"Haah!"
With a fierce roar, Nebuya caught Akashi's pass and used his body to shove Hayakawa aside, slamming the ball through the hoop with a thunderous dunk!
"Damn it…"
Before Hayakawa could even blame himself, Kota quickly grabbed the ball, stepped out of bounds, and fired a long pass down the court to Kise. Facing Hayama's defense was like facing thin air — with a smooth behind-the-back crossover, Kise blew past him and finished the layup easily.
In just a few seconds, both sides had exploited their matchups and scored.
When the first quarter ended, the score was tied at 28–28.
"As expected, this one's gonna be a war…"
Kise took a water bottle from a teammate and leaned back on the bench, a trace of fatigue in his tone.
Unlike any team they'd faced before, this Rakuzan team was a real threat to Kaijo.
Kota lifted his eyes to the scoreboard and said lazily,
"After all that, we're still tied. Guess the first quarter was a waste of time. Back to square one."
"Sumimasen!"
Hayakawa snorted steam from his nose, his face full of guilt.
"If it wasn't for me getting scored on by their center the whole quarter… we'd already be ahead by now…"
Smack!
Before he could finish, Kota chopped him on the head without hesitation.
Watching Hayakawa clutch his head with a guilty face, Kota sighed and scolded, "Hayakawa-senpai, you're way too naive. Even if you outplay that big guy, Rakuzan would still find a way to score."
Hayakawa looked at him with teary eyes, his frame trembling like a sad puppy, which made Kota shiver.
"Ugh— don't look at me like that, Hayakawa-senpai! That's creepy!"
Kota rubbed his arm to smooth away the goosebumps, then raised a finger and explained,
"Rakuzan's scoring through Nebuya's physical advantage right now just because both teams are still testing each other out. It's the same thing as Kise going one-on-one with Hayama — even if we didn't play that way, we'd still find ways to score. It's all about matchups."
Everyone on Kaijo went silent for a moment, blinking in confusion. Kise raised his hand first,
"Uh, Kota, what are you even talking about? I don't get it."
Not only Kise — the rest of the team was equally lost. Yuki had already sneaked out her notebook, ready to jot down Kota's words whether they made sense or not.
"Seriously… you guys just need to play the damn game. Why're you all so curious?"
Kota sighed and shook his head, but since his teammates had asked, he decided to explain anyway.
"Listen up — Akashi's observing us right now, using that freakish Emperor Eye of his. He's analyzing every move we make, breaking it down and storing it in that genius brain of his."
Kota lifted his head and glanced toward Rakuzan's bench. Sure enough, Akashi was looking right back at him. The two locked eyes for a moment before, in perfect sync, both looked away.
"The real Rakuzan won't come out until the second half. Just like in their match against Too Academy, the third quarter's when they bare their fangs. For now, they're just letting Nebuya handle the scoring. Don't worry about it too much, Hayakawa-senpai — defend if you can, but it's not the end of the world if you can't."
Kota licked his lips. He could roughly guess Akashi's plan, but truth be told, he wasn't entirely confident about the outcome of this game.
Just as Akashi was observing Kaijo, Kota was studying Rakuzan. The battle between the two teams had only just begun.
"Kota, if that's the case" Kise said, suddenly realizing something, "wouldn't it be safer if we built a lead before the second half?"
He smacked his forehead, then pounded his chest confidently. "Leave it to me! I'll stretch the lead!"
If Kise used his Perfect Copy to attack Rakuzan's defense, the balance between the two teams would undoubtedly break. With Akashi still holding back, Kaijo could gain a solid advantage in the second quarter — but...
"I refuse."
Kota shook his head firmly. If their ace burned out too early, Kaijo would be left without a closer in the final moments.
That said, Kise's reasoning wasn't wrong — pulling ahead before Rakuzan's offense unleashed would definitely be smart. Which meant…
"The second quarter's mine."
Kota snapped his fingers, declaring himself the offensive focus. Under the bright lights, the confidence on his face was unmistakable.
Everyone knew it — Kota loved going one-on-one against Akashi.
...
Second Quarter Begins
Possession: Rakuzan.
Just as Kota predicted, Akashi continued to run the offense by the book—calm, calculated, and precise. Even with simple movement plays, Rakuzan's offense remained efficient, bolstered by Akashi's extraordinary passing control.
Using Nebuya's screen, Akashi dished the ball to Mibuchi, who was wide open on the perimeter.
Swish!
A clean three-pointer opened the second quarter.
28–31, Rakuzan takes the lead.
"No problem! Defense is holding—keep it up!"Kota's shout steadied his teammates as he took the inbound pass and dribbled into Rakuzan's half. Facing Akashi, who stood low and still, his lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Hey, Little Akashi—big bro's gonna back you down now!"
Without hesitation, Kota flashed a familiar hand signal rarely seen from him—isolation play.
Kaijo's players immediately spread out to the corners, leaving the high post clear for Kota's one-on-one.
Feeling the court empty around him, Akashi frowned slightly, irritation flashing in his eyes.
You really think you can bully me one-on-one? Who gave you that confidence, Kota!?
"You're too arrogant," Akashi muttered.
His pupils dilated, and golden light flared in his eyes.
Emperor Eye!
——
Ten seconds later. Kaijo scored two points.
Expressionless, Akashi walked to the baseline and started organizing the next offense. Even with his Emperor Eye, Kota's blend of anticipation and physical strength made him a nightmare in isolation.
"The second quarter begins! Rakuzan's smooth ball rotation ends with Mibuchi—wide-open three-pointer! It's good!"
"Now it's Kaijo's possession—wait, looks like Kota's going one-on-one? Against Akashi!? That's risky—Akashi averages twelve steals per game! Who even dares dribble near him? Can Kota pull this off?"
