128 Chapter 128 : Last Effort!

Furihata hates giving up.

Even though Alex had given the green light to do so, he was still stubborn, wanted to try until the end. However, he had two big shortcomings right now. First, it was his body who is about to reach its limit.

'Damn, I really underestimated this zone state and how exhausting it was. Now I could feel my own knees wiggling like jelly, threatening to melt at any random time.'

Even though he has been on the court for at least two minutes, he hasn't done anything noticeable yet for Seirin's offense except for just standing on the wing and being the distraction for the others. Fortunately, Yosen still treated him as a threat, with Fukui, Tatsuya, and even Murasakibara observing every tiny detail of his movement even from afar.

At least, it would provide his teammates enough space to exploit, if only they could convert it into a good chance.

And that brings him to the second problem, the current state of his teammates.

Yeah, for all their bravado talks about not giving up and wanting to win against the Generation of Miracles, Furihata could see the fire in Kagami and Kuroko's eyes died slowly as they were beaten by Murasakibara. And it affects the others quite badly, as almost all of the Seirin players look up to them, seeing them as their sole hope against all their tough opponents.

So, when they all saw Kuroko and Kagami slow down and become lazy, even the senior members like Kiyoshi and Koganei started to mirror their actions, and Furihata didn't like it at all.

"Listen, Red, Phantom," Furihata spoke to those two after Yosen scored another two points. "You heard what Captain said before. Alex-san puts you both on the court for a reason, and it is to show your teammates your fighting spirit. Like it or not, you are role models in this team. But if you cannot do that, get the fuck out of the court and let the other comes in."

"HA?!"

Not only Kagami, but even Kuroko felt insulted by his harsh words. They didn't like Furihata's insinuation that they lost their fighting spirit. Hyuga who heard that also snapped his head, looking at them with an alarmed expression. However, Furihata didn't plan to back down.

"You hear me perfectly. If you-"

"Okay, enough all of you!" Hyuga finally intervened before they all started another riot. "Furihata-kun, I know you are frustrated, but don't provoke your teammates in the middle of the game. We don't need any more problems, okay?"

Furihata folded under Hyuga's stern glare and nodded reluctantly before he walked away, preparing for the next play. Hyuga could only take a deep sigh before he turned around to Kagami and Kuroko.

"And don't think it was solely Furihata's fault here. While I don't condone his provocation, I also noticed how you two didn't put in your best effort since Murasakibara's dunk. I know if Riko hasn't said anything, then you are still healthy and able to be on the court. So, if I see you being lazy again, I will not hesitate to ask Alex-san to sub you off. Do you understand?"

Hyuga could only rub his temple in frustration as he saw Kagami scowling angrily while Kuroko just stared at his eyes blankly before they both walked away. He felt that his presence as the captain of the team was no longer respected among his kouhai.

'I will talk about that with Alex-san and Riko the next time. For now, let's end this shit first.'

The game continued once again as Furihata started dribbling the ball slowly, trying to open up position. Now that two people are watching him, he couldn't launch his super long three-points, as it would be easier for them to disturb it. And with his zone starting to wear out, he didn't want to use too much of his physical ability and waste his energy to get through Yosen's defense.

However, he had another solution.

Between Yosen's confidence in Murasakibara's interior defense and their wariness of his super long shot, they unconsciously created a gap in the perimeter area, as the other four Yosen players tried to push him and his teammates as far as possible. And that is what he is about to exploit.

He makes a quick sign, asking for Kiyoshi to come and set a screen for him. In a second, everything was ready, as they initiated their pick-and-roll game.

"Fukui! Himuro! Screen!"

Okumura who guarded Kiyoshi tried to warn Fukui and Tatsuya. However, it was a bit too late. With Furihata's zone state, even if he didn't want to overdo it, he still had the physical boost from before. So, it only took a simple distraction from Kiyoshi to split both Yosen guards apart and get away from their defense.

"SHIT!"

