SLAP!
Kasuga Ryuhei reached out and intercepted Kuroko's pass, instantly flipping the momentum.
Seirin and Seiho's offense and defense shifted in an instant. Caught off guard, Seirin didn't even have time to react, hastily scrambling back on defense.
At the final moments, thanks to Kagami's extraordinary physical ability, he managed to block Seiho's shot before it even left the hand.
But it didn't change anything.
Less than a minute remained in the game, and the score was already 73–56 in Seiho's favor.
The outcome was already decided.
From the moment Kuroko's invisibility failed in the fourth quarter, Seirin had lost all hope of a comeback.
"Looks like this year's national tournament just gained another super tough opponent."
Yukio Kasamatsu stood and gave one last long look at Asuka Akashi on the court before leaving.
Today's match was worthwhile for him. He'd received both good news and bad news.
The good news: watching Seiho handle the invisible player gave him precious insight into countering Seirin, especially their method of dealing with Kuroko.
The key to stopping him… was to not stop him at all.
Haijō might not be able to pull off Seiho's full-court man-to-man, but perhaps a similar effect could be achieved by other means.
The bad news: today's experience also revealed an even more terrifying opponent.
A certain man… guarding the basket for Akashi Asuka.
Though Akashi had shown incredible defense and rebound skill today, he had barely left his own three-point line.
If he were to join the offense on the other end… the destruction he could unleash was unimaginable.
BEEP~~~
The electronic buzzer rang, officially ending the game.
Seirin's players stood on the court, hit hard, their usual fighting spirit gone.
For many, this was the first time they had felt such helplessness.
Even though the point difference never exceeded 20, only the Seirin players truly understood: today, Seiho had been like a rock in the ocean. Seirin's attacks, no matter how fierce, could not shake them.
============
"Looks like today's loss is going to hit Seirin pretty hard."
Winners and losers rarely have words for each other. After the customary handshake, Seiho left through the players' tunnel.
"As a new team, the higher your morale before a game, the harder the fall after defeat…" Akashi Asuka mused, hands behind his head.
He wasn't speaking without basis, Seirin, in the original story, was exactly this type of team. Determined, yes, but prone to impatience, carelessness, and pride. One wrong move from a stronger opponent, and they were on the brink of disaster.
"Today, we won with relative ease. But tomorrow, Seirin faces a monster who doesn't know the meaning of mercy."
"Aomine Daiki? Yeah… that guy's terrifying."
During the preliminary round, there was no practice, after such intense battles, even Seiho barely had the energy to train. Akashi Asuka was no exception.
After stretching and relaxing post-game, everyone returned home to rest.
The next day, Seiho's first match was against Senshinkan High.
As the last of Tokyo's "Big Three," their strength was unquestionable.
But unfortunately, Senshinkan had not recruited any "generation of miracle" members this year. Nor had they recruited players with potential to become one.
So while still a "king" among ordinary teams, against a team with miracle-level players, their reputation meant little.
In this match, Akashi remained anchored under the basket, avoiding offensive play.
Thanks to his defensive mastery, Seiho won 78–51.
With two wins, Seiho had essentially secured one spot for the summer nationals.
The relief among players was palpable, keeping mental tension taut through elimination rounds was no small feat.
Now, with one final preliminary match remaining, the team could relax slightly.
"Coach, I have a suggestion."
Back in the locker room, Akashi spoke up.
"What suggestion?"
"For the final preliminary against Tōō Academy, I propose we… forfeit."
The words hung in the air. Every eye in the room turned to Akashi.
Before defeating Senshinkan, such a suggestion would have prompted punches from Iwamura and others before the coach even spoke.
After all, in the preliminary round, securing two wins guaranteed entry to nationals. For any team, deliberately risking a game on a single match was extreme. For a powerhouse like Seiho, such recklessness was unthinkable.
But now, with a spot secured, whether they played the last match or not was trivial.
Still, Akashi needed a good reason if he wanted Matsumoto Yukinori to approve.
"Remember I mentioned thatTōō Academy has an intelligence-gathering expert? The former manager of Teiko? Her skill is incredible, she can not only collect precise information on opponents, but also devise counter-strategies based on that intel.
"And more importantly, she can predict opponents' potential future development paths.
"If possible, I don't want Seiho exposing too many strategies before nationals."
…Silence fell.
After several seconds, Sakamoto Kenjiro exclaimed, "Scary! So even the managers are that terrifying? How are we supposed to play against that?"
Matsumoto Yukinori considered for a moment. "Hmm… true, but forfeiting this game protects our strategies and prevents Tōō Academy from gaining intel too."
Akashi smiled faintly. "Exactly. If we don't expose our cards, Seiho holds the advantage. I've already collected all the necessary intel on Tōō Academy."
"Huh?"
Matsumoto looked at Akashi in surprise, curious when he had gathered the information, since even he and Kitayama Yuzuki had missed much of it during Seirin's games.
After a moment, Matsumoto nodded. "Alright. I agree with your suggestion."
Akashi continued, "But even if we forfeit against Tōō Academy, we can't just give up outright…"
He stroked his chin, his dark eyes glinting as a sly, calculating smile spread across his face. Then, he turned to the rest of the team:
"Everyone… do you like to act?"
=============
108+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support