I am sorry, but the previous period I was really sick and I could not even open the device let alone publishing the chapters, but starting from today I will start publishing as it was previously.
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The fourth quarter began.
Everyone on Too, including Aomine, started marking their opponents one-on-one.
Imayoshi Shoichi took in everything on the court.
This time, he had no intention of passing to Aomine.
He dribbled the ball across half-court himself.
Just then,
a figure blocked his way.
Seeing Hanafuji in front of him,
Imayoshi Shoichi's lips curled into a strange smile.
Bang…
Imayoshi Shoichi and Hanafuji collided.
Imayoshi Shoichi fell to the ground.
Beep…
At the same time,
the referee blew the whistle.
"Defensive foul, black team's ball."
Hearing the referee's ruling,
Hanafuji could only helplessly raise his hand.
However, a glint of wisdom flashed behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
"I see,"
Hanafuji muttered.
Shoichi Imayoshi, who had just gotten up from the ground, frowned slightly.
'Could it be that they've discovered our plan?'
Too inbounds the ball.
Imayoshi Shoichi receives the ball again.
He dribbles directly to the three-point line of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Hanafuji once again blocks his path.
Imayoshi Shoichi uses the same trick again, his body seemingly leaning towards Hanafuji.
However, a glint flashes in Hanafuji's eyes, and he shifts his foot to the side, creating half a step's distance between them.
Seeing this, Imayoshi Shoichi is certain:
Hanafuji must have discovered that he's deliberately drawing a foul.
'This guy is definitely not as simple as he seems.'
Imayoshi Shoichi's eyes flickered; he blocked with his left hand and tossed the ball with his right.
The basketball arced through the air, flying towards Sakurai Ryo on the other side.
Sakurai Ryo ran to receive the ball, raised his hand, and aimed at Toho Kotei Gakuen's basket.
Kugawa also raised his arm to block.
However, in that instant,
Sakurai Ryo's elbow collided with his.
At the same time,
the basketball was also released from Sakurai Ryo's hand.
Beep…
Just then,
the referee blew his whistle.
The whistle had barely faded when everyone heard a clang.
The basketball hit the edge of Toho Kotei Gakuen's rim and bounced out.
The referee's voice rang out.
"Defensive foul, number 9, 3 free throws."
"Damn it…"
Kugawa cursed under his breath.
At this moment, Kamimono also realized something was wrong.
He frowned and said to the others,
"Everyone, be careful; they seem to be deliberately committing fouls."
"Oh! They've caught on? But so what? Although we didn't intend to do this, this is our last gamble."
Wakamatsu Kosuke spoke up.
Looking at the determined eyes of the Too team,
the Toho Kotei Gakuen team all felt how difficult their opponents were to deal with.
This desperate, all-or-nothing approach was truly a headache.
Knowing that their opponents were going to commit fouls, they could only cautiously accept it.
Despite this, the Toho Kotei Gakuen team didn't show any worry on their faces; on the contrary, they remained very calm.
If other teams encountered Too like this, they might be overwhelmed.
But don't forget,
they are figures comparable to the "Uncrowned Five Generals."
"Is this your last resort?"
Ryu teased.
Hearing his words, Aomine replied indifferently,
"Methods are none of my concern; my only target is you."
The two kept moving around the court.
Neither knew what the other was thinking.
Swish...
Swish...
Swish...
Three free throws, three made.
It has to be said, Sakurai Ryo's shooting ability is still very strong.
The score is now 75-56.
Too has successfully narrowed the gap to 19 points.
Offense and defense change.
Toho Kotei Gakuen inbounds the ball.
Due to their overall superior strength compared to Too, Toho Kotei Gakuen's offense is going very smoothly.
Hanafuji passes the ball to Kugawa.
Kugawa dribbles to Too's three-point line.
He retaliates in front of Sakurai Ryo.
78-56.
The score has been widened again to 22 points.
However, the Too team did not panic.
They continued their steady offense.
With the help of Yoshinori Susa, Kosuke Wakamatsu penetrated the penalty area of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
As he prepared to shoot a layup, he was blocked by Kamimono.
