It's honestly so frustrating.
I've had almost no new subscribers for nearly 30 days, even though I post 3 chapters daily on Patreon, with advanced chapters sometimes reaching up to 50.
On Webnovel, I occasionally publish up to 24 chapters a day.
Still, I'm getting zero subscriptions on Patreon, which is deeply discouraging.
This is especially tough because the current events on Patreon have just reached to showdown against the Generation of Miracles.
[So, one final notice—just so I've done my part: if things continue this way, I will write a rushed ending for this novel and wrap it up.]
So, I hope to reach 20 paid subscribers this week!
Thank you so much <3
patreon.com/ayan41x
---
The match has ended.
However, the topics surrounding the tournament only intensified.
Major media outlets, seemingly eager for chaos, reported countless astonishing stories one after another.
[Who exactly is the Toho Kotei Gakuen player with superpowers?]
[Magical methods revealed in the Round of 16, Fukuda Sogo Academy players rendered incapacitated]
[Suspected mysterious methods of Ryu, opponents rendered blind and deaf!]
[Official investigation launched, did the strongest high school player sabotage the tournament?]
Similar topics abound.
For a time, Ryu became the talk of the town in the entire high school basketball world.
The whereabouts of the Fukuda Sogo Academy team were no longer of interest.
As for Haizaki Shogo and Takahashi Kento.
It's said that the two recovered after the tournament.
Kento Takahashi seemed still reeling from the despair, or perhaps due to a severe emotional blow, he had become timid and withdrawn.
Shogo Haizaki, on the other hand, sat silently on the bench.
No one else from Fukuda Sports dared to disturb him.
Later, he walked out of the Neon Arena alone, and no one knew where he went.
The audience naturally treated this as a major juicy story.
However, for the schools that hadn't yet been eliminated, it undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow.
The next day.
Outside the hotel where Ryu was staying.
Satsuki Momoi, with her long pink hair, arrived.
Her purpose in coming here was naturally because of yesterday's game.
As a basketball manager, gathering intelligence was one of her main tasks.
Faced with such a bizarre and illogical situation, she had to investigate thoroughly.
A short while later.
Ryu emerged from the hotel.
He waved to Satsuki.
"Satsuki, hey! Couldn't you have told me you were coming?"
Seeing Ryu appear, Satsuki immediately ran up to him, smiling.
"Yu-chan, long time no see. Hehe… I had no choice, I couldn't sleep because I was so curious, so I just came straight over. I was worried about disturbing your rest, so I called you only after I got to the door!"
Ha…
Ryu yawned, looking sleepy, and thought to himself.
'You've already disturbed me, and… isn't your concern a little strange?'
He said, somewhat speechless.
"If possible, I would have preferred you to come a little later."
"Hehehe… I'm so sorry!"
Satsuki smiled sheepishly, then said apologetically.
Ryu sighed.
"Forget it, it's already like this anyway, let's go! Let's find somewhere to eat something first."
"Okay!"
Satsuki responded, then obediently followed beside Ryu.
The two walked in silence.
Ryu's head was still spinning.
However, Satsuki's mind was already racing with wild speculation.
'Are we on a date? But Yu-chan seems so cold! I disturbed his sleep, will he be angry with me? What if he is? Does Yu-chan hate me... is that why he's ignoring me...?'
Various strange thoughts flooded Satsuki's mind.
Ryu, standing beside her, was completely oblivious.
'By the way, what do you want to eat?'
'Um, where's Karupin?'
They both said in unison.
After saying that, they both paused, startled.
Their eyes met, staring at each other.
Ryu scratched his head, pondering Satsuki's words.
'Karupin... I almost forgot about that guy. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since yesterday. I wonder where he's off gallivanting off to.'
'Karupin probably went out to play!'
Hearing this, Satsuki blinked.
Although it was a little strange, she didn't think much of it.
After all, Karupin is a pet; it's normal for him to run around.
She didn't doubt that Karupin could get lost, because their three years together in middle school had taught her.
Karupin was an extremely intelligent cat, and incredibly dependent on Ryu.
Even if he were lost, it would be Ryu and Karupin together.
"I see!"
Ryu said, pointing to a shop not far ahead.
"Let's eat there!"
Satsuki looked up and saw a restaurant with a sign that read "Fish Roe Rice" not far ahead.
A handwritten poster hung on the door.
It read, "5000 grams of fish roe rice, completely free if eaten in 30 minutes."
When Satsuki saw it was "fish roe rice," she couldn't help but exclaim.
"Fish roe rice? That must be expensive! Let's go somewhere else!"
Ryu smiled slightly, saying nonchalantly.
"It's okay, you don't have to pay. It's on me. Besides, it says on the menu that if you finish it in 30 minutes, it's free."
