"The Barrier Jumper"
Having failed repeatedly to find a breakthrough, Hyuga Junpei had no choice but to unleash his secret move.
At first glance, the Barrier Jumper resembles a step-back jumper, both create instant space from the defender. But while the step-back focuses on footwork, the Barrier Jumper emphasizes shifting the center of gravity.
This technique was personally passed down by former national player Aida Kagetora. Even in high school, it's considered a high-level move.
Depending on the user, sometimes even if the opponent discovers its secret, it may still be too late to stop it.
But clearly, Tsugawa Tomoki was not among those people. Akashi Asuka had already shared Hyuga Junpei's secret move with all of Seiho before the game.
Given Seiho's players' current skills, anyone could intercept the move if they adapted to the rhythm.
Yet the safest choice was undoubtedly Tsugawa Tomoki.
Whoosh~
As Hyuga moved backward, Tsugawa's eyes suddenly gleamed. He rushed forward, pressing, and by the time Hyuga released the ball, Tsugawa had already closed in.
"What?!"
Hyuga's face paled.
But it was too late. The basketball had already left his hands.
Clang!
As expected, the ball hit the rim with a loud metallic sound and bounced out.
"Rebound!"
"Rebound!"
Both teams shouted simultaneously.
Under the basket, Akashi Asuka, Tsutomu Iwamura, Kiyoshi Teppei, and Kagami Taiga had already positioned themselves. Kagami and Kiyoshi fought desperately for a good spot.
But with just a slight step back, Akashi pushed both aside effortlessly.
"Damn it!"
"This guy's just ridiculously strong!"
Kagami and Kiyoshi were trapped behind Akashi, unable to resist. Their frustration showed, but their efforts were futile.
The next moment: all four jumped simultaneously.
Kiyoshi roared, finding a gap to snatch the rebound with one hand. Perhaps because it was a one-handed attempt, he managed to touch the ball first, bringing a flicker of joy. His huge hands gave him confidence, even one hand could grab the rebound.
"Vice Claw!"
Before Kiyoshi's smile could form, a massive hand appeared mid-air, snatching the ball right out of his grip.
It all happened in an instant. The reversal was so fast that Kiyoshi's smile froze before it could fully form.
"Counterattack!"
Akashi swung his arm, launching a long pass to midcourt before Seirin could react.
Kasuga Ryuhei received it and sprinted in for another two points.
10–10.
The slim lead Seirin had built while Kagami was in the Zone vanished the moment he exited. The raw gap in team strength became apparent.
·····
"How is this possible?"
Aida Riko bit her nails, panic creeping in.
Akashi controlling both Kagami and Kiyoshi in the paint was expected. Last term, Seiho had beaten Yosen, proving Akashi wasn't weaker than Murasakibara.
But Tsugawa stopping Hyuga's Barrier Jumper on the first matchup, that she hadn't anticipated.
From summer tournament footage and prior games, Aida knew that while Seiho played team basketball, they weren't drastically different from other Generation of Miracles teams.
The difference was the sheer gap between Akashi and everyone else.
Even if no one on Seiho was a "cancer player," their strategy naturally revolved around Akashi.
Seirin expected to be pressured by him. Two-on-one or three-on-one situations were anticipated. What they didn't predict was that Seiho's other players also had such strong individual skills.
Whether it was Tsugawa against Hyuga or Shun Izuki against Kasuga, no Seirin player, except the semi-ignored Kuroko Tetsuya, gained the upper hand.
"This is bad… even more than we expected. Seiho's individual strength might be stronger than predicted!"
Aida felt a heavy weight in her chest. The last time she felt this way was Seirin vs. Rakuzan, when facing three "Uncrowned Kingss" and a "New Phantom Sixth Man," she nearly despaired, yet Seirin had staged a comeback.
Now, despite the grim situation, she could barely maintain composure.
The game continued. Without Kagami in the Zone, and no one else powering up, Seiho's superiority was clear.
Izuki was pressured by Kasuga. Hyuga is blocked by Tsugawa. Kagami and Kiyoshi couldn't find openings against Akashi and Iwamura.
Especially the rebounds.
