After scoring, Ryota Kise let out a breath and turned back on defense.
When Shogo Haizaki landed, a look of interest spread across his face.
At this moment, he wasn't just facing Ryota Kise anymore—he was facing Ryota Kise and Daiki Aomine.
'Come on. Let me see how far you can go.'
Possession changed.
After passing the ball to Shuzo Nijimura, Shogo Haizaki moved forward, while Nijimura himself stopped moving.
The other four players of Kirisaki Daiichi remained where they were, not participating in the offense at all.
Once again, the only one pushing into the frontcourt was Shogo Haizaki.
In the stands.
Seeing this, Taiga Kagami couldn't help voicing his doubts.
"Kise is already back on the court, and they're still playing like this? Do they really have that much confidence in Haizaki?"
Tetsuya Kuroko glanced at Miyamoto Tokima on the court, who wore a faint smile, and immediately understood his thinking.
"No. It's not confidence in Haizaki-kun."
Kagami froze for a moment, then asked,
"If it's not confidence in Haizaki, then why aren't they joining the offense?"
Kuroko continued calmly,
"They're confident in themselves. They believe that even if Haizaki-kun doesn't keep scoring, they can still win the game in the second half."
"And Kagami-kun, you're forgetting something important. Other than Haizaki-kun, none of Kirisaki Daiichi's players have really spent any stamina yet."
Hearing that, Kagami immediately realized what he meant.
Kirisaki Daiichi's main lineup hadn't exerted itself at all—their stamina was barely touched.
But Kaijō was the complete opposite. Their core players were already close to exhausted.
If things continued like this, Kaijō would be completely blown out by Kirisaki Daiichi in the second half.
Kagami put himself in Kaijō's position and tried to imagine how it would feel to be on the court.
Despair.
Despair!!
Despair!!!
There was nothing else but despair.
Not even the faintest trace of hope could be seen.
Once Kagami placed himself in Kaijō's shoes, he couldn't see any hope at all.
Not even the weakest glimmer of light.
"So this is how strong they are… From the very start of the game, Kaijō had already fallen into an endless abyss."
"There was… no hope of winning."
On the court.
Shogo Haizaki dribbled quickly, then suddenly accelerated into a drive.
Even with Ryota Kise [Copying] Daiki Aomine, he still couldn't stop Haizaki after his Animal Instinct was unleashed.
Once Haizaki entered the paint, it was like he'd stepped into empty space.
He ripped straight through Kaijō's defense and sent the ball into the basket.
Gritting his teeth, Kise responded on the next possession with another [Formless Shot].
It had to be said—[Formless Shot] was truly terrifying.
You never knew where the ball would be released from.
Even with Haizaki's Animal Instinct boosting his instincts and speed, he still couldn't judge when or where Kise would shoot.
As a result, both sides fully shifted into offensive mode.
I can't stop you. You can't stop me.
They traded baskets purely through individual ability.
The deadlock continued all the way until the end of the second quarter.
"Beep! The second quarter is over. Halftime break!"
Hearing the whistle, Shogo Haizaki exited his Animal Instinct state.
He looked at Ryota Kise and spoke.
"Kise."
Kise turned his head, slightly puzzled.
"What is it?"
Haizaki thought for a moment, then asked,
"Can you still see hope right now?"
Kise's expression immediately hardened.
"Hope… has always been there."
Hearing that, Haizaki closed his eyes and said in a low voice,
"Then I hope you'll still be able to see hope in the second half."
With that, he turned around and walked off, following Miyamoto Tokima toward the locker room.
Watching Haizaki's retreating back, Kise muttered,
"What a weird guy."
After that, Kise also turned and headed for the locker room.
During halftime, the stands were anything but quiet.
Discussions about the first half continued nonstop.
"So strong. Kirisaki Daiichi completely suppressed Kaijō."
"But why didn't [Magic Cube] or Nijimura make a move?"
"No idea. Maybe they'll act in the second half."
On Seirin's side.
Everyone wore heavy expressions—the situation on the court was grim.
After two quarters, the score was 49–37, a gap of nearly twelve points.
That was terrifying.
After all, none of Kirisaki Daiichi's other players had even joined the offense. Every point came from Shogo Haizaki alone.
Riko Aida pressed her thumb against her lower lip, thinking intensely.
She wasn't just a spectator anymore—she was a future challenger.
If Seirin wanted to win the championship, they would inevitably face Kirisaki Daiichi.
"Sigh… I really can't think of any way to deal with this. Just Haizaki alone is already more than enough to handle."
Junpei Hyuga grabbed his hair in frustration, his thoughts completely tangled.
Shinji Koganei's expression grew worried.
"Does Kaijō… still have any hope of winning?"
Riko Aida spoke up,
"I'm afraid it's unlikely. In the second half, I have a feeling either Miyamoto Tokima or Nijimura will make a move."
"Or… they might act together."
Inside Kirisaki Daiichi's locker room.
The players sat on the benches, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.
Shogo Haizaki took a sip of water and chatted casually with the others.
Makoto Hanamiya said,
"Haizaki, how was it? Feeling good?"
Haizaki replied,
"Not quite enough. That kid got subbed out halfway. Seriously."
The group kept chatting, without the slightest trace of tension.
Meanwhile, Miyamoto Tokima was flirting with Satsuki Momoi.
"Tokima, go shopping with me after the game."
"Tokima? Oh dear, Tokima hasn't been home much lately."
"Baby."
"Alright, alright. I'll go later."
Watching this, Shuzo Nijimura could only break into a cold sweat.
Were his juniors really showing off their relationship without any shame now?
And he, a single guy, was still standing right there!
While chatting and laughing with Momoi, Miyamoto Tokima suddenly remembered something and turned to remind the others.
"Oh right—Senpai will take over the game in the second half. If you have open looks, just shoot."
"No need to hold back. In the second half, go all out."
As for the second half, Miyamoto Tokima didn't plan on playing at all.
He'd save himself for the next match against Daiki Aomine, where he could really have some fun.
As for Ryota Kise—letting Shuzo Nijimura give him a lesson would be enough.
Compared to Kirisaki Daiichi's relaxed mood…
Kaijō's side was much heavier.
Everyone kept their heads down, staring at the floor, without a word exchanged.
What the first half had left them with…
was nothing but despair.
.....
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (45 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.