Sunday, game day.
Gathering with the coach and teammates at the school gate, they boarded the school bus and followed the road towards Seihō, one of the three champions of Tokyo.
This school was well-versed in traditional martial arts and integrated into modern sports. Their overall strength was formidable.
In Shōgo's memory, there was a short-haired boy in the third grade of Seihō Junior High School, known as Tomoki Tsugawa.
This guy was no ordinary person. In terms of defense, he was quite a bit above the level of the Miracle Generation.
He was able to defend against the likes of Ryōta Kise and Taiga Kagami.
However, defending against players like Daiki, Seijūrō, and Shōgo now was a whole different story. There was still a long way to go for that.
Shaking off his thoughts, Shōgo returned his focus and inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from Rina beside him. His mood inexplicably improved.
Rina-chan, can you try collecting information about our opponents?"
"Shōgo-kun, do you want me to collect information about our opponents?"
"Yeah, gather information about our opponents. Gathering data through our match or by studying recordings of their matches would be very helpful for our team."
"Is that so? Shōgo-kun, I'll make sure to collect the data for the team."
Shōgo had started guiding Rina toward developing her special ability, subtly and gradually. Given her knack for taking clear class notes, collecting data should be relatively simple.
The challenging part would be analyzing and predicting the data. Shōgo wasn't sure if Rina had this talent, but how would they know unless they tried?
So, for now, they will collect data, and there might be some surprises down the road.
Continuing, Shōgo said, "Rina-chan, how about we continue our game?"
Rina turned her head, her eyes filled with interest fixed on Shōgo, and her gaze made him slightly flush.
From the look in the girl's eyes, Shōgo could see the anticipation and the desire for a small reward.
He still hadn't fulfilled his promise of a small gift, and now he was suggesting another game. Shōgo felt his face grow warmer.
But who was Shōgo? As a time traveler, he was more open-minded about such matters.
So, he smiled and thought, "What's a little embarrassment?"
"A game?"
"Yeah, in this match, besides collecting data, after halftime, we'll continue yesterday's little game."
"Predicting the winner?"
"Yeah, in addition to predicting the winner, we'll use animal metaphors to describe each team's style. How about it, want to play?"
"I want to play! Shōgo-kun, if I win, will there be a small gift?"
"Yes, if you win, you get two small gifts. If you lose, you won't get any."
"Okay, it's a deal!"
The game began with the sound of the whistle.
Shōgo leaped high, reaching for the basketball and passing it to Arata on the left as he landed.
Arata received the ball and quickly passed it out as Shōgo landed. He then received the ball again, accelerated, bypassed two players, reached the inside line, and leaped high.
The sound of "clang" marked the first score of the game.
As the teammates returned to their half of the court, they started setting up their defense against their assigned opponents.
Beside Shōgo stood Tomoki Tsugawa, commonly known as "Short Hair."
Seihō reacted swiftly, immediately deploying their ace to guard against Shōgo. Were they trying to shut him down?
Shōgo smirked inwardly, confident in his abilities. But could this guy really guard against him?
"Swoosh!"
Seihō's forward scored, and the arena echoed with cheers and shouts of excitement.
This was the home advantage, and the cheers and passion of the fans could somewhat affect the mindset of opposing players.
However, for Shōgo, whose mental state was rock-solid, this had little effect.
He received the basketball, and Tomoki was there, persistently guarding him.
"I declare that I shall guard you to your doom, and you shall not break my defense."
As Shōgo received the ball, Tomoki began his taunting words, attempting to defend Shōgo's movements.
"Is your defense really that strong? Can you actually guard me?"
Before Tomoki could react, Shōgo had already made his move, disappearing from his sight.
Tomoki Tsugawa's eyes widened, his pupils contracted, and he mumbled in disbelief.
"How is this possible? How is this possible? How can someone be so fast?"
"Swoosh!"
The basketball smoothly went through the net, and the harmonious sound of the ball brushed against the net, creating a mesmerizing melody.
It was a hollow three-pointer, a beautiful shot from Shōgo after breaking through the defense and executing a quick stop.
The teammates on the bench jumped up, celebrating the score with loud cheers.
Even the usually reserved and polite Rina raised her small hand, shouting "Shōgo-kun" enthusiastically.
"Get back on defense!"
Captain Arata reminded his teammates loudly, snapping them out of their excitement and urging them to set up their defensive formation.
The basketball coach of Seihō Junior High School, looked at Fukuda Junior High's defensive formation with narrowed eyes, his eyes squinting.
Internally, he exclaimed, "How is this possible? Even our team, which specializes in defense, wouldn't dare use such an eccentric tactic. How could they?"
However, his question was soon answered when Shōgo quickly stole the ball and executed a graceful one-handed slam dunk.
"Clang!"
The sound of the dunk brought Seihō's coach back to his senses. Watching Shōgo, who had already sprinted past him, and then quickly returning to defense, the coach's eyes revealed a sense of relief.
"So, it's him, the former Teiko Junior High player, Shōgo Haizaki. No wonder the relatively weaker Fukuda Junior High dares to use this strategy. I understand now."
Seihō's coach glanced at the opposing team's coach, Ichiro Kudo, in the resting area. Once again, he mentally complained: "What kind of luck did you guys stumble upon to get such a talented player in your academy?"
If Shōgo had come to our Seihō Junior High School and combined with our strong defensive lineup, challenging Teiko might not have been an impossible feat. What a pity!
On the basketball court, Shōgo, having received the ball, looked at Tomoki in front of him and softly asked a question.
"What does it feel like when your attempt at showing off fails?"
"I…"
Taking advantage of Tomoki's momentary distraction, Shōgo accelerated once again and bypassed him.
The feeling of powerlessness and anger, the inability to react or defend, all of this struck fear into Tomoki.
Was this the strength of the Generation of Miracles players? It seemed their reputation was well-deserved.
After regaining his composure, Tomoki turned around and chased after him. As a practitioner of ancient martial arts, he quickly adjusted his mindset and began defending against Shōgo, who had already scored.