When people are fully focused, time always feels like it passes far too quickly.
For the players on the court, those three minutes felt like only thirty seconds had gone by—and now, the fourth quarter had already begun.
Haizaki Shogo glanced at the scoreboard: 66–60. Fukuda Sogo was currently ahead.
But a six-point gap was nothing—just two three-pointers. It could be erased in an instant, or even reversed.
This fourth quarter… was the final test.
The last stage of refinement for the team. Not a single mistake could be allowed.
On the other side, Yosen High was in an even worse position.
They were the trailing team, and the pressure on them was even heavier.
Without Murasakibara Atsushi on the court, they could only rely on their height advantage to score—but even that had limits.
For players that big, stamina drained extremely fast.
Since the end of the third quarter, Liu Wei and Okamura Kenichi had already shown clear signs of fatigue. During breaks, they were constantly eating bananas and drinking sports drinks to recover energy.
Height gave advantage—but also demanded endurance.
And under intense physical confrontation, stamina was the biggest weakness of all.
Still, Yosen's training was strict.
They were tired, yes—but not yet broken. They could still finish the game.
Which meant both teams were now slowly grinding each other down—
It would come down to who collapsed first.
But what Yosen didn't know was that Fukuda Sogo had a hidden weapon.
Shimizu Rena, their team manager, possessed a special ability—Weakness Exploitation.
Haizaki's gaze stayed on the court as he simulated the flow of the game in his mind, trying to reach a conclusion.
He still couldn't predict like Akashi Seijuro—but basic analysis was enough.
And his conclusion was simple.
Fukuda Sogo had about a seventy percent chance of winning.
On the court, both teams had reached the stage where every possession mattered.
Rebounds were now the center of all battles.
Yosen relied on rebounds to stabilize their scoring. Fukuda Sogo needed rebounds to secure victory.
So the fight under the basket had intensified completely.
Fukui Kensuke attempted a three-pointer—but missed.
BOOM!
The rebound battle exploded instantly.
Five players jumped at once beneath the rim—Liu Wei, Okamura Kenichi, Okawa Sawano, Suzuran Karasu, and Kimura Tosho.
Bodies collided mid-air, each one reaching for the ball.
Okamura Kenichi, the Yosen third-year, held his ground and secured the rebound. He passed it back out to Fukui.
Fukui immediately shot again.
SMACK!
Harano Shinichi soared and blocked it cleanly.
The ball flew toward Yosen's side, and in that instant, three figures sprinted forward.
Kimura Tosho was the fastest. Harano Shinichi and Fukui chased behind.
Harano reached it first and quickly passed it out.
Kimura caught it—
And without hesitation, slammed it down with a powerful dunk.
BOOM!
No defense. No resistance.
He landed, pounding his chest as he shouted while running back.
"OOOHHH!"
His teammates greeted him with playful slaps on the head and cheers of "Nice one!"
Even Harano ran up, jumping slightly to try and smack his head as well.
Seeing this, Haizaki and Shimizu couldn't help but laugh from the bench.
"Hahaha…"
That single play had already shifted the momentum further.
78–67. An eleven-point gap.
Not impossible—but increasingly difficult.
If the difference in strength were larger, a comeback might still be possible. But right now, Fukuda Sogo was clearly dominating.
In theory, Yosen had already lost their chance to advance.
But the game wasn't over yet.
And as Haizaki knew well—while there is time left, there is always hope.
Yosen still hadn't given up. They were fighting desperately, using every last bit of strength.
On their next possession, Liu Wei received the ball inside and scored with a soft floater.
Fukuda Sogo responded quickly.
Harano Shinichi intercepted a pass, sprinted forward alone, and instead of passing, drove all the way to the basket.
A simple bank shot. Two points.
Effortless.
On the bench, Haizaki felt something rise inside him.
It's burning.
Whether in the past or now—
Haizaki Shogo was still young.
His body was young. His spirit too.
That fire never truly went out.
"Let's go! Crush them!"
Haizaki suddenly stood up and shouted.
The Fukuda Sogo bench froze for a moment. Coach Kudo. Substitutes. Even Shimizu Rena.
But feeling that intense heat in his voice, they all reacted almost instinctively.
"Let's go! Crush them!"
"Let's go! Crush them!"
The voices spread.
On the court, the players felt it immediately.
Their energy surged. Their confidence exploded.
The atmosphere shifted—almost unreal.
Fukuda Sogo was now overflowing with momentum, pride, and aggression.
With Shimizu's Weakness Exploitation amplifying their perception, even their movements felt sharper.
Harano Shinichi stole another pass. This time, he didn't hesitate.
He drove straight to the basket alone—
A clean layup off the glass.
BOOM!
Back on defense immediately.
Meanwhile, Yosen's coach Araki Ayako stood at the sidelines, arms crossed around her wooden sword, watching quietly.
It's over.
Fukuda Sogo has awakened their momentum… triggered by that Miracle-level player on their side.
Still, she did not show frustration.
Because this match was never just about winning.
It was training.
A sharpening stone for Yosen.
She had even agreed to keep Murasakibara off the court for that very reason.
And there was another reason as well.
On her desk back at Yosen, a player profile had already been placed.
A name written clearly on it: Himuro Tatsuya.
A player capable of rivaling the Generation of Miracles.
The data had arrived…
But the player had not yet appeared.
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