Akagi calmly replied, "I scored; the point is the only result."
In the past, when the two faced off, it was basically a head-on clash.
Last year at the county tournament, Uozumi wasn't this strong, and he was completely Akagi in the paint by Gorilla.
To achieve this, Uozumi trained his strength for a whole year, eventually becoming the heavily armored tank he is today.
But Akagi started using his skills again... and he actually scored, which left Uozumi speechless...
Uozumi swore he would never give that chance again!
Moichi Taoka also firmly believed that Uozumi's efforts were evident to him and that he was confident that Uozumi could suppress Akagi.
Only in this way can the Twin Stars's pincer attack be effective.
The offensive and defensive positions shifted, Ryonan launched an attack.
Shirasawa was in charge of defense at the top of the arc, but his defensive distance was a bit further than before.
Sendoh wasn't too concerned. His priority was to get the ball to Fukuda as soon as possible so he could quickly take down Kogure, gain more offensive opportunities, and level the score or even take the lead as quickly as possible.
Facing Kogure, Fukuda had a physical advantage, making it incredibly easy for him to receive the ball.
With a few steps forward, Sendoh passed the ball over.
This rumor spread so easily that even the Sendoh were somewhat puzzled.
Upon closer inspection, Shirasawa had already left his side and rushed to Fukuda's side, forcibly switching places with Kogure.
Only then did Sendoh realize that Shirasawa's target had changed to Fukuda!
If Fukuda passes the ball back to Sendoh now, Kogure won't be able to defend it at all, which would be like giving away a point for nothing.
Shirasawa certainly understood this principle as well.
So he spoke first, "Haven't you always wanted to spar with me? Now your chance has come, you weakling."
Weakling??
Fukuda, who was enjoying the cheers of the crowd just a moment ago, froze when he heard those two words.
My head was buzzing.
His journey has been like a long marathon.
Having finally overcome numerous obstacles and just as he was about to reach the finish line, at this crucial moment when everyone was watching, Shirasawa suddenly stretched out a leg, blatantly trying to trip him up.
Fukuda had no way out; he had to break that leg!
He absolutely could not let this hard-won cheer disappear!
To be frank, he's definitely getting a bit cocky now.
When a basketball player is on fire and in complete form, they often lose sight of their opponents.
Without this kind of unwavering confidence, it's actually quite difficult to become a top player.
But no matter what, he had to face Shirasawa's provocation head-on!
Sendoh had already sensed that something was wrong, so he quickly moved into position and reached out for the ball.
But at this moment, Fukuda's fighting spirit was completely ignited, and he completely ignored Sendoh's signal.
"Let me tell you, it doesn't matter who comes, nobody can stop me!"
Fukuda gritted his teeth and uttered those words harshly.
This matchup instantly ignited the entire stadium.
Ryonan's offensive has finally caught Shirasawa's attention!
Since defeating Shinichi Maki, Shirasawa has long been recognized as a top-tier player who excels in both offense and defense.
He's now actively seeking out Ryonan, this heavy artillery piece that's firing at full power—the scene is just too exciting!
"This is going to be interesting. Will Fukuda be able to get past Shirasawa?"
Jin looked at the arena with great interest, but in his heart he felt that his old classmate was most likely to suffer a setback.
Shinichi Maki's judgment was even more decisive and swift.
" Fukuda is finished."
Though the words were harsh, they carried Shinichi Maki's characteristic certainty.
Seeing this, the entire Shohoku bench excitedly pumped their fists and shouted, cheering for Shirasawa.
In their hearts, Shirasawa could never lose!
For a moment, the cheers for Shirasawa clearly outweighed those for Fukuda.
This made Fukuda feel like he had a thorn stuck in his heart.
Shirasawa seemed to have stolen everything that should have belonged to him!
"You're asking for it."
Fukuda forced out those three words through gritted teeth, and then moved.
He first struck his signature three-threat pose, a starting move that had once completely outmaneuvered Sakuragi.
This time, Fukuda deliberately increased the amplitude of his body swaying, making his movements deceptive.
But just as he was about to take the next step, Fukuda suddenly felt a lightness all over his body...
It felt as if my soul had been suddenly ripped away.
A powerful force brutally took everything from him.
That's right, Shirasawa once again pulled off a steal!
Quick, accurate, and ruthless, he snatched the ball from Fukuda's hands!
"Holy crap! Shirasawa stole the ball again!!"
The Shohoku fans went wild.
The visual effect of this aggressive interception was so stunning that even onlookers felt a chill run down their spines.
Not to mention Fukuda, the person involved.
After intercepting the ball, Shirasawa immediately launched a counterattack without hesitation.
He and Sendoh charged forward one after the other.
Shirasawa charged forward fiercely this time, taking several big steps to break into the three-point line, leading Sendoh by a body length, and then slammed it in with a one-handed dunk!
boom!!
A steal and a fast break left the Ryonan fans speechless.
The momentum that Fukuda had built up with 11 consecutive points came to an abrupt end.
Hikoichi Aida excited he almost shouted, but when he saw the coach's ashen face, he quickly covered his mouth again...
Moichi Taoka was filled with hatred!
Just as the plan was about to succeed, Shirasawa abruptly cut it off.
He hadn't expected Fukuda to pass the ball.
After all, Fukuda was on fire, and in Taoka's mind, Fukuda was also a top scorer.
No matter what, they shouldn't be completely unable to break through Shirasawa's defense.
This switchover by Shirasawa is like a high-stakes gamble for Taoka.
If Fukuda can break through Shirasawa's defense, even just by scoring this one goal.
This will be a huge blow to Shohoku!
