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Whoosh…
Whoosh…
Thump thump thump…
Two figures, one silver and one blue, darted and weaved across the court.
The sound of basketballs hitting the ground was sometimes frequent, sometimes sparse.
Ryu wielded the ball, his movements leaving afterimages.
His footwork was fluid and unpredictable, yet he remained swaying.
Ryu's unique low-post dribbling style, combined with his exclusive ability [Chaotic Dance],
made him resemble a dancer with a highly chaotic style.
Every step he took was unexpected, every movement unbelievable.
The entire arena, which had been filled with cheers and excitement, fell into complete silence.
This was the first time Ryu had used [Chaotic Dance] since entering high school.
The Ryu dribble he used now was far more unpredictable than it had been in middle school.
Aomine gritted his teeth, using his speed advantage to desperately block Ryu's attack.
However, due to [Chaotic Dance] and the low post...
he couldn't get a shot off, each time only able to use his body to block Ryu's advance.
Red and black echoed each other.
After circling around, the two finally reached the three-point line of Too.
Aomine's gaze grew increasingly serious.
The wild aura surrounding him relentlessly pressed down on Ryu.
Ryu was like a warrior wielding a sword.
Facing the numerous obstacles ahead, he was fearless, charging forward, then unlocking his ultimate skill.
Silver pupils shone brightly.
Stars twinkled in the darkness ahead.
Within the impenetrable black mist, a weakness emerged.
Ryu charged with the ball, trying to break through Aomine's defense.
Aomine's gaze sharpened, his figure flashed, and he quickly blocked Ryu's path.
The previously obvious weakness vanished in an instant.
Ryu's pupils contracted, and with a flick of his wrist, he lowered his stance again, almost falling straight to the ground.
At the same time,
the previously hidden weakness reappeared.
Just as Ryu was about to fall forward,
he swatted the basketball between Aomine's legs to the other side.
Ryu braced himself with one hand to keep from falling.
Using his hand as a pivot, he spun around, passing Aomine's side and catching the ball he had just tossed.
This scene caused the audience to stand up, screaming and shouting.
It was that move again.
Seeing this familiar scene reminded everyone of the very beginning of the match.
Back then, Ryu was also about to fall, and then, for some reason, suddenly stood up again.
Too's three-point line was menacing.
Aomine's defense was breached by Ryu's sudden [Special Skill Basketball].
After regaining possession of the ball, Ryu strode past Aomine and entered Too's paint.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Aomine was momentarily stunned and bewildered.
However, he quickly recovered, turning into a blur as he chased after Ryu.
Sensing Aomine's rapid approach from behind,
a smile curved Ryu's lips.
He had seized the initiative.
It was too late to defend him now.
Ryu's steps stopped in front of Too's paint.
He held the ball with both hands, then suddenly stepped back.
Seeing Ryu about to collide with him,
Aomine quickly dodged to the side, simultaneously reaching out to steal the ball.
But before he could make his move, he felt a blur before his eyes.
Ryu's backward step abruptly stopped, then vanished in a blur.
Immediately afterward, Aomine felt a dark shadow appear above him.
Looking up, he saw Ryu holding the ball in one hand, preparing to throw it.
Aomine's pupils contracted.
'Damn it, it's [Selflessness] again, damn it…'
Ryu hadn't used [Selflessness] during their confrontation.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly used it now.
This caught Aomine completely off guard.
The sudden change in rhythm caused Aomine to miss his best defensive opportunity.
Even so,
Aomine still jumped in front of Ryu as fast as he could, arms outstretched, trying his best to block Ryu's shot.
But the moment Ryu released the ball, Aomine knew it was too late.
Ryu launched the basketball in a high arc.
The basketball grazed Aomine's hand before falling into Too's basket.
27-27.
Thump...
Thump...
The two landed simultaneously, their eyes meeting.
Invisible electric currents intertwined between them.
Two vortexes of energy, one red and one black, clashed, spreading a dangerous aura in all directions.
A chill ran down their spines, preventing the rest of the two teams from approaching.
"These two have such powerful auras; I feel a chill run down my spine just standing here."
"I'm standing at the edge of the court," Kugawa said.
The others from Toho Kotei Gakuen nodded in agreement.
Kamimono said solemnly,
"I'm so unwilling! If I could be a little stronger, maybe I could have helped Ryu."
Hearing Kamimono's mutterings, Hanafuji chimed in.
"That's impossible. Unless you reach the level of the Generation of Miracles, it's impossible to interfere in their duel."
Upon hearing this, Kamimono nearly coughed up blood, his forehead creased with exasperation as he glared at Hanafuji.
What a heartless jerk!
Hearing Hanafuji's words, Imayoshi Shoichi, who was guarding him, interjected.
"It really surprises me. I thought Aomine was already the strongest. I never imagined someone could fight Aomine to this extent."
"Nothing surprising. Ryu is also an ace of the Generation of Miracles. Isn't it normal for him to fight Aomine like this?"
Imayoshi Shoichi replied with a smile.
"Yes! Those Generation of Miracles are truly terrifying! But..."
He paused deliberately, then continued,
"I still believe our Aomine is the strongest, because… he's not even at his complete form yet!"
Hearing Imayoshi Shoichi's words, Hanafuji's heart skipped a beat.
Seeing that the other's expression didn't seem like he was just being deliberately mysterious, he began to consider the meaning behind the other's words.
'Aomine isn't at his complete form yet? What does that mean?'
"Don't overthink it."
Imayoshi Shoichi seemed to have seen through Hanafuji's thoughts, so he explained.
"The reason I say Aomine isn't at his complete form yet is because he hasn't used his full strength at all."
Hearing this, Hanafuji's eyes narrowed behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
However, he quickly regained his composure and replied,
"Is that so? You think Ryu used his full strength?"
