"VS, Versus" is the forty third chapter in Ahiru no Sora.
Chapter Summary
Konishi scores the layup
A determined and confident Tarou tells his coach not to worry, and going forward, he will prove his worth to everyone on the court. It’s Kitasumi High possession; Katori passes the ball to Konishi, who confidently attempts a layup shot. Momoharu tries to stop Konishi but gets himself in foul trouble. Konishi then easily makes both the free throws. Hasebe praises his teammate, Konishi, for his recent free throw attempts, and Kitasumi High is slowly catching up. Kuzuryu High then switches their defense to full-court man-to-man defense. Tarou closes his eyes and takes a slight pause by just standing still on the court. Everyone looks at Kabachi awkwardly. Katori then shouts at Tarou and instructs him to bring his attention back into the ongoing match. Tarou then stares at Sora and states that he will not lose to him. Upon hearing, Sora accepts his challenge. Natsume advises Sora not to get provoked or carried away.
While guarding Tarou, Sora recalls when his mother Yuka advised him that no matter how much speed one has, it is meaningless if one can’t keep up to pace with your opponent. Kitasumi High first-year students are all amazed that Sora can easily still keep up to pace with Tarou. Sora again sees Katori’s pass and steals it. Tarou tries to stop Sora. Kurumatani sees him, does a fake, and then gets himself in position and shoots the three-pointer. Tarou then confidently tries to get the offensive rebound. However, his rebound attempt remains futile cause the three-pointer goes in, and Kabachi becomes a bit frustrated at himself.
Sora keeping up to pace with Tarou Kabachi's speed
Afterward, furious first-year students of Kitasumi High advised their senior Tarou to let Konishi handle the rebounds, and he should focus on guarding Sora. Tarou looks at his freshmen angrily and informs him that he has everything under control. Tarou, to confuse his opponent, especially Sora, sprints from mid-court back towards his team's basketball hoop. Sora sees Tarou and confusingly follows him. Natsume shouts and instructs Sora not to break their defense. Tarou notices a puzzled Sora does an efficient spin move and then head towards the other direction. However, Sora somehow still manages to keep up to pace with him. Nao is amazed at her cousin's speed and quickness. However, later on, she comments that it was an unnecessary effort because he could not shake off Sora’s guard. Kuzuryu High, following Nao’s advice, does their full-court man-to-man defense and tries to stop a determined Kitasumi High. Hasebe sees an opening and tries to score from the inside Chiaki notices that Hasebe just traveled and informs the referee about it. Traveling in basketball is a violation that occurs when a player in possession of the ball takes too many steps without dribbling. It is Kuzuryu High’s possession, and Nao notices her cousin’s Tarou incredible stamina and becomes worried about Sora, who looks to be a bit out of breath.
Characters
- Madoka Yabuchi
- Tachibana
- Yasuhara Shinichi
- Manabu Konishi
- Momoharu Hanazono
- Tarou Kabachi
- Sora Kurumatani
- Shingo Katori
- Nao Nanao
- Chiaki Hanazono
- Kenji Natsume
- Yuka Kurumatani (flashback)
- Koga
- Hasebe