It could even directly determine the outcome!
Even if they don't score, it won't have a big impact. The fact that Ryonan's third-leading scorer took the initiative to challenge Shirasawa will plant a seed in the hearts of the Shohoku Team.
But what was the result? It turned out to be the worst possible outcome!
Fukuda couldn't even protect the ball, let alone attack it, and directly gifted Shohoku a huge advantage!
In this high-stakes gamble, Moichi Taoka has lost everything...
On his way back to defend, Shirasawa passed by Fukuda and casually tossed out, "Thanks for the assist."
Fukuda's eyes twitched at these words.
" Fukuda, calm down, don't take it to heart," Sendoh, offering timely words of comfort.
Fukuda nodded, but judging from his expression, he didn't listen at all.
His mind was already filled with thoughts of revenge.
Kaede Rukawa was even more direct, impatiently tossing out, "You can't beat him, give me the ball."
This is like stabbing Fukuda in the heart again...
Sendoh quickly smoothed things over and reorganized the attack.
"You were right, Maki. Fukuda really had no way to deal with it." Jin sighed with a hint of regret, as if he were mourning for his old classmate.
Shinichi Maki just smiled when he heard this. " Fukuda does have some skill in offense, but compared to players of our caliber, he's still a level below. He'll immediately show his true colors when he faces a real defensive expert."
The use of "we" in his words piqued Kiyota's interest. The kid was particularly curious about who truly deserved the top spot in Maki's eyes, so he could gauge how far he was from that position.
" Maki, who are you referring to when you say 'we'?" Kiyota asked, leaning closer.
Shinichi Maki almost without hesitation, "Speaking of Kanagawa alone, it's Shirasawa, me, Fujima, and Sendoh."
" Fujima?" Kiyota was a little surprised. "I thought you were going to talk about Kaede Rukawa." He had never played against Fujima, but he always felt that Fujima's height was a major weakness in defense. Compared to those monsters who excelled in both offense and defense, he seemed to be lacking. On the other hand, Kaede Rukawa seemed to fit the bill better.
"If you think Fujima's defense is weak just because he couldn't defend against Shirasawa, you're making a huge mistake," Shinichi Maki snorted. "Besides, Fujima's offensive power is far more exaggerated than you've seen; it's just that Shirasawa completely overshadowed it."
"As for Kaede Rukawa," he paused, "He still needs to practice more, at least for now."
Shinichi Maki spoke, he glanced at Kiyota, " Kiyota, I hope that in a year or two, you'll also be included in this discussion."
Nobunaga Kiyota a deep breath and uttered two words heavily. "Definitely."
On the field, Sendoh is controlling the ball and organizing the attack.
Shirasawa remained standing in front of him, refusing to budge an inch.
This attitude infuriated Fukuda even more—wasn't this blatant disrespect?
Shirasawa's repeated provocations and taunts had already turned Fukuda's face ashen. He sprinted past Kogure and rushed straight to Shirasawa.
Using this as a screen, Sendoh Dao bypassed Shirasawa in one step.
At the same time, Fukuda dismantled the paint and drove straight into the three-second zone.
Instead of chasing Fukuda, Shirasawa lunged at Sendoh.
This choice makes sense, since Sendoh is clearly a much greater threat than Fukuda.
But at that very moment, Sendoh made a decision— Fukuda's opportunity was definitely better than his own!
However, as soon as the ball was passed, Sendoh's heart skipped a beat.
broken!
He'd been tricked!
Shirasawa appeared to be rushing towards him, but just as the ball left his hand, Shirasawa suddenly changed direction.
That's right, Shirasawa's target from beginning to end has always been Fukuda!
This was all a trap he set in the blink of an eye.
Things can change in an instant on the court. Sendoh realized what was happening just a little too late, but the ball had already left his fingertips and was gone forever.
" Fukuda! Watch out!" He could only shout at the top of his lungs.
Fukuda received the ball at the free-throw line and immediately jumped!
He's going to attack! He's going to dunk! He's going to shut Shirasawa up! He's going to hear the cheers that belong to him again!
Under the basket, Uozumi tried to block Akagi, shouting the same words as Sendoh: "Watch out!"
But Fukuda was completely deaf. Only one thought remained in his mind: smash that ball in!
Bang!
Just as Fukuda was about to slam the ball into the basket, Shirasawa's left hand appeared out of thin air and blocked it fiercely!
Left hand to right hand, the two were locked in a tense standoff in mid-air for a moment, as if time itself had stopped.
Fukuda's eyes widened in shock.
He wasn't surprised that Shirasawa could catch up; in fact, he was eager for Shirasawa to catch up so he could deliver a powerful dunk right in front of him.
To his surprise, Shirasawa attacked so quickly and fiercely!
That hand was like an iron gate, forcefully keeping the basketball out.
Shirasawa put in even more force with his arm, sending the ball flying!
"Holy crap!!! Shirasawa blocked his dunk!"
"That's ruthless! No one can dunk over Shirasawa!"
"Now that number 13 knows how high the sky is, right?!"
In the stands, the Shohoku fans went wild because of that block!
First, a steal that looked like a robbery, and now a blocked dunk that seemed certain to succeed—aren't those moments just devastating?
Shirasawa then gave both of these great gifts to Fukuda alone.
If this trended on social media, the topic would definitely be "Feeling sorry for Fukuda ".
However, Shirasawa's actions were not yet finished!
The basketball was swatted into the air.
With Shirasawa's jumping ability, it would have been easy for him to take it back, but he didn't try to snatch it. Instead, he subtly turned to the side to block Akagi for Fukuda!