Chapter 39: Vs. Teikō V
The fact that Shōgo could alter the trajectory his shot with "Pillage" left Shintarō utterly bewildered as he gazed at the Shōgo in front of him, prompting him with an urge to ask, "Shōgo, how did you manage to do this?"
"How's that? Did I scare you?"
"Shōgo, you're different from before."
Shintarō didn't respond; instead, he muttered a sentence to himself.
Shōgo looked at Shintarō in front of him, feeling somewhat uneasy himself due to the impression Shintarō gave him.
There was also Atsushi, who had just been stopped by him. Shōgo's words held deeper meanings.
"The real show is just beginning. Let's continue!"
However, at this moment, the coach of Teikō Junior High, Coach Shirogane, called for a timeout.
Faced with Arata, Tetsuya genuinely felt that he had done his best and was helpless.
"Tetsuya, you've worked hard!"
Satsuki handed him a towel and bottled water. After taking them, Tetsuya looked at Satsuki, who could collect and analyze data with a hint of confusion.
"Satsuki, what's the deal with that number 11? I can feel that he's not influenced by my misdirection."
Satsuki let out a sigh internally. She too couldn't believe there existed someone in the world of middle school basketball who could completely guard Tetsuya.
"Tetsuya, the gaze of number 11 is fixed solely on you. He only sees you, not thinking about receiving, shooting, passing, or dribbling; his eyes are only on you."
"What?"
"It's truly unimaginable, Tetsuya. You can observe number 11."
"Yes, I understand."
Thinking of this situation, Tetsuya recalled a story he had read when he was looking for visual misdirection materials two years ago. The story was extremely similar to the current situation.
Long ago, there was a skilled thief who excelled at using visual misdirection techniques. He sneaked into a village, stealing things without getting caught by the villagers or police, as he would always use visual misdirection to make a discreet escape.
In that village lived a person whom everyone regarded as a fool. Every day, he would stand under a large locust tree at the village entrance, fixedly watching the road. The thief's every entrance and exit were all seen by the "fool." Nothing escaped his attention.
Thinking up to this point, Tetsuya understood quite well. He was like that thief, and number 11 was like that "fool."
The world is vast and full of cause and effect, with each thing opposing another. Tetsuya's dark side deep inside him was now bursting with profanities: Dammit, how could I run into such a fool?
In the conversation with Satsuki, the match had already resumed.
Shōgo received the basketball from a teammate outside the line and idly dribbled it.
He arrived at the half-court neither too fast nor too slowly. It wasn't that Shōgo didn't want to fast-break, but his teammates couldn't keep up with his rhythm and speed. So he came ahead of them, and he was faced with the Teikō players.
Thus, he could only wait for his teammates to be in position and guard against the Teikō players. This was when he could score easily.
With Tetsuya off the court, Shōgo felt slightly relieved. He didn't need to worry about being unexpectedly stripped or intercepted. It made Shōgo feel much more at ease.
Seizing an opportunity, he made a jump shot, scoring 2 points. After the basketball went through the net, the first quarter came to an end.
Returning to the resting area with his Fukuda Junior High teammates, Shōgo took the towel and bottled water offered by Rina, wiped his sweat, and took a drink.
"How's it going, Rina-chan? Did they surprise you? Did they terrify you?"
"Indeed, I was surprised.
And terrified!"
"Oh, tell me about it."
"Seriously, Shōgo-kun. The blond guy, No. 8, Ryōta Kise, really resembles you, but he's not as strong. The guy with purple hair, No. 5, Atsushi Murasakibara, is like an impregnable wall, blocking Fukuda Junior High's hope. As for the green-haired No. 7, Shintarō Midorima, I can't figure him out for now. I think he's deliberately hiding something."
Hearing this, Shōgo looked at Rina with surprise, sensing his intense gaze. Rina felt a bit bashful.
Great, Rina is finally starting to grow. Giving Rina a pat on the head, causing her cheeks to turn slightly red, Shōgo stopped and spoke.
"Good job, keep observing and collecting data!"
"I will, Shōgo-kun!"
Turning to look at his coach and teammates, Shōgo's expression suddenly froze, and he remained silent. Instead, he sat down on a chair to rest.
Listening to his four teammates, who had just come off the court and were taking heavy breaths, Shōgo's mentality began to tighten.
The four who had played in the first quarter, except Arata, were panting so heavily that "out of breath" couldn't fully describe their state. Seeing his teammates not collapse or fall into despair was already the best outcome.
This couldn't be blamed on the teammates, Shōgo couldn't even imagine the pressure and "insults" they were enduring. Not seeing their teammates crumble and lose hope was the best outcome they could hope for.
Defending Tetsuya, Arata was in a much better state; he had more energy left.
As for the last one, who defended the powerful members of Teikō's second team, he was also worn out. Seeing that the starting three players of Fukuda Junior High were about to be replaced, it was already the best ending they could get.
Alas! How lamentable!
Faced with a team like Teikō Junior High, Fukuda's players could only give their all for one quarter. Coach Kudo, also had a grim face as he began to shuffle the players.
"You, you, you, go warm up. You three will go on to play the second quarter."
By the end of the first quarter, Fukuda Junior High was forced to initiate a substitution battle, all in pursuit of a slim chance.
Seeing the coach and teammates full of enthusiasm and eagerness, Shōgo tightly gripped the towel in his hand and then handed it back to Rina next to him. He stood up and walked onto the court with his teammates.
The second quarter of the match began amidst great anticipation.
"Clang!"
The basketball was passed inside and received by the inside player, Atsushi. With a light jump, unopposed, he dunked the basketball into the hoop.
Having scored, Atsushi felt somewhat helpless. Apart from Shōgo, no other Fukuda's player was his match.
As he passed by Shōgo, he lazily spoke.
"Little Shōgo, how about guarding me? The others are boring."
Shōgo didn't say anything; his expression conveyed that he, too, felt helpless.
But inside, Shōgo's heart was roaring: Atsushi, do you think I'm an idiot? Would I challenge you head-on? Then should I even finish the entire game?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone