บท 255: Chapter 255: Shattering Their Rhythm
As Seirin finally recognized their mistake, they leaped forward in their state of mind, now composed and focused.
However, as Izuki dribbled the ball, a sense of crisis washed over him. The one marking him had switched to Haizaki, who aggressively closed in.
"Hehe, show me what you got..."
Haizaki spoke hauntingly, a smirk plastered across his face. However, he suddenly furrowed his eyebrows, noticing Izuki didn't even flinch in response.
This soured Haizaki's expression as he clicked his tongue, "Sigh, you're boring..."
Yet, Izuki maintained his focus, a sudden shift in his eyes signaling a change. Swiftly veering to the right, he skillfully tore through Haizaki's defense.
His eyes glinted with excitement as he successfully broke through.
Unbeknownst to him, Haizaki's smirk widened, and he murmured, "Hmm, how about I take what's yours?"
Without turning his body, Haizaki took a sharp step back, swinging his arm to the rear. In a synchronized clash, his arm intercepted the ball in Izuki's hand at the exact moment it was vulnerable.
Izuki's expression morphed into wide surprise as he turned, only to find his own shadow seemingly materialized in Haizaki's figure.
"...What?"
He muttered in disbelief. That was his move!
Eagle Spear!
Executing the exact same move with his Eagle Eyes, Izuki couldn't help but ponder, "Did he actually possess a pair of Eagle eyes as well?"
Shaking his head, Izuki dismissed the idea; it was entirely impossible since there was no discernible wave in Haizaki's eyes.
"Then how did he even do that?"
Feeling utterly perplexed, Izuki grappled with the seeming impossibility.
"Wait, no..."
His eyes widened in realization as he recalled Haizaki's slightly more relaxed form during the execution of the move.
He exclaimed, "He compensated for the lack of vision with his instinct!"
Haizaki utilized his sharp, beastly instinct to steal Izuki's movement, a feat that should have been almost impossible without possessing the same pair of eyes.
However, the damage had been done as the ball slipped out of his hand.
Quick to react, Ogiwara came to the rescue, snatching it before propelling it forward as Haizaki executed a swift dash before grabbing the ball and bursting forward.
Swallowing his shock, Izuki forcefully reacted, pursuing Haizaki.
"Huh? Since when?"
He decelerated in his chase as Kagami's figure appeared ahead of him, prompting him to turn and observe Tsuna, who remained stationary, not joining the offensive.
Clicking his tongue in frustration at Kagami's successful interruption of his offense, Haizaki cautiously dribbled the ball. Scanning the court, he furrowed his eyebrows, realizing he was isolated against Kagami.
He muttered, "...So, this is what the Captain had in mind, huh?"
"Then, I'm up for it!"
He declared, a wide smirk gracing his face, catching Kagami off guard. Kagami widened his eyes in shock at Haizaki's unexpected move.
"Damn! Is that the Barrier Jump?"
"Haizaki can do a Barrier Jump too?"
Exclamations of shock erupted from the Seirin players on the bench as they witnessed Haizaki executing the Barrier Jump.
Meanwhile, beads of sweat rolled down Hyuga's face as he explained, "No, he's not a Barrier Jumper. He stole my move!"
Haizaki seamlessly stepped back in almost the exact same motion like Hyuga's, catching Kagami off guard and making him late to react.
Capitalizing on this moment, Haizaki smoothly transitioned into his shooting motion, releasing the ball from his hand. It sailed through the air, finding its way through the net with a satisfying swish.
"Damn, I got distracted!"
Kagami cursed, his gaze fixed on Haizaki's retreating figure. He clenched his fist, vowing never to allow the same lapse to occur again.
The audience remained lively, enthralled by Fukuda Sogo's continued dominance in the game.
"..."
However, amid the spectators, the members of Too Academy found themselves engulfed in silence, watching the unfolding match.
"...This makes us look bad," Imayoshi joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Having previously suffered a defeat against Seirin, it was now Seirin's turn to face a crushing defeat under the might of Fukuda Sogo.
This turn of events made them appear considerably weaker than Seirin, though Imayoshi fully comprehended that the situation was far from simple.
Seirin was undeniably formidable; they had faced them head-on and acknowledged their strength.
However, Fukuda Sogo proved to be an even greater force.
"..."
Noticing the lack of response, Imayoshi couldn't help but scratch his head in slight bewilderment. He sighed, squinting his eyes, and refocused on the game.
As the game roared back on, Izuki couldn't help but fall into silence as he stole a glance at the scoreboard.
However, he shook his head immediately as he tried to not get it to his head. Unfortunately he couldn't do so since it made his body feel heavy.
The second quarter was about to end, yet they had only made one shot, which was made by Hyuga because of his luck. He aimed to shoot the ball recklessly just to get a rebound and made Kiyoshi clash against Nijimura.
"...Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath, which was totally rare for him to do since he had rarely cursed.
Haizaki had started stealing their moves and broke apart their rhythm since they had nothing left, but the basic movements as their rhythm had been thrown off balance.
The only one left unscathed was Kagami since Haizaki was unable to copy Kagami's jumping power since it was Kagami's uniqueness that brought him to the level of the Generation of Miracles.
Yet, an uneasy air lingered.
"Why would he pick that guy out of all possible opponents?"
Izuki pondered aloud, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he watched the unfolding spectacle.
Kagami found himself tightly marked by Tsuna.
It wasn't Kagami's fault to be marked by Tsuna, and Izuki acknowledged that.
However, their situation was dire, and they needed someone to at least make a dent in Fukuda Sogo's defense!
"This guy appears so composed, but his every motion is saturated with raw power," Kagami grunted through gritted teeth, frustration etched on his face.
The weight of Tsuna's defense pressed against him, an invisible force that threatened to shatter his composure.
Kagami found himself completely suppressed!
However, he knew that if he were to meet his end, he'd rather perish trying! So, he subtly adjusted his position, signaling his readiness for a pass.
Tsuna allowed it to happen with a casual gaze, unruffled.
Izuki felt the pressure mounting, gritting his teeth, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Alright, I'll leave it in your hands, Kagami!"
Swiftly sidestepping Haizaki, he swung his arm, sending the ball through the air until it landed securely in Kagami's hands.
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