Tsuchiya Jun's despair (I)

Once the thought occurred to him, it spread like a vine. The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

Tu Chun thought to himself that an ability that defied all convention had to consume enormous amounts of physical or mental energy. It could not last forever, and a limit of around five minutes would perfectly explain why they were making a substitution now.

That conclusion took a weight off his mind.

If Xiangtian Yanyi's ability really had limitations, Daiei Academy still had a chance to turn things around.

But Tu Chun soon shook his head, setting those guesses aside for now.

Whatever Ryonan's real reason for the substitution, they had already adjusted their lineup. There was no point dwelling on what had happened before.

He took a deep breath, his gaze firming again, and spoke quietly to his teammates. "Forget why they made the substitution. What matters now is seizing this chance and closing the gap!"

Daiei Academy had possession. Xuecun Xinge held the ball at the sideline, his eyes sweeping across the court. After checking his teammates' positions, he delivered a steady pass to Tu Wu Chun, who had run over to receive it.

Almost simultaneously, Miura Ryoukai shot toward Chi Tong like an arrow loosed from a bow, pressing close without a word.

He had made up his mind to battle Chi Tong to the bitter end on this possession. Wherever Chi Tong went, he would follow, never giving him an inch. He would vent all the frustration bottled up inside him and let Chi Tong taste what it was like to be hounded!

Chi Tong watched Miura Ryoukai close in, but his expression remained unchanged. He merely adjusted his position slightly, neither trying to shake him off nor making any other move, as though he