On the court.
The Shoyo players huddled tightly together, their eyes burning with unyielding fire.
Then came a loud, powerful shout that echoed across the entire gym.
"Shoyo… ganbare…!"
The sound thundered like rolling storms. It was as if all the frustration and resentment from the first half exploded in that moment.
The Shohoku players saw Shoyo's fiery morale. Their momentum hadn't dropped—in fact, it was even stronger than before. Their expressions instantly turned serious, a touch of wariness showing in their eyes.
Aoi Kunisaku looked at Shoyo's rising spirit. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. A flash of excitement sparked in his eyes. He muttered, "Now this is how a match should be. Otherwise, it'd be boring."
As Shohoku's captain, Akagi Takenori wouldn't let their side be outdone.
He clenched his fists tightly, leaned forward, and shouted with all his strength, "Alright! Now the real match begins. Shohoku… ganbare…!"
The Shohoku players followed with a united shout. "Oooh!"
Bweeep—
A sharp, piercing whistle rang out.
Shohoku vs. Shoyo. The second half officially began.
Shohoku had possession.
Everyone expected a fierce clash from the get-go. But surprisingly, things stayed eerily quiet, like the calm before a storm.
Akagi Takenori steadily dribbled forward, cautiously advancing one step at a time.
But Hanagata Toru stood like a steel tower before him, completely blocking the path. The two locked into a silent standoff.
Akagi could clearly feel it—Hanagata's fighting spirit was stronger than it had been in the first half. That intensity weighed heavily on him.
In that tense moment, Akagi made his move.
He didn't force a drive. Instead, with a quick flick of his wrist, he cleanly passed the ball over to Mitsui Hisashi nearby.
Mitsui had just caught the ball and hadn't even taken a breath when Hasegawa Kazushi lunged in like a mad dog, pressing him with tight man-to-man defense.
Mitsui quickly looked left and right, only to realize in dismay—every offensive route was sealed tight. There was no gap to break through.
Out of options, he slammed the ball backward with force, bouncing a precise pass into Sakuragi Hanamichi's hands.
As soon as Sakuragi got the ball, he charged toward Shoyo's basket with all his might.
He wanted to score. He wanted to impress Akagi Haruko.
But just as he took the first step, Takano Shoichi appeared out of nowhere like a phantom.
The sudden appearance froze Sakuragi in place. He stiffened, unsure what to do.
"Damn it! What's with this guy?! Why's he so serious all of a sudden?" Sakuragi cursed in frustration.
"Over here." At that moment, Akagi Takenori's deep voice rang out.
Sakuragi quickly looked over and saw Akagi waving his hand, signaling for the ball.
After hesitating a bit, Sakuragi gritted his teeth and reluctantly passed the ball over.
The basketball, trailing an orange blur, zipped through the air and returned to Akagi's hands.
By then, Akagi had already broken past Hanagata's defense and stepped into Shoyo's paint.
He didn't hesitate. With a powerful push from his legs, he jumped high, ready to take the shot.
His long-range accuracy wasn't great, but a shot is always a chance to score.
However, just as he was about to shoot, Nagano Mitsuru cut in from the side and leapt up. His arms stretched to the max, completely blocking Akagi's shooting angle.
Akagi's eyes sharpened. He instantly switched from shot to pass, tossing the ball straight to Rukawa Kaede, who had also dashed into the paint.
Rukawa caught the ball, and a glint of sharp light flashed in his eyes.
He saw the opportunity. With no one blocking the way, he pushed off the floor and soared up. In midair, he adjusted his posture and cleanly released the shot.
The ball arced through the air in a graceful curve, like a shooting star across the night sky, and swished clean into the net.
Swish—
The crisp sound of the net echoed.
Shohoku scored again.
Shohoku 35 to 33 Shoyo.
"Nice shot!" Kogure Kiminobu on the bench was flushed with excitement, yelling at the top of his lungs.
The other bench players all jumped up in joy.
Shohoku's seamless coordination was amazing to watch. It wasn't just their own players getting fired up—even players from other schools watching on the sidelines silently gave them props.
On the Shoyo side, even though they just lost a point, the players stayed incredibly calm. Not one of them lost their composure.
Fujima Kenji patted the ball with his right hand and calmly raised one finger with his left, pointing toward the sky. His gaze was steady as he spoke, "Don't rush. We'll take that point back right away."
As he spoke, he glanced at Aoi Kunisaku's position and subtly directed his teammates to keep their spacing, making sure not to let him mess up their rhythm.
Just then, a red figure shot out like lightning and suddenly appeared in front of Fujima Kenji, blocking his path.
Fujima focused. It was Rukawa Kaede.
What?!
Fujima's face changed. His expression turned serious as he stared at Rukawa.
Rukawa was a tough opponent in Shohoku.
But compared to Aoi Kunisaku's unpredictable and terrifying skill, Rukawa was relatively easier to handle.
Fujima quickly glanced at Aoi's position. After confirming the direction, he made a split-second decision and passed the ball to Hasegawa Kazushi on the other side.
Hasegawa caught the ball and instantly clashed with Mitsui Hisashi in a fierce one-on-one.
The two fought for control, neither backing down. The game hit a deadlock.
Seeing that, Hanagata Toru quickly stepped up and set a clean screen for Hasegawa.
With Hanagata's help, Hasegawa broke free from Mitsui's defense. Like an untamed wild horse, he charged straight into Shohoku's paint and leapt for a layup.
But just at that critical moment, a red figure burst out from the side like a swirling red whirlwind.
"RAAHHH!" Sakuragi Hanamichi roared at the top of his lungs. He jumped high and swung his hand fiercely at the ball in Hasegawa's hands.
Smack!
A sharp slap rang out. The ball shot out of Hasegawa's hands like a cannonball.
Hasegawa's eyes twitched.
He turned in shock toward Sakuragi. "Where… did this guy come from?!"
The ball slammed against the backboard and bounced hard in the opposite direction.
Sakuragi landed and instantly twisted around. Like a wild beast, he sprinted after the ball with explosive speed.
His eyes locked tightly on it. In them burned a desperate craving—like that ball was the key to showing off in front of Akagi Haruko.
Just as Sakuragi's fingers were about to grab the ball, another hand flashed in like a black bolt of lightning and stole it away first.
"AAAH! My ball!" Sakuragi shrieked in panic. He whipped his head toward the hand's owner.
And instantly saw—it was Aoi Kunisaku.
"YOU BASTARD AOI! YOU STOLE MY BALL!" Sakuragi jumped and cursed furiously.
Hmph…
Aoi just snorted and ignored him.
A sharp glint passed through Aoi's eyes. The next second, his whole body dashed toward Shoyo's basket like a red flash of lightning.
"Get back here!" Sakuragi wasn't about to let Aoi run off with his chance to show off.
He clenched his teeth and chased after him in big strides.
To be fair, Sakuragi was fast. His pounding footsteps thudded rhythmically, and he gradually gained on Aoi, who was dribbling ahead.
Sensing the strong presence behind him, Aoi raised an eyebrow. Then his lips curled slightly into a faint smile. "Not bad speed."
Though he was impressed, Aoi knew—Sakuragi wasn't his opponent.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
The ball bounced rapidly beneath Aoi's fingers, each sound crisp and sharp.
It moved like it had a life of its own. Under Aoi's control, it danced across the floor, fast as a flash of light, dizzying to the eye.
The Shoyo players stared wide-eyed, their faces frozen in shock. In that moment, they couldn't even track the ball. The speed defied belief.
Fujima didn't dare slack off. He immediately focused and pressed in close on defense.
His eyes stayed glued to Aoi, tracking even the subtlest movement.
The two tangled tightly, weaving through the court with fierce energy, driving closer and closer to Shoyo's basket.
