Tsutomu Iwamura could tolerate Tsugawa Tomoki being sloppy during regular training,
but in an official game, every player had to be at maximum alert.
"Alright, let's play it steady and take one back."
Kasuga Ryuhei brought the ball up slowly toward Shutoku's side.
Having taken a punch from Iwamura, Tsugawa seemed to calm down and began sticking tightly to Midorima Shintaro on defense.
===========
"Yo~ we met again. Last time at the middle school Nationals, we sure got taken care of by Teiko" Tsugawa said with a grin, eyes locked on Midorima.
"It's you."
A flicker of surprise passed through Midorima's eyes.
"Oh? You still remember me?"
"Of course. Back in middle school, there weren't many teams who could even resist Teiko."
"Well, I'm honored then."
Tsugawa's grin faded into a serious look.
"But this time, you don't have your Generation of Miracles teammates. I'll be settling our middle school score today."
"Hmph. Naïve. You're overestimating yourself. Dealing with you only takes me."
===========
While they spoke, Seiho had used crisp passing to launch a counterattack, narrowing the score to 3–2.
"Ah~~~ worthy of a 'King' indeed. Looks like winning today won't be so easy."
Takao Kazunari crossed half court with the ball, but Kasuga closed in instantly.
Full-court man-to-man pressure in clutch moments had always been Seiho's signature.
Almost immediately, every Shutoku player felt a crushing defensive pressure sweep over them.
"Mm… worthy of being called 'Tokyo's Iron Wall.' This defense looks very troublesome," Shutoku's coach, Nakatani Masaakiu, mused with a hand on his chin.
"But… this is just like that guy's style."
Glancing toward Seiho's bench, Nakatani found Coach Matsumoto Yukinori looking back at him at that exact moment, as if they had some kind of telepathy.
Once former teammates, they didn't know each other's teams perfectly, but each was familiar enough with the other's style.
"Since it's his team, there's no point in using sneaky tricks. Let's settle this fair and square."
Almost as if answering his thought,
Unable to break past Kasuga after several tries, Takao suddenly said, "Ahhh~~ I give up. As expected of a senior, your defense doesn't have a single gap."
Then, with a light toss from behind, the ball landed perfectly in the hands of the running Midorima.
Kasuga narrowed his eyes.
This guy's court vision… it's huge.
Midorima immediately began to raise his arms for a shot, but just before he could, Tsugawa appeared ghost-like right in front of him.
One of Tsugawa's hands had already slipped toward the ball. If Midorima continued, there was a real chance of a steal.
In the face of danger, Midorima stayed calm, switching from a shot to a drive in an instant, accelerating past Tsugawa.
But a second later, Tsugawa was glued to him again like a piece of stubborn gum.
Can't shake him?
Seiho's players weren't surprised, but Shutoku's side was.
They knew Midorima wasn't just the Generation of Miracles' top shooter, his driving and defense were also top-tier.
In pure skill and talent, he lived up to the title of once-in-a-decade genius.
Yet here he was, locked down.
Since joining Shutoku, this was the first time they'd seen anyone contain him like this.
Midorima tried repeatedly to break free along the perimeter, but each time Tsugawa caught up. He stayed close the entire time, leaving no room for Midorima to stop and shoot.
Tsugawa might have been blunt and a bit of a "tormentor," but he wasn't stupid.
Back in middle school, he had already learned that Midorima's range extended across half the court. He wasn't about to give even an inch of space.
As for that first shot earlier,
That was just Shutoku being unsportsmanlike, catching a rookie off guard.
Which was why he hadn't reacted in time.
"How surprising. This is the first time I've seen Shin-chan shut down right from the start," Takao said in genuine amazement.
"Other teams can't be underestimated. We're not the only ones who recruited a Generation of Miracles member this year, other schools clearly picked up some talented rookies too."
Otsubo Taisuke had wandered over during this exchange. Takao was about to agree with him,
When he turned his head.
What he saw made his blood run cold: Otsubo's face had gone pitch-black with irritation.
"This brat thinks this is his personal show? All these open spots, and he won't pass? Heh heh… rookies really do need discipline."
The usually mild-mannered center now wore a chilling grin.
Takao shivered and silently prayed for his teammate. Shin-chan… you're on your own. Good luck.
With the shot clock about to expire,
Takao slipped in to set a screen for Midorima. It caught Tsugawa off guard, giving Midorima a sliver of space.
Without hesitation, Midorima launched a three.
Swish!
The ball dropped clean through.
6–2.
============
Pushing up his glasses, Midorima looked far from pleased. He turned to Takao and said flatly, "Don't interfere, Ka—"
Before he could finish the "-zunari," his voice caught.
Somehow, he could sense something… ominous around him.
=============
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250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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