Only when the basketball landed in Yu Zhu's hands did they snap out of their daze. They tried to rush over to intercept him, but it was already too late.
Yu Zhu was in an open spot just behind Koizumi Chun's flank. Hearing the ball whistle through the air, he immediately reached out with both hands and caught it securely against his chest without the slightest pause.
Yu Zhu pushed off with both feet and spun swiftly, his massive frame stretching out in midair. Raising both hands, he slammed the basketball toward Ai He Academy's hoop.
By the time Koizumi Chun reacted beside him, Yu Zhu was already airborne. He instinctively reached out to stop him, but could only brush the hem of Yu Zhu's jersey, nowhere near the ball. Koizumi Chun could only watch helplessly as Yu Zhu hammered the ball into his team's basket.
The deafening crash of the dunk echoed through the court as the ball plunged through the net.
Ryonan, two; Ai He Academy, three. Chi Tong's sudden long pass had momentarily left Ai He Academy's players stunned. Although they had noticed the ball's trajectory the instant it left his hands, everything had happened far too quickly. Only two seconds had passed between Chi Tong's release and Yu Zhu's catch-too fast for them to make any attempt at an interception.
Even more unbelievable was the devilishly precise passing lane. The ball had traveled through a blind spot between two defenders. Neither Long Zeduo, guarding from the front, nor Nakajima Tsugito, covering at an angle from the side, could pick up its trajectory in time, let alone reach out to stop it.
He passed it just like that, without a moment's hesitation?
Long Zeduo stood rooted to the spot, silently marveling in disbelief. He had been watching