The stage of the National Tournament (IH) was like a massive gladiatorial arena. After Teikō Junior High, the young beast that had just begun to reveal its fangs, effortlessly crushed Yamagata Nishi, it continued its unstoppable advance into the quarterfinals. Bai Ze You's earth-shattering "2+1" against Yamagata Nishi, followed by his consistently clutch performance, was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake. The ripples it created far surpassed anyone's expectations. He was no longer the relatively quiet star among Teikō's brilliant constellation. The name "White Phantom" had begun appearing in bold type in the reports of coaches and scouts across the National Tournament.
"Bai Ze You (Teikō, first-year): Position: SG/PG. Primary threat: Exceptional physical flexibility and balance, combined with convincing fake moves and outstanding finishing ability around the basket, creating a unique 'Phantom' style. His drives are highly deceptive, and he excels at scoring in tight spaces and while off-balance. Excellent playmaking ability and court vision. Extremely strong in clutch situations. Weaknesses: Relatively weak in Absolute Strength confrontations, three-point consistency requires improvement, and efficiency may decline against intense targeted defense."
This report was currently spread open on the coaching bench of Teikō's quarterfinal opponent—the traditional powerhouse from the Kansai region, Osaka Tōyō High School. Tōyō's coach was renowned for his experience, cunning, and exceptional ability to study opponents' weaknesses. He pushed up his glasses, the eyes behind the lenses gleaming shrewdly as he repeatedly watched footage of Teikō's games, especially Bai Ze You's highlights.
"Hmph, 'White Phantom'? Slippery little brat..." The Tōyō coach curled his lips into a mocking smile. "No matter how slippery the loach, it still fears a net with tight enough mesh!"
He summoned the ace responsible for guarding Bai Ze You—Kishimoto Minori, a wing player nearly 190 centimeters tall and weighing 90 kilograms, known for his strength, brutal defense, and trash talk—as well as another guard with nimble footwork and a talent for anticipating steals: Minami Ryō.
"Kishimoto, Minami." The coach pointed at the screen, where Bai Ze You repeatedly slipped past defenders and finished at the rim. "This Bai Ze You is the most troublesome 'Phantom Gear' in Teikō's precision machine. When Aomine and Midōrima are locked down, he can step up. In transition, he can guide the attack with pinpoint accuracy. In the half court, his cuts and fake moves can tear open the defense. We cannot let him get moving!"
Kishimoto Minori clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking as a vicious grin spread across his face. "Leave it to me, Coach! I love crushing flashy little show-offs like him! I'll show him that in the face of Absolute Strength, every phantom is just a paper tiger!"
Minami Ryō nodded calmly. "His fake moves change rhythm very quickly, and his control of his center of gravity is excellent. I'll need to carefully anticipate the direction of his First Step."
"Good!" The coach nodded in satisfaction and quickly sketched out the tactics on the whiteboard. "Kishimoto! Your mission is power suppression! Use your body to stick to him like a wall! Don't give him room to get started! Be aggressive! Be ruthless! Make every catch, every dribble, and every jump painful! Wear down his stamina! Disrupt his rhythm!"
"Minami! You're responsible for Predictive Interference! Don't let his fake moves completely pull your center of gravity away! Watch for subtle changes in his shoulder movement, eye direction, and dribbling rhythm! Anticipate his true driving direction! The instant he starts, interfere precisely and attempt the steal! At the same time, cut off his connections with his teammates!"
"Everyone else! Pay attention to Zone Defense! The moment Bai Ze You uses his skills to shake off Kishimoto or Minami and drives into the paint, collapse immediately! Form a trap! Make up for his advantages in flexibility and balance with numbers! Force him into a corner! Make him attempt a difficult, inefficient shot—or simply draw an offensive foul!"
The Tōyō coach drew a large red X over Bai Ze You's name, his voice cold:
"Triple Chain! I'll lock down Teikō's 'Phantom' with strength, anticipation, and numbers! I'll turn him from lubricant into a jammed gear! I'll bring Teikō's offense to a complete halt!"
National Tournament Quarterfinals, Teikō Junior High VS Osaka Tōyō High School.
