The crisp, pleasant swish of the net rang through the gymnasium once more.
The ball went in. Kanagawa led 60–44 over Akita Prefecture, the gap thoroughly widened to sixteen points.
But it was not over yet. The sixteen-point deficit hung over Akita like heavy shackles, crushing the breath from them, while Chi Tong's offensive momentum showed no sign of slowing.
Over the next two possessions, Akita gave everything they had to launch an attack, trying to salvage a shred of pride before the first half ended.
Yet every pass and every advance was like a shadow exposed beneath the sun, precisely seen through by Chi Tong.
The first time, Fukatsu cautiously brought the ball upcourt, deliberately slowing the pace to avoid Chi Tong's steal. But just as he was about to pass to Nobe Masahiro, a crimson figure suddenly accelerated and appeared in the passing lane like a ghost. With a light flick of his fingertips, he cleanly stole the ball.
The entire sequence was so fast that Ichinokura Satoshi could not react in time. His vision blurred, and the ball was already gone.
The second time, Sawakita Eiji took the ball and drove forward himself, intending to tear open the defense with his speed. But Chi Tong stayed right on him without the slightest panic. At the instant Sawakita Eiji was about to change direction and break through, Chi Tong precisely anticipated his movement, slipped to the side for the steal, and took possession again.
In just two possessions, Akita had been stripped of the ball twice. Chi Tong's speed utterly stunned Akita's players, and the spectators at courtside were silenced by the extreme pressure of his defense before erupting in thunderous cries.
Chi Tong's speed was simply terrifying. At this moment, he had not even activated Limit Domain;