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
----
Toho Kotei Gakuen's rest area.
Everyone surrounded Ryu as soon as they returned.
The substitutes looked at Ryu with eyes of admiration.
Ryu's final basket would undoubtedly become one of the best goals of this Winter Selection Tournament.
Kamimono and the others also came to Ryu and praised him.
"Ryu, you were so cool just now, to be able to shoot under those circumstances."
Kugawa praised without reservation.
Kuroki also said with admiration.
"To think of scoring in that way, you're really amazing."
Kamimono and Hanafuji nodded in agreement.
Ryu's shot was absolutely stunning.
They hadn't expected it either.
A block and a shot in mid-air.
That's something most people couldn't do.
Keep in mind, there was only one second left in the game.
The block alone was already difficult enough; adding a shot on top of that, there simply wasn't enough time.
That shows how fast Ryu's arm swing was.
Ryu chatted casually with the others for a few moments, then habitually reached to his side.
Hmm?
Ryu glanced sideways but didn't find Karupin.
He then remembered that he had entrusted Karupin to Alex for safekeeping.
Ryu looked up and searched the stands.
Soon, he spotted a group of people wearing white undershirts with black and red stripes.
The figure Ryu was looking for was among them.
Alex also looked towards Ryu at that moment.
The two locked eyes across the distance.
Ryu's lips curled into a handsome and charming smile.
Alex, a lively person, saw Ryu smile at her.
She picked up Karupin, grabbed one of Karupin's paws, and waved at Ryu.
Ryu looked at Karupin with pity.
Karupin was being treated like an ordinary cat.
Seeing Karupin's displeased expression, Ryu was genuinely worried he would suddenly lash out and scratch Alex's face.
Meanwhile, at the Toho Kotei Gakuen, the atmosphere was cheerful.
On the Kaijo side, however, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Everyone's face was exceptionally grim.
Ryu's final goal had brought them unparalleled pressure.
"What do we do next? That monster is unstoppable,"
Moriyama Yoshitaka asked the group.
For a moment, not a single person from Kaijo answered.
Seeing their players' dejected mood,
Kaijo's coach, Genta Takeuchi, stepped forward and addressed the team.
"What are you doing? The game isn't over yet. They're only leading by 8 points. Don't look so listless. We still have a chance. The game has only just begun."
His impassioned words completely snapped the demoralized Kaijo players out of their daze.
Yukio Kasamatsu clenched his fists and spoke.
"Our obstacle now is Ryu. If we want to defeat the Toho Kotei Gakuen, we must defeat Ryu."
He paused, then turned to look at Kise.
"Right now, you're the only one with a chance to defeat that monster."
Upon hearing this, the other members of Kaijo turned their attention to Kise.
Kise felt as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on his shoulders.
He took a deep breath and solemnly addressed the others.
"Leave Ryucchi to me! I will defeat him with all my might."
Though he said this, everyone knew that defeating Ryu would be no easy feat for Kise.
The break time passed quickly.
The whistle blew to start the second quarter.
Both teams returned to the court.
Kaijo had possession.
Kise immediately took the lead, charging forward with the ball.
The rest of Kaijo followed suit, running alongside him on the flanks, ready to screen for him at any moment.
Seeing the aggressive approach of the Kaijo team, Ryu didn't stand idly by and stepped forward to block them.
Just as he was about to make a move, Kobori Koji from Kaijo rushed over and blocked his path.
Ryu's brow twitched.
'They don't want me to get close to Kise? Ha... You can't stop me.'
Ryu flashed past them, bypassing their block from the side.
However, he forcefully broke through Kobori Koji's defenses.
Ryu then noticed someone suddenly appearing in front of him.
It was Moriyama Yoshitaka.
Looking at Moriyama Yoshitaka, Ryu was speechless.
This Kaijo team is really going all out.
To prevent him from interfering with Kise, they've even used two people to cover for him.
He glanced sideways and realized that it wasn't just Moriyama Yoshitaka and Kobori Koji from Kaijo who were covering for Kise.
Kasamatsu Yukio and Hayakawa Mitsuhiro were also not far from Kise.
'Your teammates really take care of you, Kise…'
Ryu muttered to himself.
But his movements were unaffected.
He changed his stance, instantly bypassing Moriyama Yoshitaka and appearing before Kise.
Kasamatsu Yukio and Hayakawa Mitsuhiro were both startled upon seeing Ryu.
Such speed.
Without thinking, the two stepped forward, intending to block Ryu.
Ryu, who had already guessed their intentions, flashed a playful look in his eyes.
'You think you can stop me like this? Heh…'
He moved swiftly, preparing to break through the double encirclement of Kasamatsu Yukio and Hayakawa Mitsuhiro in one fell swoop.