From the opening whistle, Tōyō displayed a defensive intensity completely different from that of their previous opponents, and all their firepower was concentrated on Bai Ze You!
Kishimoto Minori stuck to Bai Ze You like a parasite clinging to bone! His defense was aggressive and malicious! Every physical contact came with a violent collision. His arms shoved and pressed down discreetly, while his knees and elbows constantly made small dirty plays. All the while, he kept spewing trash talk:
"Hey, white-haired brat! Can that skinny body of yours take it? Don't fall apart after one hit!"
"Can you do anything besides wriggle around? Dancing like some girl!"
"Come on! Try driving past me! Let's see if I don't crush you!"
Kishimoto's strength and bulk far exceeded Bai Ze You's! Every confrontation felt like running into a moving wall of muscle! Bai Ze You's chest felt tight, his breathing grew labored, and his feet were forced into stumbling steps! The Rhythm Change he relied on to survive became difficult to use under Kishimoto's crude power suppression! His starting space was compressed to the extreme!
Minami Ryō, meanwhile, was like a venomous snake waiting outside the "cage" Kishimoto had created. His defense was exceptionally intelligent. He kept his center of gravity low, moved his feet quickly, and stared at Bai Ze You's dribbling hand like a hawk, tracking the twitch of his shoulders and every shift in his center of gravity. He would not let Bai Ze You's wide fake moves pull him completely off balance. Instead, he precisely anticipated Bai Ze You's true driving direction and launched vicious digs or physical interference the moment he started!
"Smack!" Minami Ryō's hand shot out like lightning, nearly stripping the ball from Bai Ze You!
"Bang!" Bai Ze You finally used a fake move to shake open a sliver of space and prepared to drive, but Kishimoto's powerful body came crashing in like a tank and slammed him aside!
Bai Ze You's dribbling became extraordinarily difficult. Every attempt to change rhythm or direction was accompanied by violent physical contact and precise Predictive Interference. His turnovers began to increase. One forced drive ended with Kishimoto knocking him straight to the floor. The referee called a blocking foul, but Bai Ze You's offensive rhythm had been thoroughly disrupted.
"Bai Ze-kun's been shut down!"
"Tōyō's defense is so vicious!"
"That Kishimoto guy is filthy!"
Worried discussion rose from Teikō's supporters in the stands.
Momoi Satsuki anxiously flipped through her stat sheet. The data concerning Bai Ze You was alarming:
* First 10 minutes of the first half:
* Time in possession: ↓45%
* Forced turnovers: ↑300% (3)
* Drive success rate: ↓80% (only 1 successful drive)
* Field-goal attempts: ↓70% (only 2 attempts, 1 made)
* Efficiency rating: Plummeting!
"Observation Alert: The Phantom is being suppressed by the 'Triple Chain'! His Physical Confrontation Weakness has been exposed, Space Extremely Compressed, and rhythm severely disrupted!"
Teikō's offense was indeed affected. Bai Ze You, their important "lubricant" and "Speed shifter," had been locked down, and the offense lost much of its fluidity. Although Aomine could still force points through with his overwhelming talent, Midōrima could occasionally sink difficult threes under tight coverage, and Akashi's orchestration remained calm, the entire offensive system was clearly sluggish, losing the dominance that had once flowed as smoothly as water.
The first half ended with the score: Teikō 42 : Tōyō 40. The margin was razor-thin! Tōyō's tactics had achieved immediate results!
The atmosphere on Teikō's bench was heavy. Sweat slid down Bai Ze You's cheeks. He kept his head lowered, his chest heaving violently, while his white bangs were soaked and plastered to his forehead, making him look somewhat battered. Kishimoto's malicious strength and Minami Ryō's precise anticipation had subjected him to unprecedented pressure. He could feel his teammates' gazes on him—concern from Momoi, encouragement from Kuroko, expectation from Nijimura, and scrutiny from Akashi.
"Yū, how are you feeling?" Nijimura Shūzō asked in a low voice.
