Chapter 41: Great effort
Kise did not react to Aizen's verbal provocation or the roar of the audience. He still looked dazed. Aizen shook his head, feeling a bit bored by Kise's expression. Was he truly affected by this? If Kise had lost his will to resist, playing against him would be pointless and boring. It seemed that the more talented a genius, the more fragile their essence. They always believed that with hard work, they could achieve anything. The higher the expectations, the harder it was to accept reality.
Aizen stopped looking at Kise and turned his gaze to Aomine Daiki, the meaning clear. "What are you waiting for? The yellow-haired man has been defeated; it's your turn. Come and face me."
But what Aizen didn't expect was that Teikō didn't replace Kise, allowing him to continue playing. Was it out of reluctance to substitute a teammate? Did they not realize that Kise was no longer suitable to compete with Aizen? The outcome of their match was already decided. Rather than letting Kise struggle, it was better to end it quickly. Why let Kise develop a trauma?
...
"Beep!" The first quarter ended.
The score showed 28:20. Jianguang led, with Aizen scoring all 28 points. The opponent scored 20 points, none of which were by Kise. All points were from rushed shots that Aizen had to defend, and then Murasakibara made a tip-in. This was understandable, as although Kise wasn't as good as Aizen, he was still a player at the "Miracle Era" level. Aizen couldn't steal every ball from him. As long as Kise threw the ball, no matter how wild the shot, Murasakibara under the basket could turn decay into magic.
As both sides prepared to leave the court for a rest, Akashi Seijuro looked at Aizen with his cold, scarlet eyes. When Akashi's gaze fell on him, Aizen noticed instantly and looked back. They didn't speak for a while, creating a tense atmosphere.
Akashi broke the silence, saying calmly, "The next quarter will start, and the game will end!" Despite being just over 1.7 meters tall, Akashi spoke with the aura of someone much taller, as if looking down on Aizen.
Seeing this, Aizen felt excited rather than intimidated. If the opponent had acted like Kise, there would be no fun. This was the attitude he wanted! Calmly, Aizen looked at Teikō and then back at Akashi with an arrogant expression. "Think about who will come next. Otherwise, it will be like the first quarter, I promise!" He looked around at them, then locked eyes with Akashi. "Why don't you come? Let me see the strength of Captain Teikō."
After saying this, Aizen made a gesture with his index finger and thumb, clearly conveying his arrogance. He led his teammates off the court, leaving no chance for Akashi to respond. Running away after showing off felt great.
The audience did not expect Aizen to carry the entire team forward in the first quarter, impressing everyone. Under countless pairs of burning eyes, Aizen returned to the rest area. His teammates brought him towels and water as soon as he sat down. Aizen drank without saying a word, feeling more tired than expected. Even though he suppressed the opponent, it took great effort. The coach, seeing Aizen sweat so much in the first quarter, asked with concern, "Aizen, do you need to res-?"
Before he finished, Aizen interrupted, "Coach, we are just warming up." It was only the first quarter, after all.
Meanwhile, Teikō was also taking a break. Aomine Daiki spoke first, "Okay, leave the second quarter to me." No one objected. Kise looked at Aomine, then lowered his head. Akashi, thinking of Aizen's words, didn't object either.
...
The second quarter began. The whole court was buzzing again as both sides came on. It was Teikō's turn to attack, and this time it wasn't Kise controlling the ball. Aomine Daiki took over, his face full of excitement. Aomine dribbled quickly across half-court and faced Aizen.
Looking at Aizen, Aomine couldn't control his expression, a wide grin forming. "Finally, the annoying guy is gone. Soon, I'll let you experience defeat!"
"..."