Soon, they stepped inside the three-point line.
Hanagata broke free from Akagi's coverage and rushed over to assist Fujima.
Just as Aoi was about to be double-teamed, he suddenly leapt into the air with the ball.
Fujima and Hanagata instantly reacted. They jumped too, stretching out their arms to block Aoi's shot.
But Aoi, both hands cradling the ball, didn't shoot right away.
He twisted his body midair with surprising agility. Slowly, he slipped through the tight space between Fujima and Hanagata.
What?!
Fujima and Hanagata's eyes flew wide open. Their faces filled with shock and disbelief. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
After slipping past the double defense, Aoi gently flicked his wrist and sent the ball toward Shoyo's basket.
Swish—
Nothing but net.
Shohoku 37 to 33 Shoyo.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, Fujima and Hanagata turned their heads at the same time. Their faces were full of disbelief.
Their defense had been completely shattered by Aoi. That hit them hard.
Even though they had mentally prepared for the chance they might not be able to stop him, now that it actually happened, it still shook them. Their once-solid confidence had begun to waver.
Huff...
Fujima Kenji took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then slapped Hanagata Toru's shoulder hard and forced himself to speak with spirit. "It's fine. We'll take one back."
Hanagata gritted his teeth, then nodded. Determination reignited in his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Shoyo launched a fast counterattack, still under Fujima's command.
After that last defense, Fujima dropped all illusions.
He deliberately avoided Aoi Kunisaku's area, searching for a breakthrough from the opposite side.
Under his direction, Shoyo's players moved in sync. The ball passed quickly between hands, cutting through multiple lines of defense, until they charged right into Shohoku's paint.
Hanagata had been waiting. The moment he received the precision pass from a teammate, he pushed off the floor and leapt up in front of Akagi Takenori, going for another fadeaway jumper.
Even though the fadeback wasn't huge, with his solid technique and excellent touch, Akagi couldn't quite stop him in time.
But just when Hanagata was about to release the ball, a red figure burst out from behind like a ghost.
It was Sakuragi Hanamichi.
Eyes wide and face flushed, Sakuragi sprang up. His palm, like a giant fan, came crashing down on the ball in Hanagata's hands.
Hanagata reacted fast. He sensed the danger behind him instantly and cut his shooting motion short.
His eyes flashed. The hands that were lifting the ball suddenly dropped, slamming it hard against the floor behind him.
Bang!
The ball bounced violently off the court and popped up high. It just so happened to fly right toward Fujima's position.
Hanagata and Fujima had known each other for years. Their chemistry ran deep.
This time, Hanagata trusted his instinct and perfectly predicted Fujima's movement.
"Nice pass." Fujima caught the ball solidly and praised him with a shout.
He quickly adjusted his stance, raised the ball, locked eyes on Shohoku's basket, and shot without hesitation.
At that moment, all of Shohoku's defenders were focused on Hanagata. No one expected the ball to suddenly land back in Fujima's hands.
Whoosh—
The ball cut a clean arc through the air and dropped right into the hoop.
Swish—
The net rippled softly. A clean shot.
Shohoku 37, Shoyo 35.
"Great shot, Fujima." Hanagata smiled and came over with encouragement.
"Thanks to your pass," Fujima replied with a grin.
The rest of Shoyo's team crowded around, congratulating the duo.
They'd scored again. That meant the chance to win still existed.
Even if the other side had a monstrous player, they still had hope.
Fujima's lips lifted into a smile of relief.
As long as they kept scoring, the outcome wasn't sealed.
Possession switch.
Shohoku inbounded.
The ball arced through the air and landed right in Aoi Kunisaku's hands.
Seeing this, Fujima reacted like he had springs on his feet. He rushed up and pressed tight against Aoi, taking a locked-down defensive stance.
Aoi looked at the close-range Fujima, sighed lightly, then gave a crooked smile. "Sigh... Playing basketball all serious like this really doesn't suit me."