Bai Ze You raised his head. The calmness he usually carried was gone, replaced by a trace of suppressed irritation and... a faint, barely perceptible self-doubt. He drew a deep breath, his voice slightly hoarse. "That Kishimoto... he's incredibly strong, and his physical defense is brutal... Minami Ryō's anticipation is precise too. The space... he's compressed it completely."
He clenched his fists, his knuckles paling. Strength... had always been his relative weakness. Within Teikō, he could use skill and flexibility to maneuver around Aomine. But against a defender like Kishimoto, who relied purely on bulk and malice, his disadvantage had been magnified without limit.
"They've figured you out, Shiro." Aomine Daiki gulped down some water, irritation in his voice. "That bastard came specifically for you! He's bullying you with his body!"
Midōrima Shintarō pushed up his glasses and analyzed the situation calmly. "Their tactical objective is clear: sacrifice part of their defensive resources to lock down Bai Ze-kun and disrupt our offensive rhythm. Judging by the data, it has been highly effective."
Murasaki-bara Atsushi yawned. "Ah~ what a pain. Want me to go in and knock that big guy flying?"
Akashi Seijūrō said nothing. His crimson eyes were like a deep pool as he quietly watched Bai Ze You, as though evaluating something.
Nijimura Shūzō swept his gaze over the players, his voice suddenly rising with unquestionable authority:
"Everyone, get your heads in the game! This is the National Tournament! The opponents aren't here to hand us points!"
"Tōyō's tactics are obvious. They're locking down Yū! They succeeded in the first half! But that doesn't mean we've lost!"
His eyes blazed as he stared at Bai Ze You. "Yū! Raise your head! Just because you're weaker in strength, are you going to give up? Is that all your 'Phantom' can do? Hide away and only play when the wind is at your back?!"
Nijimura's words lashed into Bai Ze You's heart like a whip! He suddenly raised his head, and the thread of self-doubt in his eyes was ignited into an unyielding flame!
"What are your strengths?!" Nijimura demanded sharply. "Absolute Strength? No! Your flexibility! Your balance! Your rhythm! Your mind!"
"Kishimoto is strong? Then don't clash with him head-on! Use your slides to disperse his force! Use your fake moves to manipulate him! Use your Rhythm Change to wear him down!"
"Minami Ryō's anticipation is precise? Then turn his anticipation into a trap! Use more convincing fake moves! More sudden Rhythm Changes! Pass and cut in ways he can't imagine!"
"Zone Defense? Then move the ball faster! Use your vision to find open teammates! Trust Aomine! Trust Midōrima! Trust Akashi! Trust Kuroko! Trust Murasaki-bara!"
Nijimura's voice echoed through the locker room:
"Use your 'Phantom' not to avoid confrontation, but to control it! Toy with it! Tear apart their Triple Chain! Make them understand that targeting you was the biggest mistake they ever made!"
Bai Ze You's chest heaved violently. Nijimura's words had been like an awakening! It was true that he lacked strength, but that did not mean the gap could not be crossed! His advantages lay in skill, rhythm, and intelligence—in his ability to find cracks in desperate situations!
He wiped the sweat from his face, and his eyes once again became sharp and focused. The irritation and self-doubt from before were replaced by a calmer, deeper, and more dangerous light. He looked at his own hands, as though recognizing their strength anew.
"Yes, Captain!" Bai Ze You's voice was low and resolute. "I understand now."
Akashi Seijūrō finally spoke, his voice calm and emotionless. "In the second half, temporarily tilt the Offensive Axis toward the Strong Side. Aomine, Midōrima, be ready to receive. Yū..." He looked at Bai Ze You, a sharp glint flashing through his crimson eyes. "Use your way to tear open a gap, then send the ball where it belongs. Or..."
Akashi paused, his voice carrying a hint of icy sharpness:
"Finish them yourself."
The war drums of the second half were about to sound. Tōyō's "Triple Chain" remained chilling, but the White Phantom at its center had ignited an entirely different fire in his eyes. Would the tactics targeting the Phantom work until the end? Or would they become the fuse that ignited the Phantom's true awakening? The answer would be revealed in the carnage of the second half. Momoi Satsuki forcefully wrote on her stat sheet:
"Observation Focus: The Phantom's Breakthrough Moment!"
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