At the start of the first round, the character controlled by Eriri launched a fierce assault, and the fight looked almost completely one-sided. (Continued)

"Smack."

With a casual swipe, he sent the basketball toward Fujiwara Chika.

"We failed!"

Hyuga Konji's heart jolted, but this was still within his expectations.

He wasn't too worried. He still had four trustworthy teammates, and that was where the other side was at a disadvantage.

And indeed, that was exactly what happened.

The Basketball Club members had anticipated this failure and rushed toward the targets Hasegawa might pass to.

"Watch me steal it with ease!"

Akamine Rōnin was closest to the ball, so he quickly reached Fujiwara Chika and tried to snatch it from the girl's hands.

He figured that with his imposing physique, he could probably scare the girl out of her wits, then take the ball with ease.

"Are you going to stop me, Hasegawa-kun? If you do, doesn't that mean you're certain to lose?"

Hyuga Konji looked at the man before him and spoke in surprise.

He hadn't expected Hasegawa to come and guard him, so he stopped to chat. After all, with four against four, there was no way his side could lose!

"Sore wa dō kana."

A mysterious smile touched Hasegawa Izumi's lips. Without him noticing, his eyes had already begun to glow with a dazzling red light.

"Against them, now that they've all entered the Zone, you might not be the ones who come out on top!"

"My body feels so light."

"This is the first time I've ever fought with such a joyful feeling."

"I feel... like there's nothing to fear anymore."

Nyuugaya Shinka's expression showed some confusion at the strange state she found herself in.

But she didn't have time to figure it out now.

Her team needed her help.

"Hee!"

Facing her charging opponents, Fujiwara Chika felt inexplicably fearless. She smoothly used the technique she had practiced earlier, gently tossing the ball to pass it to Nibuya Morika, who had suddenly appeared beside her.

"Fast break!"

After catching the ball, Nibuya Morika immediately drove forward and entered the opposing half.

"Not so fast!"

Standing in her way was Hiiragi Gosho, as imposing as a wall.

But she didn't try to get past him. Instead, with a light flick of her hand, she sent the ball to the side.

She knew someone would be waiting there for her pass. They'd just exchanged a glance, and somehow, it seemed they understood what the other was thinking.

Had she awakened some kind of mind-reading superpower?

No, no!

Was she beyond saving, thinking something so chuunibyou at a time like this?

Nibuya Morika quickly cleared the strange thoughts from her mind and kept moving to support the attack.

All of this happened in just a few seconds.

"Master, leave it to me, death!"

Dekomori Sanae easily caught the pass, then looked toward Takanashi Rikka, who had already advanced close to the heart of the opposing half.

The ball hit the floor with a thump and bounced back up.

Another instant pass, and the ball was already in Takanashi Rikka's hands.

At that moment, the Basketball Club's half of the court was completely undefended.

This was entirely because the Basketball Club had made a strategic miscalculation. They'd assumed they could easily steal the ball from Fujiwara Chika and score quickly.

They hadn't expected the other side's teamwork to be nearly flawless. The girls seemed to be fighting on instinct, without any time to think.

As a result, the game had reached this horrifying state.

"Dark Matter Missile!"

Calling out the name of her move, Takanashi Rikka leaped into the air and took her shot without anyone interfering. She put the technique she'd been honing into full effect.

The instant the girl released the ball, everyone on the Basketball Club couldn't help but feel their hearts stop.

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air and dropped into the hoop as the crowd stared in stunned silence.

"Smack."

The ball hit the floor with a crisp, clear sound.

"Tweet!"

The whistle blew.

The Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King Users had fired the first shot!

Have you ever seen Tokyo at four in the morning?

"Whoa!"

After a brief silence, the onlookers burst into cheers and applause.

"Now do you understand? The Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King is the strongest!"

Hearing the crowd's reaction, Takanashi Rikka turned around and proudly flashed a peace sign.

