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Chapter Thirty-Two: Murasakibara Atsushi - Part 2
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone taller than Uozumi-senpai." Koshino Hiroaki's voice carried genuine amazement. "I mean, we knew last night they had three players over six-foot-seven, but seeing them standing together in person is terrifying!"
"I understand your feelings completely, Koshino-senpai." Aida Hikoichi murmured. "Their presence is overwhelming..."
In Ryonan's previous two practice games against both Kaijo and Shohoku, they'd enjoyed a decisive size advantage.
This time was different. The team's overall height was clearly inadequate.
"Atsushi, ready?" Himuro Tatsuya asked casually.
"Mm—" Murasakibara Atsushi responded lazily, slowly rolling his neck. "Okay."
"Tweet!"
The whistle blew and the referee tossed the ball skyward.
The next instant, two massive figures launched themselves upward simultaneously.
"Smack!"
"So—so high—!" An incredulous cry rang out from Ryonan's bench.
Against Akagi Takenori, Uozumi Jun had lost the jump ball on reaction speed and timing. This time, he'd been beaten by pure, overwhelming height!
"Ah, here we go again." Fukui Kensuke sighed quietly.
"What?!"
Murasakibara Atsushi—jump ball violation. He'd touched the ball before it reached its apex.
"What...?!" When Koshino Hiroaki understood the reason for the violation, he was even more shocked than he'd been seeing that incredible height.
"Is there a problem?" Aida Hikoichi asked, confused.
"If his timing wasn't off, that means besides that absurd height, his leaping speed is also far faster than Uozumi-senpai's..." Koshino swallowed involuntarily. "And if you look closely, his wingspan is also abnormal... The Generation of Miracles really are all superhuman monsters!"
Coach Taoka remained seated in the rest area, but his mood was anything but calm. Seeing it with his own eyes made him feel the terror that Murasakibara's stats couldn't convey.
"You shouldn't jump for the tip anymore!" Liu Wei said seriously, his tone earnest.
"It's fine. Atsushi just needs to be more careful next time." Himuro Tatsuya said with a smile.
"Don't coddle him, Himuro!" Okamura Kenichi said irritably. "This is basic common sense."
"Can't be helped." Fukui Kensuke sighed helplessly. "Well then, let's just stop their offense for now."
Ryonan's possession. Uekusa Tomoyuki held the ball at the top of the key, passing to Sendoh Akira on the first touch before running toward the baseline with Fukui Kensuke in tow.
"Hello there." Sendoh greeted Liu Wei in friendly fashion. "This is my first time facing a six-foot-eight player at this position."
"I heard you're from China?"
"You talk too much." Liu Wei responded coldly.
"Guess not then." Sendoh accelerated instantly, blowing past Liu Wei's right side.
"Hmm? Not chasing me?" Sendoh felt puzzled. Logically, with his size advantage, the opponent shouldn't have been beaten by a single step.
Still, since the defense wasn't particularly aggressive...
Sendoh pulled up for a jump shot from the left side of the paint!
"?!!"
"When did he get there?"
Murasakibara Atsushi blocked Sendoh's path directly in front, massive hand swatting downward!
"Really tall—can't even see the rim..." Sendoh remarked, casually flicking the ball to his right.
Yagami Sorato caught it with Himuro Tatsuya immediately closing in.
One step.
Yagami exploded to the right, then changed direction again when Himuro lunged, bursting into the paint for a layup.
"Oh? That crossover?" Himuro hadn't expected to be beaten so easily.
The basketball was already flying toward the top of the rim.
"Bang!"
A massive hand slapped the ball against the backboard, then snatched it down.
"What?!"
"Impossible! Why was he there?!"
Even Taoka Moichi stood up this time. Murasakibara Atsushi's agility exceeded his imagination.
Noticing the opposing coach's reaction, Araki Masako's lips curved slightly upward. "I apologize, but Atsushi isn't only terrifying because of his size."
From defending Sendoh on the left side of the free throw line to swatting Yagami's shot on the right side of the basket—Murasakibara Atsushi's defensive coverage area was frighteningly vast!
"For that distance, one step is enough." Murasakibara held the ball one-handed, looking down at Yagami Sorato from above. "I heard you beat Kise. I thought you'd be strong, but you're only at this level."
Yagami Sorato showed no emotional reaction. He was simply thinking: "Ah, so his defensive range extends this far."
"Where are you looking?!" Murasakibara grew angry when his opponent ignored him. "I'll crush you, you know?"
"Atsushi!"
"Yagami!"
As Yosen sprinted on the fast break, Ryonan's other players rushed back on defense.
Yagami Sorato ran toward Ryonan's end, but noticed Murasakibara simply standing in place, tossing the ball away.
Fukui Kensuke received the pass and quickly fed it inside. Okamura Kenichi and Liu Wei simultaneously attacked from the high post.
"Not enough height inside!"
Uozumi Jun boxed out Okamura, but Liu Wei caught the ball and easily scored a floater over Ikegami Ryoji's head.
Ryonan 0 - Yosen 2
"Seriously? They scored that easily?" Aida Hikoichi couldn't believe it.
Even without Yagami getting back in time, Ryonan had a local 4-on-4 in the backcourt, yet showed no resistance whatsoever.
"Counter!" Sendoh Akira shouted.
His judgment was spot-on. Ryonan inbounded quickly, and Sendoh delivered a quarterback-style long pass into the hands of Yagami Sorato sprinting back to the frontcourt.
This time it was 1-on-1 in Yosen's frontcourt—Yagami Sorato versus Murasakibara Atsushi!
Yagami didn't enter the paint, choosing instead to pull up from beyond the three-point line!
"Thud!"
Murasakibara took two strides and leaped at Yagami.
"So high!!"
"Hey, isn't that height ridiculous?!"
From the sideline perspective, Murasakibara's block attempt soared far above the rim.
"Clang!"
"His fingertips grazed it?" The shot had felt good leaving Yagami's hands, but the sound of iron told the whole story.
The basketball bounced away. Uekusa Tomoyuki grabbed the rebound and, finding Yosen's defense hadn't caught up yet, immediately pulled up for a mid-range jumper after adjusting.
"Uekusa! Watch behind you!" Sendoh's urgent shout came from behind.
The reason Uekusa had found space was because Fukui Kensuke, who'd been trailing him on the retreat, stopped pursuing once Uekusa crossed the free throw line. Instead, Fukui turned and joined Liu Wei in double-teaming Sendoh.
And just as Uekusa prepared to shoot, a massive shadow engulfed him from behind.
Murasakibara didn't even jump at full strength—he simply extended his arms, and those terrifying hands completely covered Uekusa's shooting lane, pinning the ball firmly in place!
Airborne, Uekusa Tomoyuki felt an irresistible force transmitting through the ball. Not only did his shooting motion completely deform, but his entire body lost balance instantly, falling backward awkwardly onto the floor.
Murasakibara casually confiscated the basketball. Before Yosen's defense had fully set, they launched another fast break.
Himuro Tatsuya drained a three-pointer from beyond the arc.
Ryonan 0 - Yosen 5
Opening possessions against Yosen's defense—Ryonan had gone 0-for-3!
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