Both Yosen guards tried to chase him down. However, Furihata is way too fast. And right after he passed the three-point line, he pulled up a mid-range jumper, not giving Murasakibara any chance to shut him down.

*Splash!*

"Oooooh!"

"Nice shoot!"

"As expected, only he could score against Yosen this easy!"

The chatter from the audience that seems to have died a few moments ago suddenly rose again, as they talked about Furihata's shoot in excitement. However, the main actor of that play didn't have any time to hear their praise, as he gestured to his teammates to push forward.

"Don't let them get the ball easily!"

Hearing his shout, all the players with Seirin jerseys pushed forward, pressuring the Yosen players from their own area. Even Kagami and Kuroko who seem to loosen up their defense earlier now stepping up their intensities again. It seems Furihata's words really hit them hard.

Unfortunately, it means nothing when their bodies finally can't keep up with the pace of the game. And all of the Yosen players seem to know about that pretty well.

"Liu! Here!"

Tatsuya and Fukui moved at the same time yet in different directions, trying to stretch out Seirin's full-court defense. But that was not their main purpose. No, their main purpose is to avoid Furihata, as he is Seirin's best defender right now.

Furihata knows about that too. However, he couldn't guard two players at the same time. So, he decided to keep his eyes on the most likely player who would receive the ball, Tatsuya.

However, he is wrong this time. Instead of giving it to Tatsuya, Wei Liu sends the inbound pass to the left where Fukui is running. And it was not just like that. Right after he received the ball, Fukui dashed forward, showing off his incredible speed for the first time since the game began.

This portrayed how the game went pretty well, actually. In the final quarter, Fukui who is somehow still fresh enough to sprint forward leaves all the exhausted Seirin players behind to initiate the fast break. Yosen's usual strategy to put Murasakibara on the court to wear them out and conserve their players' stamina really works at this moment.

"Teppei! Stop him!"

Kiyoshi who is on Fukui's way tried to block his path, slowing him down. However, Okumura came in clutch, pushing away Kiyoshi with his screen, opening up the way for the third-year point guard to get through Seirin's power forward.

And it worked, as Fukui flies instantly into Seirin's area without anyone stopping him. After taking two steps forward, he put the ball through the basket with an easy layup, resulting in another two points for Yosen High.

"Nice layup, Fukui!"

"Good screen, Okumura!"

"Keep it up! Don't let Seirin score again!"

Furihata scowled, not happy with the last play. He bowed down a little, rubbing his knee that started to get hot and uncomfortable again. He knows that his time would come up sooner than he expected.

"Are you okay, Furihata-kun?"

"No, not really." He admitted openly to his captain's question. "My knees feel numb, and my body aches whenever I move it. I think I couldn't hold any longer than this."

"Should I ask Alex-san to sub you out?" Hyuga asked, concerned with his health. However, Furihata shook his head stubbornly.

"No, I want to be on the court until I can't do it anymore. And I want to make a last long impression on that bastard, so I could live freely at his head."

Even though he didn't say who the 'he' is, Hyuga knows who Furihata meant by that. Knowing he couldn't shake his stubbornness, he just nodded his head slightly.

"Just take it slow and take care of yourself, okay?"

Furihata just smiles wanly at his captain, not trusting himself to answer that question truthfully. He just walked away, asking for the ball again to restart the game. He dribbled it slowly, trying to calm himself down. Inwardly, he snorted, ridiculing himself and the team.

'They are the ones on the lead, yet we are the ones who slowed down the tempo? It should be the opposite, right?'

However, he didn't mind about it. He took a deep breath, putting back his focus on the court. The black lightning that seemed to dim as the time went by suddenly sparked once again, dancing wildly on his eyes. The pressure that seems to have vanished since the fourth quarter began suddenly arose, sending shivers through all the Yosen players.

'Well, if I couldn't last long enough, I better make a big splash before I go down.'

With that thought, Furihata suddenly lunged forward, startling both Tatsuya, Fukui, and Wei Liu in front of him. They tried to slow him down, but with a quick wall pass with Kuroko, he got through those three players with ease.

"Goddamnit, you three! Stop him!"

Seeing Furihata in the zone state once again, all of the Yosen players got attracted to him unconsciously, like mouths to the flame. Hell, even Murasakibara couldn't help but take a step forward, trying to stop him head-on.

But Furihata in this mode is far too slimy for them to stop.

With a quick glance toward the opposite wing side and a quick hesitation move, he fools Wei Liu and Okumure to go in that direction, helping him gain more space. And when he saw Murasakibara coming for him with both Fukui and Tatsuya chasing him down from behind, with a quick step back, he escaped from their defense and released the ball pretty quickly before anyone could do anything.

*Splash!*

Silence befell upon the court for a moment, before it was broken by the cheers that erupted from the audience.

"Ooooh!"

"Finally, Seirin did something right!"

"Of course, it would be him!"

"Come on! Make it more exciting!"

It was just another three points for Seirin. They still had at least 14 points to chase down. However, in the eyes of the audiences who are not Yosen's supporters, Furihata's action is worth more than that. It lit up the seem-to-die game once again, bringing back the energy to the court. Now, not only the audience but even the Yosen players who were content and satisfied with the result earlier showed their seriousness back, making the game competitive again.

"Push forward!"

Now that the momentum is back in their hand again, Furihata didn't have any intention to give it back. He signaled his teammates to keep pushing, which luckily hadn't been protested by the others. He could hear Kagami grumbling a little about it but still did what he said.

'Good. He didn't like it, but he knew how to follow the hierarchy. This would be a valuable lesson to him.'

As for Furihata himself, even though he guarded Tatsuya pretty tightly, his eyes were still roaming at the other Yosen players. Based on their last play, he knows there is a big chance they will pass the ball to Fukui or Wei Liu who haven't been involved in the offense too much since the beginning of the game.

So, instead of waiting to see if that would happen or not, he twisted the probability in his favor by putting more pressure on Tatsuya and Fukui, deliberately leaving enough space for Wei Liu to ask for the ball.

And he successfully guided his opponent into doing what he wanted, as Okumura sent the ball straight into the Chinese guy. Furihata took a quick step back and jumped pretty high, snatching the ball while it was still in the air before it could reach its destination.

"Goddamnit! It is another steal!"

"Stop him!"

Wei Liu and Tatsuya tried to close him down and grabbed the ball back into their possession, However, Furihata was way faster than them. He runs back as if he wants to go into Seirin's territory, and when he is near the three-point line, he turns around his body pretty quickly, leaning his body backward as he pulls a fadeaway three in a Dirk Nowitzki's style.

*Splash!*

Another three!

"Oooh! This is super exciting!"

"Only down by 11 points with three and half minutes left, Seirin still has a chance in this game!"

"Seirin is on fire!"

"No, it is not Seirin! It is Furihata, and you better remember his name!"

"Yeah!"

"Come on, Furihata!"

His name echoed through the gymnasium as the audience kept singing praise to his last play. However, instead of being happy, Furihata frowned slightly, feeling something uncomfortable in his knee. Coupled with his exhaustion before, he knew that the next play would be his last play of this game before he went down and had to be subbed off by the other.

'Well, if this is my last play, I have to make sure I bring down the gargoyle with me.' Furihata hummed slightly to himself.

And what he means by Gargoyle is of course Murasakibara.

Furihata knows that out of all the players on the court besides him, Murasakibara is probably the one who got drained the most. Hell, everyone could see the giant center was not as productive as before, now only standing up under his own basket, waiting for the opponent's attack.

However, even though Murasakibara didn't do anything specific, his mere presence on the court is like the infamous devil statue, throwing a curse just by standing under the basket. Just by him standing under the hoop, all of the Seirin players won't go there, and it would make it easier for Yosen players to stop them.

If Furihata wanted his teammates to maintain the momentum he gained after fighting tooth and nail, he better break Murasakibara's curse to remind his teammates that the giant center is not that invincible.

'And I know probably how I could do that. Better do it before they call a timeout.'

