บท 212: Chapter 212: Coach's Dilemma
"Whoa! We actually took down Kise this time!"
Ogiwara exclaimed with excitement as he walked alongside Haizaki towards their bench. However, Haizaki didn't share the enthusiasm, shaking his head.
"Why aren't you thrilled, buddy? I thought you'd be over the moon..."
Ogiwara tilted his head in confusion, observing Haizaki's subdued reaction.
Haizaki sighed as he explained, "...We were able to do it mainly because he was exhausted."
While it was a significant achievement to suppress Kise this time, Haizaki recognized that it was primarily due to Kise's fatigue. Silently, he watched Kise on the opposing side as they took their seats on Fukuda Sogo's bench.
However, one thing was certain...
"So what if you're better than me? You'll still lose in the end, Ryota!"
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at Kaijo High was somber. Every face either looked grim or concerned as they cast glances at Kise, who awkwardly scratched his head, feeling the weight of his teammates' stares.
"...We're subbing you out for now, Kise."
Takeuchi suddenly announced, prompting surprised expressions from everyone.
Considering Kise's condition, it was the right decision if they wanted him to regain full power in the last quarter. While they couldn't expect Kise to perform Perfect Copy as aggressively as before, a period of rest could help him recover some of his stamina.
"What? Coach, I'll do anything for the team, but not this!"
Unfortunately, Kise was reluctant to be subbed out.
Takeuchi sighed at Kise's reluctance.
As much as he wished for Kise to remain on the court, doing so might push Kise to resort to Perfect Copy to gain an edge against Fukuda Sogo.
Why? Because that was Kise's nature; that was his character!
Kasamatsu jabbed Kise in the stomach, causing Kise's resolute expression to falter in pain as he groaned before turning to Kasamatsu with an annoyed look.
"...Don't underestimate us, you idiot!"
Kasamatsu spoke with solemnity, making Kise flinch. But Kasamatsu wasn't finished; he continued, "If Coach says you're out, you're out! Don't be stubborn; just do as he says!"
"But..."
"No buts!"
Kasamatsu cut off Kise's response before it even left his lips, displaying firm decisiveness that caused Kise to grit his teeth in response.
Seeing Kise go silent, Kasamatsu hoped that Kise would comply as he was feeling relieved silently.
Though he didn't want Kise to be subbed out, it was for his well-being after all.
Pushing himself too much would be detrimental to his body, and Kise's pitiful state during the Interhigh against Too Academy was enough of a lesson for him to understand that allowing Kise to persist would only lead to injury.
However, Kise suddenly stood up tightly gripping his fist, and Kasamatsu frowned at the determination in Kise's eyes.
"...You can't sub me out! Not in this game!"
Kise vehemently declared.
Kasamatsu's frown deepened, etching lines of frustration and concern on his face. As he was about to retort, Kise shook his head with an intensity that matched the urgency in his voice.
His hand pointed accusingly at the scoreboard, where the stark numbers 71 - 70 glowed ominously.
"Our situation is already looking bad," Kise asserted, the desperation evident in his eyes. "And if you bench me, it's gonna get worse!"
"..."
Kise's words hit the team hard.
They all went quiet, heads down. It felt like Kise had just rubbed salt in their wounds. They wanted to argue back, but their rebuttals were stifled by the uncomfortable truth that Kise had laid bare.
Seeing the team silenced by his words, Kise slightly looked away, realizing he might have hurt them.
Though he felt bad spelling it out, it was true.
With Haizaki and Ogiwara working together, the short-lived advantage they had gained quickly slipped away.
Just like Kise warned, if he got subbed out, Fukuda Sogo wouldn't let this chance pass, especially against Tsuna – they'd be in trouble.
Thinking about it frustrated Kasamatsu, who stayed silent, clenching his fist.
Normally, he'd be tempted to give Kise a piece of his mind for saying something like that, but this time, he couldn't argue because it was just the reality of the situation.
And facts, well, they hurt.
Observing the unfolding scene, Takeuchi sighed and slowly began, "...Fine, I won't sub you out."
Everyone's eyes widened at their coach's unexpected decision, and they turned their attention sharply to him. Kise's expression brightened, though he wore a hint of confusion as he asked, "...Really?"
Takeuchi nodded solemnly.
"But, you have to play by my rules this time..."
He spoke, making Kise listen attentively. Despite his trembling hand from excitement at the prospect of not being subbed out, he understood that there were still conditions attached.
"They probably won't take Kise out..."
"What? Why not? Doesn't he need time to catch his breath?" Nijimura questioned Tsuna after hearing these words.
The same curiosity spread across everyone in Fukuda Sogo.
Especially for Haizaki, whose gaze intensified at the mention of Kise.
Tsuna nodded, explaining, "...Their coach should know that benching Kise would mess up the current balance of the game."
"And if he does decide to bench Kise, I'll take advantage of that weakness to cause some serious damage..." Tsuna considered, glancing at the scoreboard that displayed closely matched scores.
"Looks like I'll be breaking a sweat again."
Nijimura sighed, realizing he had to once again thwart Kise's attempts. Despite his best efforts, Kise's skill in replicating the Generation of Miracles' moves during his offensive plays proved challenging to counter.
And stopping Kise's advance was indeed a tough task!
However, Tsuna shook his head in response to Nijimura, saying, "You won't have to handle that much pressure."
"...Why's that?"
"Because Kise won't be able to use his Perfect Copy for a while..." Tsuna's eyes gleamed with a cunning light.
Kise was tired, and to last until the final quarter, he needed to save the use of his Perfect Copy for the right moment.
"He's been using it for 5 minutes now..."
Tsuna silently thought while shaking his head. Kise could only sustain his Perfect Copy in the original canon for precisely five minutes. But at present, that five-minute mark was not his limit.
"...So, are we sticking with our current strategy?"
Nijimura inquired, prompting Tsuna to chuckle, leaving everyone perplexed.
"Well, technically, you're correct..." Tsuna replied with a smile.
He then cast a glance at Kaijo High's players, and his smile gradually transformed into a smirk, causing everyone in Fukuda Sogo to flinch.
"But we're going to up the ante once again. No need to hold anything back this time, let loose!"
Tsuna's eyes gleamed with determination.
It was about time for him to execute his finishing move!
---
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