Pressure Brought by Qing Junce

Shohoku's bench.

After Qing Junce came off the court, he went straight to his seat.

One after another, the Shohoku players praised him enthusiastically, their faces filled with excitement.

"Qing Junce, you're seriously incredible."

"Yeah! You actually managed to go toe-to-toe with that Sendoh."

"Maybe we can really beat Ryonan this time!"

Akagi Takenori also looked at Qing Junce with mixed feelings.

He hadn't expected Qing Junce to be this strong either.

But there was no way he would simply voice his praise like that.

Kogure Kiminobu came over to Akagi Takenori and said excitedly, "Shohoku really did get an incredible player! Right, Akagi?"

Akagi thought the same thing deep down, but his face remained stern as he snorted. "Hmph. He's just a guy with no sense of time."

Ayako didn't hold back her praise either. Patting Qing Junce on the back, she said, "Qing Junce, I had no idea you were this good! You even made Sendoh suffer. Shohoku is really going to take off now."

Qing Junce remained completely indifferent. "It was nothing special."

Shimizu Kanon came to the front of the group with a stack of documents in her hands and said, "Although we're currently ten points behind, we still have the advantage. Everyone needs to pay attention to the coordination between their players, as well as stay alert to any passes Sendoh might make. In the second half, everyone can..."

She began explaining information about Ryonan's players, along with several things they needed to watch out for in the second half.

The Shohoku players listened attentively.

Coach Anzai sat quietly to the side, like an old man who had withdrawn from worldly affairs.

Only after Shimizu Kanon finished speaking did he turn his gaze toward Qing Junce.

Seeing Qing Junce staring blankly into space, she immediately said, "A-Ce, were you listening?"

"Huh? Listening to what?" Qing Junce asked, blinking as he came back to himself.

Seeing him like this, Shimizu Kanon could only look helpless.

She said irritably, "Honestly, you're like this every time. We're trying to close the gap! We're still behind! Could you take this seriously and stop letting them block your shots so easily?"

What?!

Qing Junce dug at his ear, then replied indifferently, "No way! I'm exhausted."

"A-Ce..." Shimizu Kanon puffed out her cheeks angrily.

Qing Junce sighed and replied, "But... that guy does have some ability. I'll take things seriously in the second half."

Everyone who heard Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon's exchange wore a baffled expression.

What the hell?

Judging from their conversation, Qing Junce hadn't been using his full strength earlier?

You've got to be kidding.

At the other end of the bench.

Rukawa Kaede, who had remained silent the entire time, also frowned.

His gaze settled on Qing Junce, his eyes as deep as an abyss.

Akagi Takenori also looked toward Qing Junce, his expression unreadable. No one knew what he was thinking.

Ryonan's bench.

The Ryonan players had gathered in a circle.

Taoka Moichi was giving them a stern lecture.

His expression was heavy. "Listen up. Tighten your defense in the second half. Don't let Shohoku score easily."

"Yes..." the Ryonan players answered in unison.

Taoka Moichi shifted his gaze to Sendoh and said, "Sendoh, Shohoku's #9 is yours. Make sure you shut him down completely."

Sendoh nodded. "Got it."

Although he had made that arrangement, Taoka Moichi was still somewhat uneasy.

The pressure Qing Junce had given him had come too suddenly.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Uozumi, "Uozumi, if you get the chance, give Sendoh some support."

As soon as he said this, both Uozumi and the other Ryonan players froze.

Did the coach mean that Uozumi was supposed to help Sendoh defend Shohoku's #9?

Wasn't that a little excessive?

Even though some of them were confused, none dared say anything in front of the coach.

Uozumi was puzzled, but he still nodded. "Yes."

The second half began soon after.

The players from both teams returned to the court.

Ayako asked Shimizu Kanon curiously, "Kanon, what did you mean earlier when you said Qing Junce hadn't gotten serious? Was that not his full strength?"

The question also drew the attention of the other Shohoku players.