Yeah, when Furihata saw Masako stand up from Yosen's bench and ready to call a timeout, he knew he had to be fast. He doubted he himself would be strong enough to play again after taking a small rest during the timeout, so he better do it now.

"Keep pushing! Captain, keep your eyes on the back! Red, don't just stand there like a fool! Move your ass, goddamnit!"

Furihata keeps shouting, instructing his teammates to improve their positioning. However, he had another hidden plan, as he kept making a subtle sign for the one who lurked from the shadow, their hidden assassin, Kuroko. Just like before, he guided Yosen players to go in a specific direction, and when the inbound pass was released, Kuroko suddenly popped up in front of the ball, snatching it once again from Yosen's possession.

"YOSSHAAA!!"

"It was another steal!"

"Three steals in a row! Seirin is on fire right now!"

"PHANTOM, HERE!"

In the middle of the chaos, after Kuroko steals the ball, Furihata suddenly sprints in Kuroko's direction, asking for the ball. Seeing him coming at full speed, Kuroko handed the ball without hesitation and set up a screen immediately to help Furihata get away from his guards.

However, unlike before when Furihata kept launching three-pointers from afar, now he runs straight into the paint, intending to challenge Murasakibara head-on. Furihata could hear the gasps from everywhere else, as nobody expected him to be bold enough to do this. However, that was why it was necessary.

Muraasakibara who saw that spread his arms wide, not backing down at the challenge. Even on the verge of death, two of the best players on the court today were determined to come out as the winner in this contest. Time seemed to slow down when Furihata started to jump, straight into Murasakibara's direction. And the giant center didn't waste his time either, matching the jump with his own, trying to stop him.

"MOVE AWAY!"

"DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT ON MY WATCH, BASTARD!"

Furihata gritted his teeth, knowing full well he was at a disadvantage right now. After using all of the strength that is still left inside his body, he knows this would be his last play of the game. The black lightning that keeps dancing in his eyes finally dies out, indicating he is out of his zone. However, he is way too stubborn to give up.

Using his left hand, he pushed Murasakibara's shoulder down, giving him more space in the air to execute his plan. Knowing full well Furihata wanted to posterize him, Murasakibara extended both his hands into the air, not allowing Seirin's point guard to see the basket that easy.

However, their aerial battle fell short this time, as Furihata couldn't keep his body up in the air. It seems Murasakibara would win the duel, as the giant center is about to touch the ball too. If he managed to do that, it would go down to a strength contest, and there is no doubt Furihata wouldn't be able to win that one.

But even though his body is screaming, Furihata's mind is clear. Even though he couldn't see the basket, he knew for sure where it was. And with his quick thinking, he twisted his body in the air in a peculiar way, startling Murasakibara for a millisecond. At first, Murasakibara didn't know what Furihata wanted to do. But when he saw the smirk on Furihata's face and the hand that had the ball pulled behind the back, Murasakibara widened his eyes, knowing full well what Furihata intended to do.

"DAMN! THIS IS-!"

"MY WIN!"

Before Murasakibara could stop him, Furihata launched the ball in a style that they were both familiar with. It was another one of Aomine's free-form shoots, and for Furihata to be able to think about it and pull it up in the last moment like this, both players knew it was Furihata's win this time.

*CLANK!*

The ball bounced at the board once, before it rolled playfully around the rim. No one is running or trying to get the rebound, as all eyes are still on the two best players from both teams who fell on the floor. But it didn't last long, as the ball finally rolled down through the hoop, resulting in another two points for Seirin.

Silence descended once again on the gymnasium, before one by one, the audience stood up together, giving their biggest applause for both Murasakibara and Furihata.

The game is still not over. There are still three minutes left, with Seirin down to 9 points. Anything still could happen before the game ended. But for the audience, they all were satisfied with this legendary battle, as no matter who won the game, they were the ultimate winners today.

Yosen High 94 – 85 Seirin High

02:48

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Author note :

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You can also read this fanfiction up to chapter 148 on that page. Thank you! :)

-Zeta Faes-