Kanagawa Gymnasium.
"The game between Shohoku High School and Miuradai High School will now begin." After announcing this, the referee immediately carried the basketball to the middle of the two teams and prepared to toss it up.
The players from Shohoku and Miuradai were ready as well.
Shohoku's starting lineup:
Center, Number 4, Akagi Takenori, third year (captain).
Small Forward, Number 5, Kogure Kiminobu, third year.
Power Forward, Number 7, Kakuta Satoru, second year.
Point Guard, Number 6, Yasuda Yasuharu, second year.
Shooting Guard, Number 8, Shiosaki Satoshi, second year.
Miuradai's starting lineup:
Center, Number 8, Kawasaki Akio, third year.
Small Forward, Number 4, Murasame Kengo, third year (captain).
Power Forward, Number 6, Miyamoto Kazunari, third year.
Point Guard, Number 5, Araki Kazuo, third year.
Shooting Guard, Number 7, Takatsu Hiroshi, third year.
Because of the fight last time, Coach Anzai did not let Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, Miyagi Ryota, or Sakuragi Hanamichi play.
The players sent onto the court were all the old members from before.
The people from Ryonan were also puzzled when they saw Shohoku's lineup.
"It's finally starting. I need to study them carefully." Aida Kenichi stood ready and spoke seriously.
When Koshino Hiroaki saw Shohoku's starters, he frowned. "Strange. Why isn't Rukawa Kaede playing?"
Aida Kenichi blinked at that. "Oh, right! With Rukawa Kaede's ability, he should be a starter."
"They're probably hiding their strength. After all, the Prefectural Tournament has only just begun." Ikegami Ryoji analyzed the situation.
As the group talked, the whistle signaling the start of the game was blown.
Tweet...
After the whistle sounded,
the referee tossed the basketball high into the air above the center of the two teams.
Akagi Takenori and Kawasaki Akio leaped into the air, reaching for the ball.
Although the two had jumped at nearly the same time, Akagi Takenori was far superior to Kawasaki Akio in both takeoff speed and explosive power.
Without any suspense, Akagi Takenori touched the ball first.
Akagi Takenori lightly tapped the ball, sending it into Kogure Kiminobu's hands.
The people of Shohoku immediately began sprinting forward.
Kogure Kiminobu did not hesitate either, dribbling toward Miuradai.
Before reaching the three-point line, he habitually tossed the ball into the air.
Akagi Takenori suddenly appeared, leaped high, caught the ball in midair, and slammed it down through Miuradai's hoop.
Crash...
The sound of the dunk rang throughout the court.
Shohoku got off to a great start.
"Good!" Akagi Takenori clenched both fists and shouted.
Seeing that the game had already begun,
Sakuragi Hanamichi could barely contain himself as he sat on the bench.
He went to Coach Anzai's side and asked in a low voice, "Hey, Old Man, why do you never let me play? Didn't you say I was your secret weapon?"
Coach Anzai remained silent and did not answer Sakuragi Hanamichi.
When the other man said nothing, Sakuragi Hanamichi narrowed his eyes and pressed his face in front of Coach Anzai's. "Hey, Old Man."
Suddenly, Coach Anzai turned his head to the side and said, "Because you fought with the others, you have to be punished."
The moment he said this, not only Sakuragi Hanamichi but also Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota, who were sitting on the bench nearby, were stunned.
Sakuragi Hanamichi went over to the three of them and scolded them. "Oh no! Old Man's angry! Mitsui, think of something quick! This whole mess was caused by you."
"Who are you calling Mitsui?!" Mitsui Hisashi was displeased and immediately stood up to snap back. "And how dare you call Coach Anzai Old Man in public? You're incredibly rude, you know that?"
Miyagi Ryota pointed at Sakuragi Hanamichi and said, "Sakuragi Hanamichi, whether you play or not makes no difference. You're bench material anyway. You'd better sit here obediently and watch everyone else play."
"Ah... Miyagi, what are you talking about? How dare you speak to a genius like that! Besides, the reason we fought was because of you." Sakuragi Hanamichi's face was full of anger.
Listening to the argument beside him, Rukawa Kaede let out a long sigh before coldly saying, "Three idiots."
