Chapter 52: Relax

In the warm atmosphere, Jianguang's opponents, the players of Shujin Middle School, entered the field. As soon as they stepped out, they were shocked by the overwhelming scene. These kids had never seen such a large audience. In their previous games, it was impressive to have even half the stands filled. Before the game with Jianguang, they knew many people would be watching, but they didn't expect it to be this outrageous. This was the strength of a star team!

Before the game started, the pressure was already mounting on Shujin Middle School. Both sides conducted warm-up training in their respective halves. For Shujin, this game was crucial after losing the last one. But learning that their opponent was Jianguang dampened their spirits. They were well aware of Jianguang's strength, especially Aizen's exaggerated prowess, having watched his previous games live.

The captain and point guard No. 7 of Shujin, though warming up, was visibly distracted, frequently glancing at Aizen. His nerves were not getting the better of him, and seeing Aizen warm up only made him more uneasy. Shaking his head to calm himself, he reminded himself of their hard work and the need to stay focused. "No, we have worked too hard to end here."

The game began with the audience, reporters, and cheering teams all watching intently. Shota won the jump ball with his excellent height and passed it to Aizen. The Shujin players quickly retreated, with point guard No. 7 waiting for Aizen at the top of the arc, his face serious. Aizen, relaxed, pushed the ball forward and approached him.

Seeing No. 7's serious face, Aizen couldn't help but laugh. "Relax a little. I'll go easy today." Aizen planned to use the game to hone his frequency-matching ability, avoiding his usual one-on-one aggressive style. His sincere tone was not meant to belittle his opponent. But to No. 7, it felt like Aizen had seen through his nervousness, making him feel ashamed and angry. "Come on! We both lost a game; neither of us is better. Everyone says you're strong; I want to see what you can do!"

Aizen smiled, "Child, since you want to see it, I'll show you. Just don't cry." Aizen started his move. With a simple technical maneuver, he saw three weaknesses in his opponent's defense. Targeting any of them would break him. Aizen broke through effortlessly, causing No. 7 to lose balance and fall.

Aizen rushed into the restricted area, raised the ball with one hand, and dunked over the opponent's center! "Bang!!" The sound of the dunk echoed through the stadium, igniting the crowd's emotions. "Ahhh!!"

The No. 7 point guard got up and encouraged his center, "Hurry up and serve.This year is our most promising year!" Aizen, hearing their conversation, shook his head and retreated to half-court. He analyzed that the opponent was another school chasing dreams, hoping to break into the national competition. But reality was ruthless, and luck was not on their side.

The game progressed to the fourth quarter. Aizen had only performed a dunk at the beginning. Throughout the game, he mostly passed to his teammates, gradually bringing them into sync. This led to a massacre on the court. The four teammates, as if controlled by Aizen, executed various tactics smoothly. On offense, they performed pick-and-rolls, no-look passes, and coordinated plays. On defense, they assisted each other, double-teamed, and predicted steals. It was the ultimate cooperation, the ultimate art, providing the audience with a magical game experience.

In the first three quarters, Aizen didn't focus on personal offense, making the audience think he was still affected by past defeats. But in the fourth quarter, he unleashed his full potential. Many spectators who came because of the game's reputation felt it was worth it. Aizen was not afraid of exposing his abilities, believing only Teikō Junior High could pose a real challenge. But would they bother to study his play? Probably not. They were too arrogant.

"Beep!!" The game ended with a score of 210:35. In the last quarter, Jianguang played an exaggerated 55:0 run, the highest score difference since the start of the game. Aizen's personal stats were incredible: 32 points, 38 assists, 17 rebounds, 18 steals, and 20 blocks—a quintuple-double! One could imagine a scene of massacre just by looking at the total score and Aizen's stats.

Initially, some reporters thought Aizen hadn't recovered from past defeats. But now, they realized he had channeled all his anger towards Shujin Middle School. Despite their pity for Shujin, they admired Aizen's evolution. Jianguang's performance today was entirely because of him. Seasoned basketball reporters recognized his influence.

On the court, both sides shook hands to express their thanks. "Thank you for your advice!" Aizen let go of No. 7's hand and noticed his numb, despairing face, devoid of the passion from the start of the game. Aizen felt a bit guilty, knowing he had caused this state. He didn't intend to leave a psychological scar on the opponent.

Aizen tried to comfort him, "Um... you know..." But before he could finish, No. 7 interrupted, "Is this the gentle play you mentioned?" His words pulled Aizen back to reality. No. 7's face was full of tears. Aizen felt as if he had destroyed a basketball dream. Would the young man in front of him ever play basketball again? He couldn't help but think of Shota, who might have felt the same way after being beaten by Murasakibara.