Just as Wakamatsu was about to draw a foul from Kamimono,
Kamimono's eyes flashed, and he coldly snorted.
His aura emanated from his body.
The sudden, terrifying aura made Wakamatsu freeze.
In that instant of hesitation,
Kamimono slapped the ball away from Wakamatsu's hand.
At the crucial moment,
Shoichi Imayoshi arrived just in time, raising his hand to catch the incoming basketball.
However, Hanafuji had already anticipated everything.
Just as Imayoshi was about to succeed,
Hanafuji suddenly appeared, stepping in front of Imayoshi and seizing control of the ball.
But this wasn't the end.
Hanafuji stumbled, turned, and took a step.
Imayoshi Shoichi's hand collided with his body.
Hanafuji fell backward.
It looked so natural, so harmonious.
Whistle...
The whistle blew.
The referee's voice came through.
"Black number 4, pushing foul."
What?
Imayoshi Shoichi was a little dazed.
He really hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered.
He, who had planned the foul, had been outmaneuvered instead.
Aomine was also somewhat surprised.
He knew this captain quite well:
a cunning, calculating, and annoying guy.
Even someone like that could be outmaneuvered.
Kamimono couldn't help but grin.
"You're free to draw fouls, but if you think you can succeed so easily, you're sorely mistaken. Hanafuji isn't one to be trifled with."
Due to a foul by Imayoshi Shoichi,
Toho Kotei Gakuen inbounds the ball again.
Thwack…
Hanafuji gets the ball again.
Facing Imayoshi Shoichi, he begins to move.
Thump thump…
After two consecutive crossovers, he prepares to break through the opponent's defense.
However, at the same time, he also makes a passing motion.
Imayoshi Shoichi sees this and a strange smile appears on his lips.
'On the surface, it's a breakthrough, but actually, he wants to pass. I've seen through it.'
He doesn't try to stop Hanafuji's breakthrough, but instead reaches out to steal the ball from his opponent.
However, when he reaches out…
Hanafuji's shadow appears in his field of vision.
Imayoshi Shoichi's eyes widen in disbelief.
How could this be?
Thump…
Hanafuji's body collided with Imayoshi Shoichi's hand.
Hanafuji fell to the ground again.
Whistle…
The whistle blew.
The referee's voice was like a devil's whisper.
"Black number 4, pushing foul."
Kamimono's words rang out again.
"Hanafuji possesses an exceptionally high IQ; in all of Japan, his IQ ranks among the top three."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Too team all changed.
They knew their captain's IQ was over 160.
But judging from the other team's words,
the opposing point guard's IQ seemed to be even higher than their captain's.
This…
For a moment, the Too team was at a loss.
"Oh? I never expected you to have someone like this on your team."
Aomine was quite surprised.
Although he didn't have much of a concept of IQ,
he absolutely didn't want to associate with someone like this,
because it was so annoying.
Ryu was also learning for the first time that Hanafuji was actually a genius with an exceptionally high IQ.
He usually just thought he was very clever,
but he never expected that his brain was even better than Imayoshi Shoichi's.
The most bewildered person at this moment was Imayoshi Shoichi.
He never imagined that he would have such a day.
Thud...
Toho Kotei Gakuen served again.
This time, Imayoshi Shoichi was somewhat hesitant.
He dared not attack recklessly anymore.
Hanafuji, whose strength was already superior to Imayoshi Shoichi's, began a fierce attack.
Imayoshi Shoichi could only retreat continuously.
Unable to bear watching any longer, Wakamatsu Kosuke broke free of Kamimono and prepared to come and help his captain defend against Hanafuji.
Heh...
Just then, Hanafuji revealed a triumphant smile.
Seeing that smile,
Imayoshi Shoichi felt a chill run down his spine.
When he saw Wakamatsu approaching,
he suddenly realized something; his eyes widened, his mind went blank, and he cursed inwardly.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hanafuji threw the ball to Ryu.
Seeing the basketball flying towards them, Ryu and Aomine moved in unison.
However, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking Aomine's path for a moment.
Aomine looked at Kamimono in front of him, then at Ryu who had received the ball.
He seemed to have already foreseen the outcome.
Sure enough.
Ryu received the ball and immediately flashed to the three-point line of Too.
A [Zero-style Three-Pointer] was fired.
The basketball went in.
81 to 56.
Toho Kotei Gakuen scored another 3 points.
'Could all of this have been orchestrated by the other side?'
Imayoshi Shoichi looked at Hanafuji in disbelief.
The previous foul was just a prelude.
The opponent actually exploited Wakamatsu Kosuke's personality.
'What a terrifying person!'
Looking at Hanafuji's retreating figure,
Imayoshi Shoichi truly felt the terrifying power of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
A center with considerable skill, Kamimono Kazuo.
A power forward with adaptable rhythm, Kuroki Ryuichi.
A shooting guard capable of hitting one-handed three-pointers, Kugawa.
The mastermind behind the scenes, the calculating Hanafuji Souji.
Plus, one of the ace players of the Generation of Miracles, Ryu.
"Seriously... just how terrifying is this?!"
Wakamatsu Kosuke asked, puzzled,
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, I just feel like this game is already decided."
As the captain of Too, Imayoshi Shoichi couldn't be too blunt and say anything that would demoralize the team.
However, he still held onto a sliver of hope.
He hoped they could turn the tide and win.
The idea was beautiful, but reality is often cruel.
The following match.
Toho Kotei Gakuen successfully countered Too's foul-drawing strategy.
Toho Kotei Gakuen's score remained insurmountable.
Toho Kotei Gakuen even managed to score several times, widening the gap further.
With five minutes remaining in the game,
Ryu and Aomine began to exert their strength, staging another exciting offensive and defensive battle.
However, until the final whistle blew,
Aomine couldn't turn the tide.
In the end, Toho Kotei Gakuen defeated Too Academy 118-83.
A 35-point difference.
This sent chills down the spines of all the teams that had been previously crushed by Too.
In the stands,
the most complex emotions, were emanating from the Seirin team, who had previously been defeated by Too.
This match between Toho Kotei Gakuen and Too was a clear indication of their difference.
Aida Riko stood up with a serious expression.
"The match is over. Let's go back! I'll ask my father to devise a new training plan for everyone."
The Seirin team remained silent.
Aida Riko's words were law.
They had no choice but to accept.
The other schools also had their own agendas.
Kise looked at Aomine, who stood alone on the court, his gaze complex.
'Aominecchi…'
After a long silence, he turned his gaze to Ryu, surrounded by a group of Toho Kotei Gakuen players, his eyes resolute.
"I'll definitely beat you next time, Ryucchi."
...
"The match is finally over. The result was quite unexpected!"
Takao said, looking at the scoreboard.
"Wasn't that already decided, you idiot?"
Midorima replied calmly.
"But seriously, Toho Kotei Gakuen and Too are ridiculously strong. If we meet them next time, we might lose badly!"
Hearing Takao's words, Midorima snorted coldly.
"Next time, I'll make them taste defeat."
With that, Midorima walked towards the exit of the passage.
Watching Midorima's departing figure,
Takao was slightly taken aback, but quickly smiled and followed.
...
Click...click...
"Yu-chin really won!"
Murasakibara said while snacking.
"Yeah, we'll probably meet them soon!"
Himuro Tatsuya said with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.
Murasakibara didn't answer, only silently glancing at Ryu below.
...
"We're leaving,"
Akashi said calmly, then turned and left.
Hayama Kotaro, Mibuchi Reo, and Nebuya Eikichi exchanged glances and followed.
This match had indeed shattered their expectations.
However, deep down, they still believed that Rakuzan would ultimately win.
For no other reason than that,
because they, Rakuzan, had Akashi Seijuro.
Those invincible eyes were the source of their confidence in defeating any opponent.
Although the three of them didn't know much about Akashi's Emperor Eye,
they knew one thing:
no one could escape Akashi's eyes.
They had experienced it firsthand.