"That's true! But that's 5000 grams! How can we finish that?"
Satsuki reminded him.
She had absolutely no confidence in her appetite.
Normally, she'd be stuffed after just one bowl of rice.
Ryu grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.
"5000 grams, Don't forget my appetite."
Hearing Ryu say this, Satsuki also remembered his terrifying appetite.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
"Alright, let's go! If we can't finish, we can just pay."
With that, Ryu led the way into the restaurant called "Fish Roe Rice Restaurant."
How much time passed was unknown.
From inside the restaurant came repeated shouts of "Heave-ho... Heave-ho... Heave-ho..."
While the two were enjoying the owner's brainwashing, another piece of news spread throughout the high school basketball world.
That was, Fukuda Sogo Academy had announced its withdrawal from the competition.
This news didn't cause much of a stir.
It was, in fact, expected.
While there was a slight surprise, there was mostly understanding.
This gave Kaijo High School a windfall.
Today was originally scheduled for Kaijo High School's match against Fukuda Sogo Academy.
Since Fukuda Sogo Academy forfeited, Kaijo High School naturally secured a spot in the quarterfinals.
They practically won the qualification effortlessly.
This made the teams that hadn't yet qualified incredibly envious.
The sun was high in the sky.
Ryu and Satsuki emerged from the "Fish Roe Rice Restaurant" with their hearts full.
Ryu had thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
After all, fish roe was one of his favorite flavors.
Satsuki patted her not-so-bulging belly, a satisfied expression on her face.
Clearly, she had eaten very well.
After walking for a while, Ryu suddenly spoke.
"You came to see me because of yesterday's competition, right?"
Huh?
Satsuki was taken aback at first, then quickly reacted and nodded.
"Yeah... not just me, I'm afraid the whole high school wants to know!"
Her pretty face flushed slightly.
After all, it concerned Ryu's secret, and it would be impolite to ask directly.
Ryu didn't care about that at all.
Even if he didn't tell, Satsuki would find out sooner or later.
Satsuki's intelligence-gathering ability was still a mystery.
Ryu had complete faith in her abilities.
Ryu looked at Satsuki and smiled mysteriously.
"Then... would you like to experience it for yourself?"
Huh?
Satsuki was taken aback, her eyes blinking adorably at Ryu's.
Ryu continued,
"You might not understand just by talking, so why not experience it for yourself?"
Of course, Ryu wasn't naive; he wouldn't explain the principles.
That would be aiding the enemy.
He would only let others know his skills.
As for the principles, let them guess!
Even if someone figured it out, unless they could interrupt Ryu's use of [Severing the Five Senses], they wouldn't be able to dodge and would inevitably be affected.
Or they would have to rely on their strong willpower to forcibly break free.
Neither was something an ordinary person could do, even the members of the Generation of Miracles.
According to Ryu's deduction, among the Generation of Miracles, only two were most likely to break free from [Severing the Five Senses].
One was Akashi Seijuro, with his powerful mental strength and the Emperor Eye.
One is Aomine Daiki, who rises to the occasion against strong opponents and possesses a pure heart for basketball.
As for the others, it's not that there aren't any.
However, compared to Akashi and Aomine, the chances are much lower.
Shortly afterward, Ryu and Satsuki arrived at a basketball court.
At that moment, three elementary school students were playing basketball on the court.
Yes, elementary school students.
They weren't very tall, probably around eight or nine years old.
Ryu walked up to them and smiled, saying,
"Little guy, could you lend me your basketball for a moment?"
The three children turned to look at Ryu.
Their eyes were filled with curiosity and wariness.
Ryu smiled and continued,
"Just for a moment, I'll return it to you quickly."
Hearing this, the three children exchanged glances, then one of the elementary school students said warily,
"Are you really going to return it to us?"
Ryu's smile remained unchanged, but his eyelids twitched.
Was he being treated like a robber?
'Do I look that fierce?'
Hehehe…
Satsuki, who was not far away, couldn't help but laugh.
Her laughter caught the attention of the three children.
Seeing Satsuki's sunny and sweet smile, the three children seemed to be infected by it, unconsciously relaxing their guard.
The elementary school student holding the basketball handed it to Ryu, saying,
"Big brother, you can borrow the basketball, but you have to return it to us!"
Ryu smiled and took the basketball.
"Don't worry! I'll be right here. You guys wait a bit, I'll give it back to you soon."
He turned to Satsuki and said.
"Come and defend me!"
Hearing this, Satsuki didn't hesitate and went straight to the basket, seriously assuming a defensive stance.
The three little ones, seeing this, were a bit curious, but they still went to the sidelines to watch quietly.
Inside the court.
Ryu was holding the basketball, just about to start dribbling.
