Mochizuki secured the jump ball and promptly passed it to Tsuna. Without waiting for Tsuna to start dribbling, the entire Fukuda Sogo team surged forward with eagerness, drawing a chuckle from Tsuna as he noticed their enthusiasm.
Tsuna began dribbling down the court, and Fukuoka Daichi's point guard quickly moved to defend him. The guy shouted confidently, "The King of Kings or whatever, we'll win this!"
"I like your confidence, but it's not enough!"
Amused by that, Tsuna responded.
He then increased his dribbling pace, catching the opposing player off guard and widening his eyes in disbelief.
However, that wasn't the end of the play.
Tsuna swiftly made a move to the right, leaving the Fukuoka Daichi player struggling to keep up, and he could only watch helplessly as Tsuna effortlessly broke through his defense.
Responding quickly, Fukuoka Daichi's team adapted to the situation. One player, initially marking Haizaki, left his post to obstruct Tsuna's path to their basket.
Tsuna, nonchalant in his approach, casually dribbled around as the player positioned himself in front, assuming a defensive stance.
As Tsuna maneuvered, he couldn't help but acknowledge the determination reflected in the expressions of Fukuoka Daichi's players. Observing the defensive effort, Tsuna mused, "...His form isn't bad; I guess there's a reason they made it to the Winter Cup."
Unfortunately for them, Tsuna had no intention of going solo. He casually passed the ball between the legs of the Fukuoka Daichi player defending him, directing it to Haizaki.
The opposing player could only widen his eyes in disbelief at the swift pass, realizing it was too late to react. Haizaki, seizing the opportunity, smirked and leaped for a dunk, slamming the ball through the hoop.
"Yes, this is it! Finally, after such a long time..."
Haizaki laughed aloud, his eyes fixed on his trembling hand that had just delivered the powerful slam. His joy was palpable.
Ogiwara shared in the excitement for his 'best friend' and felt a surge of determination to score in the next play.
"Fuck, that quick pass is unexpected!" one of the Fukuoka Daichi players cursed under his breath.
The captain of Fukuoka Daichi shook his head and encouraged his team, "Alright, don't let it bother you. The game has just begun..."
That's what he thought until he realized the entire Fukuda Sogo team had stationed themselves in their defensive zone, applying continuous pressure. This revelation made him widen his eyes in disbelief, muttering, "...What on earth, it's only the first quarter, and they're already pulling moves like this?"
Typically, such tactics were reserved for later quarters when a team had gained momentum, ensuring they could maintain their lead by pressuring the opponents.
"Are they not worried about burning out too early?" the captain frowned.
However, as he glanced at each Fukuda Sogo player, a chill ran down his spine. It felt as if he were being scrutinized by predators relishing the prospect of capturing their prey.
"...They seem like total savages," Takao remarked, his surprise evident as he observed Fukuda Sogo's aggressive play.
Fukuoka Daichi found themselves powerless in this situation. Almost every player from Fukuda Sogo appeared possessed, relentlessly aiming to score without a care for their physical well-being.
In response, Fukuoka Daichi called a timeout, but they opted to let Fukuda Sogo continue, recognizing the potential advantage if their opponents tired themselves out early.
Midorima adjusted his glasses, maintaining a keen gaze on the game. He commented, "...Their stamina doesn't seem depleted at all."
In fact, he noticed that with every successful shot, the excitement among the Fukuda Sogo players grew, as if scoring had been a long-lost joy for them.
He couldn't help but turn to Tsuna, the only seemingly composed player on the Fukuda Sogo team, thinking, "...What on earth have you done to them, Tsuna?"
As the first quarter concluded, Fukuoka Daichi looked on in disbelief, checking the scoreboard only to find they hadn't scored a single point.
It read 30 - 0, with Fukuda Sogo dominating the scoreboard.
"Don't worry, they should tire out soon," Fukuoka Daichi's coach reassured, observing the heavy breathing of Fukuda Sogo's players.
The rest of Fukuoka Daichi concurred, interpreting Fukuda Sogo's players' heavy breathing as a sign of fatigue.
Meanwhile, Tsuna couldn't help but cover a part of his face, feeling a bit dumbfounded as he observed his teammates.
"...Are you guys like beasts or something?" he exclaimed with a sigh. Tsuna had initially thought their labored breathing indicated fatigue, but mid-game, he realized they were just getting overly enthusiastic.
Fukuda Sogo's players frowned, turning their attention to Tsuna.
Tsuna shook his head, addressing them, "Don't let the excitement get to you; this is just the appetizer."
"...Or, do you believe this is sufficient?" Tsuna asked with a stern tone, catching everyone off guard with the question.
Even Nijimura furrowed his brow before cautiously responding, "...No, this isn't enough!"
Their training camp in the States had limited opportunities for them to score on their own, with Tsuna usually taking the lead. Finally, experiencing the thrill of making baskets after such a long time in an official game left them electrified with excitement.
However...
"...I'm with you, this won't be enough!"
Ogiwara declared as he steadied himself, determination shining in his gaze. The rest of the team echoed similar sentiments, and Tsuna nodded in satisfaction.
He spoke, "Exactly, this is just the beginning..."
"So, let's gear up for what's coming!"
Tsuna's smirk conveyed his confidence as he looked ahead to the challenges yet to unfold.
As the second quarter began, Fukuoka Daichi was horrified to find that Fukuda Sogo's players, who they thought were tired from their aggressive play, now had composed expressions. Instead of exhaustion, it seemed like they were facing a group of seasoned soldiers.
"Poor people, I feel bad for them," Kise couldn't help but express his sympathy as he observed the events unfolding on the neighboring court.
However, Kasamatsu abruptly kicked him, causing Kise to tumble to the ground.
"Why do you always do that!? This is physical abuse!"
Kise exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice as he promptly stood up to confront Kasamatsu.
Kasamatsu, seemingly unimpressed, responded with a piece of advice, "Don't lose your focus by looking around; we have our own game, you idiot!"
"Alright, alright," Kise sighed, acknowledging the pointlessness of arguing with his captain.
Shaking his head, Kasamatsu watched as Kise took his position.
He then shifted his gaze to the court where Fukuda Sogo and Fukuoka Daichi were engaged in a game, muttering with a serious tone, "...It's going to be a massacre over there."
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