Suddenly, Kasamatsu Yukio and Hayakawa Mitsuhiro moved closer together, blocking Ryu's path.
Seeing this, Ryu paused slightly, then changed direction, preparing to break through from the side.
Just as Ryu was about to change direction,
a figure suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision.
Ryu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped.
He was now firmly surrounded by the four members of Kaijo.
'Is this your tactic?'
Ryu reviewed the situation in his mind and immediately guessed Kaijo's tactic.
It was that all of Kaijo's members would provide cover for Kise.
In short, four people were focusing all their defense on him, leaving Kise alone to face the other four members of Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Normally speaking,
this tactic would be tantamount to suicide.
But the clever part is that the team has a member of the "Generation of Miracles."
As long as he restrains his own movements, Kise, with his own strength, will find it much easier to break through the defense of the other four members of the Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Understanding this, Ryu exclaimed.
"You guys are really going all out! It's amazing you even thought of using such a tactic to limit me. You're not planning to just surround me like this forever, are you?"
Kasamatsu Yukio replied seriously.
"For victory, I don't care what role I play, especially against a monster like you."
Huh?
"Then I'm truly honored!"
Ryu replied with a smile.
Meanwhile,
Without Ryu blocking his way, Kise easily reached the Toho Kotei Gakuen's three-point line.
At this moment, all he could see were members of the Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Kamimono, Kugawa, Kuroki Ryuichi, and Hanafuji.
The four men stood ready, their eyes fixed on Kise.
As for Ryu...
They seemed to have selectively forgotten about him.
Kise hesitated for a moment at the three-point line.
He wanted to shoot a three-pointer directly.
However, seeing the deliberate defense from Kamimono and the others, he abandoned the idea.
He had witnessed Kamimono's defensive capabilities.
It could be said that, apart from Murasakibara, Kamimono was the strongest center he had ever seen.
Although he was absolutely confident he could break through the defense, he decided to play it safe and not take any risks.
Kise moved with lightning speed, stepping inside the three-point line.
He was like a yellow shadow, seemingly able to penetrate any obstacle.
Kise moved as if he were in an empty field, breaking through the combined double-team of Kugawa and Kuroki Ryuichi in the blink of an eye.
So fast…
Kugawa and Kuroki Ryuichi were shocked.
Kise didn't stop, continuing his charge towards the basket.
Hanafuji stepped forward to block him.
But Kise's speed didn't diminish; with two consecutive changes of direction, he successfully broke through.
Finally, Kise reached the restricted area, facing Kamimono's pressure directly.
However, this pressure might work on others.
But for Kise, a member of the Generation of Miracles, it was nothing.
Kise dribbled sideways, leaning his shoulder towards Kamimono, trying to create more space.
Bang…
The two bodies collided.
Kise felt as if he had hit a wall.
'This guy's body is really strong.'
This path was blocked, and Kise didn't try to fight back.
He gathered the ball with both hands, then jumped with a backward lean.
He held the ball with one hand, stretched it back, aimed at the basket, and prepared to throw it.
'This posture is…'
Seeing Kise's current posture.
Kamimono's pupils contracted; he dared not be careless.
He reacted immediately, jumping to block.
He leaned forward, arms outstretched, blocking Kise's shot.
Kise, mid-air, saw this and a smirk played on his lips.
"Your explosiveness is indeed astonishing, but I'm sorry, you're still far inferior to Murasakibara. I'll take this shot for now."
With that, Kise's hand holding the ball suddenly shifted, and his body began to lean to the side.
Just as he was about to land, he tossed the ball from below the goalkeeper's side towards the basket.
A free-form shot.
The basketball streaked past, a blur of motion, flashing past Kamimono's side.
Thud…
Swish…
The basketball struck the backboard and bounced into the hoop.
25-19.
The second quarter began.
Kaijo quickly closed the gap to 2 points.
After landing, Kamimono looked at Kise.
"You bastard…"
He'd just been tricked by Kise.
Kise's backward lean made a move.
It made him think the opponent was going to use a "no-form shot."
However, it was just a feint.
After he stretched out his arm to block, Kise changed his posture again in mid-air, successfully scoring.
Using a "no-form shot" to confuse the opponent, then using a "no-form shot" to score.
Toho Kotei Gakuen has possession.
However…
Before the ball could be inbounded…
Kise was already in front of Ryu.
Looking at Kise, Ryu's lips twitched.
"Hey, hey, hey! You guys aren't going to just keep going like this forever, are you?"
Kise looked completely nonchalant.
"That's right, this is our 4-in-1 tactic to deal with you. Pretty impressive, right?"