Even the arrogant Ryu,
they didn't believe he could escape Akashi's gaze.
However, what they didn't know was that Ryu also possessed eyes unknown to outsiders.
The secret of the Hyotei Eye, so far, had only revealed its powerful insight and the ability to see through others' weaknesses.
What no one knew was that his Hyotei Eye had evolved.
He had now mastered the world of ice.
They saluted.
Ryu and Aomine clasped hands.
Aomine said to Ryu, unwilling to give up,
"Next time, I will definitely defeat you."
Ryu smiled slightly.
"Then you'd better work hard. Zone alone can't defeat me."
Hearing this, Aomine's lips twitched.
"Your 'Selflessness' is impressive, but it's probably not invincible."
Hmm?
Hearing Aomine's words, Ryu thought to himself, observing his thoughtful expression.
'Could this guy have already figured something out?'
The seemingly invincible "Selflessness's Perfect Limit" has its weaknesses.
In The Prince of Tennis, Yukimura Seiichi broke free from the effects of the Perfect Limit's light by stripping away his five senses.
Zone itself is a technique that eliminates all distractions, allowing one to focus entirely on basketball.
Therefore, it's not impossible for Aomine to have noticed something.
"No technique is invincible; if you have the ability, you'll naturally find a way to counter it."
Hearing Ryu's words, Aomine grinned.
"That's true. Then, don't lose the next match!"
"Don't worry, I'll win the championship."
Ryu finished speaking, and the two released their hands.
Back in the rest area,
Ryu picked up Karupin and walked with the team into the passageway leading to the rest area.
On the way, Ryu transmitted his voice to Karupin.
"How was it? You must have collected quite a bit of cat energy during this match, right?"
Karupin nodded.
"I collected quite a bit, especially when that kid entered that state. The energy he emitted was similar to the colorful light orbs we encountered before."
Hearing this, Ryu's heart skipped a beat.
"Similar? What do you mean?"
"It means that this energy can be converted into the colorful light orbs we saw before, and I've already successfully converted them."
Hearing Karupin's explanation, Ryu was overjoyed.
If that's really the case, he wouldn't be far from possessing otherworldly ball skills.
Karupin then spoke again.
"There's something else I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
Ryu asked in confusion.
"While you were playing, I also sensed the presence of special energy in the stands."
Huh?
Ryu was stunned, somewhat bewildered.
In the audience?
"So, you mean someone in the audience used an ability similar to Zone?"
"You could say that."
Hearing Karupin's confirmation, Ryu also fell into thought.
To be able to use an ability similar to Zone—
such people are few and far between.
Based on his own understanding,
only the Generation of Miracles possess such abilities.
The Generation of Miracles…
Suddenly, Ryu seemed to realize something.
A look of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"I think I know who released it."
"Who is it?"
Karupin asked curiously.
Ryu replied,
"If my guess is correct, it should be Akashi. It seems only his Emperor Eye possesses such an ability, which explains why that special energy appeared in the audience."
Hearing Ryu's analysis, Karupin simply nodded.
It didn't care about the outcome.
"You're right, aren't you, Ryu…"
Suddenly, Ryu heard someone calling him.
He looked up.
"What's wrong?"
Kamimono and the others looked at him speechlessly.
Kugawa retorted,
"Why do you always space out after a match? We were just discussing whether we could win the championship. You played so well today, we all thought winning shouldn't be a problem."
"Win the championship?"
Ryu thought for a moment, then said,
"I think we should still be careful. After all, we still have Yosen and Rakuzan ahead of us. They were my former teammates."
After these battles against the Generation of Miracles,
he deeply felt that everyone had grown in ways different from the original story.
Who knows how much Murasakibara and Akashi have grown now,
especially Akashi.
That guy's eyes—
he still wasn't sure if his Hyotei Eye could withstand them!
'Perfect Perfection should be able to deal with him, right?'
Ryu thought to himself.
The Toho Kotei Gakuen members also wholeheartedly agreed with Ryu's words.
No one understood the Generation of Miracles better than Ryu.
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