Since the start, Seirin hadn't secured a single one, offensive or defensive. All were claimed by Akashi.
By the first half of the first quarter, the only hope for Seirin's offense was Kuroko.
Only when Kuroko shot did gaps appear in Seiho's defense. By the latter half of the first quarter, all scoring pressure rested on Kuroko, the "Phantom Sixth Man."
Kuroko didn't disappoint. Using his uniquely developed Phantom Shot, he scored multiple points in succession.
But… this wasn't necessarily good.
The more he scored, the more attention he drew, and the more his shadow was covered.
Yet if Kuroko didn't shoot, Seirin, outnumbered five-to-four, had no options. The team had no choice but to rely on him. It was a transparent strategy.
Still, the score gradually widened. Kuroko's shots weren't guaranteed. A miss meant a certain counterattack from Seiho.
Beep~~~
The first quarter ended: Seiho 22 – Seirin 18.
·····
"It feels like Seiho really understands Kuroko's abilities!"
After the first quarter, Satsuki Momoi remained silent for a while before speaking.
"Same as the summer prelims. That was Kuroko's first official high school match, yet Seiho devised the perfect counter-strategy."
Momoi still couldn't figure it out. Gathering intel on Kuroko wasn't like other players; his playstyle is unique, and even reporters often overlooked him.
Even she, as a former Teiko manager, felt Seiho handled him more expertly.
Aomine Daiki didn't worry much. "Seiho's scouting is excellent, but I don't think Kuroko is their main target right now."
"Huh?"
Momoi blinked.
Aomine continued: "If I'm right, Kuroko's just a convenience. Their true target is someone else… haven't you noticed today's attacks?"
Momoi's eyes widened. "The interior! Seiho's attacking and defending the paint too frequently."
Though Seiho intended to target Seirin's interior, the frequency in the first quarter was excessive.
Looking back, several outside shots were left wide open. Akashi could have easily scored three-pointers.
But they chose to attack the paint directly, head-on against Seirin's centers.
"Could it be…"
"Must be." Aomine squinted at the returning players. "With his personality, he won't ignore such a glaring weakness. He's not just probing the interior, he wants to crush it."
·····
The second quarter began.
A minute of rest didn't give Aida any solutions, but Seirin increased movement and used screens to strengthen offense, especially from the perimeter.
Thanks to teammates' screens, Hyuga got shooting chances and hit three consecutive shots right after the quarter began, bringing the score to 28–27.
"Yes~~"
Aida clenched her fists with excitement.
Seiho's formation, however, remained unchanged. Akashi stayed in the paint, intent on overwhelming Seirin's interior.
"Oh~~ did the 'dual personality' switch activate?"
Akashi glanced at Hyuga quietly.
"Even Hyuga's 'dual personality' is known? Seiho's scouting is impressive."
Kiyoshi, hearing this, was surprised. Seiho's intelligence network could even track something like that.
Akashi smiled. "It's nothing. But instead of worrying about our intel, you should be asking yourself… how much longer can you hold on?"
Kiyoshi's face paled. "What do you mean?"
Akashi sneered. "After a full quarter of high-intensity interior battles, how long can your legs last?"
Kiyoshi's gaze hardened.
As Akashi said, in the previous match against Rakuzan, Kiyoshi had already strained his injured left knee to face Nebuya Eikichi, one of the Uncrowned Kingss.
After yesterday's game, the knee was swollen.
And now, the first quarter's continuous paint battles added even more strain. He was barely standing, holding on purely by willpower.
He thought no one noticed, not even teammates during the timeout.
But Akashi saw through it.
No.
No way. Even Akashi's eyes shouldn't detect a knee injury this fast, unless…
"Could it be…"
Kiyoshi's pupils dilated.
Akashi smiled faintly. "You know, Kiyoshi-senpai, you really can be infuriating sometimes!"
"Going in injured… isn't that just proof of ideals and comrades?"
"A broken friendship might sound beautiful, but to your opponent… it's the greatest insult!"
His gaze turned cold as a blade.
At that moment, a rebound popped up above them. Kiyoshi instinctively went for it, but Akashi merely applied a light push, sending him sprawling to the floor.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria