Chapter 211: Kaijo's Wake-Up Call

"Kaijo's in a tight spot..."

Aomine mumbled, catching Momoi's glance before she refocused on the ongoing match.

Observing Tsuna secure the ball effortlessly and charge toward the basket, she muttered, "...Yeah, things aren't looking good for Kaijo."

Her eyes gleamed with calculation as she watched Tsuna on the court.

"He's holding up well even in the second half..."

To think that Tsuna still had that much stamina left, even in the third quarter.

She couldn't help but sigh at how ridiculous it was. Momoi then remarked, "Just as expected from Tsuna, I guess..."

Aomine glanced at Kise, heavily panting, and sighed.

"...He's running out of steam," he observed, shaking his head lightly.

Aomine almost felt bad for Kise, unable to bring the main boss to the ring while pushing himself to the limit.

When he faced Fukuda Sogo, he went up against the main boss right away. Despite losing, it was an honorable defeat. However, Kise was not in good shape without the main boss personally taking him out, which was unfortunate.

Looking at Kise's expression, Aomine could sense the frustration bubbling within him, a sentiment he understood.

"If I were in his shoes, I'd be feeling the same..."

Back on the court, Kaijo's Coach furrowed his eyebrows, observing the ongoing game.

"...We had the momentum earlier, but it got shut down pretty quickly."

Takeuchi grumbled in annoyance, glancing at Tsuna's figure and Nijimura, who was the main culprit behind all this.

"Especially that young captain...." He shifted his attention toward Tsuna, who was mirroring Kasamatsu's movements as he held the ball.

"...No, I should call him a young demon, huh? He's definitely not playing at a high school level."

The advantageous situation Kise had created moments ago had now dissipated.

"Damn it! I've lost count of how many times I've said this, but this guy is way beyond our league!"

Kasamatsu cursed under his breath, feeling the intense pressure and focus Tsuna emanated as he effortlessly mirrored his every move with ease.

Besides that elusive dribble and pass Tsuna had demonstrated, his gameplay mostly consisted of fundamental movements.

Surprisingly, even with such basic actions, he managed to confound his opponents, rendering them incapable of making a significant impact on the game.

"...Even if he was on the level of the Generation of Miracles, he shouldn't be this consistent!"

Kasamatsu was having a hard time wrapping his head around how Tsuna managed to keep up such steady movement and quick reactions throughout the game.

Even Kise would slip up from time to time, giving opponents a chance to capitalize on mistakes.

While he had managed to score earlier, Kasamatsu recognized that it was often because Kise acted as a catalyst!

"...But this guy, no, this demon! How does he maintain that unwavering precision and reaction speed, always seeming impenetrable?"

Kasamatsu clenched his teeth in frustration, taking a step back.

In response, Tsuna adapted seamlessly, adjusting his footwork to shadow Kasamatsu's movements.

Takeuchi observed with a deepening frown, witnessing the intense showdown between the two team captains.

"...Even Kasamatsu couldn't figure out a way around him, huh?" he mumbled, noting Kasamatsu's apparent struggle.

The only option left for Kasamatsu was to pass the ball he held in his hands to Kise.

However, as Takeuchi shifted his attention toward Kise, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he cursed, "Shit! I made a grave mistake!"

With a sense of urgency, Takeuchi immediately requested a timeout while shooting a glance at Kise. He was now dribbling the ball at a deliberately slow pace.

Kise eyes gleamed in a fierce yellow light as he copied Aomine's movements and continued his dribble as Ogiwara and Haizaki swiftly approached, determined to shadow his every move.

"...Hmm?"

Haizaki furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he moved in closer.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed something unusual. Kise's breath had become heavier, and his jersey was drenched in sweat as if he had just emerged from a sauna.

And it wasn't just that...

"...He's getting slower!"

A sly grin crept onto Haizaki's face as he saw an opportunity.

Sharply closing in, Haizaki reached out to grab the ball from Kise, who was showing signs of fatigue.

Realizing the danger, Kise quickly stepped back to avoid Haizaki's attempt to steal the ball. 

Just when Kise thought he had dodged the threat, Ogiwara swooped in from behind, snagging the ball with a quick move.

"Dammit! I was careless!" Kise muttered, clearly frustrated by the unexpected turn of events.

Without wasting time, Haizaki snatched the ball back and sprinted ahead.

Despite Kise's seemingly slower pace, he proved to be no easy opponent. In a split second, he reacted with agility and chased after Haizaki, who had attempted to create some distance.

Feeling the pressure of Kise's impending presence, Haizaki clenched his teeth in response to the looming threat from behind.

"...I get it."

In a moment of acknowledgment, Haizaki begrudgingly recognized Kise's prowess.

Even though Kise seemed to be operating at a slower pace, he was not someone he could take on alone. Haizaki's voice was laced with frustration as he muttered, "He's definitely better than me..."

However, amid the frustration, Haizaki's eyes sparked with determination as he proclaimed, "But I'm not alone in this!"

In a surprising turn, Haizaki nonchalantly passed the ball from his back, catching Kise off guard.

Kise widened his eyes in astonishment as Ogiwara's figure emerged from behind Haizaki.

"Shit!"

The realization hit Kise just as Haizaki made a sharp move past him.

Simultaneously, Ogiwara tossed the ball into the air, perfectly timed for Haizaki to deliver a thunderous finish at the basket.

"Whoa!"

"I had no idea Fukuda Sogo had players like that!"

"Holy crap! Their synchronization was almost perfect! It's like they share the same brain with two bodies!"

The crowd erupted into loud cheers after witnessing such seamless coordination between the two players!

However, the game came to a sudden halt as the referee blew his whistle, signaling the timeout requested by Kaijo High.

Caught under Takeuchi's intense glare, Kise scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "Looks like I got busted..."

The rest of Kaijo High noticed their coach's piercing gaze on Kise, widening their eyes in realization as they glanced at Kise's fatigued expression.

"...Getting carried away after gaining momentum, we overlooked such an essential factor!"

Kasamatsu tightly gripped his fist in frustration.

He felt the blame squarely on his shoulders for allowing such a lapse, as it was his responsibility to oversee the team, and he had failed by letting Kise end up in this condition.

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