Chapter 156 ~ Bonyari Vs Kaijo (2)
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t be shaken…”
<span style="font-weight:400">The first words Coach Takeuchi told them the moment they arrived at the bench resounded within the silence.
<span style="font-weight:400">They were still in a state of shock and disbelief after witnessing Yuuji’s capabilities to copy other’s movements, just like Kise. In addition to his absurd physical capabilities, he would be an even more dangerous threat than Kise would.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Even if he could copy like Kise, you’ve all yed against Kise and experienced ying against someone like that. Just calm down, and make sure to keep your attention on him.”
<span style="font-weight:400">““Yes.””
<span style="font-weight:400">Takeuchi nodded and turned towards Kise.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kise.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Have you been watching his movements?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Yes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Then try to copy his movements. It’d be a good reference for you to improve your skills as well.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, I understand.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kise nodded obediently. Although he had his pride as being a part of the Generation of Miracles, after seeing what Yuuji had done… he had no choice but to admit that Yuuji was better than him. Copying him would allow him to grow as a yer.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Also, I’ll have you mark him along with Kasamatsu.”
<span style="font-weight:400">““Yes.””
<span style="font-weight:400">None of them would’ve expected that the day woulde when they had to double team a yer from Bonyari. But when Takeuchi told them to do it, no oneined.
<span style="font-weight:400">In fact… Some, including Kasamatsu and Kise themselves, were still worried that this might not be enough.
<span style="font-weight:400">And Coach Takeuchi also knew of this. But, he’ll just wait and see how this double team goes first. It’d be a good chance for these two to learn how to properly double team an opponent much stronger than them as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. We’ll adjust the strategy again after we see how this goes. Remember. Contain that point guard, and the scoring against the rest would be much easier.”
<span style="font-weight:400">““Yes!!!””
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good. Then go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The game resumed, and shock filled the crowds when they saw Kasamatsu and Kise double-teaming Yuuji as he dribbled the ball in his hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Eh…? Why are two people guarding Yuu-kun…?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuna pouted as she watched two people surrounding her Yuuji. Didn’t this mean she won’t be able to see Yuuji y?
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Considering Yuuji’s domination up until this point, in makes sense. They wouldn’t want someone as skilled as him to keep scoring points and be left unguarded.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Haruka, who stood beside the twins and heard Nina’s words, also pouted and puffed her cheeks.
<span style="font-weight:400">She knew it was the logical decision from the other team, but she wanted to watch Yuuji y!!!
<span style="font-weight:400">“Geez…! Yuuji-kun!!! Do your best!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes! Yuu-kun, you can do it!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">She cheered loudly, followed by Yuna, Yotsuba, and even Chitoge, who began gripping onto Raku’s cor and shaking him out of frustration.
<span style="font-weight:400">In contrast, Yuuji was not shocked at all by this oue.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had heard that this was something that could happen in the game from his seniors when he first came for practice. And he had been guarded by two, and sometimes even three people, while they trained.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘And in this sort of situation, the easiest thing for me to do would be…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji moved forward slowly, and the two immediately tensed and went to an even higher level of alertness.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, in a sh, Yuuji lowered his body and exploded into immense speed to the left.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kasamatsu and Kise immediately pivoted their heels and moved to block him. But in that moment, Yuuji stopped and bounced the ball in between his legs to his right hand.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What…?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The stop was… abrupt. Too abrupt. And as the two watched Yuuji’s figure with eyes widened in shock, they could feel the momentum of their movement continue pushing them despite their will to stop, pushing them off bnce.
<span style="font-weight:400">Their bodies fell andnded onto the ground on their back.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kise looked up with eyes filled with shock and disbelief. And for a moment, he swear he saw Akashi before him, looking down at him as he stood.
<span style="font-weight:400">The sound of the basketball hitting and bouncing off the ground resounded, bringing Kise and Kasamatsu out of their daze. And they were just in time to see Yuuji dribbling past them, and took a shot, scoring yet another two points.
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">Their efforts to double team Yuuji and limit his movements proved to be ineffective. In fact, rather than containing him, it gave Yuuji more leeway to pass to his other teammates, now that only three people were guarding his four teammates.
<span style="font-weight:400">And even when he didn’t pass, they were still overwhelmed by his speed and dribble.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Dammit! It’s like going against Aomine again…! Or even worse…!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Abination of Aomine and Akashi… Honestly, even if they decided to add another person to guard Yuuji, Kise didn’t know if it’d make a difference.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the end… Kaijo decided to go all in on offense. With Kise being the tip of their spear and copying some of Yuuij’s movements, they managed to score enough points to keep the game from being hopeless.
