Chapter Eighty-One: Unstoppable Change
"He scored!"
"And it's the first time we've seen it—Yosen's interior beast coordinating with teammates for a spectacular offensive play!" The announcer shouted excitedly.
Yagami Sorato and Sendoh Akira were chatting when a familiar, slightly raspy voice suddenly came from beside them.
"Hey, looks like I didn't come for nothing. Actually getting to see Murasakibara like this..."
"No way, Murasakibara-kun is actually passing the ball!"
Yagami Sorato turned his head at the sound. Aomine Daiki stood with both hands stuffed in his pockets, staring at the court with a playful expression. Beside him, Momoi Satsuki covered her mouth in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Yagami Sorato raised an eyebrow.
"Hi! Ryonan's Yagami, and Sendoh-senpai." Momoi Satsuki greeted them enthusiastically. "I've watched recordings of your games, and seeing you in person confirms it—just like the footage showed, you're definitely worthy of being Kanagawa's champions."
"These two are?" Sendoh Akira looked toward Yagami Sorato, though he already had a vague idea.
"This is the 'Generation of Miracles' ace, Aomine Daiki." Yagami Sorato gestured toward the dark-skinned player, his tone flat. "As for the other one, I..."
"I'm the basketball manager for Touou Academy, Momoi Satsuki." The girl smiled as she took over, her gaze turning toward Yagami with sincere gratitude. "Actually, I should thank you, Yagami-kun. Ever since that match with you, this guy actually resumed training after getting back—though he still can't fix his bad habit of being late."
"Hey, say less." Aomine Daiki interrupted with some impatience.
"What's the problem? We're going to meet soon at the regional qualifying tournament anyway." Momoi Satsuki clapped her hands and laughed, completely unconcerned. "Actually, we've been watching from the opposite stands. Dai-chan saw you confronting Murasakibara-kun and deliberately came over to check the situation."
"Satsuki!" Aomine glared at her unhappily before turning his gaze to Yagami Sorato. "So, did you come to watch Sannoh, or to watch that guy?"
"Both." This time, Yagami Sorato didn't say he only came to watch Sannoh like when provoking Murasakibara.
He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Right, didn't Kise go looking for you guys?"
"That guy mainly went to find Kuroko and Midorima—comforting the defeated, basically." Aomine Daiki said. "As for him and me, we'll only have something to talk about after we've settled things."
"What a love-hate entanglement..." Yagami Sorato thought speechlessly.
Just then, deafening cheers suddenly erupted below, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
After Murasakibara Atsushi demonstrated his passing threat, Kawata Masashi had to divide his attention to watch the wings.
Fukui Kensuke threw up a high lob from outside. Murasakibara Atsushi caught the alley-oop, gripping the basketball with both hands and hammering it through the rim over Kawata Mikio!
Sannoh 86 - Yosen 70
"He dunked it in!"
"Murasakibara's amazing! It's like he's become a completely different person!"
"TWEET!"
"Sannoh requests timeout."
"Starting from those few possessions, Murasakibara's wasted movements have clearly decreased." Yagami Sorato watched the court without turning his head as he asked those beside him, "This guy actually has technical fundamentals—he's just been relying on talent to play, right?"
"He did practice in middle school," Aomine Daiki said casually. "But later he discovered he could easily crush opponents with just his body, so he didn't want to spend time polishing technique anymore."
"What a waste. Calling this guy a brat is spot on." Yagami Sorato said.
"Sannoh substitution. Number 5, Nobeyama Masahiro in. Number 15, Kawata Mikio out."
Coach Domoto's substitution was timely. Originally, he'd planned for Kawata Mikio to play about half the game—from entering in the second quarter until now, he'd truly reached the younger Kawata's stamina limit.
More importantly, now that Murasakibara Atsushi was no longer fixated on low-post power attacks, Kawata Mikio's strategic value as a "human wall" had drastically decreased—after all, his role was limited to that instant of positioning.
The timeout ended. Play continued.
Possession changed. Sannoh's offense.
Fukatsu Issei passed to the right wing. Sawakita Eiji received the ball.
He lowered his center of gravity slightly, looking directly at Himuro Tatsuya before him, the corners of his mouth lifting in a small arc.
"I haven't returned that three-pointer yet."
"What?"
The instant Himuro Tatsuya was distracted by the response, Sawakita Eiji suddenly exploded, a swift stepback immediately creating space. Before Himuro Tatsuya could close out, he'd already risen calmly, his wrist flicking lightly.
"Swish!"
This time, the three-pointer went cleanly through.
Sannoh 89 - Yosen 70
Possession changed. Yosen's offense.
Murasakibara Atsushi received a pass in the low post. Kawata Masashi reacted quickly, his left foot rapidly inserting between Murasakibara's feet while his body's center of gravity dropped sharply. His right arm crossed Murasakibara's waist and pushed hard, using his entire body's strength to lock down Murasakibara Atsushi's position from advancing toward the basket.
From their first-quarter matchup with Murasakibara Atsushi, Kawata Masashi had understood that relying purely on strength made it very difficult to suppress Murasakibara Atsushi.
