was Shinkyo Academy.
Initially, Seirin was indeed affected by Shinkyo's 200cm tall exchange student.
However, Kagami Taiga quickly began to exert his strength, suppressing the opposing 200cm exchange student.
The Seirin players also gradually began to unleash their power. Shinkyo's defeat was almost a foregone conclusion.
Tokyo, Area B:
Touou Academy had become the school with the loudest cheers at the scene.
Aomine Daiki's speed and astonishing scoring ability had completely captivated all the spectators.
The opposing players seemed like numb pieces of wood in front of Aomine Daiki.
Not long after the match began, the opposing team already felt despair.
Autumn:
Kaijo High School, as the favorite in this battle zone, was feared by all schools.
The reason was simple: Kaijo High School had a new member this year, a member of the "Generation of Miracles," Kise Ryota.
Although Kise Ryota was described in reports as the weakest of the "Generation of Miracles," that "weakness" was already at the pinnacle for the others.
Like their current opponents at Kaijo, the pressure on them was slowly building.
Even when they saw Kise Ryota charging towards them with the ball, their nerves were on edge.
...
While the Generation of Miracles were displaying their extraordinary abilities, Ryu was also beginning his path to godhood.
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