"Post-up… spin… another post-up… another spin… he's still going… and—scores!"
"…Hahaha, Kota really knows how to use his body well."
The commentator, Bobo, almost lost his composure watching Kota's unconventional footwork, but as a professional bootlicker, he recovered instantly and forced a grin.
"See, Kota's a very intelligent playe," Bobo continued smoothly. "His strength isn't just in shooting or physicality—it's in his versatility! His move set is insane! He's got a counter for every situation—big man? He uses finesse. Smaller guy? He uses muscle! Kota—what a genius!"
That bit of damage control surprisingly worked. Fans in the chat started nodding in agreement.Bobo sighed in relief. He almost lost his credibility—but his tongue saved him again.
"Back to the court—Kaijo on offense once more. Kota signals for another isolation! Oh? Rakuzan switched! Akashi's backing off to the corner—and the one stepping up to guard Kota is…"
"Rakuzan's rookie power forward—Takeshi!"
Bobo blinked in surprise but quickly pulled up the rookie's stats.
"Rakuzan's starting freshman, Takeshi, might be new, but his fundamentals are rock solid—averages only two turnovers per game! Impressive for a first-year!"
He chuckled. "Let's see how this rookie handles facing a veteran like Kota!"
But deep down, Bobo didn't expect much. If even Akashi struggles to contain Kota, what chance does a no-name freshman have?
On the court, Kota also hesitated for a second when he saw the new matchup.
What the hell? Did Akashi just give up, or is this a setup?
Suspicion crossed his eyes as he glanced toward the baseline—Akashi stood there, arms folded, making no move to help.
"What's this, Rakuzan out of defenders already? You sending a freshman to guard me? Either you're underestimating me… or you've already given up!"
He spread his arms in mock disbelief, but inside, he was analyzing every detail.Akashi wouldn't make a meaningless move. That meant—this rookie must have something special.
So, he really thinks this guy can stop me, huh?
Kota narrowed his eyes but kept up the cocky front.He waved at the rookie lazily.
"C'mon, kid. Don't just stand there. Go get your captain before I break your ankles—it'd be a shame to end your career before it starts."
Takeshi didn't flinch. He kept his stance low, focused, and silent—no reaction at all.
"No response to trash talk? Seriously?"
Kota frowned. His usual psychological bait didn't land. But backing off wasn't an option. He shifted gears, dribbling low, rhythm tight. Without Akashi's lurking pressure, he could finally play his natural style—fluid, explosive, unpredictable.
Crossover, behind-the-back, step—observe.
Even without prior encounters, Kota could tell from Takeshi's frame and footwork: he was a strength-based defender.The distance closed. Kota's dribble widened, the tempo sharper. But Takeshi didn't bite—arms out, solid stance, completely unfazed.
Kota lunged forward—quick left-to-right crossover! His timing perfect, speed deceptive.
But just as he slipped past Takeshi's hip—pressure slammed in from the right!Kota braced instantly, foot driving hard—contact! Takeshi absorbed it. For a freshman, his upper-body strength was unreal.
Kota spun, feinted, then burst baseline—pull-up jumper! Swish. Two points.
Referee raised a hand: valid basket.
The crowd cheered, but Kota's face stayed tense. Jogging backward on defense, he glanced at Takeshi, surprised.
That height, that strength… and he can still keep up with my footwork?
Kota wasn't slow—not anymore. He was at least on par with a pro-level guard's average speed. Against weaker defenders, he usually blew by without resistance. But this first-year from Rakuzan? He kept up.
"So you're a… power guard, huh?"
Kota remembered the rookie's duel with Igarashi during the rookie tournament, then sighed with a grin.
"Man, Rakuzan's loaded. One leaves, another pops up. First a knockoff Kuroko, now a mini tank guard? Bet your coach never loses sleep over roster problems."
His muttering didn't go unnoticed — Yuki, sitting nearby, blinked in confusion.That first-year? Really that strong? Enough to make Kota-senpai sound impressed?
Before he could ask, the referee's whistle blew.
Kaijo timeout.
This was Kota's privilege. Whenever he gave Takeuchi the signal, the coach would call time, no questions asked.
"What's going on, Kota?" Takeuchi asked, arms folded.
The scoreboard read 32–31—Kaijo leading by one. Calling timeout here made no sense… unless Kota wanted it.
"Eh… just a little hiccup," Kota said with a grin, taking a towel. "Don't worry, coach, it won't be wasted."
Takeuchi's eyes narrowed. "If this is another one of your stalling tricks, you're succeeding."
"Relax, coach! I'm thinking!" Kota laughed, waving his hands. Then, after a sip of water and a long pause, his tone shifted.
"Change of plans. I'm out for this quarter."
"What?"
Kise immediately leaned forward.
"Why? You're hot right now! You just scored four straight!"
The rest of the team looked equally baffled. Kota scratched his head and sighed dramatically.
"Yeah, well… I'm countered. Can't beat that guy."
"...Huh?"
"Seriously," Kota said, half annoyed, half impressed. "That Takeshi kid isn't simple. Used to be a guard, I bet. Tall, strong, fast, never even goes for steals—he's exactly the type I hate playing against! Sure, I could score on him, but it'd burn my stamina like crazy."
He clapped his hands once, smiling at the team's still-confused faces."Don't overthink it. Just switch gears—Kise's up next. I'm better off saving energy for the final quarter."
Preserving stamina now meant Kaijo could unleash him alongside "Fourth Quarter King" later—when it mattered most.
"Second quarter offense—Kise leads. I'll handle the setup and spacing."Kota's grin returned. "You good with that, pretty boy?"
Kise cracked his knuckles, eyes gleaming. "Heh. Leave it to me."