Ryonan High School · Basketball Court.
Just as Qing Junce held the ball in both hands and locked eyes with Sendoh, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled upward.
At the same time, he began dribbling the ball.
Qing Junce first shifted the ball from his left hand to his right, then immediately from his right hand back to his left. His movements were smooth and fluid, completed in one breath without the slightest pause.
Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
Whoosh...
In the next instant, Qing Junce's figure turned into a blur in Sendoh's eyes and vanished.
What?
Sendoh's pupils contracted, and his expression changed dramatically.
A moment later, the sound of a basketball striking the floor came from his side, accompanied by a gust of wind.
Sendoh's heart tightened. He hurriedly turned his head, but could only catch a glimpse of a red back.
Behind them, Uekusa Tomoyuki's eyes widened in disbelief. He could not help exclaiming, "So fast! He shook off Sendoh in an instant!"
Even Uozumi had not expected Sendoh to be beaten so easily.
Standing beneath his own basket, every nerve in his body tensed.
The speed Qing Junce had just displayed was simply too fast.
On the court.
Qing Junce was already dribbling toward the front of Ryonan's three-point line.
Koshino Hiroaki came running over, intending to block his attack.
However, when he got in front of Qing Junce, his vision blurred. Then he felt a gust of wind sweep past him.
Qing Junce's figure vanished from his eyes before he could react.
So fast.
Koshino Hiroaki's body could not react in time at all. He could only glance sideways, trying to catch that figure.
But in the end, he could not even see his opponent's back.
After getting past Koshino Hiroaki, Qing Junce stepped straight into Ryonan's paint, then jumped directly for a layup.
Just as Qing Junce was about to slam the ball into Ryonan's basket,
a palm suddenly appeared, blocking the path of his dunk.
Smack...
The palm stopped the ball, sending it flying off to the side.
Oh?!
Qing Junce looked toward the owner of the hand, somewhat surprised.
The one who had blocked him was none other than Sendoh, who had caught up in time.
This guy actually caught up. Qing Junce thought to himself.
At that moment, excited cheers and shouts began to rise from Ryonan's bench.
"Great! He stopped him!"
"As expected of Senior Sendoh!"
"That really scared me just now!"
Aida Kenichi, who was recording the game, was even so excited that he jumped up. The pen in his hand looked as though it might snap from how tightly he was gripping it.
Only one person had emotions completely different from everyone else's: Ryonan's coach, Taoka Moichi.
His eyes were filled with gravity.
The speed Qing Junce had just displayed was already on par with Sendoh's.
That was absolutely not good news.
Although he had complete confidence in Sendoh, who played for his team,
Shōhoku also had Akagi Takenori and Rukawa Kaede.
And now, Qing Junce had appeared as well.
An uneasy feeling quietly rose in his heart.
The people on Shōhoku's bench all wore disappointed expressions.
"No way?!" Ayako exclaimed in shock.
"What a shame! He was so close." Yamada Tadashi sighed.
Kuwata Toki nodded as well. "Exactly! I never thought even Qing Junce would get blocked by that Sendoh. That Sendoh is really strong!"
Seeing Qing Junce get blocked, Shimizu Kanon's expression did not change at all. She merely said helplessly, "A-Ce, honestly..."
On the court.
Qing Junce landed after being blocked.
Koshino Hiroaki seized the ball first, then swung his arm and passed it to Uekusa Tomoyuki, shouting, "Now! Fast break!"
Uekusa Tomoyuki caught the ball without the slightest hesitation and immediately charged toward Shōhoku's basket.
Sendoh also spun around and sprinted toward Shōhoku's side the instant he landed.
The Shōhoku players hurried back on defense as well.
However, Ryonan's counterattack was too fast, and they had trouble catching up.
At that moment, a white figure turned into a streak of light, overtook everyone, and entered Shōhoku's paint first.
It was Sendoh.
Seeing that it was Sendoh, Uekusa Tomoyuki did not hesitate. He immediately launched a powerful long pass.