Even Coach Anzai, who had looked completely unconcerned, began listening carefully.

Shimizu Kanon slowly said, "Well... it's not quite right to put it that way. A-Ce is the type whose condition improves the further a game progresses. You'll understand the specifics later. Or perhaps sooner—after this game, you may understand."

It wasn't that she was unwilling to explain.

She simply didn't know how to explain it.

On the court.

Sendoh took the initiative and came before Qing Junce. "You're Qing Junce, right? How come I've never heard your name before?"

Qing Junce looked at him and replied, "I've never heard your name either."

Qing Junce was just making that up.

Of course, he wasn't exactly lying.

If he hadn't watched Slam Dunk in his previous life, he definitely wouldn't have heard the name Sendoh either.

"Is that so?" Sendoh didn't get angry.

Instead, he felt that Qing Junce's words weren't entirely unreasonable.

With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he said meaningfully, "Looks like this year's Prefectural Tournament is going to be interesting. Let me see what you're capable of!"

Qing Junce grinned at the Sendoh before him. "That depends on whether you have what it takes."

The atmosphere between the two sides grew tense in an instant.

Beep...

A whistle sounded.

The second half of the Shohoku versus Ryonan practice match officially began.

As soon as the game started, a clear division appeared on the court.

"What is this..." Aida Kenichi asked doubtfully, pointing at the court.

"It feels like everyone's gathered on one side!" a Ryonan substitute said.

Taoka Moichi crossed his arms over his chest and said solemnly, "This is to give the aces more room to show what they can do and let them decide the direction of the game. A situation like this is extremely rare."

At his words, the Ryonan substitutes were all inwardly astonished.

Aida Kenichi was even more excited as he scribbled in his notebook, saying, "I see! Ace versus ace! I can't believe Shohoku's #9 is that strong. I have to write this down."

Taoka Moichi's brows drew tightly together as he muttered inwardly, "The key to victory in this game lies in the hands of the two teams' aces."

Ryonan took the first possession.

After the ball was passed around, it eventually reached Sendoh.

Sendoh didn't attack immediately after receiving the ball. Instead, he looked at Qing Junce and said, "Then, shall we begin?"

The moment he finished speaking, the basketball hit the floor, and Sendoh's body flashed as he darted toward Qing Junce's right.

In the blink of an eye, Sendoh had already passed behind Qing Junce.

"He got past him!" Koshino Hiroaki said in surprise.

"No, he hasn't," Uozumi said gravely.

Just as Sendoh had broken past Qing Junce, a red figure followed closely behind him.

That person was none other than Qing Junce.

Sendoh sensed the figure rapidly closing in behind him.

His forward motion suddenly stopped, and he flung the basketball toward the other side of the court.

Following the ball's trajectory, they saw Ryonan's power forward standing there: Ikegami Ryoji, wearing jersey number 5.

He caught Sendoh's pass, then quickly charged into Shohoku's paint and immediately leaped for a layup.

Ah...

At that moment, Akagi Takenori sprang off the ground, spreading both arms and blocking Ikegami Ryoji's path to the basket.

"Here..." A voice suddenly came from behind Ikegami Ryoji.

He recognized Sendoh's voice and, without thinking, abruptly stopped his layup and threw the ball behind him in the direction of the voice.

The basketball returned to Sendoh's hands.

By then, Akagi Takenori had begun descending from his jump and could only watch helplessly as Sendoh leaped into the air with the ball.

Just as Sendoh was about to complete the layup,

Qing Junce suddenly burst out, stretched out his arm, and swatted the basketball away with one palm.

Smack...

The crisp sound reached everyone's ears.

Sendoh's pupils trembled, but there was nothing he could do at that moment.

After landing, Qing Junce said to Sendoh, "A fast break this slow won't work."

Sendoh's expression darkened slightly.

He had already pushed his attack as fast as possible, yet he still hadn't been able to shake off his opponent.