"How is this possible?"
Aida Riko jumped to her feet in shock, staring at the scene on the court. "Kagami… he actually lost his strength? And he didn't even manage to resist at all?"
From the data, Aida had long known Akashi Asuka was strong, but she had never expected it to be to this extent.
And this was Kagami!
Though slightly shorter, Kagami's physique, muscle strength, explosive power, was easily comparable to any member of the Generation of Miracles.
Yet even with such a strong body, he was so easily overpowered by Akashi… it was unbelievable.
============
"Oh~ sorry! Might've used a bit too much force."
Akashi extended a hand toward Kagami, but Kagami didn't respond, or rather, he was still frozen in shock, unable to process what had just happened.
This guy…
The tremor in his eyes betrayed Kagami's inner turmoil.
To the outside observer, it might have seemed like Kagami simply lost the collision.
But Kagami knew better. He hadn't truly lost, compared to Akashi, his body was like a child's next to an adult's.
They were on entirely different levels. Talking about winning or losing made no sense.
I can't win. I'm not even a match.
For the first time in his life, that thought flashed in Kagami's mind. Even when facing Midorima Shintaro before, he had never considered giving up or conceding defeat.
But now… the gap was simply too vast.
No amount of effort or teamwork could bridge it.
============
The loose ball was finally recovered by Seiho, who immediately launched a fast break. Kasuga Ryuhei threw a long pass across half the court to Tsugawa Tomoki, already sprinting ahead.
Tsugawa dribbled twice, stepped forward three times, and laid it in effortlessly.
19:0.
Seirin's situation grew increasingly dire.
More than an entire quarter had passed, and they still hadn't scored a single point. Any team in that situation would feel demoralized, their morale plummeting.
Seirin was barely holding onto the desire to attack, a testament to their resolve, but even so, the audience could sense their energy beginning to wane…
============
"Hey! Kagami, you alright?"
At that moment, Hyuga Junpei called out to him in a strangely familiar tone.
Kagami paused at the oddity but nodded, "I think… I'm fine."
"Good! Seriously, what is with these first-years? With skills that strong, why don't you go play in the NBA?! That so-called 'Generation of Miracles'… all of you can just die! Hah!"
Hyuga muttered angrily as he ran toward the front of the team.
The Seirin players exchanged confused looks. "Izu… Hyuga… is this?"
Izuki nodded calmly. "Yes. Hyuga's switch has been flipped… Wait, his switch is on him?"
"Shut up, Izuki! Pass me the damn ball. If we can't break through the inside, we'll open a breakthrough from the outside…" Hyuga growled.
Omuro Yoshikasu, guarding Hyuga, noticed a subtle change but couldn't pinpoint it immediately.
Then, in the next moment,
Hyuga stepped back with the ball. They were already outside the three-point line, and those steps pushed him nearly three to four meters beyond it.
That far… he can't make that shot…
"Huh? There's no way he can miss!"
Before Omuro could finish, Hyuga snapped, "It's just a few extra meters! We're here for revenge this year, not to be side characters! You bastards!"
SWISH!
The ball arced beautifully through the air and dropped perfectly into the hoop.
19:3.
A brief silence fell over the court, then the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Whoa whoa whoa~~"
"Nice shot!"
"Seirin finally scored!"
============
Seirin had found a breakthrough in a place that was unexpected yet not entirely surprising.
This shot was crucial, a key step from zero to one. With Hyuga breaking through Seiho's defense first, Seirin's morale began to rise.
In the next play,
Seiho attempted another offensive push, but Kagami blocked it. Seirin immediately countered, and Tsugawa faced Kagami one-on-one again.
This time, Kagami didn't rely on a screen. After several quick between-the-legs dribbles, he suddenly accelerated, shifting rhythm violently. Tsugawa's balance faltered, and he failed to react in time. Kagami drove past into the paint.
Akashi moved up to help defend.
Kagami tossed the ball backward without hesitation, landing in Hyuga's hands outside. Hyuga dribbled back and shot decisively.
"Not this time," Omuro thought. He followed Hyuga immediately.
But as he moved forward, it felt as if something blocked him, halting his steps slightly.
Looking down, he saw it wasn't a person in front of him, it was Kuroko Tetsuya, who had appeared from somewhere.
When did he get here?
Omuro was stunned. Kuroko hadn't been directly in his line of sight, yet he had no idea Kuroko was there until he physically encountered him.
Kuroko's screen gave Hyuga the opening to shoot. Standing two to three meters behind the three-point line, Hyuga released the ball, and,
SWISH!
19:6.
Seirin was chipping away at the score…
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