When he heard a sarcastic voice from not far away.
"Hey kid over there, this spot's been requisitioned. You guys better make room."
Looking in the direction of the voice, Ryu saw a group of six people walking in from outside the court.
They looked very young, not much older than Ryu.
However, with his sharp perception, Ryu could tell at a glance that they weren't high school students, but university students.
Their skeletal structures were completely formed.
This was simply impossible among high school students.
Ryu guessed they were about four or five years older than him.
Based on that, the six of them were probably sophomores or juniors.
Ryu's expression remained unchanged, showing no intention of moving.
He replied calmly.
"Go use that half of the court!"
Hearing Ryu's words, the one who had spoken earlier was taken aback, then said with a disgruntled expression.
"Kid, didn't you hear what I said? Get lost, don't be ungrateful."
Ryu was too lazy to argue with such people, shrugged, and replied.
"There are only six of you. If you want to play, use half the court, or find somewhere else."
Seeing Ryu's blatant disrespect, the college student's anger flared, and his gaze towards Ryu became dangerous.
"Kid, you can still leave now, but it won't be so easy to leave later."
One of the college students stepped forward and warned.
Ryu glanced sideways at the six people.
His expression was playful, a slight smirk playing on his lips, before he spoke to Satsuki.
"Satsuki, you don't need to experience it anymore. Your experimental subject has arrived. How much you can figure out later depends on your own abilities."
Hearing this, Satsuki immediately understood Ryu's meaning and nodded.
"Okay… alright! Be careful."
Ryu said with a hint of disdain.
"These few weaklings, if they even touch the hem of my shirt, I'll admit defeat."
He raised his chin at the six men.
"Hey! Since you guys want to take this space, then come and get it yourself!"
Ryu's words stunned the six college students.
They exchanged glances, then a wicked smile crept across their faces.
The student who had spoken first spoke up.
"Such arrogance, kid. You asked for it. Don't cry about it later."
He had already decided to teach this ignorant brat a lesson.
He'd use some underhanded tactics to make him suffer.
"Who wants to go first?"
The six students discussed amongst themselves.
Ryu looked at them arrogantly.
"Don't bother, all six of you come at me together!"
"You brat, you're asking for trouble."
The college student who spoke first stepped forward and shouted.
He strode confidently towards Ryu.
He looked like he was there to fight.
His aura was intimidating.
The three kids standing nearby trembled and involuntarily took a few steps back.
Ryu looked at the college student approaching him with disdain.
All show and no substance, just putting on airs.
Bang... bang... bang...
Ryu stood still, dribbling the basketball in his hands.
Before the other student could even get close, Ryu rushed forward.
The college student tried to stop Ryu, but Ryu transformed into a blur and disappeared before his eyes.
"Too slow, like a snail."
Thump…
The sound of a basketball hitting the ground rang out from behind the college student.
Then the student suddenly froze, motionless.
"Anyone else want to come?"
Ryu asked the other five college students.
Just as the five students were wondering what was going on, a terrified scream came from the court.
"Ah… my eyes! What happened? I can't see anything!"
Everyone was drawn to the sound and looked towards its source.
There stood the student who had just been there, waving his arms wildly, looking exactly like a disoriented blind person.
Seeing this, the five college students standing nearby were shocked.
"Damn it, what did you do to him?"
One of the students stepped out from the group and quickly walked towards Ryu.
Ryu smiled, standing still, dribbling the basketball, waiting for him to arrive.
Soon, the college student reached Ryu.
Thump…
Ryu slapped the basketball again.
The college student, walking towards Ryu, was about to grab him by the collar.
His hand stopped abruptly halfway through.
He sensed something was wrong, looking at the mocking smile on Ryu's lips and the basketball hitting the ground.
His heart sank.
The sound, the sound of the basketball hitting the ground… was gone.
He couldn't hear anything at all.
Panic gripped him, and a look of terror crossed his face.
"You… you… what did you do?"
Ryu gave a cold smile, then vanished from his sight in a flash.
Watching Ryu gradually disappear from his sight, the college student's pupils contracted, and he frantically turned his head left and right, searching.
However, he couldn't find Ryu anywhere.
"Come out... what did you do to my ear?"
Just as he was shouting, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.
He instinctively turned around and saw a basketball spinning rapidly right in front of him.
Smack...
The basketball grazed his nose, the burning pain causing him to instinctively take two steps back.
"Ouch... when did you appear behind me?"
Seeing this, the remaining four college students were dumbfounded.
The three little ones who had been watching from the sidelines were also stunned.
They hadn't expected the big brother who borrowed the ball from them to be so skilled.
Ryu continued dribbling the basketball, his gaze fixed on the remaining four college students.
