I want to reach 20 paid subscriptions on Patreon this week to complete this novel, as it has been over a month since the last subscription.
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Time passed.
Halftime quickly came to an end.
The players from both sides returned to the court.
Ryu's gaze fell upon Hanamiya Makoto.
Hanamiya Makoto seemed to have calmed down; his face was serene, a slight smile playing on his lips.
However, under Ryu's [Eye of the Ice Emperor],
he clearly detected a deep hatred in his opponent's eyes.
'I knew it! Why did they suddenly become weaker in the second quarter? They were planning to unleash a powerful attack in the second half!'
Ryu guessed that Hanamiya Makoto would likely make some big moves in the coming minutes.
He himself was fearless.
He would meet force with force.
He was just a little worried that his teammates might fall victim to his attacks.
Although Kamimono and the others were capable of dealing with the opponent's various minor fouls, if the opponent really wanted to go all out, committing fouls to injure one player was entirely possible.
Thinking of this, Ryu still spoke up to remind his teammates.
"Everyone, be careful from now on. Hanamiya Makoto is capable of anything. If you encounter danger, your own safety must come first."
Hearing his words, Kamimono and the others nodded.
Whistle...
Just then.
The referee blew the whistle to start the second half.
Kirisaki Daiichi served first.
Hanamiya Makoto immediately dribbled the ball and charged towards Toho Kotei Gakuen's half of the court.
Hanafuji Souji stood still, his eyes behind his glasses fixed intently on his opponent.
However, just before Hanamiya Makoto crossed the center line, he passed the basketball to Seto Kentaro on the other side.
Seto Kentaro quickly stepped forward, stood in front of Kamimono, turned his body, and faced away from him.
Thud...
The basketball landed steadily in Seto Kentaro's hands.
He lightly touched the ground with his toes, spun around sharply, and swung his arm in a wide arc, aiming for Kamimono's face.
Kamimono's pupils contracted; he sensed the impending danger.
Because the two were too close, he couldn't dodge to the side.
In a split second, he raised his arm.
Thump…
A dull thud echoed across the court.
Seto Kentaro, holding the ball with both hands, slammed it hard into Kamimono's raised arm.
"Kamimono…"
The members of Toho Kotei Gakuen immediately surrounded him, asking anxiously.
Their eyes were filled with hostility as they looked at Seto Kentaro.
"You bastard!"
Kuroki Ryuichi said, about to step forward and teach him a lesson.
But Hanafuji Souji stopped him.
"Kuroki, don't get agitated, calm down."
Whistle…
The referee blew his whistle.
He walked over and said.
"What are you doing? The game is still going on. If you don't want to be ejected, behave yourselves."
Kyuukawa pointed at Seto Kentaro and said to the referee.
"Ref, they committed a malicious foul, causing injury to my teammate."
The referee considered what he had just witnessed.
It was a malicious foul, but the evidence wasn't enough.
However, the opponent's action did almost hit the opponent in the face.
The referee blew his whistle again, then pointed at Seto Kentaro and said.
"Offensive foul, Toho Kotei Gakuen's ball."
The verdict was announced.
Although the members of Toho Kotei Gakuen were somewhat dissatisfied with the verdict, there was nothing they could do.
Seto Kentaro, however, revealed a triumphant smile.
Besides him.
Not far away, Hanamiya Makoto also wore a wicked smile.
Ryu's expression was calm.
He approached Kamimono and asked.
"Captain, are you alright?"
Kamimono shook the arm that had blocked the attack.
"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. That attack didn't do much damage to me."
Ryu's eyes fell on Kamimono's arm.
Kamimono's arm was now slightly bruised.
However, it wasn't a serious problem.
He nodded to Kamimono, then turned and said.
"Pass the ball to me."
Hearing Ryu's words.
Kamimono didn't hesitate and passed the ball directly.
Thud…
After receiving the ball, Ryu's gaze swept over the members of Kirisaki Daiichi.
Upon being caught in Ryu's gaze, the members of Kirisaki Daiichi suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, and a sense of panic involuntarily rose within them.
Hanamiya Makoto gave his teammates a wink.
Kirisaki Daiichi understood and began to make their runs.
From above the court, one could see that Kirisaki Daiichi had subtly surrounded Ryu, and they were steadily closing in.
