Chapter 23: Preparing for the zenith
After witnessing the match firsthand, the tension in our camp was undeniable. Our next opponent was confirmed—the newly formed powerhouse, Osaka International Zenith. A team no one had expected to go this far. But here they were, in the semifinals, after taking down one of the Four Monarchs: Naniwa Tech.
And they didn't just win—they dismantled them with controlled intensity.
"This is bad," I muttered to myself, eyes still on the now-empty court. Their team was built like a machine. Tall, physical, disciplined. And right at the heart of it all was Isaiah Dumont—a 190 cm point guard with arms like wings and a grip like claws. I'd never seen anyone strip the ball so cleanly. In just a few minutes, he'd racked up four steals against one of the most structured offenses in the tournament.
Passing against him would be a risk.
Dribbling? A gamble.
It was like trying to outmaneuver a bear trap.
My mind started racing. How do you break through someone like that? Echo didn't give me a quest for this match, which only confirmed what I feared: this was going to be the real trial.
A flash of memory hit me—an anime I watched in my past life: Kuroko no Basket. One character stood out—Kuroko himself. He wasn't flashy, but he passed like a ghost, playing in the shadows and manipulating timing.
One-touch passing. Rapid ball movement. Unpredictability.
Maybe... just maybe, that was our answer.
"Coach," I said, approaching Tsugawa with a straight face. "I have an idea."