If that's the case, just don't let him get to a dunking position.
"By doing this, Kawata-senpai basically gives up aerial defense," Yagami Sorato was clear that against the previous Murasakibara Atsushi, this method was most effective. "But if Murasakibara had any stable shooting, hook shot, or low-post footwork, single-man defense like this couldn't handle him."
"Hey, why are you looking at me?" Aomine Daiki said irritably. "I'm not the one stopping him from training."
Murasakibara Atsushi felt the powerful resistance behind him—it was very difficult to force his way inside.
Just then, Liu Wei seized the opportunity, making a quick backdoor cut from the right 45-degree angle toward the basket. Murasakibara Atsushi caught his teammate's movement and passed the ball without hesitation.
Liu Wei received and took a mid-range jump shot after stopping.
Matsumoto Minoru chased relentlessly, leaping with full effort, his right arm stretching to seal Liu Wei's shooting hand as much as possible.
"CLANG!"
The basketball hit the back rim and bounced high.
"Rebound!"
Kawata Masashi turned immediately, his back pressed tight against Murasakibara Atsushi's chest, legs bent and stabilized in a solid stance. His arms spread to firmly occupy the paint position as he looked up to judge the ball's landing spot.
However, Murasakibara Atsushi, completely boxed out behind him, didn't try to fight for position!
An instant burst of explosiveness let his height completely clear Kawata Masashi. In mid-air, Murasakibara Atsushi extended his long arms, his right hand precisely grabbing the upward-bouncing basketball!
"BANG!"
A dull, heavy impact!
Murasakibara Atsushi's arm pressed down with full force, slamming the ball through the rim over the slightly lower Kawata Masashi!
Sannoh 89 - Yosen 72
"No matter how many times I see it, he seems like a monster..." Sendoh Akira sighed. "Truly frightening. I wonder how strong he'll become in the future."
Aomine Daiki glanced inadvertently at Sendoh Akira. The other's face clearly showed intense interest.
Possession changed. Sannoh's offense.
As Fukatsu Issei dribbled past halfcourt, he was surprised to see Kawata Masashi calling for the ball in the paint.
"You're posting up even with the younger Kawata off the court?" Fukatsu Issei pursed his lips but still lobbed it into the low post.
Kawata Masashi backed down Murasakibara, feeling the enormous pressure from behind. He tried applying force—sure enough, even without lowering his center of gravity, the opponent couldn't be budged an inch.
Kawata Masashi immediately changed strategies, pivoting quickly on his left foot, faking a baseline drive.
Murasakibara Atsushi's center of gravity unconsciously shifted half a step toward the baseline.
In that instant, Kawata Masashi quickly pulled the ball back, connecting into an extremely compact turnaround jumper.
"THUMP!"
Murasakibara Atsushi's terrifying vertical speed and incredible wingspan still let him leap to contest, his fingertips almost touching the basketball.
But Kawata Masashi showed no panic, shooting steadily.
"Swish!"
The ball went cleanly through.
Sannoh 91 - Yosen 72
"Relying on body alone won't work." Kawata Masashi retreated expressionlessly. "Otherwise basketball games would just be body measurement contests."
Even with his current center's physique, what Kawata Masashi took most pride in was still the technique he'd painstakingly trained.
"Speaking of monsters, though, Kawata-senpai is one too." Yagami Sorato's eyes flickered. "Despite having a center's build, his technique flows like a guard or forward. On the court, he must feel like a mismatch against anyone."
"Definitely troublesome, whether it's him or that guy." Aomine Daiki stared at Sawakita Eiji. Throughout the game, the other had maintained that effortless composure—really irritating to watch.
Yosen pushed quickly in transition. Murasakibara Atsushi ran to the paint without the ball. Kawata Masashi tried to lock down his position and prevent him from approaching the basket.
But Himuro Tatsuya threw the ball directly into the air. After entering one step past the free-throw line, Murasakibara Atsushi took flight.
Kawata Masashi hesitated only for an instant before clearing out of the way.
"BANG!!"
Murasakibara Atsushi slammed it through with both hands. The entire basket frame shook slightly from the massive force.
Sannoh 91 - Yosen 74
"Hah, didn't expect you'd actually dodge." Fukatsu Issei wore a strained smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Who knew that monster would just fly up?" Kawata Masashi said with displeasure. "In that situation, refs won't call offensive foul. Blocking underneath would be pointless."
"Then let me take one!" Sawakita Eiji excitedly joined them, eyes flashing eagerly. "He's got me fired up!"
"Tch, if you lose this possession, I'll kill you." Kawata Masashi glared hard at him.
"Heh heh, no problem."
Fukatsu Issei inbounded from the baseline. After receiving, Sawakita Eiji immediately accelerated from the baseline. Himuro Tatsuya stuck to him on defense but was beaten in one step.
Then came Fukui Kensuke, Liu Wei, Okamura Kenichi. Sawakita Eiji gracefully changed direction, spun, used his back—weaving through the crowd, he knifed straight into the restricted area.
"He's charging into the paint?!"
"No way?"
