Lingnan's First National Tournament Game (Part One)

After all, when they had played Ryonan before, they had felt something like that intimidating aura. They had some resistance to it and now merely clenched their fists, trying to calm the pounding in their chests.

Toyotama High's players had no such luck. They looked at one another, fear still plain on their faces. Some even rubbed their arms without thinking, as if trying to shake off a lingering chill.

Itakura Daijiro had it worst. His legs felt heavy as lead, his knees trembling beyond his control. He was close to collapsing.

Only a stubborn refusal to embarrass himself in front of everyone kept him upright. He gritted his teeth and held his body rigid; otherwise, his legs would have given way and sent him to his knees.

It took Anben Shili a while to recover from the shock. He blinked his dry eyes and stared blankly in the direction the Ryonan players had gone. His lips moved as he murmured, dazed, "What just happened?"

"What did that guy do?"

Minami had never taken his eyes off Chi Tong. Even after Chi Tong had vanished from sight, Minami kept staring in that direction, his gaze full of troubled curiosity.

He could hardly believe a mere first-year kid could put him under so much pressure. It made him cautious even about breathing, as though he faced a beast that might bare its fangs at any moment. He had never felt anything like it.

He remembered the first time he had seen Chi Tong on the train. Even then, Chi Tong had made him uneasy for reasons he could not explain. Now he understood that the feeling had not come from nowhere. Chi Tong was dangerous.

The heavy silence had yet to lift when Mu Shenyi spoke. His voice was quiet, but