"Oh my god, what kind of move was that?"
"Does that even count as a shot? It looked like he just tossed it up."
"With that posture, the ball actually went in? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"
The spectators rubbed their eyes in astonishment, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
Aida Kenichi pointed shakily toward the court, his eyes wide and round, his face filled with disbelief. He cried out, "Th-this... What exactly happened? That shot was way too ridiculous!"
Koshino Hiroaki furrowed his brows, his expression solemn. He slowly said, "This feeling... I think I've felt it before."
Ikegami Ryoji was still dazed. The unbelievable scene from moments ago replayed over and over in his mind as he muttered, "That didn't look like a jump shot. Was it a hook shot?"
Sendoh took a deep breath, his expression growing even more serious. He said in a low voice, "Looks like my earlier guess was right. That guy is very good at shots like that."
"Fujima..." Hanagata Toru was filled with shock. He instinctively turned toward Fujima Kenji beside him, wanting to hear his opinion.
Fujima Kenji stared intently at Qing Junce below on the court. He frowned slightly and remained silent for a long while before finally saying three words. "Let's watch more."
Maki Shinichi's eyes narrowed into slits.
At that moment, his eyes held only Qing Junce, and he thought to himself, The situation in this game is about to change. Shohoku's No. 9... is a huge problem.
Just now, he had felt an inexplicable pressure from Qing Junce.
It was the same feeling he had only experienced when facing powerful opponents in the National Tournament.
He imagined himself on defense. If he had been guarding Qing Junce just now, there was a good chance he would have ended up like Nangou Koichiro and been completely unable to stop him.
The moment this thought surfaced, even Maki Shinichi himself was startled.
How is that possible?
That No. 9 is nothing more than a first-year brat!
The Shohoku players had likewise been shocked by Qing Junce's move, though excitement outweighed their surprise.
Miyagi Ryota came back to his senses. Although he was somewhat reluctant, he still said admiringly to Qing Junce, "You've really got something."
Mitsui Hisashi recovered from his shock and smiled faintly. "He's only a first-year brat, but I have to admit, that shot was beautiful."
Akagi Takenori also admired him, but he could not bring himself to show it. He maintained his stiff expression and merely said flatly, "Not a bad shot."
As for Rukawa Kaede, blazing battle spirit burned in his eyes as he looked at Qing Junce. If they had not been in the middle of a game, he probably would have already rushed over to challenge Qing Junce one-on-one.
Nangou Koichiro gritted his teeth angrily. "Damn it! You were just lucky. It won't be so easy next time."
Clap... clap... clap...
Although Godai Tomokazu had also been startled by Qing Junce's shot, he quickly recovered, clapped his hands, and called out, "Don't worry about it. We'll play steadily. The game has only just begun."
Hearing their captain's words, the Tsukitake players also recovered from their shock.
Now was no time to stand around in a daze.
The teams switched from offense to defense, and Tsukitake resumed its attack with the ball.
This time, they deliberately avoided Qing Junce, taking the long way around as they attacked the Shohoku paint.
With Godai Tomokazu's assistance, the ball was smoothly passed into Nangou Koichiro's hands.
Nangou Koichiro leaped high and slammed the ball through the hoop for a score.
After landing, he deliberately looked at Qing Junce provocatively and said, "I told you. I'm going to beat you."
Qing Junce did not even raise his eyelids, directly ignoring the provocation.
But a cold glint flashed through his eyes.
Shohoku inbounded the ball.
This time, before the Tsukitake players could double-team Qing Junce, the ball was successfully passed into his hands.
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
Qing Junce dribbled the ball, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the Tsukitake players.
He did not rush forward. Instead, he dribbled leisurely, as though strolling through a courtyard.
Mine Kenta immediately moved up to defend.
Qing Junce looked at Mine Kenta before him and stopped.
Seeing this, the other Tsukitake players quickly tightened their defense on their respective targets, preventing Qing Junce from passing.
If Qing Junce had known what they were thinking, he would have scoffed.
Pass?
Sorry, not happening.
In an instant, an inexplicable aura, like ripples spreading across calm water, radiated outward from Qing Junce.
The Tsukitake players suddenly felt their bodies grow heavy, as though they had been plunged into an environment where gravity had suddenly intensified. Every muscle, every bone, even the blood flowing through their veins, became unbearably heavy.
What happened?
What is this pressure?
Why do I have such an ominous feeling?
Their minds were thrown into chaos by doubt. Following the source of that strange sensation, they subconsciously looked over and locked their gazes onto Qing Junce.
At that moment, the corners of Qing Junce's lips lifted slightly. His gaze was calm as water yet cold as frost. An indescribable confidence and dominance seemed to envelop him, making people feel awe involuntarily.
The Tsukitake players swallowed one after another, and a bead of cold sweat suddenly slid down each of their foreheads.
The people on the court felt it clearly, but the spectators failed to notice anything unusual.
They began discussing it among themselves.
"Why didn't he push the fast break just now?"
"He's already been stopped by the other player. A fast break isn't possible now."