Amid everyone's shocked cries, Sawakita Eiji took flight one step inside the free-throw line. Guarding the basket, Murasakibara Atsushi lunged out and jumped simultaneously. His outstretched long arms seemed to shroud the entire sky.
"Ooh, truly frightening."
Sawakita Eiji threw the ball nearly vertically into the air. The basketball carried spin, flying upward in an extremely high arc.
"???"
The basketball completely cleared Murasakibara Atsushi's arms, tracing a perfect parabola through the air before dropping straight into the net.
Two points good!
Sannoh 93 - Yosen 74
"TWEET!"
While the basketball was still in the air, the whistle had already sounded. The third quarter was over.
"That guy's really interesting!" After watching Sawakita Eiji's offense, Aomine Daiki was clearly excited.
After a brief intermission, the final quarter began.
Yosen's possession.
After Fukui Kensuke pushed to the frontcourt, he immediately lobbed it inside.
Murasakibara Atsushi received the pass in the low post. Sannoh's defensive rotation was extremely swift.
Nobeyama Masahiro didn't hesitate at all, immediately abandoning his original assignment of Okamura Kenichi and taking large strides to collapse to the paint, forming a double-team with Kawata Masashi!
The two Sannoh interior players flanked left and right, firmly locking down Murasakibara Atsushi's position. Simultaneously, four arms tangled with his, sealing his shooting angles.
Squeezed in the middle, Murasakibara Atsushi's massive frame couldn't turn smoothly.
The now-open Okamura Kenichi immediately cut from the right 45-degree angle toward the open paint! Murasakibara Atsushi forced Nobeyama Masahiro aside and threaded the ball through the gap under his armpit.
Okamura Kenichi received and took one forward step, shooting a mid-range jumper from the right side of the basket.
"PAP!"
The instant the basketball left his palm, Kawata Masashi, who'd been beside Murasakibara Atsushi, used shocking lateral speed to reach Okamura Kenichi's front and leap, swatting the ball away with one hand.
"What fast help defense!"
In the chaos, Himuro Tatsuya sharply judged the landing spot and quickly grabbed the basketball—only for Sawakita Eiji to block his path simultaneously.
Sawakita Eiji spread his arms, maintaining a one-step distance from Himuro Tatsuya. Clearly, he intended to cut off the passing lane toward Murasakibara Atsushi.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Himuro Tatsuya's eyes became determined. Facing Sawakita directly, he pulled up for a contested shot!
Sawakita Eiji's reaction was godly fast. He jumped almost simultaneously, his right arm fully extending, fingertips reaching forward.
"PAP!"
He disrupted it!
"CLANG!"
The basketball hit the back rim and bounced high!
The paint descended into chaos. But Murasakibara Atsushi, using absolute height and strength advantage, forcibly shoved aside Nobeyama Masahiro and grabbed the ball securely.
The instant he landed, he didn't hesitate at all, immediately passing back to Himuro Tatsuya on the perimeter!
After catching the ball, Himuro Tatsuya quickly adjusted and actually pulled up again!
A flash of surprise crossed Sawakita Eiji's eyes. He matched Himuro Tatsuya's jump, again extending his long arm to interfere.
But this time was different.
Himuro Tatsuya had obvious hang-time adjustment in mid-air!
His core tightened, maintaining height. He waited for the instant Sawakita Eiji's contesting gesture deformed, then his wrist rapidly released power, shooting the ball.
The basketball traced a smooth arc.
"Swish!"
Clean through the net.
Three-pointer good!
Sannoh 93 - Yosen 77
Possession changed. Sannoh's offense.
Matsumoto Minoru's mid-range attempt missed. Murasakibara Atsushi fought through pressure to tip the rebound out.
Himuro Tatsuya grabbed it and immediately launched a fast break. Sawakita Eiji retreated even faster, blocking his path.
"Swish!"
The basketball passed to the side.
Murasakibara Atsushi ran by, naturally catching the basketball and charging into the paint for a thunderous dunk!
Sannoh 93 - Yosen 79
On offense, once Murasakibara Atsushi displayed passing threat, Yosen's offensive system finally activated.
Sannoh's defense faced a dilemma: if they didn't double-team Murasakibara Atsushi, he could score in the paint using absolute physical advantage. But once they trapped, he'd immediately distribute to the perimeter, using Liu Wei and Himuro Tatsuya as finishers, seeking open shooting opportunities through quick ball movement.
On defense, with Kawata Mikio off the floor, Sannoh lost its most reliable rim protector.
Kawata Masashi reduced his interior shot attempts. When outside shots missed, the frontcourt twin towers of Murasakibara Atsushi and Okamura Kenichi held tremendous rebounding advantage.
Through this ebb and flow, Yosen closed the gap step by step.
But Sannoh displayed the composure befitting champions, firmly controlling game tempo. Each offensive possession consumed precious seconds.
Murasakibara Atsushi's change ultimately came too late. Yosen's pursuit couldn't catch up to time's passage.
When the final buzzer sounded, the electronic scoreboard's numbers settled at:
Sannoh 112 - Yosen 103
Sannoh Industrial claimed Akita Prefecture's championship throne once again.