"9 out of 8… what an insane shooting rate!"
In the first half, Akashi Asuka hit 6 out of 6 three-pointers. In the second half, because Tōō Academy was targeting him, he reduced his attempts, but still managed 3 out of 2.
While that accuracy didn't quite match Midorima Shintaro's perfect record, for Tōō Academy it made little difference.
Twenty-four points in a single quarter.
No matter whether it was luck or sheer skill, Tōō Academy was already trailing by over twenty points in a single quarter, a fact that wouldn't change.
Wakamatsu Kousuke growled, "Damn it… Momoi, any news on Aomine?"
Satsuki Momoi, dialing her phone, glanced back. "I'm sorry, Aomine-kun's phone hasn't been reachable, but I've already sent someone else to, "
Before she could finish, the phone emitted a 'ding'.
Then, Aomine's lazy voice came through the line:
"Hello~~ Momoi, what's the rush? Why are you calling me?"
Hearing Aomine speak as if he'd just woken up, Momoi's forehead veins throbbed violently. Wakamatsu, who had been ready to snatch the phone and scold him, froze when he saw the black aura radiating from Momoi.
Suppressing her anger, Momoi forced a smile, speaking as politely as possible: "Aomine-kun, where are you right now?"
"I'm at the hotel. Slept a little too long yesterday."
Momoi's forehead veins practically multiplied. "Slept too long? Do you remember today's match?"
Aomine yawned. "Ah~~ Sorry! The game has started, right? Today's opponent is Seiho, yes? Just let the seniors finish the first half smoothly. I'll come for the second half. Those scrubs? Twenty minutes is more than enough to deal with them."
Momoi's anger exploded. "Scrubs?! You idiot, you fool, you big moron… do you even realize you're being played? If you don't come now, forget the second half!"
Ding-dong!
After scolding Aomine to her heart's content, Momoi hung up, steam practically rising off her body.
For the first time, the other Tōō Academy players trembled in fear at Momoi's wrath. Even Coach Katsunori Harasawa discreetly moved away, keeping a safe distance.
Meanwhile, at the hotel where Tōō Academy stayed, Aomine looked utterly bewildered at the call being abruptly cut off.
"What's going on? Was it really necessary to blow up like that?"
He didn't understand why Momoi was so furious, but he quickly dressed, washed up, and headed toward the court.
Upon reaching the venue, seeing Seiho leading Tōō Academy, his expression finally changed.
The game had officially entered the second quarter.
The score: 40:12.
Tōō Academy was trailing by an unprecedented margin…
"What the hell is going on?"
Even Aomine was stunned by the sheer difference.
At that moment, the on-court situation shifted.
Tōō Academy's small forward, Tsuzusa Yoshinori, couldn't get past Kasuga Ryouhei and attempted a risky three-point shot. Kasuga froze momentarily.
But just as the ball left Tsuzusa's hands, Akashi Asuka took a giant stride from three or four meters away, appearing before him, and swatted the ball down.
Immediately, Seiho launched a counterattack.
Tōō Academy tried the triple-team on Akashi again, but this time his teammates set screens, giving him a small open space. He caught the ball beyond the three-point line and shot…
Swish!
A perfect arc, and the ball sank cleanly.
The scoreboard flipped: 43:12.
Aomine's pupils contracted. That reaction speed… and his three-point shooting?
The speed of Akashi's block on Tsuzusa triggered Aomine's instinctive comparison to a member of the Generation of Miracles.
In terms of raw athletic talent, that guy might rank at the very top. Even Aomine himself would struggle to score against him.
What puzzled Aomine was that in the last match, Akashi hadn't displayed such lightning-fast reactions or three-point shooting…
Ah, I see. He's using that trick again.
Aomine recalled a middle school match where Akashi had employed the same tactic.
Interesting… absolutely fascinating!
Being outplayed was frustrating, but compared to the minuscule irritation, Aomine felt a surge of excitement.
Yesterday's battle with Kise had been a rare chance for Aomine to truly enjoy facing a strong opponent.
Today's game against Seiho had promised a boring fight, but now it brought unexpected excitement.
"Oh? Aomine, you're here!"
"Coach, I'll warm up first."
Harasawa finally noticed Aomine's presence. Hearing this, Momoi spun around, ready to scold him severely.
But Aomine was already eagerly leaving the bench to warm up, a big grin on his face.
About five minutes later, Aomine returned to the bench. Though not enough time to fully loosen up, he couldn't wait any longer.
Meanwhile, during his warm-up, Seiho had extended their lead once again.
The score: 54:16.
Only two minutes remained in the second quarter.
Even Shoichi Imayoshi, usually confident in Aomine's abilities, wasn't sure if he could overturn such a deficit in the remaining time.
============
Beep~~
Tōō Academy inbounded the ball.
As the substitute ran off the court, Aomine's excited eyes stepped onto the court…
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Completed version available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]