Chapter 172: Title at the end of the chapter!

Yosen High's coach gritted her teeth, a thoughtful expression etched on her face as she observed their carefully planned rebound strategy being easily countered as if the opposing team had anticipated it.

Frustration lingered as she turned her gaze towards Alexandra, who stood on the Fukuda Sogo's bench.

"She doesn't appear to be good with her brain. How unexpected..." the coach thought, contemplating the unexpected turn of events.

Alexandra seemed to be able to sense Araki's thoughts as she sharply turned in Araki's direction. 

"..."

A moment of tension hung in the air as Araki seemed to feel a sense of guilt. Feeling caught, looked away, nervously whistling while clutching her wooden sword.

As the game continued, Yosen High recognized the need to regain momentum and find a way to score. The ball was passed to Himuro, their key player with the skills to potentially turn the tide of the match.

Himuro took a deep breath, the weight of the game pressing on his shoulders. Despite the pressure, his eyes remained calm as he exchanged glances with Mochizuki, the vigilant defender marking him.

"Can't believe all that does not faze him," Himuro thought, feeling surprised at the calmness reflected in Mochizuki's face.

It was an unexpected sight, as most players who struggled against Himuro's offensive prowess would display frustration or anger, if not both. However, Mochizuki remained composed, and a spark of excitement glimmered within his pupils, catching Himuro's attention.

After exhaling a long breath to focus, Himuro dribbled the ball with a smile on his face as he was confident in his skills.

Mochizuki responded by intensifying the pressure, closing the distance between them.

Unfazed, Himuro continued to move with elegance, smoothly dribbling the ball past Mochizuki's defence.

To the surprise of Yosen High's players, Mochizuki held his ground.

The most astonishing of all was Himuro's figure, which had just gone past Mochizuki, disappearing and reappearing in front of Mochizuki's still form.

The drive was a fake, and somehow, Mochizuki had seen through it.

A thought crossed Himuro's mind, "...Is it a coincidence?"

"Did he finally awaken it?"

Nijimura was also surprised to see this.

Himuro's expression shifted, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a frown as he maintained a firm grip on the ball, dribbling it with ease.

His glance at Mochizuki revealed a level of seriousness that surpassed their previous interactions.

This time, there was no room for him to underestimate his opponent.

With elegant crossovers, Himuro moved to the right, and this time, it wasn't a feint.

The intensity in his eyes matched the gravity of the situation. However, to his surprise, Mochizuki seamlessly followed through with his movements, seeing through the feints with remarkable precision.

Gritting his teeth, Himuro thought, "He truly could see through my fakes!"

Seeing Mochizuki effortlessly anticipate and see through Himuro's feints, Fukui couldn't contain his disbelief.

"What? How did he see through Himuro's fake?" he exclaimed, his surprise echoing through the court.

On the other hand, Tsuna, witnessing the turn of events, smirked in response. A silent exchange of glances occurred between him and Nijimura.

"...It's time to get a bit more sweaty, Shuzo," Tsuna remarked.

Nijimura nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming with newfound anticipation.

Meanwhile, as Himuro determined to break through, he decided to abandon the element of deception.

"No more faking moves then!" Himuro exclaimed, abruptly rotating his body in the opposite direction.

The unexpected maneuver prompted Mochizuki to react, realizing the need to adjust his defense.

With the space he needed, Himuro suddenly stepped back and prepared for a shot.

Mochizuki, realizing his oversight, cursed, "Shit, I was careless, I forgot he had reached his shooting range!"

Closing the distance, Mochizuki leaped up to block the shot, but it was too late.

Elegant in his shooting motion, Himuro released the ball with ease. The crowd held its breath as the ball soared through the air, finding its mark with a swish.

"Great shoot, as usual, Himuro!" Okamura complimented as they went back to their position.

As the game continued, Tsuna received the ball, dribbling it with deliberate slowness. He turned his attention to Mochizuki as he spoke, "Keep your head cool, Kazuhiro!"

Mochizuki was taken aback before he nodded in silence. He then took a deep breath as he muttered, "Relax my form, sharpen my mind..."

Tsuna nodded, seeing this as he turned to Nijimura, "We'll go for it!"

"...I see, I understand." Nijimura nodded with a surprised expression.

As Fukuda Sogo advanced forward, Yosen High sensed a mounting pressure, an impending force that was coming at them.

Okamura frowned, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Is it just me, or are these guys becoming more intimidating?"

However, Tsuna's sharpness persisted. Observing that his team had positioned themselves effectively, he abruptly changed his dribbling pace. 

Fukui could only widen his eyes in astonishment as Tsuna's dribbling speed surpassed his expectations, leaving Fukui struggling to match the pace.

"What's up with his dribbling speed? Was he holding back since the first quarter!?" Fukui wondered, a shiver running down his spine.

The abrupt acceleration had caught Fukui completely off guard.

It wasn't just Fukui; the Yosen High players themselves appeared to be taken aback by this unexpected burst of speed.

Tsuna's eyes remained cold as he drove to the right, and Fukui, in a rush to impede Tsuna's advance, followed his figure closely.

Yet, that decision proved to be a grievous error.

As Fukui shadowed Tsuna's movement, Tsuna unexpectedly stepped back, a move that caught Fukui off balance.

His feet stumbled over themselves, and in an instant, Fukui found himself crashing to the ground, bewildered and unable to fathom what had just transpired.

As he looked up at Tsuna's composed figure gliding past him effortlessly, Fukui couldn't help but mutter in disbelief, "What on earth just happened?"

After witnessing Tsuna's flashy breakthrough past Fukui's defense, with no other apparent option, Okamura burst forward as he was determined to impede Tsuna's way.

However, to Okamura's surprise, the ball in Tsuna's hand suddenly vanished with a flick of his hand. Okamura's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as the spherical comet streaked in a straight line to the basket, defying any attempts to intercept it.

In the face of what appeared to be an unstoppable force, a hand materialized with exquisite precision, slamming down on the ball.

The resounding slam echoed through the court, leaving Okamura in awe of the seemingly supernatural finesse exhibited by Tsuna.

"...Nijimura?"

In utter disbelief, Okamura directed his gaze towards the hand that had gracefully intervened. The gymnasium itself seemed to hold its breath, enveloped in an eerie silence that mirrored the astonishment shared by everyone present.

Title: Zenith Strike!

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