Miuradai's Secret Weapon

Shohoku's bench.

"Everyone played really well, especially Qing Junce. Keep it up," Kogure Kiminobu said, stepping forward to encourage Qing Junce and the others as they walked off the court.

"We actually made a comeback!" Shiosaki Satoshi exclaimed excitedly.

Yasuda Yasuharu also chimed in, "This is exactly how we should be playing."

Ayako and Shimizu Kanon handed out towels and water to everyone.

Ayako didn't hold back her praise. "You all played great, keep it up! Especially Qing Junce, you tied the score in such a short time, that's amazing. But you should try passing the ball to others too!"

Shimizu Kanon nodded repeatedly in agreement. "She's right! A-Ce, don't always go for solo plays, give your teammates some opportunities too!"

She secretly hoped Qing Junce would interact more with his teammates and build better camaraderie.

Qing Junce picked up his water bottle and took a few gulps before replying dismissively, "Pass? What good would passing to them do?"

Hearing this, Mitsui Hisashi and Miyagi Ryota immediately bristled. They stood up and yelled at Qing Junce, "What did you say?"

Qing Junce ignored them, taking another sip of water.

The two felt deeply insulted.

Mitsui Hisashi gritted his teeth and pointed at Qing Junce, cursing, "These first-year brats nowadays are so rude."

Miyagi Ryota, also furious, pointed at Qing Junce and yelled, "You're too arrogant, you bastard!"

"Alright, alright, don't argue. As long as we score, it doesn't matter who has the ball!" Kogure Kiminobu quickly stepped in to mediate.

He then turned to Akagi Takenori. "What do you think, Akagi?"

Akagi Takenori didn't say anything, just let out a soft grunt.

He actually disliked Qing Junce's isolationist playstyle.

However, Qing Junce's skill left him speechless.

As long as the ball was in Qing Junce's hands, scoring was easy.

This made Akagi feel a mix of affection, resentment, and helplessness.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn't exactly stop someone from scoring.

If he didn't say anything, it didn't feel like a proper team.

So, having too many geniuses on the team was also a troublesome problem.

Everyone chimed in, either arguing or discussing amongst themselves.

Only Sakuragi Hanamichi sat alone in a corner, his face dark and his heart full of frustration. Damn it! Why? Why did everyone get praised except me, who got ejected?

Miuradai's bench.

"What are you guys doing? You let them tie the score. We're supposed to be the team that beats Kainan, how can you be pressured by a team nobody's even heard of?" the Miuradai coach yelled at his players.

The Miuradai coach was a stern-faced, somewhat fierce-looking middle-aged man.

The Miuradai players could only lower their heads and endure their coach's wrath.

After the coach finished his tirade, the captain, Murasame Kengo, finally spoke. "Shohoku's number 9 really caught us off guard, but that's all. If we can shut down Akagi and that number 9, Shohoku is finished."

He looked at Miyamoto Kazunari and said, "Miyamoto, play rougher. Don't let their number 9 run wild anymore. You don't need to be polite with them."

"Yes..." Miyamoto Kazunari quickly replied.

However, he felt a lack of confidence.

Qing Junce had put too much pressure on him.

Murasame Kengo scanned the group and then declared, "Defense must be tight in the second half. It's okay even if it's a foul. This is just the first game, we absolutely cannot lose."

The Miuradai coach interjected, "He's absolutely right. Shohoku is nothing special; they were just a first-round exit team in the past."

He then looked at Miyamoto Kazunari. "We'll put Naito in for the second half, Miyamoto, you can rest for now."

"Yes." Miyamoto Kazunari immediately responded, feeling a sense of relief.

The others on Miuradai were also taken aback.

They hadn't expected the coach to reveal his trump card so soon.

But since the coach had said so, they naturally wouldn't refuse.

Stomp... stomp... stomp...

A series of heavy footsteps echoed.

Just then, a tall, burly figure appeared behind the Miuradai coach.

This figure held a basketball in one hand, a white towel draped over his head, and spoke with extreme arrogance, "What's Mitsui Hisashi? What's the Junior High MVP? They're nowhere near high school level."

As he spoke, he removed the white towel from his head, revealing a shiny, reflective bald head.

The gym lights shone on his bald head, reflecting like a mirror, giving him an unusual air of nobility.

At the same time, his face was fully revealed.

It was a rugged and defiant face.

He was Miuradai's secret weapon, named Naito Tetsuya. He stood 196cm tall, weighed 155kg, played Power Forward, and wore jersey number 9.

