Don't Underestimate Our Bonds!

"You!..."

"I'm not giving up!"

Yamagami Sawano wanted to snap back, but before the words left his mouth, the coach cut him off.

"Student, just head back to your own rest area.

There's still half the game left—don't jump to conclusions so soon!"

Though the odds were slim, the coach wasn't ready to quit. If they couldn't pull this off, their team's ace would never get back on his feet.

"Is that so? What a shame.

When I win, just transfer the points to that girl's account from earlier."

Seeing they weren't backing down, there was no point in sticking around.

Gojo Satoru walked back to his rest area.

Watching his retreating figure, the coach said sternly, "Basketball isn't a one-man sport. You need to coordinate better—that's how you close the individual gap."

"Beep! Beep!"

"Break's over!"

At Horikita Manabu's command, the players filed onto the court.

"Satoru-kun! Do your best!"

Xiao Mako's voice came from the upper left.

Gojo Satoru looked up to see her waving at him.

Caught off guard by the sudden call, he froze for a moment, then broke into a wide grin and gave her a thumbs-up.

She smiled back and returned the gesture.

Everyone else was stunned. Did they really need encouragement at a time like this?

'What's their relationship?'

Watching Gojo Satoru flash a thumbs-up at her, Kamuro Masumi felt her heart skip a beat.

Noticing Kamuro Masumi's grim expression, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled silently without a word.

Since the third-years had won the tip-off in the first quarter, the third quarter started with the first-years gaining possession.

Gojo Satoru, now with the ball, looked at Yamagami Sawano guarding him and said with a hint of regret and apology, "Sorry, but my girlfriend's watching, so let me show off a little."

Hearing this, Yamagami Sawano cursed inwardly, 'Show off a little? Weren't you already flashy enough?!'

But his eyes stayed locked on the ball, not daring to slack off.

Yet he was shocked to find that both Gojo's dribbling and pace had gotten faster—his eyes could barely keep up!

'He's gone!'

Just as he focused on the ball's accelerating movement, he realized the opponent was no longer in place. When he looked again, the ball was gone too!

He spun around sharply and saw Gojo Satoru driving to the free-throw line, already holding the ball in one hand, poised to jump.

He knew exactly what was coming!

Meteor Jam!

Back in their first match, that very move had crushed his pride in his height and jumping ability!

Boom!!

The ball slammed heavily into the hoop.

Since the video had only started recording from the second dunk, many were seeing this jump-from-the-free-throw-line slam for the first time.

Thump, thump, thump~

The whole gym fell silent! Only the sound of the ball bouncing off the floor echoed.

Gojo Satoru slowly straightened up from his crouch, his face twisted into a fierce, arrogant grin as he declared, "Sorry, but I'm about to start getting a little serious now!"

The gym had gone dead quiet, so almost everyone heard those words—but no one knew how to argue back.

'He wasn't serious before?'

"Is this level only what he'd call 'slightly serious'?"

"Is this monster even human?"

That was what most people were thinking. Many couldn't accept the reality—why did someone with such off-the-charts physical ability exist!

Only forty seconds remained until the end of the match.

Yamagami Sawano, slammed down again, lay on the floor, staring ahead at nothing.

Why was this happening?

What had he been training so hard for this past month?

Since that guy came on the court, they hadn't scored a single point. Could this really be called a game?

The other team only had one truly strong player. His own team had practiced together so many times. So why was the result the same as last time?

It had just gone from one person getting crushed to a whole team getting crushed!

Was this what a true genius looked like? He'd trained so hard, and he couldn't even make the guy take him seriously!

He sat there dazed on the floor, deaf to his teammates' calls, thinking: Why do I even play basketball?

Was the gap between him and the world really this huge?

Then what was the goal he'd been chasing all this time?

Flashback, two weeks earlier.

"Coach, I'm weak, aren't I? My talent's just a little above average—I can't compare to real geniuses!"

Ever since he'd been beaten, he'd been training harder, but the improvement was barely noticeable!

Whether it was his shooting technique or his jumping ability, nothing had changed much. Even his dribbling couldn't get any faster.

Before, no matter which team he faced, he'd never felt that helplessness. The despair that gap brought was just too huge!

"What are you saying!

What's the point of talking like that!

Basketball has never been a one-man sport!

You can't just look at yourself—you have to look at your teammates too. In a team sport, only mutual cooperation can take the team further!"

"Is that so?"

Basketball isn't just one person's game?

Hearing those encouraging words, Yamagami Sawano wasn't sure if he truly understood.

"Sawano! To overcome the fog in your heart, you have to rely on yourself. Someone who gives up after just one failure is doomed to never move forward!"

"I understand, Coach!"

This time, Yamagami Sawano got it. Growth in life always comes with failure. Only by overcoming it could he truly keep going!

"Sawano, you're strong. You're our ace.

Even losing to that first-year doesn't change that.

We can't stay stuck in place. This is our last year.

If it's you, I believe we can make it to the finals this year!"

Kawashima looked straight at Yamagami Sawano, who was lying on the floor in a daze, and spoke seriously.

"Does the captain really think so?"

But Yamagami Sawano still couldn't quite believe it. That blow had shown him the gap—he, who had always been in the top tier of national high school basketball, felt like a frog at the bottom of a well, never having witnessed true strength.

"It's not just me—everyone on the team believes in you!"

"Yeah, Sawano, don't be so discouraged."

"Senpai is amazing, everyone knows that."

"Right, right. It's just that new kid who's ridiculous—it doesn't affect senpai's ability!"

Whether it was his classmates or his juniors, they all came to encourage Yamagami Sawano. Only like this could they stay united and go further.

"Get up! Sawano!

Don't get discouraged over something so small!

Don't forget—your goal is the national championship!"