Chapter 102: As If Seeing a Bird with Snow-White Wings!

"What an incredible head-fake move, and the passing technique was equally strong. I barely noticed it, got shaken, and the ball vanished."

"I heard Yukimiya Kazuma's skills were just average before, only suddenly fulfilling his potential in his third year of middle school. Indeed, sports are about heaven rewarding diligence; as long as you keep working hard, no one knows what the future holds."

"So, passion is the primary driving force. I heard Yukimiya Kazuma spars daily with imaginary players through meditation, and his main target seems to be the Generation of Miracles."

"Meditation and such... that's too exaggerated, isn't it?"

"There's a photo in Pass Weekly; Yukimiya Kazuma really practices against thin air~"

"..."

"Perhaps that is talent."

After a timeout, Long Tian Zhang calmed down considerably.

Higashi-Tsukudo's offense showed slight improvement, but Bai Shui still firmly controlled the game's rhythm.

Long Tian Zhang finally scored the game's first basket using a pick-and-roll, yet this couldn't change the game's flow. In this Tokyo Zone No. 2 showdown sparked by Pass Basketball, Yukimiya Kazuma held an overwhelming advantage.

Bai Shui's overall offense was already superior thanks to Yukimiya, and with Yukimiya locking down Higashi-Tsukudo's ace, Long Tian Zhang, on defense, Bai Shui led 53 to 21 at halftime, a 32-point gap that clearly showed the difference between the two teams.

In the matchup between Yukimiya Kazuma and Long Tian Zhang, Yukimiya Kazuma held a comprehensive statistical advantage.

Ten shots taken, seven made, scoring 14 points with 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks—a complete stat line.

In contrast, Long Tian Zhang only managed 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, while committing 4 turnovers.

It was obvious that Long Tian Zhang and Yukimiya Kazuma were not players of the same caliber; many spectators outside Higashi-Tsukudo on the stands bluntly gave their verdict.

During halftime, the atmosphere inside Bai Shui's locker room was very relaxed.

Because Yukimiya had thoroughly taught Long Tian Zhang a lesson in their Head-to-Head Showdown, Niimatsu smiled and praised him; it was the first time Yukimiya Kazuma had seen that kind of friendly smile.

Yukimiya Kazuma accepted the coach's and teammates' praise, but he had no strong thoughts on these matters of reputation; all he wanted was the system reward.

【Attribute Quest: Defeat Higashi-Tsukudo Middle School, win the match, limit the opposing ace Long Tian Zhang to under 10 points, and achieve 40+10 stats.】

【Completion Reward: 6 Self-Allocated Attributes】

Although Long Tian Zhang's scoring was suppressed to 4 points, Yukimiya himself only scored 14 points, still 26 short of the quest's 40 points; as for the '10' in 40+10, that had already been completed ahead of schedule.

With the match all but secured, Niimatsu appeared very relaxed while Deploying Tactics; he solicited the players' opinions. To Niimatsu's surprise, Yukimiya Kazuma expressed his desire to attack a bit more.

This was naturally no big problem; the coach and teammates only thought Yukimiya Kazuma wanted to show off a bit more in this showdown featured on the weekly magazine.

Niimatsu generously stated that as long as the rhythm was maintained, Yukimiya Kazuma would have unlimited shooting rights.

This actually surprised Yukimiya Kazuma; after all, in his impression, the old man Niimatsu was quite old-fashioned. Even during the match against Teiko, when the opponent mentioned 'autonomous decision-making,' Yukimiya believed that certainly did not include unlimited shooting.

"Of course."

"However, given your current finishing ability, it is limited to just this one game."

Niimatsu nodded in agreement, and naturally, no one else had any objections.

Bai Shui's players received plenty of assists from Yukimiya Kazuma on a regular basis, so now, for both emotional and rational reasons, they would not refuse.

The second half began quickly.

Long Tian Zhang clearly received some guidance during halftime, playing with much more structure than before.

Long Tian Zhang actively coordinated with the two players in the paint, no longer obsessing over a 1v1 battle with Yukimiya Kazuma.

This change fell within Yukimiya Kazuma's acceptance range; as long as Long Tian Zhang didn't score, assists and such wouldn't affect his quest.

Although he had the authority for unlimited shooting, Yukimiya Kazuma did not immediately implement his scoring plan; he continued creating opportunities for teammates, and all four teammates on the court were beneficiaries.

He was essentially paying his debts in advance; first, he'd feed everyone until they were full, and once he activated 'Monster Immersion' to enter the unlimited shooting state, he hoped everyone would be understanding.

Bai Shui maintained a massive lead throughout; seeing that Yukimiya Kazuma still maintained his original pace after receiving unlimited shooting rights, Niimatsu was deeply moved.

He naturally didn't know this was merely Yukimiya Kazuma paying back his debts in advance.

Quickly.