"Could he be out of stamina?"
The spectators felt it was a shame that Qing Junce had missed his chance to attack.
But in the next second, Qing Junce moved.
He suddenly switched hands between his legs. The move came without warning, though it was not as fast as they had imagined.
I can still keep up.
Mine Kenta quickly spread his arms wide, his eyes bulging like copper bells as he locked onto Qing Junce's every movement.
However, in the next instant, a whoosh rang out. Mine Kenta saw a flash of red before his eyes, and a fierce gust struck his face. When he focused again, Qing Junce had vanished from his sight.
What?
Mine Kenta's eyes widened so much they nearly popped from their sockets. His thoughts seemed frozen, filled with incredulous shock. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
He... disappeared.
Only after his reflexes finally caught up did he suddenly turn his head, following the sensation left by that gust of wind. Yet all he saw was Qing Junce's back, rapidly pulling away from him.
So fast. What kind of speed is that? His first step is ridiculously quick! A storm surged through Mine Kenta's heart, leaving him too stunned to speak.
The Tsukitake players also changed expressions the instant they saw this. They could not help sucking in a cold breath, their eyes filled with shock.
In the stands, Fujima Kenji, Hanagata Toru, and Maki Shinichi were likewise wearing expressions of disbelief.
They had watched games for so many years, but they had never seen anyone cross half the court in the blink of an eye. The unbelievable part was that he was sprinting while dribbling.
Is he even human?
Even the final sprint in a track-and-field race probably was not much faster than this!
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
A rapid, dense series of basketballs striking the floor exploded like popping beans.
The Tsukitake players had not yet reacted when Qing Junce had already become a red bolt of lightning, reaching the area before the three-point line in the blink of an eye.
Only then did the Tsukitake players belatedly turn their heads, staring in horror at that monstrous figure.
Nangou Koichiro was the first to recover from his daze. Seeing Qing Junce close by, he reacted instantly.
He strode forward, spread his arms, and stood before Qing Junce like a wall. He shouted, "Leave it to me! I'll swat your shot!"
Qing Junce's gaze was calm as water, and his movements flowed seamlessly, without the slightest pause.
He suddenly stepped into the paint, his toe almost brushing Nangou Koichiro's toe. Then he stopped sharply, leaped, and completed the entire sequence in one smooth motion.
"Don't think it'll be easy to score over me!" Seeing Qing Junce leap suddenly, Nangou Koichiro refused to back down. He forcefully planted both feet and jumped high after him.
He stretched both arms with all his strength. Like two enormous brooms, they blocked Qing Junce's shooting path completely.
But in the next second, the confidence on Nangou Koichiro's face froze. His expression shifted rapidly, first blank, then faintly surprised, followed by astonishment, then panic, and finally disbelief.
It was not just him. Everyone in the stands, the Tsukitake players on the court and the substitutes on the bench, and every member of Shohoku—in fact, everyone in the entire gymnasium—slowly opened their mouths wide and stared with bulging eyes. Their faces were filled with shock, awe, and disbelief, as though they had witnessed an utterly absurd miracle.
Sendoh's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. He blurted out, "This... You've got to be kidding!"
Aida Kenichi was completely dumbfounded. He instinctively cried out, "Oh my god!"
Uozumi's mouth hung wide open as he shook his head repeatedly. "You've got to be kidding! That guy..."
Fujima Kenji's brows drew together tightly as he muttered, "How could something like this be possible?"
Hanagata Toru was so shocked he could not form a complete sentence. He only managed, "This..."
Maki Shinichi said nothing, but his tightly furrowed brows and grave gaze revealed the shock in his heart.
The situation on the court suddenly froze.
The Shohoku players who had been preparing to support Qing Junce and the Tsukitake players rushing back on defense all stopped as though struck by a binding spell. Their gazes locked straight onto Qing Junce and Nangou Koichiro facing each other.
More precisely, their eyes held only Qing Junce.
In midair, Qing Junce's body slowly leaned backward in an utterly unbelievable posture. He leaned farther and farther back until he was almost parallel to the floor, as though lying flat in the air.
Yet even so, he continued holding the basketball steadily in his hands, delaying his shot.
At that moment, Qing Junce curled the corner of his lips into a meaningful smile. "You certainly jumped high, but... that's all you've got."
As his voice fell, he suddenly swung his arm with force. The basketball left his hand and traced a slightly high arc through the air, passing perfectly above Nangou Koichiro's outstretched palm before descending toward the Tsukitake hoop.
Amid Nangou Koichiro's unwillingness and disbelief, a crisp swish came from behind him.
Swish...
The basketball dropped through the net.
Thud... thud-thud... thud-thud-thud...
The basketball hit the floor and slowly rolled off to the side.
The electronic scoreboard quietly changed.
Shohoku 8–10 Tsukitake.
For a moment, the entire gymnasium fell utterly silent. It was so quiet that even a needle dropping to the floor could be heard.
No one knew how much time passed before a boom rang out, as though a nuclear bomb that had lain dormant for years had suddenly detonated inside the gymnasium.
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