"Under Lord Sage's guidance, we've undergone a complete transformation, death!"

Dekomori Sanae excitedly clenched her fist.

"That was amazing! You scored against the Basketball Club!"

"So we can win without Hasegawa-kun playing?"

"Yeah! Keep it up and win!"

The scene was so legendary, it was practically bursting with drama.

To be honest, no one had taken the girls seriously. Even those supporting the Far East Magic Society had only expected Hasegawa to work another miracle. No one had thought the very first basket would leave everyone dumbfounded.

Could they really win without Hasegawa playing?

Of course not.

For instance, Shinomiya Kaguya, as well as her highly capable personal attendant Hayasaka Ai, who was hidden in the crowd, had some thoughts of her own, despite their surprise.

That basket had looked so easy for a reason. It was a combination of circumstances...

"Also, they can all use the Breathing Technique?"

Hayasaka Ai leaned against the wall with her hands clasped behind her head, chewing bubble gum as a thoughtful look appeared on her face.

"We were careless!"

Watching from nearby, Hyuga Konji understood exactly what had happened.

The Basketball Club members had assumed the girls couldn't play basketball at all, so they'd misjudged the situation and all rushed forward, completely neglecting to guard the others. That had let Fujiwara Chika's pass create a three-on-one situation.

In that situation, even the vice-captain, with his tall build and excellent basketball skills, couldn't defend against three players passing and attacking at once. They'd been left with what was practically an open basket, so their failure had been inevitable.

Still, after seeing that play, he could tell the girls' technique wasn't necessarily all that impressive, but they at least knew how to play. Combined with their almost telepathic teamwork, they'd managed to overcome a stronger opponent.

"In such a short time, you helped them improve this much. What did you do? And what's the Zone?"

He turned and questioned the man.

"Have you ever seen Tokyo at four in the morning?"

Hasegawa Izumi answered with a question, his tone turning unfathomable.

"No."

Hyuga Konji shook his head.

As students, they maintained healthy sleep schedules.

"That's where you went wrong!"

"You should know that for these three days, they've been training with all their hearts. They weren't afraid of hardship or exhaustion. Only after three whole days of relentless effort did they reach this level!"

"That's how time and effort make a fine wine..."

He spoke with fervor.

"Is three days really that long?"

Hyuga Konji's expression seemed to ask:

Are you kidding me?

"Someone at your level definitely wouldn't understand. They simply lack interest, while you lack talent."

His voice was faint and quiet.

"Phew..."

Hyuga Konji fought the urge to swing at him and get ejected from the game, then took a deep breath.

This guy really knew how to get on your nerves!

They'd made it all the way to the national championship game!

If that didn't count as talent, what did? Winning an NBA championship?

It couldn't be playing against aliens, could it?

"As for the Zone, simply put, it's a state that improves your abilities. It's like when you're studying: if you can focus your attention, your ability to learn improves considerably. Of course, the Zone has a second level, too. It not only boosts the whole team's abilities, but also lets the players understand each other without speaking. That's what they're doing now."

Hasegawa Izumi continued explaining.

Was he serious, or was he just making things up?

For a moment, Hyuga Konji couldn't tell.

It had to be nonsense!

You were bound to lose if you took a chuunibyou seriously.

"Hasegawa-kun, their performance has certainly exceeded our expectations, but the gap between us isn't so easily overcome! I still have complete confidence in my teammates."

The flame of determination in his eyes continued to burn fiercely.

"You're certainly persistent, though that's only to be expected."

Hasegawa Izumi offered a word of praise, then turned to look at the court.

The four-on-four game was still underway.

But after that crowd-pleasing first basket, the game had fallen into a strange stalemate.

Back to what had just happened.

"Why is this happening!?"

Kurosaki Kawa was sweating slightly, his expression showing a trace of dejection.

What was this indescribable pressure!?

How could those girls be better than him, after all the techniques he'd mastered?

It was utterly absurd!