Ryota Rejoins the Team

"Bastards! Get them!"

"Cripple these little punks who don't know their place!"

Hisashi Mitsui roared and swung the iron bar in his hand down hard.

Although Tetsuo Hotta and the others behind him found this fight somewhat inexplicable,

they couldn't disobey their boss's orders. With a chorus of shouts, they charged forward.

Iron bars, fists, and flying kicks

all came crashing toward Lin Bei and Hanamichi.

"Watch out!" Ayako's face turned pale with fright.

Hanamichi Sakuragi was just about to roll up his sleeves and go all out when his vision blurred.

Lin Bei, who had been leaning against a utility pole drinking coffee, moved.

[Tai Chi (Beginner) exchange complete]

"Spend Slacking Points to upgrade to (Proficient)."

A golden flash crossed his mind.

Countless memories of redirecting force and using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds instantly fused into his muscle memory.

Lin Bei sighed and casually set his half-finished coffee on the nearby windowsill.

"Seriously, I haven't even warmed up before exercising."

Faced with the iron bar smashing toward him, Lin Bei did not retreat.

He shifted slightly to the side and traced a circle with his feet.

The whistling iron bar grazed past the tip of his nose.

Tetsuo Hotta only felt that this dead-fish-eyed guy was as slippery as an eel.

Before he could pull back his strength, a hand lightly settled on his wrist.

"Off you go."

Lin Bei gave his wrist a gentle shake, then lightly sent him onward with the force of Tetsuo Hotta's charge.

"Huh? Huhhh?!"

Tetsuo Hotta felt like an out-of-control wild boar as his whole body spun helplessly through the air.

Bang!

He crashed precisely into the two lackeys charging up behind him and knocked them over.

Then Lin Bei stepped in the pattern of the Big Dipper, weaving through the crowd like a phantom.

Grasp Sparrow's Tail with his left hand, Wild Horse Parting Its Mane with his right.

His movements were as slow as an old man doing morning exercises in a park.

Yet everyone who tried to attack him somehow lost their balance.

"Wah!"

"Ow, ow, ow!"

Less than ten seconds later,

the narrow alley was littered with delinquents, each clutching an arm or leg and groaning in pain.

Hisashi Mitsui's hand holding the iron bar froze in midair.

"Th-This... what kind of sorcery is that?"

He looked at the boy standing amid the pile of bodies, dusting off his sleeves, and swallowed with difficulty.

"This is the Lightning Five-Link Whip."

"It cures all kinds of stubbornness."

Lin Bei picked up the coffee from the windowsill and gave it a shake.

Finding that none had spilled, he nodded in satisfaction.

"S-So awesome!"

Haruko Akagi, who had just arrived, covered her mouth, her large eyes sparkling with stars.

She had followed them because she was worried something might happen to Hanamichi and the others. Instead, she had happened to witness this astonishing display.

"Master!!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi threw himself forward and hugged Lin Bei's leg.

"Teach me! I want to learn that!"

"That move where you sent someone flying with a whoosh just now was so cool!"

"If I learn that, then when I fight..."

"No, if I learn it, who'll be able to stop this genius from grabbing rebounds in the future?!"

Lin Bei pulled his leg free in disgust.

"You want to learn?"

"I do!"

Lin Bei spoke utter nonsense with a perfectly serious expression.

"I was originally going to teach you Eight Extremes Fist. It's a fierce, hard-hitting style, better suited for you."

"But it's more exhausting to practice. You'd have to hold horse stance for three years."

"So... forget it. Focus on practicing your rebounds first."

At the words "hold horse stance for three years," Hanamichi's face instantly fell.

"Tch, stingy master."

Elsewhere,

Ryota Miyagi stared blankly at the scene.

As an experienced fighter, he knew better than anyone how terrifying Lin Bei's moves just now had been.

There had been no wasted motion, only pure technique.

"This guy..."

Ryota clenched his fists. The hostility in his eyes remained, but now it carried a hint of wariness.

"He may be good at fighting..."

"But Ayako... I'll never give her up to you!"

Hisashi Mitsui looked at his lackeys sprawled all over the ground, then at the completely unharmed Lin Bei and Hanamichi, who stood like an iron tower.

He knew he couldn't salvage his pride today.

"Damn it..."

"You just wait!"

"This isn't over!"

After throwing out that threat, Hisashi Mitsui retreated in embarrassment with his men.

Shohoku Basketball Gym.

"Yo! Morning, everyone!"

Ryota Miyagi pushed open the doors, the stud in his ear glittering under the lights.

He spun a basketball in his hand, wearing that carefree grin.

"Ryota!"

"You're finally back!"

"Are you all right now?"

Kiminobu Kogure hurried over in delight.

"Yeah, I'm completely recovered."

Ryota smiled and greeted everyone, but his gaze searched the gym for something.

When he saw Ayako recording data with a paper fan in hand, his eyes instantly softened beyond measure.

"Ayako! I'm back!"

"Was that a call of love?!"

Before he could rush over, a huge figure blocked his path.

Takenori Akagi looked down at him with a dark expression.

"Idiot, now that you're back, hurry up and warm up."

"Yes, boss!" Ryota snapped to attention and saluted.

Just then, Hanamichi Sakuragi and Lin Bei strolled in as well.

Hanamichi immediately spotted the short guy who had tried to kick Lin Bei.

"Yo, isn't that the little runt who cried?"

Hanamichi shoved his hands in his pockets, wearing an expression that begged to be punched.

"Who are you calling a little runt?!"

"Red-haired monkey, this is the basketball club, not a zoo."

"You wanna fight?!"

Veins bulged on Ryota's forehead as the basketball spun rapidly on his fingertips.

The two pressed their foreheads together, sparks practically ready to fly.

"All right, all right!"

Yasuda hurried over to mediate.

"Ryota, you just got back. How about you practice with me first?"

Ryota shot Hanamichi a glance and snorted.

"Sure. Just the thing to loosen up."

On the court, Ryota faced Yasuda.

Their one-on-one began.

Yasuda had the ball and was just about to dribble past him.

Smack!

A crisp sound rang out.

The ball was gone.

Ryota's hand was as fast as lightning, stripping the ball away in an instant.

Then he accelerated, sweeping past Yasuda like a gust of wind.

Layup, score.

The movement was smooth and effortless, utterly stylish.

"So fast!"

"That's Ryota for you!"

"He's a strong candidate for the next captain!"

The players around them exclaimed in admiration.

Ryota smugly flicked his hair and looked toward Ayako, hoping for praise from his goddess.

Instead, Ayako was bent over, talking to Lin Bei. She had not seen him at all.

Ryota's heart shattered into pieces.

"Hey! Shorty!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi was displeased.

"What's so impressive about that?"

"This genius can do that too!"

Hanamichi strode onto the court and pointed at Ryota.

"Come on! This genius challenges you to a duel!"

Ryota raised an eyebrow at this red-haired outsider.

"You?"

"Bring it on."

It was supposed to be a one-on-one basketball game.

Instead, things took a sudden turn.

Hanamichi did not understand the rules at all. On defense, he relied entirely on body-checking; on offense, he relied entirely on brute force.

Ryota was fast, but even he found Hanamichi's unreasonable style of play troublesome.

The two became tangled up on the court.

"Foul! That's charging!"

"Quit whining! This is a genius's defense!"

"Let go! Why are you grabbing my jersey?!"

"Scared, shorty?!"