<span style="font-weight:400">But even so, he didn’t know how long he’d be able to keep this up.
<span style="font-weight:400">Just copying him had taken up plenty of his stamina. His movements… are so swift, and impossibly refined and urate. And oftentimes, his moves were simply a feat of pure physical prowess that he simply couldn’t replicate.
<span style="font-weight:400">And by the time the third quarter started, many members of the core team were exhausted.
<span style="font-weight:400">The first years, who had substituted in, couldn’t do anything in the face of Yuuji’s ys. This time, he didn’t even score personally. He was simply passing the ball and overwhelming them with fast breaks and tactics.
<span style="font-weight:400">They could only run around the court in futile, trying their best to stop Bonyari, and run out of energy instead without being able to do anything.
<span style="font-weight:400">And when the main team was subbed back in the fourth quarter, Yuuji began to y actively once more.
<span style="font-weight:400">This time, however… Kaijo had marked him with Kasamatsu, Kise, and Moriyama. A triple-team defense against Yuuji.
<span style="font-weight:400">And as Kise expected, nothing changed.
<span style="font-weight:400">He began dribbling slowly, before rapidly changing his rhythm and tried dribbling past them. His movements were extremely quick and his dribbling was seamless.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even with the three of them, they couldn’t find any chance to steal the ball from his hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">And just like before, with a sudden surge in speed, Yuuji charged forward, towards the three of them.
<span style="font-weight:400">They braced for his charge and pivoted to their heels. And in that moment, Yuuji stopped and slipped the ball in between his legs, and made a step back.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Kuh!! Again…?!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Kise, Kasamatsu, and Moriyama all felt themselves losing bnce and falling to their knees.
<span style="font-weight:400">And they could only look up as Yuuji went into a shooting form, and made his shot from far outside the three-point line.
<span style="font-weight:400">The ball flew into a beautiful arc. So high. Before it fell straight down to the.
<span style="font-weight:400">And in that moment, Kise realized something…
<span style="font-weight:400">The feeling of dread he felt… It was the feeling that all his opponents… those who fought and struggled against the “Generation of Miracles”…
<span style="font-weight:400">This feeling… of hopelessness… Of standing before an impossibly tall wall.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘He’s… He’s like all of us,bined…’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Even Kise himself couldn’t believe what he was implying… But there’s nothing else more apt to describe it.
<span style="font-weight:400">He couldn’t help butugh… He didn’t expect to find someone so absurd right here. In a school whose basketball team never seemed to be anything but average.
<span style="font-weight:400">The game resumed, this time with the ball in Kaijo’s possession.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pass!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kasamatsu made a chest pass and sent the ball directly towards Koji who was under the ring. He jumped, and this time as well, Yuuji appeared right before him.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Kuh…! As expected. He’s too fast! But…!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Koji had expected this… He knew he wouldn’t be able to escape his clutches even though he was under the ring long before Yuuji.
<span style="font-weight:400">So he kept the ball in his hands… and passed it to Kise.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Make it! Kise!’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">With gritted teeth, Kise received the ball and leaped up high into the sky and towards the ring for a dunk.
<span style="font-weight:400">But at that moment, Yuuji appeared once more before him. His figure, high in the sky, swallowing him in his shadow…
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kuh!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">With overwhelming force, Yuuji swatted the ball away from Kise’s hands, mming the ball onto the ground and bouncing high.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kise fell to the ground on his back, his face grimacing from the pain and shock.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">He looked up, and saw the monster of a man, holding his hand out for him.
<span style="font-weight:400">And while he’d expect smugness or conceit to be in the eyes of someone who justpletely destroyed him and mmed him onto the ground… Kise saw nothing of the sort when he looked up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“O-Oh… Thanks…”
<span style="font-weight:400">He instinctively took his hands, and he realized how truly strong Yuuji was when he was lifted up quite easily.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry about that. I might’ve gotten a bit too rough there. You were so fast.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“A-Ahahaha… No problem…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji nodded softly with a smile, and tapped Kise on the shoulder, before he began running to his team.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he left, Kise couldn’t help but stare at Yuuji in silence…
<span style="font-weight:400">And soon, the whistle signifying the end of the game resounded, with a score no one would’ve expected at the start of the game.