Meanwhile, Sendoh was like a ravenous predator poised to strike. The instant Chi Tong flicked the pass away, he sprang into motion, his feet kicking up a gust as he drove off the floor and raced after the ball.
Sawakita Eiji's gaze sharpened. He dared not hesitate.
Almost the instant Sendoh moved, he followed, his white-clad figure shooting forward like an arrow and chasing close behind.
One in blue, one in white, they streaked across the court like two bolts of lightning, charging toward the basket one after the other.
Soon, Sento reached the long pass first and brought the flying basketball firmly under control.
But just as he prepared to drive on, Sawakita Eiji caught up. Like an iron wall, he planted himself in front of Sendoh, his arms spread and his defensive stance airtight, leaving no opening to exploit.
Sento slammed on the brakes, forcibly halting his charge. His feet shifted rapidly as he alternated between crossovers and sideways feints, trying to break through Sawakita Eiji's defense.
Yet Sawakita Eiji's defense clung to him like a shadow. No matter how Sento changed his moves, he anticipated them precisely and stayed firmly in his path.
"Sento, I won't let you shoot so easily again."
Sawakita Eiji spoke while maintaining his suffocating pressure.
"Sento!"
Facing Sawakita Eiji's iron-gate defense, he instead curled his lips into a faint, defiant smile.
Still searching for an opening, he replied calmly, "Hmph!"
"Is that so?"
"But I already promised Chi Tong. Sorry, you won't get your way."
The instant those words fell, Sendoh's gaze sharpened, and his relaxed demeanor underwent a drastic change.
A vicious, razor-sharp aura erupted from him, as though a sleeping beast had suddenly awakened. Even the light on the court seemed to dim.
An enormous phantom slowly emerged behind Sendoh.