Desperate Height, Shohoku Suppressed

Takenori Akagi's tense thigh muscles exploded in an instant.

His entire body shot upward like an arrow released from its bow.

He wanted to win too badly.

He wanted too badly to prove on this stage that Shohoku was not a weak team.

Akagi's pupils locked firmly onto the basketball.

The instant the ball reached its apex, before it had even begun to fall, his fingertips had already touched its surface.

"Smack!"

Almost at the same time, the referee's shrill whistle sounded again.

"White No. 4!"

"Jump-ball violation!"

The referee mercilessly made the signal, awarding possession directly to Shoyo.

Takenori Akagi froze where he stood, still holding the pose of having jumped to tap the ball.

"Waaaaah—!!!"

On the other side of the stands, that sea of green instantly erupted.

"Shoyo! Shoyo! Shoyo!"

The deafening cheers crashed into Akagi's face like waves, making him feel dizzy and suffocated.

"What violation?"

"I got the ball!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi's eyes widened as he stared at Akagi in disbelief.

Akagi gritted his teeth, sweat sliding down his resolute face.

"Don't worry about it, Akagi!"

"Get back on defense!"

Hisashi Mitsui clapped his hands and shouted, trying to steady the team.

In the stands, however, the faces of the Ryonan players turned grave.

"This is bad..."

Jun Uozumi's massive body leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed deeply.

"Even Akagi, who's always as calm as a rock, made such a basic mistake. That shows just how much pressure he's under."

Akira Sendoh casually twisted open his bottle of lemonade and said:

"It's his final year, after all."

"But if they get overwhelmed by Shoyo's momentum from the start, Shohoku might collapse before they even get a chance to fight back."

On the court, Shoyo began its offense.

The one handling the ball was No. 9, Taku Ito.

Ryota Miyagi lowered his center of gravity and fixed his eyes on his opponent, trying to use his speed to steal the ball.

But the moment he moved closer, he felt a huge shadow envelop him.

Taku Ito was 180 centimeters tall, while Miyagi was only 168.

That twelve-centimeter difference was an insurmountable gulf on a basketball court.

More terrifyingly, Ito was merely Shoyo's shortest starter.

"Tch, shorty."

A contemptuous curve appeared at Ito's lips. He did not bother with any flashy dribbling moves.

He simply raised the basketball high with both hands.

Miyagi desperately stood on tiptoe and waved his arms like a child trying to reach candy, yet he could not even touch the other man's elbow.

"Damn it..."

Miyagi clenched his teeth, fury nearly bursting from his eyes.

"Whoosh—"

The basketball flew straight over Miyagi's head.

In a high arc, it easily cleared Shohoku's first line of defense.

Inside, Toru Hanagata caught the ball.

He had his back to the basket, with Takenori Akagi pressing against him from behind.

As long as I can contain this guy, we still have a chance!

Feeling the weight against him, a fierce glint flashed through Akagi's eyes.

When it came to strength, he was absolutely confident he would not lose to anyone!

"Hah!"

Akagi growled, his chest pressed firmly against Hanagata's back.

However, Hanagata did not choose a hard-nosed back-to-the-basket battle like Uozumi would have.

He adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose, and a sharp gleam flashed behind his lenses.

He spun around.

He jumped.

His body leaned far backward in midair.

Akagi's block had been pushed to the limit, his arm blotting out the sky.

But Hanagata's body seemed boneless as it flexibly drifted backward, the basketball rolling lightly off his fingertips.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound of net rustling.

The basketball dropped cleanly through the hoop.

2:0.

"Waaaaah! Hanagata! Hanagata!"

Shoyo's cheer squad erupted again, the roar deafening.

"No... no way, right?"

On Shohoku's bench, Yasuda, Shiozaki, and the others stared in stunned disbelief.

"That guy with glasses is clearly 197 centimeters tall. How can his movements be so smooth?"

"A fadeaway jumper? A center using a fadeaway?"

It completely overturned their understanding of centers.

In their minds,

a center should be like Akagi or Uozumi, battling under the basket and ending possessions with dunks.

Yet such refined guard-like technique had appeared on the body of a giant.

"This is trouble."

On Ryonan's bench, Taoka Moichi folded his arms, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"This game isn't just a battle for victory or defeat. It's also a contest for Kanagawa's top center."

"Takenori Akagi is a typical powerful, hard-charging center, while Toru Hanagata represents the ultimate flexible center."

"If Akagi cannot adapt to Hanagata's style, Shohoku's interior pillar will collapse."

Beside him, Aida Hikoichi frantically took notes. "Flexible center... Toru Hanagata... unbelievable!"

The offense and defense switched.

Shohoku attacked.

Ryota Miyagi dribbled into the frontcourt, and the sight before him filled him with despair.

The green uniforms formed a continuous wall, like an impenetrable fortress.

Shoyo's defensive formation was extremely strange.

It looked like a zone defense, yet everyone was also watching his own man.

No matter which direction Miyagi looked, all he could see were raised arms.

"Damn it, I can't see what's happening inside at all!"

Miyagi tried to find a driving lane.

But Shoyo's four tall players stood near the paint like four pillars holding up the sky, stuffing the key completely full.

"Pass it, Ryota!"

Hisashi Mitsui broke free in the corner and shouted loudly.

Miyagi instinctively wanted to pass.

But the instant he raised his hand, Taku Ito in front of him raised his hand as well.

That single raised hand directly blocked Miyagi's passing vision.

"Damn it!"

Miyagi was forced to pick up his dribble and could only pass the ball back to Kaede Rukawa, who had come up to help.

Rukawa caught the ball, facing defensive specialist Kazushi Hasegawa.

At 190 centimeters tall, with his long wingspan,

Hasegawa was like a giant spiderweb, covering every one of Rukawa's attacking routes.

Rukawa remained expressionless as he lowered his center of gravity, attempting to force his way through with speed.

"Thump! Thump!"

The basketball struck the floor in rapid, powerful beats.

Rukawa feinted right, then accelerated left.

Against an ordinary opponent, that move would have shaken him free.

But Hasegawa merely took one lateral step, using the advantage of his long legs to instantly block Rukawa's path.

"Don't underestimate Shoyo's defense."

Hasegawa spoke coldly, his gaze icy.

Rukawa's brow furrowed slightly. Forced to stop short, he tried to pass the ball to Akagi inside.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball had just left Rukawa's fingertips.

A long arm suddenly reached in from the side.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound rang out.

The basketball was intercepted directly in midair.

It was Shoyo's No. 7, Mitsuru Nagano.

"What?!"

Rukawa's pupils contracted slightly.

"Fast break!"

Fujima Kenji shouted from the sideline.

Shoyo's counterattack surged forward like a tidal wave.

Though they were tall, they were not slow at all.

Toru Hanagata received the pass and jumped directly near the free-throw line, tossing up a one-handed floater.

"Swish!"

4:0.