Akagiri Appears (I)

Chi Tong's gaze slowly shifted to Sendoh. That guy had not gotten serious yet. He knew full well that Sendoh had always been composed; no one would reveal all their trump cards the moment they stepped onto the court.

As for Ryonan, the other players had performed only so-so. They could still hold their ground against Shohoku's other players, but the instant they faced Rukawa and Akagi, flaws immediately appeared.

They could not be blamed for that. It was simply a gap in strength.

And now, with Sakuragi Hanamichi, that bundle of chaos, running all over the court, Ryonan's defensive formation had been thrown into disarray. Their attention was constantly being scattered, and more and more openings emerged.

Shitong slowly rose to his feet. The jacket on his shoulders slipped down with the movement and hung silently over the chair.

Was he going in?

Taoka Moichi noticed his movement and spoke in a low voice. "Though Shohoku has narrowed the gap by a few points, the situation is still in our hands. It will not be so easy for them to turn this around."

Chi Tong nodded, his tone as calm as a deep pool.

"It is only a practice match. The priority is building chemistry."

"I should go warm up a little too."

Tiangang Maoyi fell silent for a moment, then lightly nodded. "All right."

Just then, Shohoku launched another fast break. Rukawa drove in and dished the ball out, while Sakuragi grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in. The score gap was reduced to nineteen points once more.

The whistle sounded abruptly. Ryonan requested a substitution.

The instant the whistle blew, it was as if someone had hit pause on the gymnasium. The clamor abruptly faded, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment as