Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

The air inside the stadium seemed to freeze.

It was the kind of imposing aura that only top-tier aces could project when they stood up.

Kenji Fujima simply flexed his wrist, and the cheers from the entire Shohoku bench erupted like a tsunami.

"The game is over as soon as he steps onto the court."

This thought appeared in the minds of almost all the viewers at the same time.

However, just as Fujima's toes were about to step onto the field, Hanagata Toru suddenly turned around.

He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, a hint of arrogance flashing behind the lenses.

Sweat streamed down his face.

But he didn't wipe it; he just stared intently at Fujima, who was about to take the court, from halfway across the court.

There was no shouting or yelling, and no violent physical movements.

Hanagata simply shook her head slowly and firmly.

The amount of information contained in those eyes was immense.

"It's not that bad yet. Trust us."

"If we need you to save the day even in the first half, what right does Shohoku have to claim national dominance?"

Fujima's steps abruptly halted in front of the technical table.

The two looked at each other across the distance, as if the surrounding noise of cheering had disappeared.

For a full three seconds, Fujima understood the pride in Hanagata's eyes.

That was the pride of Xiangyang's core center, a bottom line that could not be trampled on.

"snort……"

Fujima's tense shoulders relaxed, and a faint smile, both helpless and gratified, appeared on his lips.

He turned around, sat back down on the bench, and draped his coat over his shoulders again.

"Then let me see your resolve, Hanagata."

This sitting down was even more intimidating than standing up earlier.

The game continues.

Because Fujima got up and then sat down again.

The morale of the Xiangyang team members was completely ignited by an emotion called "shame".

The ace was ready to step in and put out the fire, but was stopped by the vice-captain.

If they don't perform well, then they really don't deserve to wear this green jersey!

"We can't let Fujima-senpai go on stage now!"

"That's a disgrace to us!!"

Shohoku's offense accelerated instantly.

Number 7, Mitsuru Nagano, received the ball and let out a beast-like roar, forcefully driving into the paint despite Rukawa's defense.

Although Rukawa's defense was solid, the opponent's reckless attitude made him slightly taken aback.

"Get in here!!"

Nagano twisted his body in mid-air, attempting a forced layup.

"How naive!"

Akagi Takenori stood like a black tower, his enormous hand, which blotted out the sky, slammed down.

Although it wasn't a direct block, the severe interference caused the basketball to bounce off the front edge of the rim.

It popped up with a "pop".

"The rebound is mine!!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi roared, his leg muscles tensing up like a compressed spring ready to jump.

In terms of jumping ability, he is confident that he is second to none.

However, a tall figure took the advantageous position even faster than him.

It's a flower-shaped translucent flower!

He didn't use brute force to push past like a traditional center like Akagi.

Instead, he used a soft and unpredictable sliding step to glide to Sakuragi's front like a fish.

He leaned back, lowered his center of gravity, and pinned Sakuragi tightly behind him.

Sakuragi felt like he had run into a ball of cotton, unable to exert any strength.

"This ball is mine, redhead."

With a flourish of his long arms, Hua-shaped figure snatched the backboard with one hand in mid-air.

Land, then jump.

There were no unnecessary adjustments.

"Bang!"

A powerful two-handed dunk!

13: 13.

The score is tied again.

After scoring, Hanagata let out a long roar, venting his pent-up frustration.

The stands at Xiangyang erupted in cheers, the sound of green cheering sticks banging deafeningly loud.

Seeing this, Fujima's smile deepened, and he completely relaxed, leaning back in his chair.

That's absolute trust in your teammates.

The shift from offense to defense.

Shohoku didn't panic because of this shot, but the atmosphere clearly became tense.

Ryota Miyagi dribbled the ball forward and noticed that Shohoku's defense had changed.

The four tall players formed a tighter defensive line, like an impenetrable net.

"Mitsui!"

Miyagi caught a glimpse of the opening in the bottom corner out of the corner, and with a lightning-fast flick of his wrist, the basketball flew towards the corner as if it had eyes.

Mitsui Hisashi receives the ball.

His touch was as hot as burning coals; that three-pointer had completely awakened his shooting instincts.

As long as he has the ball, the basketball hoop seems as big as the ocean to him.

"bring it on."

Without the slightest hesitation, Mitsui was already prepared to shoot the moment he received the ball.

Slightly bend your knees and jump.

Just then, Hanagata Toru came over to defend.

Although he was a center, he was extremely fast and lunged at Mitsui with his arms raised high.

"It's no use, this ball is bound to go in."

Mitsui's eyes were resolute as he adjusted his posture in mid-air.

Fingertips flick the basketball. A perfect parabola slices through the air above the arena.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball swished through the net!

However, at the very instant the basketball went through the net, a piercing whistle ripped through the cheers of the entire stadium.

"Beep—!!"

The moment Mitsui landed, he was shocked to see Hanagata Toru fly backward.

It crashed heavily onto the floor and slid more than a meter away.

His face showed a pained expression, and he clutched his chest.

"What?!" Mitsui was stunned, frozen in place with his shooting posture.

The referee ran over expressionlessly, raised his fist, and made an offensive foul gesture.

"White number 14, charging!"

"The score doesn't count!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"What?!" The Shohoku team members immediately surrounded them, their emotions running high.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Akagi yelled at the referee, spitting as he shouted, "That was a defensive block! The ball is in!"

"He clearly went down after I shot!"

Mitsui was even more incredulous, feeling that he hadn't actually hit the object with force.

The referee shook his head coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"The defender has already taken up a legal position and his feet are firmly planted."

"You knocked him down by leaning forward after jumping. The penalty stands."

On the floor, Toru Hanagata was pulled up by her teammates.

He rubbed his chest and adjusted his glasses.

The moment he turned his back to the Shohoku team, a sly smile subtly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

That's not cunning; that's the smugness of a high-IQ player after a successful hunt.

He did it on purpose.

The moment Mitsui jumped, he calculated the landing point, positioned himself in advance, and deliberately restrained his resistance.

Then, at the moment of contact, they fall to the ground, transforming the impact into the visual effect of being "knocked away".

They traded a foul for Shohoku's three-pointer and disrupted the opponent's ace shooter's mentality.

That's called tactics.

"A truly talented actor..."

On the Shohoku bench, Lin Bei, who had been looking lazy, suddenly chuckled.

He twirled an empty water bottle in his hand, watching the flower patterns on the field with a playful look in his eyes.

"Is this what they call a 'flexible center'?"

Lin Bei's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear on the somber atmosphere of the substitutes' bench.

"Not only does it feel soft to the touch, but it also has a very supple body."

"She falls over at the slightest touch; it's a shame she doesn't act in Taiga dramas."

Coach Anzai's glasses reflected a white light, but he remained silent.

This ruling became the turning point of the game.

Mitsui's rhythm was completely disrupted, and he became eager to regain his footing.

The next two shots were somewhat rushed, and the basketball bounced off the rim with a thud.

As for Xiangyang, he was like a shark that had smelled blood.

"Attack! Pass the ball to Hanagata!"

Taking advantage of their height, Xiangyang began to frequently dominate the paint.

This is not a simple offensive, but a precise surgical dissection.

Toru Hanagata demonstrated his versatility as a top center in Kanagawa.

Facing Akagi's defense, he didn't choose to fight head-on, but instead used a back-to-the-basket fake followed by a fadeaway jump shot.

"Swish!" The ball goes in.

Facing Sakuragi's help defense, he executed an extremely subtle hook shot in mid-air, using the time difference to avoid Sakuragi's block.

"Bang!" The shot hit the basket.

Even after drawing a double team, he can still deliver a brilliant bounce pass, assisting Hasegawa's easy layup.

Shohoku's interior defense fell apart under Hanagata's manipulation.

Akagi was overwhelmed by one thing and neglected another, while Sakuragi, despite his strength, was like a headless fly, running around aimlessly.

