"Counterattack?" Ayako's eyes lit up the moment she heard it. She leaned in with curiosity and quickly asked, "I've always wanted to ask—what exactly is your plan?"
The other Shohoku members also turned their heads, their faces full of anticipation. Even the always composed Anzai Mitsuyoshi slightly tilted his head in attention.
Shimizu Kanon smiled softly, then returned to her seat and pulled out a document from her bag.
Strictly speaking, calling it a "document" wasn't quite accurate.
It was actually titled "Strategic Outline for Facing Kainan."
When she opened it, it laid out in detail the individual disparities between each Shohoku and Kainan player. It clearly analyzed every player's strengths and weaknesses.
Not only that, it included predictions of likely in-game developments—covering both teams' potential tactics and even accounting for unexpected incidents (one section gave a detailed explanation of Sakuragi Hanamichi entering a 'wild instinct' state).
Additionally, the outline proposed countermeasures for various scenarios, including contingency plans, tactical setups, and strategic deployments.
Every item, every point—thorough and complete.
The Shohoku members stared at the contents, dumbfounded. They couldn't help but gasp one after another.
Their first reaction wasn't shock—but sympathy for Kainan.
Because based on this outline, Kainan had basically been cornered to death, without a single loophole.
It was like every move had already been calculated by Shimizu Kanon. Kainan had no path to victory.
You could say that if Shohoku just followed the contents of this report, Kainan's chances of winning would be close to zero.
They also noticed that the first half of the plan's predictions matched almost perfectly with the actual game. Even Shohoku leading by nine points at halftime had been precisely calculated.
This realization made everyone suck in another breath. Their admiration for Shimizu Kanon surged like a flood—unstoppable like the overflowing Yellow River.
Before long, Anzai Mitsuyoshi also read the report prepared by Shimizu Kanon.
White light flashed off his glasses. His expression changed repeatedly—from amazement, to shock, then deep astonishment, and finally heartfelt awe. His range of expressions was like a seasoned actor performing a face-changing routine.
In his heart, Anzai Mitsuyoshi developed a brand-new, deeper impression of Shimizu Kanon.
In his lifetime, he had encountered many talented people, but rarely had he seen someone as gifted as her.
Thinking of Aoi Kunisaku from before, and now looking at Shimizu Kanon in front of him, Anzai couldn't help but feel—it was as if fate had brought these two together.
…
On the court.
Miyagi Ryota had been subbed out. Kogure Kiminobu was now on the floor.
Kainan's offense seemed to come alive again. Their previously stalled perimeter attack suddenly regained momentum.
Jin Soichiro and Maki Shinichi coordinated tightly, putting constant pressure on Shohoku's defense from the outside.
For a moment, Shohoku looked like it was being pushed back.
Ayako frowned as she watched the shift on the court. She muttered with concern, "Something's not right! Kainan suddenly sped up their offense. Without Miyagi slowing them down, they're now focusing their attack on the perimeter. What are we going to do?"
Shimizu Kanon's smile remained steady, her face full of calm confidence. She replied easily, "It's just a bluff. If we're not talking shooting percentages, Mitsui-senpai won't lose to Jin Soichiro."
Sure enough—just as Shimizu Kanon predicted.
On the court, Jin Soichiro received the ball and was about to go up for a shot. But Mitsui Hisashi stuck to him like glue, launching a tight defense.
Jin Soichiro tried to shake Mitsui off.
He shifted his body left and right, looking for an opening to shoot. But Mitsui clung to him like stubborn chewing gum—tight and immovable. There wasn't even a crack to slip through.
Jin Soichiro scanned his surroundings quickly, trying to find a passing route.
But Kiyota Nobunaga was locked down by Rukawa Kaede. Muto Tadashi was being held back by Sakuragi Hanamichi. Takasago Kazuma was locked in a standoff with Akagi Takenori under the basket.
He realized his only possible option was to pass to Maki Shinichi.
So, he raised the ball, hoping to launch a high pass before Mitsui noticed.
But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted another figure.
It was Kogure Kiminobu.
"Not good." Jin Soichiro cursed silently in his heart. He had just remembered that Shohoku had made a substitution. If it were Miyagi Ryota defending, he might still have a chance to lob the pass over. But Kogure Kiminobu was taller than Miyagi. Making that pass now was just too risky.
