"...When did he get there? The distance should make it impossible," Takao mumbled aloud, reacting swiftly as he pursued Akashi, who was dribbling the ball toward the basket.
Approaching Akashi, Takao was taken aback when a radiant ring shimmered across Akashi's pupils.
Suddenly sidestepping to the left, Akashi led Takao astray. Determined to regain control, Takao unconsciously followed, only to find his field of vision drastically changing.
In a surprising twist, Akashi took a step back, causing Takao to lose his balance and fall onto the court.
"My words are absolute. So, sit down..." Akashi declared without sparing a glance at Takao.
However, Shutoku's players were still chasing after his figure from behind. Trying to stop him at all costs.
Unfazed by the chaos behind him, Akashi smoothly took the shot, and the ball swished through the net.
"That combo you pulled off caught me off guard, but it's got a fatal flaw," Akashi stated, his pace deliberate as he walked back.
Shaking his head, he continued, "Being left-handed makes it easy to predict the direction of your passes. All I needed to do was interrupt the trajectory once it was almost certain your teammate wouldn't back off."
Midorima adjusted his glasses, furrowing his eyebrows as he silently absorbed Akashi's words. He knew it wasn't just about being left-handed.
Midorima realized that Akashi had somehow upped his speed, subtly slowing himself down in a way that escaped detection until now.
Midorima couldn't help but admire Akashi's meticulous analysis.
"You're just as awful as him, Akashi..." he remarked, his eyes sharpening as he realized the direness of their situation.
However, Akashi's frown revealed his displeasure at the comparison. It was evident he knew Midorima referred to Tsuna.
The idea of being likened to someone else seemed repulsive to him.
"Don't misunderstand, Shintaro. Our levels are different," he declared arrogantly, prompting Midorima to scoff, which prompted Akashi to frown once again.
Their interaction came to an end as the game pressed on. Akashi adeptly neutralized Midorima's combination with Takao, leaving Shutoku struggling to score points against Rakuzan's staunch defense.
The scoreboard now displayed 65 - 51, with Rakuzan in the lead.
"...You'd be useless if you can't shoot anymore."
The blunt words pierced Midorima where it stung the most.
Midorima had always relied heavily on his shooting skills. Even in that moment, he found solace in practicing his shooting drills.
While he didn't neglect his fundamental skills and could outperform most players, Midorima, deep down, recognized that his shooting ability far surpassed his other talents.
However, his pride prevented him from acknowledging this.
"That won't happen..." Midorima retorted discontentedly.
Yet, Tsuna merely shook his head, persisting, "In Japan? There might be a slim chance. Unless you face me or perhaps Akashi. He might be able to prevent you from getting the ball."
Midorima furrowed his brow at Tsuna's recurring mention of Japan being a small place.
Yet, Midorima didn't truly internalize these words.
He hadn't encountered anyone capable of stopping him, and even if such a person existed, he was confident that his basic skills would be enough.
The referee's timeout call snapped him back to reality. Observing Nebuya's successful dunk for Rakuzan, Midorima chuckled, "...It seems he foresaw this a long time ago."
During their time at Teiko, Tsuna had warned him about the importance of honing other skills besides shooting, emphasizing the possibility of circumstances preventing him from relying solely on his scoring prowess.
Yet, Midorima, blinded by pride, had dismissed Tsuna's advice. At that time, Akashi hadn't revealed his eyes as 'the other' Akashi was still in control.
And Midorima considered him someone he could easily defeat.
"...Now, I feel like a clown," he muttered silently, his mind racing for a solution.
With his shooting compromised, he needed to figure out a way to contribute to the game.
"They called another timeout, huh?"
Nebuya's laughter filled the room, loud and never-ending. Mibuchi didn't look too thrilled, muttering, "Can't you just be nice and keep it down?"
But Nebuya didn't seem to care. His laughter kept going, and Mibuchi let out a tired sigh.
On the other side, Akashi stayed quiet as he silently observed Shutoku on the other side. He shook his head, thinking, "Wiggle all you want, but know it's futile..."
"We've got this in the bag as long as we handle their shooter," he thought.
His attention honed in on Midorima, realizing he was the heart of Shutoku's morale.
In Shirogane's mind, messing with Midorima could mess up Shutoku's head, since they relied heavily on him.
Meanwhile, on Shutoku's side, Nakatani wore a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm..."
He hummed softly before speaking up, "Let's speed up a bit and try to breach their defense."
With Midorima struggling to elude Akashi's defense, Shutoku had no choice but to attempt their luck from a different angle.
They made the bold decision to give it a shot from within!
Midorima grasped the situation and nodded in agreement. However, he surprised everyone by suddenly saying, "Coach, count me in."
"Hmm?"
Nakatani turned his head toward Midorima, clearly surprised.
"What did he just say?"
The others shared in the astonishment, aware that Midorima usually preferred to stick to shooting from a distance and rarely got involved in such hands-on strategies.
"...What do you mean by that, Shin?" Takao asked.
Despite the puzzled inquiry, Midorima appeared unfazed. He casually adjusted his glasses and replied, "Exactly what I said."
Takao furrowed his brow, his confusion lingering.
"Instead of sidelining me because we can't pull off a three-point with the combo, it might be wiser to involve me, adding more pressure to their defensive formation," Midorima explained.
"Hmm, makes sense," Otsubo agreed with a nod.
Miyaji narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Midorima.
The guy nervously adjusted his glasses under Miyaji's gaze, but Miyaji just sighed and said, "If it benefits the team, I'm on board with your idea."
Nakatani nodded, contemplating, "Well, Midorima's fundamentals might not match his shooting prowess, but they're still solid enough to rank him among the top players in this tournament."
Seeing the potential, he took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with determination as he solidified his decision.
"Alright, let's step up our game a notch. Attack from any open sides, and if there aren't any, create one. Clear?" Nakatani addressed the entire Shutoku team, his gaze sweeping across each player.
"Got it, coach!"
They all nodded together, a resolute response.
"Perfect. Now, get back out there and break through their defense!"
With that, everyone rose from their seats, realizing the timeout had concluded.
As they returned to the court, their eyes sparkled with heightened determination. Despite the challenges, the team knew their situation was still manageable, and that realization fueled their resolve.
---
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