Inside Shohoku Basketball Gym, the inter-squad practice match entered its most intense phase.
Led by Takenori Akagi, the upperclassmen team began steadily narrowing the score gap, while the freshman team, under the command of Shin Saionji, fought hard to maintain their lead.
The scoreboard showed: Freshman Team 44 - 38 Upperclassmen Team.
Although the upperclassmen had been put somewhat on the defensive, they were, after all, Shohoku's regular players, possessing superior experience and physical stamina compared to the freshmen. Under Akagi's leadership, they gradually stabilized their footing.
And this time, Akagi finally decided to take matters into his own hands, squaring off directly against Shin Saionji!
"I can't let this guy do as he pleases anymore," Akagi muttered under his breath, his sharp gaze locked onto Shin Saionji like a predatory beast.
Kiminobu Kogure also sensed the crisis and warned, "Akagi, this guy's passing is too accurate, and he can anticipate our defense. How do you plan to guard him?"
Akagi said in a deep voice, "Cut him off at the source."
He patted his teammates on the shoulders and began organizing a new defensive strategy: "Kakuta, Shiozaki, watch out for help defense. Yasuda, Ishii, lock down Kaede Rukawa's receiving routes and don't let them easily launch any more fast breaks."
Satoru Kakuta nodded, and Tetsushi Shiozaki tightened his wristbands to signal his understanding.
The match on the court continued with the freshman team's offensive possession.
Shin Saionji advanced the ball, maintaining his usual composure, but this time, Akagi stepped up directly to meet him, using his own body to suppress Shin Saionji and deny him any opportunity to drive!
"Oh? Going head-to-head now?" Kaede Rukawa watched the matchup coldly, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.
Akagi's defense carried immense pressure; his height and strength advantage prevented Shin Saionji from easily shaking him off with a drive.
"Hmph, kid, let's see just how much skill you really have," Akagi said in a low voice, spreading his arms wide like a moving wall.
Shin Saionji didn't panic. He slowly adjusted his footing and began probing Akagi's defensive habits.
Just as Akagi prepared to close in, Shin Saionji suddenly executed an extreme behind-the-back dribble, changing direction in an instant!
"What?!" Just as Akagi tried to adjust his stride, Shin Saionji had already seized the momentary gap and pulled up for a jump shot!
The basketball traced a flawless arc and swished through the net!
The scoreboard updated: Freshman Team 46 - 38 Upperclassmen Team.
Ayako, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help exclaiming, "So fluid! This guy's dribbling rhythm actually managed to fool Akagi!"
"He's truly no ordinary person..." Kogure wiped the sweat from his forehead, deeply shocked.
Yet Akagi was not discouraged. He knew that a single basket couldn't change the game; what he needed to do was completely shut down Shin Saionji's floor-general abilities!
On the next possession, it was the upperclassmen team's turn to attack.
Akagi established his position down low, using his body to box out Satoru Kakuta, the freshman team's center. Tetsushi Shiozaki attempted to help out on defense, but he simply couldn't stop Akagi's raw power.
Yasuharu Yasuda delivered a precise pass to Akagi, who powered up for a ferocious slam dunk!
"Bang—!"
The basketball smashed violently into the rim, causing the entire gym to vibrate!
"Such a terrifying dunk..." The freshman players drew in sharp breaths one after another.
The score was rewritten: Freshman Team 46 - 40 Upperclassmen Team.
"It looks like Captain Akagi is playing for real now," Kentaro Ishii murmured.
Yoji Okusu nodded. "If he keeps dunking like that, the match is in trouble."
Shin Saionji looked at Akagi, a flash of excitement lighting up his eyes.
"Now this is interesting."
During the freshman team's offensive possession, the upperclassmen defense grew even tighter. Yasuda and Ishii locked down Kaede Rukawa's passing lanes, while Akagi kept his eyes glued to Shin Saionji.
—Suddenly, however, Shin Saionji used a pump fake, leveraging the Demon King's Eye to anticipate Akagi's shifting center of gravity in advance, and instantly broke through Akagi's defensive line!
"What?!" Akagi widened his eyes, trying to recover on defense, but Shin Saionji had already slashed into the paint!
Faced with the double-team block of Satoru Kakuta and Tetsushi Shiozaki, he executed a soft mid-air body dodge to evade the block, and the basketball dropped smoothly through the hoop!
The scoreboard updated: Freshman Team 48 - 40 Upperclassmen Team.
The entire gym fell dead silent.
Everyone stared at Shin Saionji, their eyes filled with shock.
—Takenori Akagi's defense had been completely torn apart by a freshman!
On the sidelines, the corners of Coach Anzai's mouth curved upward slightly. He gently pushed up his glasses and murmured softly, "Oh ho ho... This child..."
"Perhaps he's even stronger than I anticipated..."
The match continued, and the upperclassmen team's counterattack was far from over, but the landscape of Shohoku had already begun to quietly shift.
Inside Shohoku Basketball Gym, the practice match entered its most crucial phase.
The score on the court remained neck-and-neck, with the freshman team leading the upperclassmen team 48-40. But the game was far from over; the upperclassmen starters had gradually adapted to Shin Saionji's game rhythm and were beginning to brew a counteroffensive.
Takenori Akagi stood at midcourt, his gaze burning, steady and sharp. He realized that defense alone couldn't contain Shin Saionji; he had to take the initiative on offense and completely turn the tide!
Kiminobu Kogure also sensed Akagi's intent and said in a low voice, "Akagi, it looks like you're finally serious."
