Chapter Summaries

Ryonan prepared to face Nagashiro in their third National Tournament game, while Nagashiro’s coach warned his players not to underestimate the dark horse. As both teams entered the packed gymnasium, Chi Tong’s unusually imposing presence drew the chapter to a close.

• Chi Tong’s detailed analysis of Nagashiro left Ryonan confident before their third tournament game.
• Nagashiro’s players prepared for Ryonan, with Tamakoshiba reviewing their opponents’ strengths and Banshen Dahan anticipating his matchup against Yu Zhu.
• Takeda Shinkai instructed Nagashiro to use full-court man-to-man defense, told Matsuoka Moxia to disrupt Ling Yu, and assigned Tamakoshiba responsibility for on-court coordination.
• Ryonan fans filled most of Court No. 3 as both teams approached tip-off.
• Chi Tong led Ryonan onto the court with an unusually powerful aura that the players behind him could sense.

Ryonan and the Great Wall prepared to face each other in a tense pregame atmosphere, with Chi Tong’s cold demeanor unsettling both teams. The chapter ended with Yu Zhu dismissing Banshen Dahan’s confidence, since Chi Tong’s analysis had already exposed the Great Wall’s weaknesses.

• Sendoh sensed that Chi Tong had grown colder and heavier in presence since returning the previous day.
• Ryonan ignored the Great Wall’s silent challenge, angering Tamakoshiba and his teammates.
• Both teams completed warm-ups and announced their starting lineups before Yu Zhu and Banshen Dahan faced off at center court.
• Banshen Dahan boasted that the Great Wall had prepared counters for Ryonan, but Yu Zhu called him repulsive.
• Ryonan’s players trusted Chi Tong’s detailed analysis and believed the Great Wall had no secrets left from them.

Ryonan opened its game against the Great Wall with Yu Zhu winning the jump ball and Sendoh scoring a lightning-fast dunk. As the Great Wall began its first possession, Matsuoka Moxia realized the player assigned to guard him was missing.

• Yu Zhu beat Banshen Dahan to the jump ball and tipped it to Xiangtian Yanyi.
• Tamakoshiba ordered the Great Wall into full-court man-to-man defense, but Sendoh slipped into their half and caught Xiangtian Yanyi's pass.
• Sendoh dunked before five seconds had passed, putting Ryonan ahead 2–0 and leaving the Great Wall players bewildered.
• Tamakoshiba felt uneasy as the Great Wall took possession and Matsuoka Moxia dribbled across the center line.
• Matsuoka Moxia searched Ryonan's defense and noticed Xiangtian Yanyi was missing.

Ryonan used Xiangtian Yanyi’s uncanny ability to vanish from defenders’ sight to steal the ball and score, leaving the Great Wall struggling to understand how she moved. After she stole the ball from Yoshida Zeren, Fukuda Kicchou drove toward the basket and passed it behind him while still charging forward.

• Xiangtian Yanyi unexpectedly stole the ball from Matsuoka Moxia, and Yueye Hongming caught it and scored a three-pointer.
• Tamakoshiba recalled seeing a Ryonan player vanish in game footage and grew wary of the team’s stealthy attacks.
• Tang Chuanbailu guarded Xiangtian Yanyi closely, but she vanished and reappeared to steal the ball from Yoshida Zeren.
• The ball reached Fukuda Kicchou, who charged toward the Great Wall’s basket as Yoshida Sawato chased him.
• Fukuda Kicchou flicked the ball behind him without stopping his charge.

Ryonan dominated Great Wall from the opening tip, using Xiangtian Yanyi’s unpredictable steals to fuel fast breaks and build an 18:0 lead. Great Wall called a timeout, and Takeda Shinkai urged his players to slow the pace and prevent Ryonan’s fast breaks.

• Fukuda Kicchou passed backward to Xiangtian Yanyi, who redirected the ball to Sendoh for a dunk and made the score 7:0.
• Xiangtian Yanyi repeatedly stole the ball from Great Wall, disrupting their offense and helping Ryonan extend its lead.
• Great Wall’s players grew hesitant and slowed their play, while Ryonan took advantage of their mistakes to widen the score gap.
• Takeda Shinkai called a timeout after Ryonan pushed the score to 18:0.
• Takeda Shinkai told Great Wall that they needed to slow the pace and deny Ryonan fast-break opportunities.