His voice was not loud, but it seemed to possess some kind of magic. The three people arguing nearby heard him perfectly.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota all furrowed their brows. Their tempers flared, and they angrily came before Rukawa Kaede, pointing at his nose as they began to berate him. "Rukawa Kaede..."
Mitsui Hisashi: "You were the first one to throw a punch, you hothead."
Miyagi Ryota: "I'm your senior, and you actually dare to call me an idiot."
Sakuragi Hanamichi: "Stinky fox, how dare you speak so arrogantly? You want to fight, don't you?"
Rukawa Kaede remained silent, then put on an indifferent expression and said, "Can't see you."
His attitude drove the three of them into a furious rage. "What did you say..."
Just then, Ayako turned around and stopped their argument. "Hey! You three, quiet down! This isn't the time to argue. Look at the scoreboard yourselves."
Sakuragi Hanamichi and the others all looked up at the electronic scoreboard hanging overhead.
When they saw the score on it, they were all stunned.
At that moment, the electronic scoreboard clearly showed Shohoku 4, Miuradai 16.
"When did they get fourteen points ahead?" Sakuragi Hanamichi stared blankly at the score.
Miyagi Ryota corrected him. "Twelve points."
Ayako explained, "Our defense is simply too weak, and we can't get the rebounds either. Although everyone looked over the information Kanon gave us beforehand, we still need people capable of carrying it out. With this lineup, playing Miuradai is simply too difficult."
Swish...
The sound of the basketball brushing through the net rang out.
Miuradai scored another basket through Shohoku's defense.
Murasame Kengo looked at Akagi Takenori and taunted him. "Akagi, how about it? This year, we're definitely going to defeat Kainan High and then enter the National Tournament. Even if Shohoku beats Ryonan, you still won't be a match for Miuradai."
As he spoke, the corner of his mouth curled up and his eyebrows rose. He deliberately raised his voice and sneered, "Let me tell you, we're nothing like that lousy team, Ryonan. So what if you beat a second-rate team?"
The moment he said this, the people from Ryonan sitting in the stands all had veins popping on their foreheads. They gritted their teeth and cursed at Miuradai below.
"How dare you call us a second-rate team! What does that make Miuradai?"
"What a bunch of bastards. They're way too arrogant."
"Shohoku, what are you doing? Hurry up and teach them a good lesson!"
"Our Ryonan is far stronger than your Miuradai."
Akagi Takenori glanced at the people from Ryonan in the stands and thought speechlessly, Those guys are so damn loud.
He looked at his teammates and sighed inwardly. "The whole team is being completely suppressed by Miuradai's momentum. As a result, they haven't even displayed half their strength. Just as Kanon said."
He recalled Shimizu Kanon's warning from before.
"Captain Akagi, although Miuradai's overall strength isn't very strong, you still need to pay special attention to them on the day of the game. Since this is the first match, everyone may be affected psychologically and fail to display their full strength."
Time passed second by second.
Miuradai continued slaughtering Shohoku without restraint.
The gap between the two teams' scores kept widening.
Shohoku's bench.
As the situation on the court grew increasingly grim, Coach Anzai finally spoke. "You won't fight with anyone else from now on, right?"
The moment he said this, the entire bench fell silent.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota moved in perfect unison, shaking their heads vigorously at Coach Anzai. "We won't fight anymore."
Ho ho ho ho...
Coach Anzai chuckled, then stood up.
In front of a vending machine somewhere inside the gymnasium,
Sendoh came over to buy some drinks.
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him. "How is it, Sendoh? How does it feel to have the Shohoku team give you such a hard time?"
Sendoh turned around. When he saw who it was, he was stunned. "You're Kainan's Maki Shinichi."
"Hi, Sendoh." Maki Shinichi greeted him.
"I never thought even the captain of the ever-victorious Kainan would come in person. Which team are you targeting? Miuradai, or..." Sendoh probed.
Maki Shinichi replied indifferently, "Whichever team wins in the end has nothing to do with us. The same goes for Ryonan."
After saying this, Maki Shinichi turned and left.
Sendoh suddenly called after him, "I see! But... this year may be different, Maki. Kainan's status as the king may not be safe."
Maki Shinichi paused, turned his head to glance at Sendoh, then continued walking away.
Watching Maki Shinichi's departing back, Sendoh murmured to himself, "I wonder what will happen when you face that guy."
Before you continue