For a moment, Jin Soichiro felt completely cornered.
He glanced toward Shohoku's hoop, a flash of determination in his eyes. Then he made up his mind. He would take the gamble and jump for a forced shot.
Right now, that seemed like his only option.
Swish…
The basketball left Jin Soichiro's hand, flying toward Shohoku's hoop.
But just as the ball took flight, Mitsui Hisashi's hand sliced in like a phantom.
Smack…
The ball was swatted down hard by Mitsui.
Thud…
It slammed into the ground with a dull, heavy bounce.
Jin Soichiro had just been completely blocked by Mitsui.
On the other end—
The ball hit the court and then started bouncing quickly toward the sideline.
At that split second, a flash of red shot across the court like lightning. Sakuragi Hanamichi lunged out and caught the almost-out-of-bounds ball with a sweeping motion of his wide palm.
A smug grin spread across Sakuragi Hanamichi's face. He laughed out loud and shouted, "Mine!"
"Damn!" Muto Tadashi's eyes sharpened the moment he saw it. His face changed, and he realized things were about to go south. He immediately sprinted after Sakuragi.
The other Kainan players also reacted quickly, racing back toward their own basket on defense.
At that moment, while dribbling the ball, Sakuragi Hanamichi could already hear the sound of footsteps closing in behind him. A sense of urgency welled up inside him.
Even though he was already sprinting at full throttle, he knew deep down—he'd be caught if he kept this pace.
Then, a glint of mischief flashed through his eyes. He looked up toward Kainan's hoop, and a bold idea popped into his head.
The next second, under the stunned and confused gazes of everyone, Sakuragi Hanamichi suddenly wound up and hurled the ball with all his strength toward Kainan's hoop.
"What?"
Kainan's players were completely thrown off by the move. None of them understood what he was trying to do.
Even Shohoku's players were baffled. Nobody knew what Sakuragi Hanamichi was thinking.
The crowd in the stands was just as confused, unsure what this red-haired guy was planning.
Swish…
The basketball shot forward like a cannonball. It traced a long arc across Kainan's half of the court and flew straight toward the basket.
At the same time, Sakuragi Hanamichi turned into a red streak again, chasing after the ball at full speed.
Not good.
Maki Shinichi was the first to react. He instantly realized what Sakuragi was planning.
No time to think—he sprinted after him.
In just a few blinks, Sakuragi Hanamichi had reached Kainan's three-point line.
At that exact moment, the basketball struck the backboard.
Bang…
A thunderous smack echoed across the court and throughout the stadium.
Using the force of the bounce, the ball rebounded straight back.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stepped into the paint with huge strides, planting his feet just in front of the free-throw line. Then he leapt.
"Ahhh!"
He let out a thunderous roar, like he was pouring all his strength into it.
Smack…
But right at that critical instant, a hand suddenly shot in from the side and caught the ball a split second earlier than Sakuragi.
Sakuragi Hanamichi's pupils shrank. He looked closely and saw that the one who intercepted the ball was Maki Shinichi.
"Old man! Get outta my way!" Sakuragi roared, eyes wide, lunging with both hands toward the ball.
Just as Maki Shinichi was about to fully take control of the ball, Sakuragi's hands arrived just in time and wrapped around it tightly.
In that instant, their strength clashed mid-air in a brief but intense struggle.
Sakuragi had momentum on his side, charging forward with both arms locked onto the ball. Maki Shinichi had only one hand on it.
The difference was obvious. Sakuragi instantly overpowered Maki's single arm.
With full control of the ball, Sakuragi didn't hesitate. He raised it high again and swung down hard toward Kainan's basket.
Since Maki Shinichi's body was partly in front of him, what happened next stunned everyone watching.
Sakuragi Hanamichi gripped the ball with both hands, barreled through Maki's body, and charged straight at the hoop.
Under the stunned, shocked, bewildered, and wide-eyed gazes of the crowd—
CRASHHH…
A deafening slam dunk reverberated through the entire gym.
Sakuragi Hanamichi had pulled off a brutal two-handed dunk, slamming the ball viciously into the basket.
Maki Shinichi, caught by the overwhelming force, couldn't control his body. He was thrown backward, crashing hard into the hoop frame.
Luckily, he didn't fall. Using his own strength, he managed to land solidly on both feet.
Even so, the entire scene had left everyone in the building completely dumbfounded.