Naito Tetsuya continued, "What's Rukawa Kaede? He's just a first-year brat. And that number 9, I'm enough to handle him myself."

As he finished speaking, his right hand, gripping the basketball, began to tighten.

With a creaking sound, the basketball started to deform under the pressure of his grip.

Seeing this, everyone from Miuradai swallowed hard.

"It's up to you, Naito. We're going to crush Shohoku," Murasame Kengo said.

Naito Tetsuya's lips curled up. "No problem."

Miuradai's Coach addressed his team, "Good. Just like Murasame said, if we want to win, we'll do whatever it takes. Let Shohoku know how good we are."

Beep...

The whistle blew.

The second half of the game began.

The players from both sides took the court again.

However, this time, all eyes were drawn to the Miuradai team.

What captured their attention was the Power Forward who had just been substituted in, Naito Tetsuya, wearing Miuradai's number 9 jersey.

"My god! Who is that guy?"

"He's so tall!"

"And so strong!"

"Is he really a Power Forward?"

"This is going to be good!"

The Shohoku players were also taken aback by Naito Tetsuya's tall and robust physique.

"He's quite a big guy," Akagi Takenori said with a hint of surprise.

Mitsui Hisashi looked at Naito Tetsuya, somewhat surprised. "I saw his profile before, but seeing him in person still startled me."

The man's muscles were truly intimidating.

Miyagi Ryota mentally compared himself to the opponent.

His small frame was like a sprout next to that guy.

Fortunately, he wasn't the one guarding him.

He subconsciously shifted his gaze to Qing Junce, thinking, He should be okay, right?

Qing Junce merely glanced at Naito Tetsuya, showing no surprise on his face.

Just then, Naito Tetsuya approached the Shohoku players and arrogantly declared, "My surname is Naito, Naito Tetsuya. You'd better remember it."

"So annoying," Qing Junce interrupted dismissively. "I'm not interested in what your name is."

"What did you say? Brat," Naito Tetsuya's fierce expression returned as he glared at Qing Junce.

However, he quickly suppressed his ferocity, grinned, and thought, I'll start with you later.

At the referee's signal, both teams prepared for the jump ball to start the second half.

Akagi Takenori was naturally the one responsible for the jump ball for Shohoku.

Miuradai had substituted in Naito Tetsuya for this.

Beep...

The whistle sounded.

The referee tossed the ball high into the air between the two teams.

Akagi Takenori and Naito Tetsuya, who were responsible for the jump ball, leaped simultaneously, reaching for the ball in mid-air.

Their hands made contact with the ball at almost the same instant.

The next moment, everyone's eyes widened.

Akagi Takenori's arm began to tilt backward, while Naito Tetsuya's hand continuously pressed forward.

Thwack...

With a dull thud, Akagi Takenori's hand was suddenly knocked away by the basketball.

Naito Tetsuya had successfully secured possession of the ball.

Shohoku's bench.

"No way? Captain Akagi actually lost." Ayako's beautiful eyes widened in shock as she witnessed the scene.

Shimizu Kanon then produced a document and said, "Naito Tetsuya used to play rugby. His strength is indeed a bit greater than Captain Akagi's, so it was expected that he would lose the tip-off."

Ayako looked at her and asked, "Aren't you worried at all?"

Shimizu Kanon smiled faintly, her expression relaxed and confident. "Senpai Ayako, don't worry. With A-Ce here, it'll be fine."

On the court.

After Naito Tetsuya batted the ball away, it landed in Murasame Kengo's hands.

Before the Shohoku players could react, he quickly dribbled the ball into Shohoku's paint, intending to go for a direct dunk.

Mitsui Hisashi and the others had only just realized what was happening.

They hadn't expected Akagi Takenori to lose the tip-off to the opponent.

But it was already too late to chase back now.

Murasame Kengo's eyes held a smug look.

However, just as the ball was about to be slammed into the basket, a shadow obscured the light above his head.

Huh?

Murasame Kengo sensed something was wrong and looked up.

He saw a hand suddenly appear from behind his head and directly slap the basketball he was about to dunk.

"Your moves are too slow." Qing Junce looked calm, as if blocking this shot was a matter of course.

When did this guy catch up?

Murasame Kengo was filled with disbelief.

Even Naito Tetsuya looked astonished.

After getting possession of the ball, he had intended to find Qing Junce immediately and teach him a lesson.

Before he could even make a move, the other guy had already blocked their captain.

What kind of divine speed is this?

Even the Shohoku players were dumbfounded.

"Wait, bro, how did you do that?"

"Did you guess from the very beginning that Akagi Takenori would lose the tip-off?"