Ryu's gaze was indifferent, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He pressed down on his feet, giving Kirisaki Daiichi no chance, flashing across the court like lightning.
Directly in front of Ryu was his opponent, Furuhashi Kojiro.
Furuhashi Kojiro saw Ryu's figure grow larger in his vision.
His previously free-moving body suddenly stiffened.
A profound terror suddenly descended upon him.
A chilling, bone-deep cold enveloped his entire body, as if he would die at any moment.
Whoosh…
A silver shadow flashed past Furuhashi Kojiro, sending a gust of cold wind through him.
Furuhashi Kojiro's stiff body involuntarily shivered.
Immediately following was a loud crash behind him.
He turned around.
Hanging on the hoop of Kirisaki Daiichi was a figure that chilled him to the bone.
Ryu released his grip on the rim and landed back on the ground.
He turned around, his face indifferent, his tone cold.
"You seem to be pushing your luck a bit. Trying to jump over the wall? Don't you know how high the wall in front of you is?"
Ryu's voice was calm, his gaze indifferent and icy.
But the chill emanating from him made the Kirisaki Daiichi members' teeth chatter.
These highly insulting words further enraged Hanamiya Makoto.
How could he not understand the meaning behind Ryu's words?
This was clearly an insult, implying they were dogs.
Ryu ignored them and strode back to his own half of the court.
Thud…
Kirisaki Daiichi's attack was thwarted once again.
The ball was quickly passed to Ryu.
But this time…
Ryu didn't choose a quick attack. Instead, he dribbled the ball, walking slowly forward.
Hanamiya Makoto, seeing this, showed no mercy, giving his teammates a look, and they quickly surrounded Ryu.
Hanamiya Makoto had already given up on the match, so now he only wanted to cripple Ryu.
Even if it meant being ejected from the game.
And this was the perfect opportunity.
His face contorted in a ferocious grin, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
'Here it comes, here it comes, you asked for it.'
Noticing the unusual behavior of the Kirisaki Daiichi members, the Toho Kotei Gakuen members all looked worried and stepped forward to help Ryu stop his opponent's actions.
However, being passive always means being a step too slow.
It was now difficult to intercept the Kirisaki Daiichi members.
Ryu was completely oblivious to the intense malice emanating from them.
His eyes were deep, and his dribbling technique changed slightly.
Because the change was so subtle, no one noticed it.
'You never learn! Then I'll plunge you into despair and fear.'
As he finished speaking, Ryu sidestepped a kick coming from the right.
At the same time.
Thump…
A basketball bounced off the ground.
A slight breeze brushed against Hara Kazuya's face as he reached out.
Then, Ryu ducked and ducked again, dodging Furuhashi Kojiro's elbow.
The elbow grazed Ryu's head.
Then, Thump…
Another basketball bounced off the ground.
Ryu sidestepped, creating a distance between himself and Furuhashi Kojiro.
He beat two players.
A gap appeared in Kirisaki Daiichi's encirclement.
However, Ryu didn't rush in, but slowed down, waiting for the remaining three to close in.
Soon, Hanamiya Makoto, Seto Kentaro, and Yamazaki Hiroshi surrounded Ryu.
Hanamiya Makoto didn't say a word, his eyes sharp and crazed.
He almost directly raised his foot to stomp on Ryu's ankle.
Yamazaki Hiroshi shifted his body slightly, blocking the referee's view.
Seto Kentaro wasn't idle either.
He reached directly for the basketball in Ryu's hands.
It appeared to be a steal, but his aim was actually Ryu's wrist.
A cold glint flashed in Ryu's eyes.
"Hmph..."
He snorted coldly, then his dribbling motion suddenly accelerated.
Thump...
Thump...
Thump...
Three powerful thuds of the basketball hitting the ground rang out.
Accompanied by a deafening roar of cheers from the stands.
"As expected of the strongest player in high school, breaking through five defenders in a row, and so easily!"
Amidst the cheers, some people noticed that something seemed amiss on the court.
"Wait... something seems off."
"What are they doing?"
"Why are they just standing there motionless?"
...
After the cheers subsided.
More and more people noticed the strange thing happening on the court.
Ever since Ryu broke through Kirisaki's group, they had been standing there blankly, motionless, their eyes vacant.
Their expressions showed panic and fear.
Clang...
Until Ryu slammed the basketball into the hoop.