Thump... thump... thump...
The basketball bounced off the ground again and again.
Ryu's voice reached the four students' ears as well.
"Next..."
The four college students exchanged bewildered glances.
They were stunned by the bizarre scene before them, hesitant to move.
The basketball in Ryu's hand fell to the ground once more.
Thump...
Of the four college students who had been watching Ryu warily, one suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes, and then he could see nothing at all.
"What happened? My eyes... why did they suddenly go black?"
Seeing his companion's sudden change, the remaining three finally panicked.
Thump...
Another sound of a basketball hitting the ground rang out.
This sound was like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the remaining three college students.
The remaining three college students simultaneously shuddered.
Ryu spoke calmly.
"Want to try again?"
The three college students shook their heads repeatedly.
"No... no... I'm not coming."
Ryu's aura suddenly changed, an overwhelming and terrifying power pressing down on all six university students.
In an instant, the six students felt as if they were being stared at by a prehistoric beast, their entire bodies trembling involuntarily.
Following this was Ryu's icy words.
"Then why aren't you leaving?"
Hearing this, the remaining three students each grabbed one other student and slunk away.
After they left, Ryu turned to Satsuki, who was still standing there dumbfounded.
"Well, did you see it clearly?"
Satsuki nodded blankly, then quickly shook her head.
Her mind was in turmoil.
What had she just seen?
'Is this Yu-chan's new technique?'
Strange... too strange.
Ryu smiled slightly at Satsuki's expression and said.
"My move is called 'Annihilation of the Five Senses.' As the name suggests, it extinguishes the five senses in a person: sight, hearing, touch, pain, and feeling."
"Annihilation of the Five Senses?"
Satsuki's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, as she exclaimed.
"How is this possible? Annihilating the five senses, such a thing…"
She simply couldn't imagine that basketball skills could achieve such a thing.
Ryu said with a smile.
"Nothing is impossible. [Annihilation of the Five Senses] is arguably my most powerful technique besides [The Realm of Selflessness]."
Satsuki fell silent.
She needed to sort out her thoughts.
This was all too illogical.
"Big brother…"
Ryu heard someone calling him.
Looking down, he saw the three little ones beside him.
Ryu smiled kindly.
"Thank you for lending me the basketball. Here it is."
He handed the basketball to them.
The three little ones received the basketball with expressions of excitement and admiration.
This was a basketball used by a very powerful person.
The three little ones felt that touching this basketball would grant them immense power.
Ryu and Satsuki were amused by the three little ones.
Looked at Satsuki smile.
For the first time, Ryu felt a woman's gentleness from Satsuki.
For a moment, he was captivated.
At this moment, Satsuki was truly exuding femininity.
...
The following time...
Ryu and Satsuki began their sightseeing in Tokyo.
The two acted like a loving couple, shopping together, eating together, and playfully teasing each other.
Unbeknownst to them, darkness gradually fell.
On a certain street.
"This is enough."
Satsuki lowered her head slightly, saying with some reluctance.
Ah…
Ryu responded, unsure of what to say.
For a moment, an awkward silence fell.
Satsuki spoke first.
"Um… thank you for your hospitality today. I had a lot of fun, so I'll be going now."
With that, she turned and walked away.
"Um… Satsuki…"
Ryu suddenly called out to Satsuki.
Satsuki turned back, looking at Ryu with a puzzled expression.
"Is there anything else?"
Ryu was silent for a moment, then spoke to Satsuki.
"Satsuki… you must be…"
He trailed off.
Satsuki looked into Ryu's eyes, which shone like stars and held a tenderness.
Satsuki's heart began to race involuntarily.
'Yu-chan… could it be…?'
Gradually, she became flustered, her eyes filled with tension and anticipation.
After a long while, Ryu finally spoke.
"Um… be careful on the road, call me when you get home."
Huh?
Satsuki froze instantly, her beautiful eyes turning into two tiny, blinking pupils.
"Ryu… you big bad guy…"
With that, Satsuki disappeared from Ryu's sight.
Watching Satsuki storm off, Ryu stood alone in the cold wind, bewildered.
---
It's honestly so frustrating.
I've had almost no new subscribers for nearly 30 days, even though I post 3 chapters daily on Patreon, with advanced chapters sometimes reaching up to 50.
On Webnovel, I occasionally publish up to 24 chapters a day.
Still, I'm getting zero subscriptions on Patreon, which is deeply discouraging.
This is especially tough because the current events on Patreon have just reached to showdown against the Generation of Miracles.
[So, one final notice—just so I've done my part: if things continue this way, I will write a rushed ending for this novel and wrap it up.]
So, I hope to reach 20 paid subscribers this week!
Thank you so much <3
patreon.com/ayan41x