Upon hearing this,
Imayoshi Shoichi also shut his mouth.
Monsters like Ryu and Aomine were simply unpredictable.
Neither of them might have used their full strength.
But in his heart, he still firmly believed that Aomine was the strongest.
He had seen Aomine in Zone mode before.
He didn't believe anyone could defeat Aomine in Zone mode.
In the following period,
Ryu and Aomine engaged in another fierce offensive and defensive battle.
This time, it was even more exciting and tense than the first quarter.
Both players not only used their signature moves but also employed extensive tactical thinking.
They calculated against each other, digging their own traps.
The audience watched with bated breath, their blood boiling.
The score steadily increased with each point scored.
30-30.
36-36.
40-40.
Even though Ryu wanted to widen the gap,
Aomine always found the right approach.
"Strange, why don't they just pass the ball to their teammates? Wouldn't that make scoring so easy?"
In the audience,
Takao asked in confusion.
Upon hearing this, Midorima simply said,
"An unstoppable scoring champion."
Hearing his words, Takao asked in confusion,
"An unstoppable scoring champion? You mean Ryu, or Aomine?"
"Both."
Midorima explained,
"Whether it's Ryu or Aomine, they're both the kind of players who are impossible to defend against. Both sides excel at offense and can't stop each other's shots. Currently, the two sides are in a state of equilibrium. Neither Toho Kotei Gakuen nor Too wants to risk breaking this balance; a mistake would be fatal."
He paused, then continued,
"Furthermore, the rest of Too knows very well that their overall strength cannot compete with Toho Kotei Gakuen. So they chose to have their ace play one-on-one against the opponent's ace, hoping to make Toho Kotei Gakuen want to pull ahead first. This way, once the ball gets into the hands of another member of Toho Kotei Gakuen, they have a very high chance of stealing the ball and launching a counterattack."
Midorima looked at the smiling Imayoshi Shoichi below and thought to himself,
'This guy, like Akashi, is a master of strategy!'
Hearing Midorima's explanation, Shutoku and the others suddenly understood, looking at the Too team with complex expressions.
This tactic had an element of gambling.
However, this was also the best way for Too to maintain its lead over Toho Kotei Gakuen.
It must be said,
the Too captain's approach was correct.
...
On the court,
the duel between Ryu and Aomine continued.
The score was now tied at 44-44.
There were 20 seconds left in the second quarter.
Aomine held the ball, displaying various streetball moves.
With his extreme speed, he easily overpowered Ryu's defense and reached Toho Kotei Gakuen's basket.
However, he didn't choose to force a shot.
He knew Ryu's strength well.
Even if he made the shot, they would quickly catch up.
He wanted to wait until the very last moment of the game to make it.
Only in this way could he gain the lead.
He was determined to face strong opponents, and usually appeared lazy,
but he wasn't stupid.
In the realm of basketball,
he possessed a remarkable intellect.
Seeing that Aomine hadn't shot, Ryu naturally guessed his intentions.
He wouldn't let him succeed so easily.
Ryu focused intently, firmly controlling Aomine under the basket, preventing him from getting a shot off.
Time was ticking away.
16 seconds.
15 seconds.
14 seconds.
Aomine, with Ryu behind him, continued to hover under the basket of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
10 seconds.
9 seconds.
8 seconds.
Suddenly, a figure appeared under the basket of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
A glint flashed in Aomine's eyes.
Ryu's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
Kamimono, seeing the stalemate between the two, also guessed Aomine's plan.
He naturally couldn't let this happen.
Taking advantage of the stalemate between Aomine and Ryu, he secretly approached them, intending to team up with Ryu to double-team Aomine.
However, his action not only failed to help Ryu restrict Aomine's movement,
but instead gave his opponent an opening.
Just as Kamimono reached behind Aomine, he was immediately closed in by a step back.
Aomine then leaped, first colliding with Kamimono's chest, then raising the ball high into the air.
Whistle…
A loud whistle blew, echoing throughout the arena.
This made Kamimono realize just how foolish his actions had been.
Meanwhile, Ryu, due to Kamimono's positioning, had lost his optimal defensive position against Aomine.
The basketball was tossed from Aomine's hands, flying towards Toho Kotei Gakuen's basket.
Swish…
The crisp sound of the basketball hitting the net rang out.
44 to 46.
Just then,
the referee's voice rang out,
"Yellow number 1 commits a defensive foul, the ball goes in, one free throw."
Boom…
Screams and shouts resounded throughout the arena.
"The balance has finally been broken!"
"What was that guy doing?"
"If he hadn't gone to all that trouble, there wouldn't have been a free throw."
"Toho Kotei Gakuen is in trouble now."
…
The accusations from the audience reached Kamimono's ears.
He lowered his head, filled with self-reproach.
"I'm so sorry, I..."
"It's all my fault for interfering; that's why the team is in this predicament."
Ryu patted his shoulder and laughed.
"It's alright, don't worry about it. It's too early to talk about breaking the balance."
Hearing Ryu's comforting words, Kamimono nodded with a wry smile.
"You guys really are monsters."
He truly understood now.
These Generation of Miracles weren't even human.
Recalling his previous match with Ryu,
it gave him the illusion that he was close to the Generation of Miracles, but couldn't reach their level.
His brief encounter with Aomine just now made him realize
Ryu hadn't used much of his strength when he played against them.
He had underestimated the terror of the Generation of Miracles.
The idea of possessing the strength of the "Five Uncrowned Generals"?
Thinking about it now, it was utterly laughable.
Compared to the "Generation of Miracles," the "Five Uncrowned Generals" were nothing; the difference in their levels was too great.
Swish...
The basketball went in.
44 to 47.
Too led by three points.
And at this moment, only 3 seconds remained in the second quarter.
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