Ryu rolled his eyes at him.
"That's it? You think four people working together can really stop me?"
"Of course not."
Kise shook his head.
"Our goal isn't to stop you..."
Hearing this, Ryu paused, then a thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly understood.
"I see."
"Looks like you guessed it! Yes, that's it."
Kise said with a smile.
Seeing Kise's expression, Ryu let out a soft breath, and his whole body relaxed.
"An eye for an eye,"
Saying this, he beckoned to Hanafuji, signaling for the pass to be passed to him.
Seeing this, Hanafuji passed the ball.
Thud…
Ryu caught the ball.
He looked at Kise and said.
"Your tactics are indeed good, but…"
At this point, Ryu suddenly grinned.
"Kise, you seem to have forgotten something!"
"What?"
Kise frowned, not understanding what Ryu meant.
Ryu's eyes were deep, and he said meaningfully.
"You seem to have forgotten what my best move is!"
Hearing this, Kise felt as if struck by lightning.
He thought of something terrible.
'A whole quarter has passed now, could it be…'
Kise's eyes widened, looking at Ryu in disbelief.
"Looks like you've already figured it out!"
Ryu smiled, and his hand began to move.
Thud…
One shot.
Thump…
Twice…
The basketball bounced off the ground again and again.
Each bounce seemed to strike Kise's heart.
He wanted to steal the ball, but he didn't dare.
At this moment, his mind was filled with the schemes Ryu had brought him.
He couldn't imagine what Ryu was saying.
Then the situation in the first quarter, where they were evenly matched, was also deliberately created by him.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.
Ryu dribbled the ball as he spoke.
"Aren't you going to make a move? Then I won't hold back."
With that, his body suddenly lowered, almost parallel to Kise's knees.
[Super Low Position].
Kise instinctively bent his knees, trying to stop him.
However, his knees only bent halfway before he couldn't go any lower.
If he continued to force his knees down, he was likely to lose his balance and fall.
At that moment, Ryu's words, like a long-forgotten curse, entered Kise's ears.
"Since the Summer League, you've been training excessively to improve your strength. Now your legs have developed muscle memory. Suddenly bending your knees without preparation will cause a momentary disruption in the muscle extension, resulting in a momentary weakness. Therefore, when I use [Super Low Position], your chances of stopping me are only 7%."
With that, Ryu successfully past Kise.
'Damn it…'
Kise regained his composure and immediately turned to chase after him.
However, because of that brief moment...
The distance between him and Ryu had now increased by two body lengths.
Seeing this, Kasamatsu Yukio and the others immediately tensed up and prepared to defend.
However, all of this was irrelevant to Ryu.
He instantly arrived at Kaijo's three-point line.
His defender, Kobori Koji, spoke up.
"Kobori Koji, a third-year student at Kaijo High School, 192 cm tall, 74 kg, Libra, favorite food is salmon, simple personality, but with his own unique traits, and he tends to shift his weight to the right when defending."
Thump…
Ryu slapped the ground, shifting his body slightly to the right.
Seeing this, Kobori Koji instinctively shifted his weight to the right as well.
Suddenly, Ryu spun around, breaking through to Kobori Koji's left.
Ryu's successful breakthrough was also heard by Kobori Koji.
"So the chance of breaking through your defense is 100%."
Kobori Koji, whose center of gravity was currently shifted to the right, was momentarily immobilized and frozen in place.
After breaking through Kobori Koji,
Ryu encountered Moriyama Yoshitaka, who had come to help defend.
Just like before.
Ryu's voice rang out again.
"Moriyama Yoshitaka, a third-year student at Kaijo High School, 181 cm tall, 67 kg, Aquarius, likes beef curry, enjoys indoor soccer, knows palm reading, is a moderate narcissist, always fantasizing about flirting with pretty girls, and before each game chooses one or more girls as his motivational targets. He has a habit of squinting when defending, his chance of defending on the right is 82%, on the left is 10%, his preparation for special situations is 7%, and his chance of defending shots is... 1%."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryu suddenly braked sharply, then leaned forward and jumped, the movement executed in one fluid motion.
"Oh no..."
Moriyama Yoshitaka rushed to block.
However, he was completely unprepared and his attack was hasty; he was caught off guard and collided with Ryu.
Whistle...
The whistle blew.
To Moriyama Yoshitaka, it sounded like a thunderclap.
Ryu's lips curled into a smile.
He raised the basketball high, shooting it over Moriyama Yoshitaka's head.
Whoosh...
The basketball traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Swish...
Swimming through the net.
27 to 19.
Meanwhile...
The referee's words reached everyone present.
"Blue number 5, defensive foul, the ball goes in, one free throw."
----
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