Chapter 203: Shattering Their Hopes

The basketball court buzzed with energy as Fukuda Sogo went on the attack.

Tsuna dribbled the ball with lightning speed, leaving Kasamatsu struggling to keep up. However, he was determined to stop Tsuna at all costs as Kasamatsu trailed Tsuna while gritting his teeth in an attempt to match his opponent's pace.

From the sidelines, Kise widened his eyes as he sensed trouble and shouted, "Captain! Don't fall for it!"

Catching the wind of the warning, Kasamatsu widened his eyes in realization!

But it was too late.

In the blink of an eye, Tsuna shifted his weight, executing a sharp crossover to the right. Reacting on instinct, Kasamatsu committed to following Tsuna's lead.

However, in a display of finesse, Tsuna abruptly stepped back, leaving Kasamatsu off balance and teetering on the edge of a fall.

The crowd gasped in unison as Kasamatsu, unable to recover in time, found himself descending to the floor unceremoniously, landing on his backside.

"...."

The gym fell silent for a split second.

The only sounds were the echoes of the fallen captain's thud and the distant cheers of the crowd.

Tsuna wasted no time. Like a streak of lightning, he darted past the fallen Kasamatsu, leaving him scrambling to regain his footing.

"...Fuck!"

Kasamatsu's frustration boiled over as he sprinted to catch up with Tsuna, but hope flickered when Moriyama abandoned his defensive post to intercept.

Grim etched on his face as Kasamatsu barked, "Damn it, Moriyama, on your back!"

Before Moriyama could fully grasp the gravity of his mistake, Tsuna executed a lightning-quick move.

With a flick of his wrist, the ball streaked across the court, landing seamlessly in Ishida's hands. 

Kasamatsu clenched his teeth, watching intently as Ishida skillfully navigated past Hayakawa's defense.

With a deft leap sideways, he managed to evade Kobori's attempted follow-up defense. 

Just when it seemed like Fukuda Sogo had the upper hand, a familiar figure emerged from the sideline.

With impeccable timing, Kise swooped in to salvage the situation. With a swift and graceful block, he sent the ball rebounding off the backboard and back onto the court, where Hayakawa effortlessly secured it.

Kobori had already surged forward in response to Kise's arrival.

Hayakawa swiftly passed the ball to him, initiating a counter-attack against Fukuda Sogo's relentless assault.

Unfortunately, Kobori's offensive momentum came to an abrupt halt as he encountered the formidable presence of Nijimura, standing like an imposing wall in his path

All of a sudden, Nijimura surprised him with an unexpected chuckle. Kobori's frown deepened, and he couldn't help but ask, "...What's so funny, man?"

Nijimura, still amused, replied with a smile, "Ah, my bad. I was just thinking I've had enough warm-up..."

He relaxed his stance, took a deep breath, and exuded an unusual calmness that felt sharp and refined.

Before Kobori could react, Nijimura's mood shifted, and he declared with determination, "Sorry, but I can't let you guys keep scoring from here on."

His eyes focused on Kobori with a serene determination.

Ready to argue back, Kobori suddenly felt a surge of pressure from Nijimura. Gritting his teeth, he found himself slowing down as Nijimura's defensive skills came into play.

"...Darn it, is this the Knight Perception he used against Murasakibara from Yosen High?" Kobori cursed silently.

Just as Kobori geared up to forcefully push through the defense, a flicker of movement caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. His gaze gleamed with recognition as he spotted an opportunity.

Reacting swiftly, he stepped back, diverting his focus from the hoop, and delivered a precise pass toward Moriyama.

A triumphant smile played on Kobori's lips as he addressed Nijimura, "Well, I may not break through, but I'll let him do it for me!"

Nijimura burst into hearty laughter at Kobori's words, a reaction that seemed to irk the latter.

"...You find that amusing?" Kobori retorted with clear displeasure.

However, Nijimura simply shook his head, chuckling, "Unfortunately for you, there was another beast waiting there..."

Kobori's eyes widened in shock at Nijimura's cryptic remark.

Turning to follow Nijimura's gaze, he saw Moriyama positioned strategically. However, his surprise was mirrored in Moriyama's expression as Ishida, with his casual stance, seemed to have anticipated the play with remarkable precision.

"Damn, he's in that kind of state too!"

Moriyama cursed under his breath, realizing that Ishida had tapped into his beast instinct as well.

The revelation prompted a sense of urgency, knowing that Fukuda Sogo now had multiple players operating at their peak.

Meanwhile, Hayakawa found himself isolated in the defensive zone.

And Kasamatsu also reacting with frantic determination, abruptly turned around to pursue Ishida.

The rest of the Kaijo High mirrored his urgency, desperately trying to thwart Fukuda Sogo's relentless scoring spree and turn the tide of the game.

Amidst the chaos, Tsuna observed the unfolding events silently with a slight shake of his head.

Kise raced to provide backup. However, even with his speed, Kise barely made it in time.

Showcasing remarkable agility, Ishida broke through Hayakawa's defense effortlessly.

As he moved toward the basket, Ishida felt Kise's presence but he remained unfazed, recognizing another figure emerging alongside Kise.

Kasamatsu's eyes widened in surprise as he silently exclaimed, "He's fast!"

It was Ogiwara who made a sudden entrance.

Initially, Haizaki hesitated when he saw Ogiwara swiftly moving forward with agility.

It was a clear signal that Ogiwara wanted him to give him this opportunity. Despite Haizaki's initial eagerness to take on Kise, he conceded, muttering, "...Fine, just this once, Ogiwara!"

With that, Haizaki eased up on his stance, keeping a close eye on how things played out on the court.

Nearing the basket, Ishida made a leap for it.

Kise also followed suit as his determination fueled him.

"Like I'd let you!"

Ishida responded calmly, "...I know."

Instead of taking a straightforward shot, Ishida surprised everyone by moving the ball behind his back before passing it to Ogiwara.

Caught off guard by the unexpected move, Kise could only watch as Ogiwara effortlessly caught the ball and went for a layup. The ball gently bounced off the backboard before smoothly going through the basket, scoring a crucial point for Fukuda Sogo.

Kaijo's coach was taken aback by the turn of events. He stood up in disbelief and hurriedly called for a timeout.

Kasamatsu's face twisted in frustration as he glared at Tsuna's laid-back expression.

"...In the end, we're nothing more than puppets in his twisted game!"

A bitter understanding hit him hard. They were never really free from Tsuna's control, just dancing around for his own entertainment.

It made Kasamatsu feel even worse.

Meanwhile, the audience was getting excited seeing the turn of events orchestrated by Fukuda Sogo's players as their cheers filled the gymnasium.

---

Do you want to read 15 chapters ahead of the schedule? Here's where you can find them:

p@treon.com/mythoast