The Second Half Begins-Team V's Counterattack!

Taking the initiative in both attack and defense was something Nagi Seishiro had never done before.

"We absolutely can't lose."

Nagi Seishiro answered with unusual seriousness. Only then did the others notice that this was the first time Nagi Seishiro had broken a sweat during a match.

"Yeah, we absolutely can't lose."

Tsurugi Zantetsu pushed up his glasses. His head was already drenched in sweat, but he showed no sign of fatigue. Instead, his fighting spirit seemed even stronger.

"We're going to take this match with a perfect record. We're two goals behind right now, but we still have a chance. All we need to do is strike while the iron is hot and turn the score around."

"Mm."

Mikage Reo finally calmed down. He let out a long breath and shook his head.

"That's right. We still have a chance. We absolutely can't suffer a humiliating defeat..."

His mind raced as he thought about how to break through their predicament.

"Then from here on, Nagi, you'll handle the attack completely. As for you, idiot Zantetsu, you'll be responsible for the dirty work."

"Hey, don't call me an idiot. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Keep Kira Ryosuke in check. Use any means necessary. You have to restrict him at both ends of the field."

Mikage Reo continued,

"Kira Ryosuke links the entire team together. We absolutely can't let him move freely during the match. Idiot Zantetsu, on defense, use your speed and reactions to harass him no matter what. Don't let him get comfortable. On offense, you also need to cover for Nagi Seishiro and find a way to block Kira Ryosuke. Don't let him defend easily. Make sure you hold your position against him. In terms of build, you should still have a slight advantage, right?"

"Mm."

Tsurugi Zantetsu nodded.

"In short, your job is to wear down Kira Ryosuke's stamina. I don't believe he still has enough energy to keep handling both attack and defense! The rest of you, do the same. Understood?"

While Mikage Reo spoke, Nagi Seishiro was also thinking, recalling Kira Ryosuke's movements from moments ago.

It was like memorizing a boss's attack pattern in a game.

Meanwhile, the morale in Team Z's locker room had reached an unprecedented high.

"That was so cool, Kira! Did you see the furious look on Mikage Reo's face?!"

"Nagi Seishiro is strong, but our Kira is even stronger!"

"As long as we keep playing steadily in the second half, victory is ours!"

Kira Ryosuke looked at everyone's fighting spirit and nodded with a smile.

They had originally been nothing more than a mob, yet now they had driven Team V into a desperate situation.

However, Kira Ryosuke knew that Team V would not surrender so easily. They were just as eager for victory and would fight until the very last moment.

They couldn't afford to let their guard down.

After all, Nagi Seishiro was someone capable of creating miracles.

Even so, Kira Ryosuke absolutely would not hand victory over to someone else.

After all, he had promised Aida Reiko.

At Seirin High School, Aida Reiko was leading the basketball team through their final sprint drills.

They would soon be taking part in the qualifiers. Only by breaking through the qualifiers could Seirin earn the right to enter the next round-robin stage.

She picked up her phone. After sending Kira Ryosuke a message that morning wishing him luck in the match, she had not sent anything else.

The previous night, Kira Ryosuke had already told Aida Reiko that they would be playing their final match against another team that day, and that team had the strongest overall ability.

Although Aida Reiko really wanted to know how Kira Ryosuke was doing, she forcibly restrained her curiosity and did not send him any messages.

She had also rarely disturbed Kira Ryosuke over the past few days, allowing him to fully enter his training state and prepare for the final match.

She did not want to affect Kira Ryosuke's condition for the match. Besides, Aida Reiko knew that if he won, Kira Ryosuke would contact her at the first opportunity.

"You have to win, Ryosuke!"

Aida Reiko clenched her fist without realizing it.

Chapter 59: The Second Half Begins—Team V's Counterattack!

"All right, take five minutes to rest, then we'll start the next set of drills."

After watching the players finish a set of training, Aida Reiko let them rest for a while.

"Man, I'm exhausted."

Izuki Shun lay on the ground, gasping for breath. He looked as though he had nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

"You're already complaining about being tired from this level of training? That won't do. The intensity of your training is nowhere near half of what I put Ryosuke through!"

Aida Reiko spoke with great sternness.

"Kira really has it rough."

Hyuga Junpei smiled as he spoke from the side.

"But thanks to Kira, the basketball team has inexplicably become incredibly popular. We've gotten quite a few new members, and even new sponsors."

Ever since Kira Ryosuke had appeared at Seirin's basketball team, the school seemed to have taken a much greater interest in the club.

"Good thing Kira plays soccer. Otherwise, we'd all have lost our jobs."

Kiyoshi Teppei spoke while lying on a bench.

"He's handsome, talented, and hardworking! Can't you all learn from him?"

As Aida Reiko spoke, she couldn't help thinking of Kira Ryosuke again. A smile appeared on her face.