Great Wall adjusted its defense to contain Xiangtian Yanyi, while Chi Tong predicted the tactic and told Ryonan to keep playing as usual. Matsuoka Moxia broke past Xiangtian Yanyi and passed to Banshen Dahan in the paint, leaving the play poised for a hook shot.

• Great Wall's coach told Matsuoka Moxia to guard Xiangtian Yanyi and block her passing lanes, while Great Wall focused its defense on Ryonan's other players.
• Chi Tong warned Ryonan not to relax and predicted Great Wall would leave Xiangtian Yanyi with more shooting chances as it shut down her teammates.
• Xiangtian Yanyi openly guarded Matsuoka Moxia, then let him drive past with little resistance.
• Matsuoka Moxia passed to Banshen Dahan, who caught the ball in the paint with Uozumi Chun defending him.

Ryonan repeatedly stopped Great Wall’s attacks with precise blocks and tight defense, but Tamakoshiba finally scored with a surprise rebound dunk. Great Wall cut Ryonan’s lead to 18–2, and Ryonan recognized Tamakoshiba as a serious threat.

• Yu Zhu blocked Banshen Dahan’s hook shot, and Xiangtian Yanyi saved the loose ball before dribbling forward herself.
• Matsuoka Moxia stole the ball from Xiangtian Yanyi and passed to Tangchuan Bailu, whose three-point attempt Yueye Hongming blocked.
• Ryonan’s defense shut down Yoshida Sawato’s passing options, and Yoshida Zeren’s forced shot bounced off the rim.
• Tamakoshiba darted past Yu Zhu to claim the rebound and dunk, bringing Great Wall’s score to 2 against Ryonan’s 18.
• Yueye Hongming and Yu Zhu recognized the danger Tamakoshiba posed, while Sendoh Akira watched with interest.

Great Wall struggled to score against Ryonan’s precise defense, and Takeda Shinkai realized Ryonan had thoroughly studied his team. He suspected Xiangtian Yanyi’s Misdirection had a time limit, while Chi Tong revealed that it was only bait.

• Tamakoshiba dunked to break Great Wall’s scoreless start, and Great Wall began scoring through his drives and Banshen Dahan’s work in the paint.
• Takeda Shinkai recognized that Ryonan repeatedly exploited Great Wall’s weaknesses and concluded that Ryonan had studied the team in detail.
• Takeda Shinkai noticed Xiangtian Yanyi had stopped using his ambush style after the timeout and guessed that Misdirection had a time limit.
• Taoka Moichi questioned why Chi Tong kept Xiangtian Yanyi on the court despite his limited offense and defensive gaps.
• Chi Tong told Taoka Moichi that Misdirection was only bait.

Chi Tong’s plan led the Great Wall to mistake Xiangtian Yanyi for Lingnan’s weak point, while Ryonan held a 15-point lead late in the first half. Tamakoshiba scored at the buzzer to make it 44–31, leaving the Great Wall hopeful about exploiting Yanyi after halftime.

• Chi Tong explained that Ryonan would use Yanyi’s Misdirection to draw attention toward Xiangtian Yanyi and widen the lead early.
• Taoka Moichi realized Chi Tong was deliberately presenting Yanyi as a false weak point for the Great Wall to target.
• With Ryonan leading 44–29 late in the first half, Tamakoshiba also identified Xiangtian Yanyi as a supposed weakness and planned to attack him after halftime.
• On the Great Wall’s final possession, Tamakoshiba feinted past Sendoh, used Daehan’s screen, and drove into the paint.
• Tamakoshiba made a shot as the buzzer sounded, bringing the score to Ryonan 44, Great Wall 31.

During halftime, Great Wall planned to target Aida Hikohiko, believing his disappearing move was limited, while preparing to change tactics if Ryonan substituted him. Chi Tong warned Ryonan to play more efficiently and told Xiangtian Yanyi to draw Great Wall into wasting stamina and scoring chances on her, leaving both teams ready for the second half.

• Matsuoka Moxia asked Takeda Shinkai whether Aida Hikohiko could use his sudden-disappearance move again, and Takeda reasoned that the move was limited by stamina or time.
• Great Wall players grew confident that Aida could no longer ambush them, but Tang Chuanbailu asked what they would do if Ryonan substituted him out.
• Takeda Shinkai instructed Great Wall to target Aida if he stayed on the court, switch to their pre-match tactic if he left, and rely on Tamakoshiba to spot changes.
• Chi Tong told Sendoh that he needed to improve his efficiency after wasting scoring opportunities in the first half.
• Chi Tong told Xiangtian Yanyi that Great Wall would target her defense and instructed her to draw them into spending stamina and offensive chances on her.

Chi Tong rallied Ryonan to seize the momentum in the second half against Great Wall, while spectators Zhu Xingda and A-Kuan assessed the teams and noticed Chi Tong. The second half began with A-Kuan skeptical of Chi Tong’s reputation.

• Chi Tong told Ryonan to deny Great Wall any chance to recover and take control in the second half.
• Aiwa Gakuin’s ace Zhu Xingda dismissed Ryonan and Great Wall as unimpressive, then recognized a formidable opponent sitting across the stands.
• A-Kuan complained that the game was boring and judged the players too weak to interest him.
• A-Kuan scoffed at Yu Zhu’s defense and questioned why Chi Tong was considered formidable, while the middle-aged man credited Chi Tong’s tactical command.
• Both teams returned to the court, and the referee’s whistle started the second half.

Ryonan began the second half against Great Wall with Yu Zhu winning the jump ball and Xiangtian Yanyi executing Chi Tong’s plan to exploit the opponents’ assumptions. Xiangtian Yanyi made an unguarded shot to extend Ryonan’s lead to 46–31, leaving Great Wall stunned.

• Yu Zhu outjumped Banshen Dahan and tipped the opening ball to Aida Hikohiko.
• Xiangtian Yanyi advanced with the ball and passed it diagonally backward as Matsuoka Moxia charged at her.
• Xiangtian Yanyi received the ball back and drove into Great Wall’s paint while Matsuoka Moxia froze.
• Xiangtian Yanyi shot unguarded and scored, making the score Ryonan 46, Great Wall 31.
• Great Wall’s players reacted in disbelief, while Xiangtian Yanyi recognized that her first-half performance had helped conceal her shooting ability.

Chi Tong explained that Aida Hikohiko’s early basket was meant to disrupt Great Wall’s defensive plans, not make him a scoring focus. Great Wall then isolated Aida on defense, and Matsuoka Moxia drove past him and shot toward Ryonan’s basket.

• Chi Tong told Tiangang Maoyi that Aida Hikohiko’s shot would unsettle Great Wall by making them question whether to target him.
• Mukai Yayo excitedly photographed her younger brother Aida Hikohiko’s first National Tournament basket, while Nakamura Tasao hesitated to speak to her.
• Matsuoka Moxia brought the ball into Ryonan’s half as Great Wall’s players occupied Ryonan’s other defenders to leave Aida alone.
• Matsuoka Moxia collided with Aida, sent him stumbling backward, and broke into Ryonan’s paint.
• Matsuoka Moxia set his feet and shot the ball toward Ryonan’s hoop.

Yu Zhu, Sendoh, Fukuda Kicchou, and Yueye Hongming led Ryonan through a sudden burst of defense and fast-break scoring against the Great Wall. Sendoh then stole the ball from Tamakoshiba and surged toward the Great Wall's basket.

• Yu Zhu broke free from Banshen Dahan, blocked Matsuoka Moxia's shot, and passed the ball to Sendoh.
• Sendoh sped past Tamakoshiba and scored an uncontested dunk, putting Ryonan ahead 48–31.
• Fukuda Kicchou stole the ball from Yoshida Zeren and passed it to Yueye Hongming, who scored a three-pointer to make it 51–31.
• Sendoh shut down Tamakoshiba's drive, knocked the ball away, and took possession.

Ryonan seized control of the second half, scoring five straight times to lead Great Wall 55–31 and astonish spectators and rival players. Zhu Xingda and A-Kuan reconsidered Ryonan’s strength, while A-Kuan remained confident that his dunks could challenge them.

• Sendoh outran Tamakoshiba and scored an uncontested basket, extending Ryonan’s lead to 53–31.
• Xiangtian Yanyi used Gaze Induction to intercept Yoshida Zeren’s pass and lofted the ball toward Great Wall’s paint.
• Fukuda Kicchou beat Banshen Dahan to the ball and dunked, giving Ryonan a 55–31 lead.
• Spectators discussed Ryonan’s sudden surge, and Zhu Xingda realized the team had shown far greater strength in the second half.
• A bearded middle-aged man told A-Kuan that Ryonan was stronger than it had appeared, while A-Kuan wondered how many of his dunks Ryonan’s number seven could withstand.