They only turned around in alarm, without making any other movement.
Tap... tap... tap...
Ryu walked past Kirisaki and the others step by step.
A cold voice reached their ears.
"Remember this feeling well; I'll make sure you experience it until the end of the match."
The pupils of the Kirisaki Daiichi team members contracted.
Hearing Ryu's words, Hanamiya Makoto trembled and said anxiously.
"Could it be… what did you do to me? Why can't I see anything?"
Hearing his words, the other members of Kirisaki Daiichi team also spoke up.
"You can't see either?"
"What kind of sorcery is this? Damn it, Ryu, what did you do?"
"Why is everything so dark?"
"Am I going blind? Damn it… I don't want to…"
Their emotions clearly became agitated.
Anyone who suddenly goes blind would become anxious and restless!
Ryu didn't answer their questions.
When he returned to his own half of the court, the Kirisaki Daiichi team members still didn't react.
The referee frowned and blew his whistle as a warning.
"Kirisaki Daiichi, serve."
The words were spoken, but none of the Kirisaki Daiichi team moved.
Hara Kazuya spoke up.
"Coach... our eyes..."
He stopped abruptly before he could finish.
He felt a sudden flash of light before his eyes; he could see again.
Not only him, but the other four were the same.
They were startled at first, then quickly looked left and right, finally focusing on their hands.
"We can see again? What happened?"
Seto Kentaro asked, his eyes still showing lingering fear.
Furuhashi Kojiro stared at his hands, his voice trembling.
"I...I don't know. Just now, everything suddenly went black, and I couldn't see anything anymore."
His previously empty eyes now held something else.
It was a profound despair and fear from what had just happened, and an unprecedented apprehension towards Ryu.
The expression on Hanamiya Makoto's face remained.
However, his eyes were no longer solely filled with hatred and revenge.
These emotions that had driven him mad began to gradually subside, replaced by a growing fear and apprehension.
His eyes trembled, his gaze fixed on Ryu opposite him.
For the first time, the thought of abandoning revenge surfaced in his mind.
He was certain.
Everything that had just happened must have been done by Ryu.
He just couldn't understand it.
He hadn't felt anything, and suddenly he lost his sight.
Could the other party really possess demonic magic?
How could this be?
Is this something a human could do?
Whistle...
Just then.
Another whistle blew.
The referee's voice once again reached the ears of the Kirisaki Daiichi team.
"Kirisaki Daiichi, serve! Otherwise, it's a technical foul."
Hearing this, the Kirisaki Daiichi team, looking dazed, began to organize their attack.
In the spectator area.
Momoi and the others, who had witnessed everything, were completely bewildered.
Momoi was filled with question marks.
"What just happened? The Kirisaki Daiichi team is acting strangely."
Midorima frowned and shook his head.
"I don't know. They did look very strange, like they were under a spell, but I'm certain that what happened just now wasn't caused by the [Eye of the Ice Emperor]."
The [Eye of the Ice Emperor]'s ability to freeze people in place is no secret.
The members of the Generation of Miracles all know this.
However, what just happened to Kirisaki Daiichi and the others clearly had nothing to do with the eye's ability.
Because while they were standing still, their heads and limbs moved to varying degrees.
Takao looked at Ryu on the sidelines with a hint of jealousy.
"Is it some new technique again? You monsters are so enviable."
A new technique?
Momoi and Midorima's expressions both changed.
Could it really be a new, mysterious technique developed by Ryu?
Both of them kept this in mind.
Although they couldn't figure out the trick, it's better to be safe than sorry.
On the court.
Kirisaki Daiichi had already regrouped.
However, it was clear to anyone with eyes that their rhythm had become somewhat chaotic.
The previous madness and aggression had vanished.
Seeing this, Ryu's lips curled into a meaningful, cold smile.
[Annihilation of the Five Senses].
He had just used this technique to seal the sight of the five opponents.
The duration of the seal depended entirely on the sound wave frequency and hertz.
This sound wave was the sound of Ryu dribbling a basketball, the sound of it hitting the ground.
Ryu had only sealed their sight.
What followed was the beginning of Kirisaki Daiichi's nightmare.
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I want to reach 20 paid subscriptions on Patreon this week to complete this novel, as it has been over a month since the last subscription.
patreon.com/ayan41x