Yuuto used Man and Ball as One to shake Nick again.
A no-deceleration crossover—Nick had no answer. He stumbled backward again and again until he completely lost his balance and fell on his rear.
Yuuto pulled up and fired.
This time, he didn't waste the opportunity. The ball swished cleanly through.
His adjustment ability was something even ESPN had marveled at.
ESPN reporters had dubbed him "Mr. Big Heart"—no matter what adversity he faced, he could calmly analyze the situation and find his opponent's weakness to exploit.
But those who knew Yuuto understood it was his Weakness Correction talent, an innate ability.
On the other end, Jason Silver demanded the ball. He wanted more.
"That was a fluke! No way I get blocked!"
Yu, Uy—whatever you're called, no one does that to me. That was humiliating.
Jason Silver roared.
Then Yuuto blocked him again.
"He's incredible. Just one possession and he's already fully synced with Murasakibara."
"Tell me about it. Playing with Yuuto, you don't have to worry about chemistry. He adjusts to you."
Not mutual adjustment—Yuuto actively accommodating others.
Murasakibara just had to focus on his own job. Yuuto would handle the rest.
Partnering with this kind of player was pure bliss.
"Oh, it got easier."
Yuuto noticed this block was smoother because Murasakibara knew he had backup.
The previous successful stop had given Murasakibara confidence, letting him commit without reservation.
And Murasakibara's strength was unlocking.
Yes—unlocking, not releasing.
Yuuto had faced plenty of powerful interior players in America who were similar to Murasakibara, yet they all seemed to use more force.
That's when Yuuto realized that even against him, Murasakibara had been holding back, never fully unleashing his power.
This gentle giant was always worried about hurting people—including teammates.
Now, that seal was beginning to crack.
Jason Silver felt the pressure—from Murasakibara's strength.
But it still wasn't enough. Mid-air, he executed an impossible pull-up layup, dodging Murasakibara's block and converting the dunk to a floater.
Yuuto's hand came crashing down at that exact moment, swatting the ball away again.
This drew commentary from the announcers.
"Incredible! Yuuto defuses another crisis with a block!"
"Since Yuuto entered the game, Jason Silver's scoring rhythm has been completely disrupted! Two possessions, two stops!"
The fans were ecstatic, though Team Yu still conceded points.
Despite Yuuto swatting the ball loose, Silver's teammates recovered it. Small forward Allen grabbed the ball and went one-on-one against Midorima, hitting a turnaround jumper.
"So close!"
Hyūga shouted in frustration, but Kagetora wasn't concerned.
Because that kind of basket didn't hurt.
It wasn't part of Jabberwock's game plan—their plan was Jason Silver being unstoppable.
This second-chance bucket after a broken play was coincidental, not replicable.
No team could win relying on unplanned scores.
On their end, since Yuuto entered, the offense had been relentless.
Nick alone couldn't guard him—Jason Silver had to help.
That inevitably left someone open.
Don't forget, Yuuto had also been a ball-dominant star.
SNAP!
Yuuto whipped a pass to the post—perfect angle, perfect force, even helping Murasakibara load up.
Murasakibara's reactions were lightning-quick. Seeing Yuuto's pass, he immediately dropped his center of gravity to receive it. By the time he caught the ball, his hips were already cocked back, sealing off Jabberwock's power forward Zack.
BOOM!
Murasakibara exploded upward, pivoting as he rose, and hammered the ball through with both hands.
"A little faster. With your reactions, you can do better."
"Got it."
Murasakibara listened attentively, even bumping fists with Yuuto in celebration.
Araki Masako was in the arena today. Watching this, she could only smile wryly.
They'd coached Murasakibara for two years, and this oversized child still did whatever he wanted. Yet one sentence from Yuuto and he followed instructions.
But that was just Murasakibara.
Getting him to listen was simple—be stronger than him.
Yōsen just didn't have that kind of figure.
"If Yu-kun had also played at Teikō back then, Mukkun might have become even more amazing."
"Not 'might'—definitely. Everyone spoiled Mukkun too much." Momoi clasped her hands behind her back, smiling. "Yu-chan has that serious drive. He wouldn't let Mukkun slack off."
Momoi had considered this before.
If the one leading Teikō had been Yuuto, or if Akashi had recovered his true personality sooner, that incident in their second year would never have happened.
TWEET—
The first quarter ended.
The score was 27-23, Yuuto's team leading by four.
Jabberwock had no coach, but Nash served as one.
Seeing Jason Silver get shut down repeatedly by Yuuto, he couldn't stay idle—his involvement was why the gap was only four points.
"FUCK!"
Meanwhile, Jason Silver returned to the bench and kicked a chair flying.
His teammates stared in disbelief, practically channeling that classic meme pose—hands spread, exasperated—"We still have to play here!"
Because Jason Silver had kicked a teammate's chair.
And Silver himself?
His gaze swept across to the opposing bench. Dangerous.
After venting, he plopped down in his own chair and barked at his teammate, "What are you standing there for? Sit down!"
"Only down four—surprising. They're more capable than I thought. Turns out Japan has players at this level."
"But even if they're good, they're still monkeys." Nick's expression was sour. Yuuto had worked him over pretty badly in the first quarter. "What matters is Yu. Why is he even here?"
"Exactly. It's all about Yu. That guy's on another level."
Nash heard them but said little, his eyes gradually growing colder.
"I didn't expect Yu to show up. But that doesn't change the fact that his teammates are a bunch of monkeys. I'll clear the path for you."
They were all five-star recruits. Who was beneath whom?
Nash wasn't afraid of Yuuto, though he certainly wouldn't underestimate him either.
On the other side—
Kagetora praised the team's first-quarter performance.
"We had a solid first quarter, but this is a forty-minute game. It's too early to relax."
"Second quarter—Kagami, Kuroko, Haizaki, you three check in. Akashi, Midorima, Aomine, rest up. Yuuto, you're running point."
Kagetora made his substitutions.
Maintaining the lead would be ideal, but he noticed that aside from Yuuto, everyone was severely drained.
As for Murasakibara—honestly, he didn't really want to sub in Walker. Walker was American.
And Yuuto?
Say what you will, but Yuuto came from Japan. That was a fundamental difference from Walker.
...
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