"That's obviously favoritism!"

Hyuga Junpei sighed.

"And because of Kira, your popularity has gone up too, Reiko."

Some of Aida Reiko's intimate interactions with Kira Ryosuke had been seen by others, causing many girls to treat her as an imagined rival.

Although Aida Reiko and Kira Ryosuke had already officially gotten together, only her best friends and the members of the basketball team knew about it. They had not made it completely public.

If those crazy girls at school found out, the consequences would probably be unimaginable.

"By the way... is it true that Kira joined the Blue Lock project?"

Kiyoshi Teppei asked. When the Blue Lock project had first been made public, it had caused quite a stir, but the authorities had not revealed any specific details.

"Mm."

Aida Reiko nodded.

"Last time, he was able to come out for a day because he met a certain condition."

"It really is just like a prison..."

Hyuga Junpei swallowed and shook his head.

"The careers of the losers are basically ruined. If it were me... I probably wouldn't risk taking part in this project..."

"But Ryosuke went, and he'll definitely fight his way out of there successfully."

Aida Reiko spoke with absolute certainty, her gaze turning solemn.

"Because he promised me that he would keep winning."

"There she goes again, showing off her relationship in front of the team!"

"Exactly! She hasn't gone three sentences without mentioning Ryosuke these past few days!"

"That's not all. Look at my notebook. Reiko has already said 'Ryosuke' 121 times in three days!"

"You guys!"

Although she was now Kira Ryosuke's girlfriend in name and in fact, Aida Reiko still blushed shyly whenever the subject came up.

To hide her embarrassment, Aida Reiko could only resort to even harsher measures!

"You guys, break time is over! We're starting the second set of drills now!"

"What?! Five minutes aren't up yet! It's only been two minutes!"

"I say it's over, so it's over!"

The halftime break soon ended, and everyone returned to the field to prepare for the second half.

Team V had reached the edge of a cliff. They could only fight with everything they had to find a chance of advancing from this desperate situation.

The people from Team Z also could not afford to let their guard down. A single moment of carelessness could wipe out all the advantage they had built up.

The whistle for the second half blew, and the match began again. Team Z had the first attack!

"Hold the advantage! Keep playing steadily!"

Bachira Meguru shouted as he controlled the ball and directed his teammates.

On the other side, Tsurugi Zantetsu followed Mikage Reo's orders. Together with several other defenders, he firmly blocked Kira Ryosuke's position.

Even though Kira Ryosuke was constantly moving off the ball, they gave him no chance to touch it.

However, this was not easy.

Tsurugi Zantetsu had originally believed that his height and build gave him a considerable advantage, allowing him to suppress Kira Ryosuke. But when it came time to actually fight for position, he realized that Kira Ryosuke possessed strength far beyond what his build suggested.

"What's with this guy's strength?!"

Tsurugi Zantetsu exerted all his strength, yet still could not gain the advantage in the physical contest.

However, surrounded by Tsurugi Zantetsu and the other defenders, Kira Ryosuke indeed could not find an opportunity to touch the ball.

"Kira's drawing so many defenders. We absolutely can't waste this chance!"

Bachira Meguru made that judgment, then immediately seized an opening and sent the ball to Kunigami Rensuke, who had moved into position to receive it.

"What a chance!"

Kunigami Rensuke took another stride and was preparing to shoot—

But at that exact moment, a ghostlike figure suddenly appeared at his side!

"What?!"

Nagi Seishiro!

"If it were Kira, this is probably what he'd do."

Nagi Seishiro caught up with Kunigami Rensuke at top speed and completely blocked his shooting angle.

"How did this guy even do that?"

Kunigami Rensuke stared in disbelief. His opponent seemed to have become even faster.

In the instant he lost focus, the ball at his feet was snatched away. Mikage Reo had found the opportunity and completed the steal.

"Counterattack! Nagi!"

Mikage Reo shouted as he followed Nagi Seishiro at top speed toward the other half to attack.

Kira Ryosuke was preparing to fall back on defense, but Tsurugi Zantetsu sprinted in front of him at top speed.

That sudden burst of speed consumed a tremendous amount of stamina, but Tsurugi Zantetsu could no longer afford to hold anything back!

Even if it drained every last bit of his strength, he had to intercept Kira Ryosuke here. Even one second would be enough.

And there were other defenders around to help block his position! The quality of this defense was far higher than it had been against Team Y!

This was Mikage Reo's strategy.

Even if it meant treating the defenders and Tsurugi Zantetsu as expendable pieces, they had to restrict Kira Ryosuke!

Although this would create a disadvantage in numbers and stamina, Mikage Reo believed that Nagi Seishiro's individual ability would be more than enough to deal with the remaining players.

Everything was up to Nagi Seishiro!