"...Well, that was surprising, but I still have a job to do!"
Kise's sudden change of pace caught everyone off guard.
The court seemed to shrink as he unleashed a burst of speed, leaving Haizaki struggling to keep up. In a split second, Kise executed a sharp crossover to the right, mimicking the finesse of Aomine's signature move.
Haizaki didn't back down, even though he knew he couldn't catch up. He kept chasing after Kise, hustling to cover the ground.
Kise's advance slowed down when Nijimura moved in quickly, shadowing him as he jumped for the basket. At that moment, Nijimura leaped as he extended his hand with the intent to block the shot.
Yet, Kise, displaying the finesse of Aomine, surprised everyone with a masterful maneuver.
He smoothly retracted the ball, slinging it from behind his back in a formless shot that left the defenders and spectators alike in awe.
In that pivotal moment, Nijimura's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ah, shit..."
However, it was too late—the ball had already swished through the net with a satisfying sound, leaving the arena in a collective gasp.
The referee's whistle pierced the tension, signaling a foul and granting Kise the opportunity for a free throw.
"Whoa! Now he used Aomine's movement and formless shot!"
"Holy crap! Kise from Kaijo High is actually so good!"
"Of course, you dummy, he's one of the Generation of Miracles!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. The excitement reverberated throughout the gymnasium as spectators acknowledged Kise's impressive move.
"...Copying our moves is no simple task," Midorima murmured to himself, recognizing the considerable effort required by Kise and the toll it would likely take on his stamina.
However, as his gaze lingered on Tsuna, a frown creased Midorima's face. "He's not one to let things unfold without interference."
Puzzled by Tsuna's decision not to change their strategy, especially after witnessing Haizaki's remarkable transformation, Midorima couldn't reconcile it with Fukuda Sogo's unaltered approach.
"...Hold on," Midorima adjusted his glasses, wiping sweat from his brow. His thoughts raced, "Tsuna doesn't let opponents call the shots, but he might let it be if there's a goal he hasn't hit yet."
Midorima wasn't sure, but he closely watched the game, trying to figure out Tsuna's plan.
As the game continued, Kise almost broke Fukuda Sogo's defense. Even on defense, he was a tough opponent by copying Murasakibara's moves.
Haizaki, once again unable to stop Kise, gritted his teeth in determination. Instead of getting frustrated and giving in to despair, he closely shadowed Kise's every move, determined to block his attempts.
In his usual self, Haizaki would have felt frustrated and defeated. But this time, something had changed. Rather than feeling hopeless, he was fueled by determination.
Unbeknownst to him, his mindset had undergone a significant transformation.
Meanwhile, Kise sported a light smirk as he suddenly accelerated the pace of his dribbling, leaving Haizaki struggling to keep up with the ball.
Attempting to halt Kise's advance, Haizaki found himself in a state of confusion. Kise's sharp crossover left Haizaki off balance, and he could only watch as Kise's figure seemingly grew taller, causing him to stumble.
Everyone in Fukuda Sogo and the crowd reacted with surprise. The spectators, already captivated, now became even more fervent as they witnessed Kise's remarkable performance.
"Fuck! Even Captain's Ankle Break!?"
Haizaki cursed his inability to stop Kise.
Helplessly, he observed Kise seamlessly transition into his shooting motion. With a high arc, the ball soared through the air. Without even bothering to look at his shot, Kise turned around.
The ball elegantly passed through the basket with a swish.
As the points were scored, the referee called for a timeout for Fukuda Sogo, prompting both teams to return to their benches.
"Thanks for the timely timeout, Alex..."
"I just did what I was supposed to do."
Tsuna thanked Alexandra for calling the timeout, and she responded with a nonchalant shrug.
He had signaled for the timeout when he noticed Kise's imminent move on the court.
Observing Haizaki's reaction confirmed that he had undergone a change, Tsuna recognized that it was the right moment to adjust his strategy to counter Kaijo's evolving offensive play.
Haizaki glanced at the scoreboard, which displayed a close score of 57 - 55.
Despite still leading, he recognized the potential threat if he couldn't effectively stop Kise.
"...Captain," Haizaki suddenly addressed Tsuna, prompting everyone's attention. Tsuna raised an eyebrow, curious about Haizaki's unexpected behavior.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to stop Kise. Please swap positions with me," Haizaki spoke, bowing slightly.
His clenched fist revealed his internal struggle as he silently vowed, "I can't be a burden..."
Fukuda Sogo couldn't afford any weaknesses!
The shock was palpable among the team as Haizaki straightened his back and continued, "I believe you're the only one who can stop him at this point..."
Haizaki's unexpected sincerity and genuine words left everyone in Fukuda Sogo momentarily silent with disbelief. Even Tsuna himself couldn't help but be taken aback by this unanticipated side of Haizaki.
Observing Haizaki's sincerity, Tsuna couldn't contain a chuckle, which snapped everyone back to reality and left Haizaki wearing a confused expression.
"It's nice to see this side of you, Shogo. Keep it up; I'm sure everyone will like you more..." Tsuna spoke with a light smile, acknowledging the positive change in Haizaki's demeanor.
"Hahaha, Captain's got a point, Haizaki!"
"You're sounding like a real person now, hahaha."
"My best friend, you're quite a surprise!"
Laughter echoed as everyone chimed in. Haizaki could only scratch his head, glancing away in embarrassment at their reactions.
However, the corners of his lips curled upward slightly.
Tsuna grinned. Even without Haizaki explicitly asking for it, he was already planning to tweak their strategy a bit.
"Well, considering Shogo's suggestion, we're gonna switch up our strategy a bit this time..." Tsuna said.
He then turned to Haizaki and continued, "You'll still be marking Kise..."
"...What?"
Tsuna shook his head, gesturing toward Ogiwara. With a smirk, he explained, "Not on your own, of course. That's why I'm putting Shigehiro on that duty to assist you..."
Haizaki widened his eyes in surprise. He then glanced at Ogiwara, who gave him a thumbs-up.
Tsuna continued, "Isn't that what best friends do? Help each other out when things don't quite go as planned?"
Haizaki's lips twitched slightly, and this time, he refrained himself from retorting.
Meanwhile, Ogiwara was visibly moved, prompting Haizaki to think, "...Should I smack this guy in the head after this?"
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