The numbers on the scoreboard began to jump wildly, each jump feeling like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the Shohoku team.

Shohoku's offense was repeatedly hampered by Shoyo's impenetrable defense of tall players, resulting in numerous missed shots and increased turnovers.

Miyagi's vision was blocked by the tall defenders, and his passing lanes were cut off.

Rukawa Kaede is stuck in a one-on-one situation, and his physical strength is rapidly depleting.

With less than a minute remaining in the first half.

The scoreboard remained unchanged: Shohoku 22:31 Shoyo.

The point difference has widened to 9 points.

The atmosphere in the entire stadium completely sided with Xiangyang.

The sheer strength and experience of those established powerhouses was overwhelming.

"Shohoku is finished..."

"After that initial burst of energy subsided, their true colors were revealed."

"After all, Shohoku is a seeded team with a very deep foundation."

"Look, Fujima hasn't even played yet, and Hanagata alone has already crushed Shohoku."

In the audience, Haruko gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Her eyes were filled with worry: "What should we do... the score gap is getting bigger and bigger... my brother and the others..."

The Sakuragi Army also lost their earlier playful smiles.

Yohei Mito frowned as he looked at Sakuragi, who was panting heavily on the field:

"Is this the strength of a top team?"

"Even without their ace Fujima, they could still suppress Shohoku to this extent."

"That Hanamichi guy is completely led by the nose by that guy with glasses."

On the other side of the stands.

Coach Taoka of Ryonan crossed his arms, looking completely in control.

"Hmph, just as I expected."

Taoka, watching Hanagata Toru dominate the game, said in a deep voice to Hikoichi beside him:

"That Hanagata guy is much more stable than last year."

"Last year he was just a technical player, but this year he has learned to play with his brain and even to take advantage of the rules."

"That foul-drawing move is a sign of maturity."

"If we add Fujima to that..."

Taoka glanced at Kenji Fujima, who sat calmly on the sidelines, and a deep sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

"This year's Xiangyang team is probably even stronger than last year's Hainan team."

"30 seconds left! 30 seconds left in the first half!"

On the sidelines, Ayako shouted anxiously towards the court, her voice trembling slightly.

The paper fan in her hand was already deformed from being squeezed.

After glancing at the countdown, Taoka Shigeaki's gaze sharpened, and he continued his deduction:

"This shot will be crucial."

"If Shohoku can't score within these 30 seconds and go into the second half with a double-digit deficit, their morale will completely collapse."

He held up two fingers and analyzed to Yan Yi beside him:

"Moreover, Shohoku has another major hidden danger."

"The first reason is that Fujima hasn't played yet."

After saying that, he glanced at Fujima.

Then, he turned his gaze to the figure still spinning a water bottle on the Shohoku bench—Lin Bei.

For some reason, Taoka's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

That kid named Lin Bei hasn't taken off his jacket since the start of the competition, and he hasn't even changed his sitting posture.

While the restless team was on edge, his detached calmness stood out as an outsider.

"That kid named Lin Bei didn't play either."

Taoka frowned slightly, a strange sense of unease spreading through his heart.

"What exactly is Coach Anzai thinking?"

"Are you giving up?"

Or perhaps...

Just then, Fujima on the sidelines seemed to sense something as well.

He suddenly sat up straight, his body, which had been relaxed and leaning back in the chair.

My gaze drifted past the fierce battle on the court and, as if guided by some strange impulse, landed on a corner of the Shohoku bench.

There, Lin Bei stopped spinning the water bottle in his hand and looked up.

Their gazes met briefly in mid-air before parting again.

Fujima saw a pair of eyes.

There was no fear, no anxiety, and not even concern about being down by 9 points in those eyes.

There was only a bottomless calm.

It's like... a hunter watching his prey struggle before it's caught in the net.

Fujima muttered to himself softly, his fingers unconsciously tightening.

"Hana-gata, don't let your guard down..."