Akagiri's Coldness (I)

"Sorry, it was my fault." Nanyun Kentaro lowered his head, his voice heavy as his gaze swept across his teammates. "I shouldn't have rushed that shot."

Before he could finish, Sasagi Shōtai spoke directly, his voice low but firm.

"Now isn't the time to talk about that. They're one of Ryonan's top four teams. You've already done well to go shot for shot with them like this."

He patted Nan Yun Kentaro on the shoulder. "Leave the rest to us."

As soon as he finished speaking, Aoi Itsuya stepped forward, clenching both fists as a blazing light ignited in his eyes.

"That's right. We haven't lost yet. If we can keep this up, maybe we can beat them."

His voice was not loud, but every word rang clear, like sparks falling into a pile of dry grass.

If they could maintain this evenly matched rhythm, if they could avoid falling behind in every exchange of offense and defense, then perhaps defeating Ryonan was truly possible.

It was not just Aoi Itsuya. Even the other Ichibon High School players felt a small flame quietly rise within them. Maybe they really could win.

The feeling was like a spark suddenly lighting up in the dark night—weak, yet scorching.

They had withstood Ryonan's counterattacks, traded three-pointers, fought for key rebounds, and kept the score close. All of it made them begin to believe that this powerhouse before them was not unbeatable.

But the hotter their hopes burned, the more piercing reality's cold water became.

The three-point battle between Yueye Hongming and Nan Yun Kentaro had indeed been intense. They traded shots, the score rising back and forth as though they were evenly matched, stirring everyone's blood.

But that was only the surface. The real gap lay at the source of every attack.

Every