Akagi nodded, his tone steady. "If we don't go all out now, Shohoku's future is likely..."
Meanwhile, Coach Anzai on the sidelines narrowed his eyes slightly, keeping his gaze locked onto Shin Saionji. He watched as this freshman point guard calmly directed his teammates on the court, as if everything were entirely within his control.
The match on the court continued.
—The upperclassmen team's attack!
Satoru Kakuta, Tetsushi Shiozaki, Yasuharu Yasuda, and Kentaro Ishii formed a tactical setup around Akagi. No longer obsessed with defense, they entrusted the core of their offense entirely to Shohoku's captain—Takenori Akagi!
Shin Saionji stood at the heart of the defensive formation. His Demon King's Eye activated once again, instantly analyzing the opponent's offensive intentions.
—They intended to let Akagi post up in the low post and draw fouls!
Akagi forcefully established his position in the low post, his height and strength completely overwhelming the freshman team's interior defender. Satoru Kakuta fought hard to hold his ground against Akagi, but he simply couldn't shake Shohoku's iron-willed captain!
Yasuda delivered a precise pass. Akagi caught the ball, powered through a turn, and leaped upward!
"Bang!"
A powerful, forceful dunk directly narrowed the score gap!
The scoreboard updated: 48-42.
Akagi's outburst instantly ignited the upperclassmen team's morale!
Kogure patted Kakuta on the shoulder, his tone tinged with encouragement: "Kakuta, you did your best, but Akagi's strength isn't something we can easily block."
Shiozaki also nodded. "If we let Akagi keep playing like this, our paint is going to be completely destroyed."
Shin Saionji took a deep breath, looked over at Akagi, and a flash of excitement crossed his eyes.
The freshman team's offensive possession.
Shin Saionji slowly dribbled the ball across half-court. The upperclassmen team began applying high-intensity pressure defense against him; Yasuharu Yasuda and Kentaro Ishii attempted to cut off Shin Saionji's passing lanes, but he merely smiled faintly and suddenly executed an extreme crossover drive, shaking both of them off in a split second!
"Damn it, this guy's rhythm is too weird!" Yasuda exclaimed, turning his head in surprise to look at Shin Saionji.
Shin Saionji charged into the paint. Faced with the double-team defense of Shiozaki and Kakuta, he suddenly executed a fake shot-real pass, placing the basketball with pinpoint accuracy right into Kaede Rukawa's hands!
Kaede Rukawa didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second; he rose up for a jump shot, sinking it cleanly!
50-42!
The upperclassmen team did not back down, choosing once again to put the ball in Akagi's hands.
Akagi continued his relentless assault inside the paint. Facing the double-team of Kakuta and Shiozaki, he unhesitatingly scored once again with a hook shot!
50-44!
The tempo of the match reached a boiling point. The score between the freshman and upperclassmen teams remained deadlocked, and the showdown between Akagi and Shin Saionji became the absolute focus of the entire gym!
At this moment, Hanamichi Sakuragi could no longer restrain himself on the sidelines. He leaped up abruptly from the bench and roared, "Damn it! Let me play!!"
Ayako rolled her eyes. "You should learn how to shoot a basket first."
"What's so hard about learning how to shoot?!" Hanamichi shouted defiantly.
"Oh ho ho~" Coach Anzai suddenly let out a soft chuckle. "Hanamichi-kun, if you want to play, why don't you watch the duel on the court first?"
"A duel?" Hanamichi froze.
Coach Anzai narrowed his eyes as he looked at Akagi and Shin Saionji on the court, and murmured softly, "This match... the real battle is only just beginning."
—The freshman team's offense!
Shin Saionji held the ball, his gaze flickering slightly as he looked at Akagi down in the low post.
"—Akagi has started taking this seriously. Next, he's going to try to shut down my passing."
—Demon King's Eye analyzing the strategy!
Sure enough, the moment Shin Saionji initiated his drive, Akagi immediately abandoned his interior defensive assignment and stepped up directly to meet him!
"This time, I won't let you drive past easily!" Akagi roared, his defense forming an impenetrable copper wall that locked Shin Saionji tightly in place!
Yet, just as Akagi thought he had successfully suppressed Shin Saionji, the freshman suddenly executed a super-high-speed behind-the-back dribble!
The basketball wrapped around Akagi's defensive line like a phantom, and Shin Saionji instantly slashed into the paint!
Satoru Kakuta and Tetsushi Shiozaki immediately rushed over to help, but Shin Saionji once again used the Demon King's Eye to accurately anticipate the play, completing a mid-air body-adjusted layup while hanging in the air!
"How is that possible..." Kakuta stared at the sight in utter shock.
The basketball skimmed off the backboard and dropped steadily through the hoop!
52-44!
Inside Shohoku Basketball Gym, absolute silence fell.
The upperclassmen players wore grim expressions; everyone realized...
—They had run out of ways to contain Shin Saionji!
Akagi stood silent for a split second down in the low post, his fists clenching slightly as complex emotions flashed in his gaze.
Kogure spoke up in a low voice beside him, "Akagi, this guy... is a monster."
Akagi said nothing. He took a deep breath, raised his head to look at Shin Saionji, and the look in his eyes was no longer mere captainly authority, but one of formal acknowledgment.
"You..." Akagi slowly spoke up, "are truly strong."
Coach Anzai on the sidelines nodded gently, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Ho ho... It seems Shohoku has finally found its floor general."
The match continued, but the outcome... seemed to have already been decided.