The ball carried an orange-yellow trail of fire, crossed half the court, and dropped straight into Sendoh's hands.
Not good.
The Shōhoku players were all shocked when they saw this.
Sendoh leaped up, holding the ball in one hand as he prepared to dunk.
Just when everyone thought Sendoh was about to score,
a figure silently arrived, extending his arm and swinging his palm in from the side.
Smack...
A crisp sound rang out.
A large hand brutally swatted the basketball out of Sendoh's hand.
What?
Sendoh's pupils trembled. He looked toward his side in disbelief.
Qing Junce's face, wearing an enchanting smile, appeared before his eyes.
When did this guy...? Sendoh's heart shook violently.
It was not just him.
Everyone in the gym was stunned by the scene before them.
They were not merely surprised that Qing Junce had managed to block Sendoh under such circumstances.
They were even more shocked by the way Qing Junce had blocked him.
In midair, Qing Junce's body had been tilted forward at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. It could be said that he had no balance at all.
Yet under those circumstances, he had still managed to block the shot accurately.
Qing Junce and Sendoh both landed back on the floor.
Tweet...
At the same time, the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half.
"Huh?! It's over already? What? I was just planning to warm up a little and then score a satisfying basket!"
At that moment, the entire gym fell terrifyingly silent.
Everyone's gaze rested on the figure wearing the Number 9 Jersey.
Even Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had been pestering Coach Anzai and clamoring to get on the court, fell silent.
Qing Junce paid no attention at all to the gazes around him.
He turned around and looked at Sendoh, who was staring at him with a shocked expression. Then he said, "Oh, not bad! Ten points ahead, and you're pretty strong!"
Sendoh was no longer wearing his usual playful smile.
His face was serious as he stared at Qing Junce for a long time without saying a word.
From that exchange of offense and defense just now, he had already realized that
the person before him was not weaker than he was. He might even be slightly stronger.
However...
The next moment, a smile appeared on Sendoh's serious face. "But that's what makes it interesting."
Ryonan's bench.
Aida Kenichi's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. Pointing at Qing Junce on the court, he said excitedly, "Oh... my... That was amazing! Can a person really make movements like that? And he even blocked Sendoh!"
The others from Ryonan also swallowed hard, unable to calm down for a long time after what had just happened.
At some point, Taoka Moichi had risen from his seat.
The shock had yet to fade from his face. Aside from disbelief, his eyes held nothing but astonishment.
What exactly had he seen?
A player who was not inferior to Sendoh—and might even be stronger than him.
Most importantly... what was with that speed?
In terms of speed alone, he might even be considerably faster than Sendoh.
Damn it!
Taoka Moichi clenched both fists, his heart filled with unwillingness.
He had worked himself to the bone, begging and pleading, before finally recruiting a genius like Sendoh.
But what about Shōhoku?
Akagi Takenori, Rukawa Kaede, and now Qing Junce.
He looked toward Anzai Mitsuyoshi, seated on Shōhoku's bench like an unmoving old monk. His eyes were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
The spectators on the second floor of the gym also began discussing the scene.
"Wow! That person actually blocked Sendoh! He's way too strong!"
"Who is that guy? Why have I never heard of him before?"
"His speed was so fast just now! He caught up with Sendoh in the blink of an eye."
A unique light shone in Akagi Haruko's eyes. She exclaimed excitedly, "Amazing! Qing Junce is incredible! He actually stopped Sendoh. Shōhoku is saved!"
Beside her, Matsui looked at her sidelong and said, "You said the same thing about Rukawa Kaede earlier."
The members of the Sakuragi Army were also shocked by what Qing Junce had just done.
Mito Yohei spoke up. "That guy really isn't an ordinary person."
Takamiya Nozomi also said, "Who would've thought? He looks like such a pretty boy."
O-Nann Yuji glanced at Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was sitting on Shōhoku's bench, and said, "If things continue like this, there probably won't be any chance for Sakuragi to get on the court."
Noma Chuichiro said bluntly, "Even if he did get on, what could that guy do?"
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