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Ryu chuckled.
That shot was a technique he had inherited—[Tightrope Walking (S-Rank)].
Within the restricted area, with exquisite force and a slight spin, the ball is thrown onto the top edge of the backboard.
The basketball rolls with the spin until it falls into the hoop.
This was almost an undefendable shot.
Unless someone had an extraordinary jumping ability like Taiga Kagami, they could never stop it.
Back to the game.
With Ryu's [Tightrope Walking], Teiko was virtually unstoppable.
Except for the first basket Midorima made at the start, all other points were scored by Ryu.
His specialized shooting gave Meisei no chance to resort to their usual dirty tricks.
The score gap widened rapidly, from 5-0 to 21-5.
By the end of the first quarter, Teiko held a dominant 27-point lead.
The Meisei players walked off the court with grim faces, while Hanamiya Makoto remained silent, his eyes flashing with undisguised malice.
This was the person who was ruining his plans.
'Damn talent. Geniuses should be destroyed,' Hanamiya thought, his expression gradually turning crazed.
At Teiko's dugout, Momoi Satsuki offered water and towels to everyone.
However, she had prepared something extra today.
She took out a plastic box and said, "Everyone, I made this. Eating it will replenish your energy!"
The team looked inside and saw what appeared to be some kind of yellow liquid.
Murasakibara Atsushi, being the most sensitive to food, asked eagerly, "Hey, Sa-chin, what is this? Is it something delicious?"
Momoi smiled smugly. "It's my honey-marinated lemons. Want some?"
Murasakibara nodded, ready to try.
What he didn't see was Aomine Daiki already hiding in the distance, trembling.
Ryu remained unmoved, watching the situation with a sidelong glance.
He had the "privilege" of tasting Momoi's cooking once before, an experience that left a permanent scar on his soul.
He would never forget that flavor—a chaotic mix of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, fishy, and pungent.
Akashi, Midorima, and Murasakibara, unaware of the danger, approached the box.
The moment Momoi opened the lid, the three of them froze.
Honey was honey, and lemon was lemon... but something felt terribly wrong.
Murasakibara's outstretched hand stopped in mid-air. Midorima adjusted his glasses and immediately picked up a bottle of water instead. "Sorry, I don't need any right now."
Akashi smiled gently. "Let's leave it for those who need it most!" He followed Midorima's example, reaching for his water bottle.
Seeing his companions retreat, Murasakibara also politely declined.
Disappointed that no one was eating, Momoi turned her sights on Ryu.
He suddenly shuddered.
"Ryu, you used a lot of energy! Come and try my honey lemons."
Ryu's lips and eyelids twitched. "Oh, Satsuki, thank you, but I'm not really hungry right now."
A hint of sadness flashed in Momoi's eyes.
Ryu, whith his Eye of Hyotei, couldn't miss her disappointment.
He sighed; he couldn't bear to see her like that.
Gritting his teeth with a determined glint, he grabbed the box.
"Actually, I did use a lot of energy. I'll have some."
He picked up a whole lemon—it was perfectly intact, appearing completely unprocessed.
He suppressed his fear and took a bite. Instantly, his eyes bulged and his brows furrowed. He forced himself to swallow, feeling a churning sensation travel from his throat to his stomach.
"Satsuki... what exactly did you add to this?"
Momoi was delighted he had eaten it. She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I added honey, and then, worried it wasn't sweet enough, I added some sugar."
Ryu realized the truth: she had mistaken salt for sugar. Without a word, he grabbed his water and started gulping it down.
Aomine, watching from afar, felt a surge of respect for Ryu's bravery that flowed like a never-ending river.
Toot!
The whistle blew for the second quarter.
To Ryu, it was heavenly music—an excuse to put down the lemons.
Facing Meisei again, he noticed a shift in their behavior.
Hanamiya Makoto was looking at him with a smile full of malicious intent. Ryu became wary; it seemed Hanamiya had finally targeted him.
As soon as the play began, Hanamiya stood directly in front of him.
A defensive switch.
"You're pretty good, aren't you? Pulling ahead by more than 20 points... that's unforgivable," Hanamiya said with a predatory smile, his tongue lolling out. "I can't wait to destroy you."
Thud…
Hanamiya received a pass.
Ryu watched closely.
Hanamiya prepared to turn, tucking the ball under his abdomen, but his elbow swung—seemingly unintentionally—straight toward Ryu's face.
"Watch out!" Aomine and Momoi cried out from the sidelines.
A cold glint flashed in Ryu's eyes as he dodged the elbow with a sharp sideways movement.
Seeing his plan fail, Hanamiya wasn't angry. Instead, he accelerated past Ryu toward the basket.
He hesitated near Murasakibara, opted for a jump shot from the perimeter, and sank it.
32-7.
As Hanamiya turned back, he gave Ryu a smug smile.
Ryu's eyes were icy. Aomine and the others rushed over. "Ryu, are you alright?"
Ryu shook his head. "I'm fine." He took a deep breath and looked at his teammates. "Pass the ball to me."
He didn't need to say more; they could tell he was angry.
The game restarted, and Akashi passed the ball directly to him.
Ryu dribbled into Meisei's half, where Hanamiya was waiting.
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