"As soon as that number eleven came on, the game seems to be shifting in Toshigawa's favor," said Kayano, eyes narrowing as he observed the court.
"Yes, he looks like one of their better players. Seems like their coach was saving him for this exact moment," Kogure replied, watching with renewed interest.
"It would've been disappointing if they didn't put up any challenge at all, so I'm glad they have him on their team," Kogure added with a small smile.
On the next possession, Eiji dribbled the basketball up the court, his eyes scanning for an opening. Hayato immediately stepped up, playing tight defense to prevent him from making an easy pass.
"What's wrong? Weren't you pressuring me just now?" Hayato taunted, his feet shuffling quickly as he cut off Eiji's movements.
"Damn, he's going to corner me at this rate," Eiji thought, struggling to maintain control of the ball.
Out of nowhere, Manabu set a hard screen on Hayato, giving Eiji just enough space to whip a quick pass to Ryuu in the post. Yukio immediately stepped up to guard him, standing firm as Ryuu caught the ball.
Using brute force, Ryuu pounded the ball on the hardwood, his muscles flexing as he spun off Yukio's body. The move freed him up just enough to go for a post shot. Yukio jumped to contest, his arms fully extended.
"Damn, he faked me out," Yukio realized too late as Ryuu stepped through with his non-pivot foot and floated the ball toward the basket.
Before the ball could even reach its peak, a shadow loomed over Ryuu. Tetsuo soared through the air, his hand meeting the ball mid-flight and swatting it to the ground with authority.
"But how?! When did he get over here?! And how can he jump so high?!" Ryuu thought, stunned as he watched the ball bounce away.
Before it could go out of bounds, Hayato reacted quickly, catching the ball in stride.
"We can't waste a golden opportunity like this. We need to close the gap," Hayato said as he immediately pushed forward, dribbling with speed.
"No way… He just went toe-to-toe with Ryuu at the rim. Who is this guy?" Kayano asked himself, his curiosity growing.
"That number eleven has a crazy pair of legs on him," Kogure muttered, intrigued.
"He blocked Ryuu, but that's not possible…" Manabu said, still in shock.
"Alright, everyone, let's score some points and take the lead," Hayato called out, signaling the play they had practiced.
As Yukio moved into position, he set a solid screen for Hayato at the top of the key. Meanwhile, Noboru cut in and out of the paint, forcing the defense to shift and react to him.
At the same time, Tetsuo set a screen for Takahiro on the wing, freeing him from his defender. Takahiro sprinted toward the basket, slipping through the cracks in the defense.
"Shit, we fell for their bait," Eiji realized too late.
Hayato saw the opening and wasted no time. He zipped a precise pass to Takahiro, who caught the ball mid-stride. Taking two quick steps, he elevated off the glass and laid the ball in effortlessly.
"Hey! What are you idiots doing down there?! Aren't you supposed to be the best team?!" a frustrated schoolboy shouted from the crowd.
On the next possession, Eiji inbounded the ball to Manabu, who took a dribble before turning around, only to see Tetsuo standing in front of him, locked in.
"There's no way he's better than me. I'll show him," Manabu thought, his pride swelling.
He crossed the ball between his legs, then spun, trying to shake Tetsuo off. But Tetsuo mirrored his every move, reacting instantly and staying in front of him.
Manabu crossed behind his back, then shifted through his legs again, determined to get past him. No matter how fast he moved, no matter how deceptive his footwork was, Tetsuo read every motion perfectly, sticking to him like a shadow.
"I can't believe it… Manabu can't shake him off," Kayano murmured in disbelief.
"I didn't know Toshigawa had such a player. I don't recognize him. What junior high school is he from?" Coach Arimoto asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm not sure, Coach. This is the first time I'm seeing him too. He's a mystery to everyone," Kayano admitted.
"Manabu! Calm the hell down and pass me the ball!" Ryuu barked from the post.
"No, I won't! I've never been forced to pass the ball before, and it's not going to start now!" Manabu shouted defiantly.
Desperate to score, he pulled up for a three-pointer.
Before he could even release the ball, Tetsuo's hand met it mid-air, sending it flying backward.
"Get back on defense and quit spacing out!" Eiji yelled as he sprinted back.
"No way… it can't be… I can't get past this guy… Is the difference between us really that vast?" Manabu asked himself, his confidence beginning to crack.
Tetsuo recovered the loose ball and pushed it up the court.
"No, I won't allow you to score!" Eiji yelled, stepping up to contest Tetsuo's shot.
Tetsuo faked a jump shot, keeping his feet planted. Eiji bit, leaping into the air.
"What the—" Eiji's eyes widened in realization.
As soon as Eiji was airborne, Tetsuo jumped into him, drawing contact as he released a three-pointer. The ball arced beautifully through the air and swished cleanly into the basket.
The referee blew his whistle.
"Blocking foul, white number nine! Basket counts! One free throw!"
The crowd erupted in shock.
"Whoa! They caught up?! That's insane!" a boy exclaimed.
"That number eleven is amazing! He single-handedly brought up the score!" a girl shouted excitedly.
"Hell yeah! That's the way, Tetsuo!" Noboru cheered, slapping Tetsuo on the back.
"Yeah, that's how you do it, Tetsuo! He's really a lifesaver," Nanaho grinned, celebrating.
"Tetsuo did it! He's so amazing!" Haruko beamed with relief.
"Nice work, Tetsuo. You brought us back into the game," Takahiro said, smiling.
"Yeah… I'm honestly glad you're here," Hayato admitted, his expression full of gratitude.
The players lined up along the free-throw line. Tetsuo took his shot. The ball left his fingertips with perfect rotation, hitting nothing but net.
"I can't believe it… The game is actually tied," a player on the bench murmured in disbelief.
Coach Arimoto sat down, his arms crossed. He didn't utter a word, but the aura surrounding him radiated anger.
"Coach looks pissed," Kayano and Kogure thought simultaneously.
"Alright, everyone, let's take the lead!" Yukio said with a bright smile.
"Yes!" the team shouted in unison.
Nanaho watched Yukio, noticing how much fun he was having. "Yukio looks so happy," she thought with a warm smile.
For the rest of the first quarter, the game became completely one-sided in Toshigawa's favor.
Hayato stole the basketball from Eiji, sprinted forward, and dished it to Yukio, who finished with a smooth layup.
On the next possession, Yukio blocked Ryuu's shot and passed the ball to Noboru, who quickly swung it to Takahiro. Takahiro floated a high-arching shot over the defenders, banking it in.
"We need to score fast! I don't like the look on Coach's face," Eiji muttered, scanning the court.
"Eiji! Pass the ball!" Ryuu shouted from the post.
Eiji lobbed the ball toward Ryuu, but before it could reach him, Tetsuo intercepted it, darting the other way with blistering speed.
"When the hell did he—" Manabu's jaw dropped.
Manabu trailed him, trying desperately to catch up. Tetsuo leaped for a layup but, at the last moment, passed to Hayato at the three-point line.
Hayato caught it, rose, and fired. The ball rattled on the rim before finally dropping in.
Silence fell over the gym.
The whistle blew. The first quarter had ended. Toshigawa, who had been losing by double digits, was now in the lead.