In the Rakuzan High seating area, the Uncrowned Kings observed the unfolding spectacle with a collective shake of their heads. Despite their initial disbelief, smiles gradually found their way to their faces, unable to resist the infectious joy emanating from the court.
Mibuchi, contemplating the scene, mused, "...They're practically having a game of their own now."
Intrigued, he couldn't resist stealing a glance at Akashi, curious about his reaction. To his surprise, Mibuchi's eyes widened as he caught sight of Akashi's expression.
"...What's with this coldness?" Mibuchi thought, taken aback by the icy demeanor on Akashi's face as he observed his former teammates reveling in the game.
The contrast between the warmth on the court and Akashi's detached gaze created a poignant moment that lingered in the air which made Mibuchi couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Before Mibuchi could articulate his unease, Akashi abruptly rose from his seat, a move that caught everyone off guard.
"...Let's go! The outcome has already been decided," Akashi declared, his voice cutting through the ambient sounds.
His decisive words left the others in an awkward state of surprise.
"It doesn't matter. You can stay if you want to watch..."
Akashi's response was as cold and unwavering as his steps.
His words cut through the air, leaving no room for argument. The detachment in his voice only accentuated the decisiveness of his departure.
Kotaro found himself scratching his head, torn between the desire to witness more of the game and the unyielding pull of following Akashi.
In the end, he chose to followed along as the others were already making their way out.
Meanwhile, on the court, the third quarter wrapped up with Fukuda Sogo leading 107 to 59, showing a clear advantage.
On the adjacent court, where Kaijo High fiercely contested against their opponents, Kise couldn't help but bring a hand to his head as he looked at the other court, exclaiming, "Now, that was a surpris—"
"Why is that a surprise?"
Kasamatsu abruptly severed Kise's words, a swift jab to Kise's stomach leaving him clutching it with a pained expression.
"...Why?"
Kise shot Kasamatsu a look of both bewilderment and silent inquiry, silently asking why he had to endure such a sudden assault.
Coldly watching Kise writhe in discomfort, Kasamatsu maintained a stern gaze that left Kise momentarily speechless.
"...Son of a bitch," Kise mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say?"
"...No, nothing."
An intense silence enveloped them as Kasamatsu continued to scrutinize Kise with a serious expression. The atmosphere grew tense, forcing Kise to nervously avert his gaze and whistling.
Sighing, Kasamatsu spoke, "Whatever, just focus on our own game..."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Kise responded with a smile, his outward demeanor seemingly relaxed. Yet, behind that smile, his eyes blazed with an uncontainable excitement. The ongoing clash between Fukuda Sogo and Yosen High had ignited the flames of his competitive spirit.
Over at Yosen High's bench, Okamura was giving Murasakibara a friendly pat on the back. Murasakibara didn't seem too thrilled about it, and his face twisted into a scowl.
Despite Murasakibara's reaction, Okamura just chuckled and continued patting him while jokingly saying, "Hahaha, I've never seen you smile like this. What happened?"
Murasakibara was clearly annoyed as he replied replied, "...Not telling you."
Okamura burst into even louder laughter in response.
Fukui and Liu stood on the sidelines, shaking their heads in disbelief. On the other hand, Himura wore a gentle smile.
Feeling surprised, Araki looked at their expressions before glancing at the scoreboard. She thought, "...I guess they've realized catching up is nearly impossible, huh?"
Admitting it was a tough pill to swallow, Fukuda Sogo's skills, especially their captain's, were just too overwhelming.
Shaking her head with a tinge of embarrassment, Araki turned her attention back to the banter and teasing directed at Murasakibara. He seemed to have undergone a change, and she thought, "...Besides, it's not bad to see this big boy having fun."
Amused by the situation, Araki couldn't help but crack a smile.
On Fukuda Sogo's bench, a collective sigh swept through everyone, prompting Tsuna to shake his head. Ogiwara mumbled, "...It's always like this when we face a tough opponent."
He couldn't help but feel disappointed that they couldn't fully relish the match, especially with their captain entering the zone alongside Murasakibara.
"..."
Haizaki remained silent, but his expression spoke volumes, silently concurring with Ogiwara's sentiment.
Mochizuki chuckled and said, "Well, there's nothing we can do at this point..."
"...We're being carried again," Ishida said with a sigh.
Nijimura found their banter amusing. While it was unfortunate, he secretly felt a bit relieved as marking two players simultaneously was exhausting.
Though he was confident that he could endure until the end of the match, Nijimura knew his muscles would ache from the effort. Suppressing Murasakibara had drained most of his stamina after all.
"Tsuna, are you planning to stick in the zone to finish this match?"
Alexandra inquired, displaying her concern for Tsuna's well-being.
Staying in the zone, she knew, could strain both the body and the mind.
While she had confidence in Tsuna's mental strength, recognizing him as the most persistent and determined person she had ever known, the toll on his still-developing body was inevitable, no matter how formidable he was.
"...I probably will," Tsuna replied after a quick glance at Murasakibara on the opposite side.
He could discern from Murasakibara's expression that the guy was still up for actively challenging him.
"You can maintain that state until the end?" Ishida inquired after hearing Tsuna's earlier words.
Tsuna nodded and admitted, "Yeah, though I might have to push myself a little."
"...Incredible, average guys like us can never keep up with that."
A collective sigh filled the air. They couldn't help but acknowledge the world's unfairness.
Tsuna shook his head, thinking, "The real monster is right there, sitting among the Yosen High players..."
Murasakibara had been playing intensely from the beginning, with Nijimura going all out against him. Despite the effort, he still had enough stamina to keep going. Tsuna suspected that even if Murasakibara depleted his stamina, he would likely persist in that state.
"...This is the first time he's being honest with himself and actually enjoying the game."
Hearing this, Alexandra sighed and cautioned, "Don't overexert yourself."
"No need to worry..."
Even though Alexandra cared about Tsuna and worried about him, Tsuna was someone who liked to test his own limits all the time. He believed that facing difficult challenges and enduring hardships would make him improve and become even stronger.
Beside...
Tsuna was fully immersed in the match, relishing every moment of it.
Contemplating Murasakibara's potential to surpass the Silver level, excitement surged through Tsuna, and his face lit up with his signature smirk.
Observing this, Nijimura found himself a bit at a loss for words, thinking, "...Why did he suddenly put on that expression again?"
---
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