Chapter 248

Long Tian Zhang was so enraged by Miki's on-court conduct that he puffed out heavy breaths.

And Daikou Longzhi, who usually paid great attention to his public image, unexpectedly said: "Hmm… that number 7, dead-eyed guy—is he a small forward?"

"He's about my height too?"

"Hmm…"

"He's pretty good with his elbows."

"Before facing Miki First, I'd better go retrain Muay Thai with my old man."

Quanzhen Gym's team: "…"

The third-year senior Bodao Wakami stared at Daikou Longzhi in surprise: "You… you have this skill too? May I ask, your father is…?"

Daikou Longzhi cracked his knuckles loudly: "He's a Muay Thai coach—used to fight pro bouts, y'know~"

The next day.

During their preparation for the match against Miki First, Quanzhen Gym was filled with groans and wails.

But surprisingly,

most of it didn't come from their hired coach, Daikou Longzhi.

Instead, nearly seventy percent came from Yukimiya Kazuma.

As a result, by the end of training that day, every team member looked at Yukimiya Kazuma with strange expressions.

Especially Daikou Longzhi…

Who the hell knew why!

Losing in speed was one thing, but Yukimiya Kazuma was also this strong in hand-to-hand combat!

Unlike his Muay Thai, which had obvious movements on court, Yukimiya Kazuma's strange technique called "Receive, Neutralize, Launch" showed almost no visible motion—just a subtle, hidden strike that made the pain crawl up your scalp!

In terms of stealth and adaptability on the court, Yukimiya Kazuma was far too experienced!

As for this move…

Could Hanaomi Makoto even match him?

Tsuchiya Dahe remembered clearly: when they prepared for Hakusui Gym in the National Middle School Tournament's second round, they studied their first-round match against Higashihata Middle School.

He distinctly recalled a minor incident in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Higashihata's small forward, enraged, kicked low.

But he ended up hurting himself instead.

Now it seemed…

It wasn't an accident at all—(caaj) it was Yukimiya Kazuma's expert counter, directly crippling the guy's leg.

The crisp "crack" sound still gave Tsuchiya Dahe goosebumps when he recalled it.

…

Daikou Longzhi simulated Miki's violent moves; Yukimiya Kazuma simulated hidden dirty tactics. Under their dual guidance, Quanzhen Gym suddenly reached game day against Miki First.

Group D semifinal.

Quanzhen Gym vs. Miki First.

【Badge Task: Defeat Miki First by more than double the score and lead your team safely through the match】

【Reward: Obtain Related Badges of Hanaomi Makoto】

"Finally… here it comes…"

Of course…

After entering high school, matches against others no longer triggered tasks.

You'd likely need at least a Five-Star-level opponent to get a task.

"Related Badges of Hanaomi Makoto."

Yukimiya Kazuma, who had long understood the system's nature, didn't believe a single word of it.

This "related" was surely only barely related.

For example…

"Related Badges of Seihou" rewarded "Receive, Neutralize, Launch," which at least had something to do with martial arts; "Related Badges of Aoba's Wild Ability" rewarded "Monster Immersion: Bird," which at least had something to do with animals—something this absurdly vague.

But the rewards themselves weren't bad.

Both teams emerged from the player tunnel.

Gatsuyama Masahiko glanced at Hanaomi Makoto on the other court and murmured: "I think this is going to turn into a massive brawl—wonder if Yukimiya's team has trained enough to handle it."

"If things go badly…"

Kuriki Noboru looked up at Miki First with serious eyes: "I'll ask the coach to let me play—I'm a senior, after all."

Hearing the word "senior," Quanzhen Gym's second- and third-year players all nodded.

That's right.

They were seniors.

At a time like this, they should protect the juniors.

On the other side.

Long Tian Zhang frowned tightly; his warm-up shots kept clanging off the rim.

He Xiuyang watched silently.

He thought…

So this guy's got a massive sense of justice?

"…Tch!"

Long Tian Zhang's next shot bounced off the rim again, and He Xiuyang couldn't help saying: "Long Tian, in today's game, try to shoot only after receiving a pass from Yukimiya."

"I was afraid you'd slam the hoop so hard you'd bend it and mess up my shooting."

Just as Long Tian Zhang was about to retort, the ball he had just missed while warming up bounced over to the opposite half-court. Hanamiya Makoto, holding the ball in one hand with a warm smile, walked over.

"Ah..."

"This is your ball, right?"

Long Tian Zhang stared at the mask on Hanamiya Makoto's face, his eyes wide. He snatched the ball with a sharp "Slap!" and scrubbed it fiercely with the hem of his jersey.

"Hey!"

"Naga!"

"Quick, check it for me—did anything dirty stick to the ball?!"