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Whistle…
The whistle, like a curse, opened the second quarter.
Hayakawa inbounded the ball.
Ryu joined the offense.
Kamimono Kazuo and the others also got back on track, each finding his target.
Their gazes swept over the Hayakawa captain, who was dribbling.
Ryu took a step towards him.
That was all.
The Hayakawa captain, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, flinched. His hand trembled, and the basketball slipped from his grasp.
Seizing the opportunity, Hanafuji Souji quickly caught the ball and rushed towards the opposite basket.
Seeing this, Ryu was speechless.
He hadn't even rushed over yet; he had only moved a single step forward.
He didn't expect the opponent's reaction to be so extreme.
Little did he know, the Hayakawa captain's mental state was on the verge of collapse.
His entire being was taut with tension.
To him, Ryu was a dangerous figure who could trigger his nerves at any moment.
Filled with regret for his incompetence, the Hayakawa captain gritted his teeth and turned to chase after Hanafuji.
Hanafuji had just stepped inside Hayakawa's three-point line when the Hayakawa captain caught up.
Seeing he had a chance to salvage the situation, the captain secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, before he could even finish letting out that sigh, a white light flashed from the lenses of Hanafuji's gold-rimmed glasses.
His steps suddenly halted.
The Hayakawa captain, unable to stop in time, rushed past Hanafuji.
Hanafuji ignored the captain who had already dashed off. He raised the basketball with both hands, aimed at the Hayakawa basket, and shot.
The basketball arced towards the basket, ultimately landing precisely in the hoop.
Just 15 seconds into the second quarter, Toho Kotei Gakuen scored.
52-0.
Seeing this, the stands, which had previously held only a few dozen people, erupted in deafening cheers.
On the Hayakawa bench, from the coach to the substitutes, everyone looked utterly dejected.
They weren't a strong team, but they never expected this to happen in their first game.
If they had just lost, they could have accepted it. After all, it wasn't unheard of for them to be eliminated in the first game.
But being shut out, especially with such a large point difference, carried unbearable consequences.
The players' mindsets would definitely be clouded, casting a dark shadow over their love for basketball.
The game on the court continued, minute by minute.
From the moment the first goal of the second quarter was scored, Ryu and the others hadn't left Hayakawa's half of the court.
Everyone, including Ryu, was defending their opponents one-on-one.
Besides inbounding the ball, Hayakawa's players could only wait for Toho Kotei Gakuen's players to steal the ball and score.
The score was climbing rapidly thanks to Ryu and the others' efforts.
Three minutes passed.
Five minutes passed.
Seven minutes passed.
The Hayakawa players were completely numb.
On Hayakawa's bench, the substitute players who had been cheering for their team fell silent.
The Hayakawa coach closed his eyes tightly; he no longer had the courage to watch.
Beep…
The referee blew the whistle to end the second quarter.
The shocking score of 115-0 on the scoreboard was strikingly obvious.
Even the referee who had just blown the whistle fell silent.
He looked at the Hayakawa High School team with a sympathetic gaze.
In all his years as a referee, this was the first time he had encountered something so unprecedented.
This score was outrageous. Even a pig shooting haphazardly would make one or two baskets in two quarters!
Meanwhile, many spectators in the stands took out their phones and shared the game and the score online.
[Toho Kotei Gakuen vs. Hayakawa High School: A Stunning 115-0 Shutdown in Two Quarters]
[115-0, Toho Kotei Gakuen Crushes Hayakawa in Two Quarters]
[A Sudden Emergence of Power: The Mysterious Toho Kotei Gakuen]
These messages flooded the internet, causing an unimaginable sensation.
"Is this for real? 115-0 in just two quarters? How is that possible?"
"Toho Kotei Gakuen? I've never heard of them before."
"Are you kidding me? Averaging over 50 points per quarter? That's impossible!"
...
Many onlookers and basketball enthusiasts commented. Some were shocked, some curious, and some disbelieving.
However, without exception, they all memorized the name Toho Kotei Gakuen. Regardless of whether this was true or false, they would definitely watch Toho Kotei Gakuen's games when they had the time.
In the rest area of Toho Kotei Gakuen Academy, Kamimono asked, "Ryu, do you want to come down and rest for a bit? This match is practically a sure win; let the freshmen practice and get used to the atmosphere."
Ryu shook his head.
"No, today is the first match, so naturally we want to win beautifully. Although we've basically secured the victory, I like to make things perfect. Since it's a shutout, let's go all the way. As for the freshmen, let's save them for the next match!"
He then looked at the four freshmen.
The freshmen chuckled when they saw Ryu looking at them. They didn't dare to object in the slightest and nodded repeatedly.
"It's up to you; we're fine with whatever you say."
Seeing their expressions, Ryu smiled. "Don't worry! As long as the opponents aren't too strong, you can all play whenever you want."
Ryu's words carried more weight in the team than even those of the captain, Kamimono.
Hearing Ryu's promise, the four freshmen were filled with excitement.
Although they weren't particularly strong, their desire to play was incredibly high.
No one wanted to always sit on the bench, watching their teammates sweat it out on the court.
Hearing Ryu's words, Ryuichi Kuroki and other looked at him speechlessly.
This guy was really cold-blooded.
Kamimono Kazuo chuckled, saying nothing. Having a teammate like this on the team was a real headache for their opponents!
In the Hayakawa rest area, the starters hung their heads, their eyes glazed and their faces pale. They were utterly hopeless.
At this moment, all they wanted was to go home and leave this place of heartbreak. They didn't even have the heart to feel resentment or give up; they were like puppets with broken strings.
Seeing them like this, Coach sighed inwardly. These guys were probably done for—at least for the foreseeable future. Whether they could recover in the future depended entirely on themselves.
Coach looked at the substitutes and said, "Substitute them! You guys take their place. The outcome of this match is decided; you don't need to feel any pressure. Go and familiarize yourselves with the atmosphere of the game!"
Hearing this, the substitutes all looked miserable. However, none of them objected to the coach's words.
They understood very well that the five starters were finished.
The starting lineup from now on would definitely be chosen from among these substitutes.
Now that they had a chance to perform, they naturally wouldn't give it up, even if it was a match they were destined to lose.
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