Ryonan overwhelmed Great Wall after halftime as Sendoh Akira dominated on both ends of the court. Takeda Shinkai suspected that Ryonan had concealed Sendoh’s true strength in its earlier games, while Xiangtian Yanyi faded from the spotlight.

• Great Wall’s players grew exhausted and lost their momentum as Ryonan’s other players exploited the openings created by the strategy targeting Xiangtian Yanyi.
• Sendoh Akira repeatedly stole the ball from Tamakoshiba and broke past Great Wall’s defense, leaving Tamakoshiba unable to keep up.
• Sendoh Akira evaded Ban Shen Dahan with a double-clutch and scored, further weakening Great Wall’s fighting spirit.
• Takeda Shinkai watched Sendoh dominate and wondered whether Ryonan had hidden his full strength in its previous games.
• Sendoh Akira continued scoring as Xiangtian Yanyi quietly faded into the background.

Xiangtian Yanyi used Sendoh’s dominance to restore her low presence and unleash Gaze Induction again, repeatedly disrupting Great Wall’s offense. Ryonan continued to overwhelm Great Wall as Xiangtian intercepted passes and fed the ball to her teammates.

• Tamakoshiba and Yoshida Sawato double-teamed Sendoh, who bounced a pass toward an apparently empty spot near the sideline.
• Xiangtian Yanyi emerged at the spot, redirected the ball to Fukuda Kicchou, and stunned Great Wall’s players.
• Chi Tong’s explanation revealed that Gaze Induction depended on Xiangtian’s presence, and Sendoh’s performance had made opponents overlook her again.
• Xiangtian repeatedly appeared at crucial moments to steal Great Wall’s passes and quickly pass the ball to Ryonan players.

Ryonan defeated Great Wall 114–65, advancing to the National Tournament quarterfinals after Xiangtian Yanyi scored at the buzzer. In the locker-room tunnel, Chi Tong and Sendoh encountered an old acquaintance who greeted them.

• Sendoh passed to Xiangtian Yanyi, who scored as the final buzzer sounded to seal Ryonan's 49-point victory over Great Wall.
• Ryonan celebrated while Great Wall's players, including Tamakoshiba, struggled to accept their defeat.
• Takeda Shinkai credited Ryonan's coach with controlling the game's rhythm, unaware that Chi Tong had orchestrated the tactics himself.
• Chi Tong led Ryonan toward the locker room, where a waiting man greeted him and Sendoh as old friends.

Sawakita Eiji reunited with Chi Tong and Sendoh at Ryonan’s locker room and challenged them to settle their middle-school loss at the National Tournament. The Ryonan players learned that Sawakita was Sannoh Industrial High School’s ace and the player hailed as the strongest high school player.

• Yueye Hongming asked Sendoh who the visitor was, and Sendoh described Sawakita Eiji as a barely qualified friend.
• Sawakita greeted Chi Tong and Sendoh, recalling that their middle-school team had beaten his and saying he had long wanted to face them again.
• Sawakita challenged Chi Tong and Sendoh to a fair rematch at the National Tournament, while Chi Tong assessed how much stronger he had become.
• Sendoh congratulated Sawakita on winning the national championship with Sannoh Industrial High School the previous year.
• Ikegami recognized Sawakita as Sannoh’s ace and the basketball world’s strongest high school player, shocking the Ryonan players.

Sawakita Eiji met Chi Tong and Sendoh, challenged them to meet Sannoh Industrial High School in the finals, and warned them of his team’s strength. After Sawakita left, Chi Tong and Sendoh cautioned Ryonan’s players not to underestimate Sannoh, while Sawakita told his captain that his old friends were competing for Lingnan High School.

• Sawakita Eiji challenged Chi Tong and Sendoh to face him in the finals, and Chi Tong warned him not to underestimate any opponent.
• Sendoh told the curious Ryonan players that Sawakita had been his and Chi Tong’s middle-school rival, and that he had needed Akafuji’s help to beat him.
• Sendoh warned his teammates that Sawakita and Sannoh Industrial High School had grown stronger, while Chi Tong directed them to focus on their current opponents.
• Sannoh’s captain found Sawakita Eiji and told him the team was about to leave; Sawakita explained that he had visited old friends who were competing for Lingnan High School.