Huh?!
Fujima caught the odd tone in his words. His eyes narrowed, body instinctively tensed. "What is this? His whole vibe just shifted…"
A strange wave of unease crept through Fujima's chest like a tide.
But he quickly steadied himself and whispered in his mind, "Stay calm. Stay cool. Even if I can't stop his offense, as long as we stay close in score, we can still win."
Then Aoi moved.
This time, he didn't hold anything back—he went straight for Super High-Speed Dribble.
In a split second, his speed jumped from zero to max.
The explosive force was like a cannonball firing from a loaded chamber. Whoosh! He shot out, dragging a gust of wind behind him.
Fujima had seen Aoi's scary speed before and came prepared.
The moment Aoi burst out, Fujima stuck to him like glue. He kept pace step-for-step, trying everything to interfere—arms, legs, anything to break Aoi's rhythm.
Aoi smiled.
The same old defense again. To him, it was child's play. Useless.
Then, without warning, he feinted left. The move was lightning quick.
Fujima didn't hesitate. He shifted left as well to block.
But just as both of them moved left, something weird happened.
The basketball, which had been perfectly under Aoi's control, suddenly bounced to the right as if it had gone rogue.
This sudden shift caught everyone off guard.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Even Fujima looked stunned. "Did he… mess up?"
Everyone assumed Aoi had fumbled under pressure from Fujima's defense.
Aoi Kunisaku twisted his body and pulled off a wide left-to-right C-shaped spin. Like a slippery fish, he slipped right around behind Fujima Kenji and appeared on his right, calmly taking control of the ball that had bounced to the right.
Fujima finally snapped out of it, face instantly paling.
He quickly stopped and tried to turn back to defend, but he was already a step too late.
Aoi gave him no breathing room. Taking advantage of the turn, he instantly spun from right to left with the ball. Like a phantom, he slipped behind Fujima again and moved to his left.
Aoi's movements were impossibly fast. To everyone watching, it was just a blur of red flashing again and again. No one could see exactly what he was doing.
The basketball danced in his hands like it was alive. One moment it flickered between his hands, the next it bounced under his legs, like a mischievous sprite spinning wildly around him.
Finally, Aoi pulled off a sharp, sweeping change of direction and left Fujima behind with a solid step of separation.
At that moment, Fujima's head was spinning. Aoi's dazzling dribbles had left his brain scrambled. He didn't know left from right, front from back.
His body seemed frozen. It couldn't follow his thoughts, and his thoughts couldn't keep up with what his eyes were seeing. His defense collapsed into a clumsy mess.
Aoi saw the perfect opening. He pushed off the floor and surged forward like a pouncing cheetah, flashing past Fujima's side.
Fujima finally realized what was happening. He moved his feet in a panic to recover.
But it was too late. His legs tangled up in his rush and tripped over themselves. His balance failed.
Thud—
A dull, heavy sound echoed through the gym.
Fujima landed hard on the floor, dazed and stunned.
His eyes were wide, filled with disbelief. He still hadn't processed what had just happened.
But none of Shoyo's players had time to react to his fall.
Their eyes were already locked on Aoi.
Aoi charged toward the basket, cutting through the defense like it didn't exist.
He gathered himself, jumped high with the ball in both hands, and went up for the shot.
Hanagata Toru, Takano Shoichi, and Hasegawa Kazushi all sprang into action. They saw the danger and rushed over like a wall of black.
The three of them jumped in sync, arms fully extended, forming an airtight barrier in the air. Every possible shooting angle was blocked.
Shohoku's bench tensed.
Akagi Takenori's brows twisted into a sharp frown. "Damn… every shot angle's sealed off."
Rukawa Kaede and Mitsui Hisashi quickly moved into open space, signaling for a pass with their eyes.
Meanwhile, the Shoyo players were already celebrating in their heads.
Nagano Mitsuru's face flushed with excitement. In his heart, he shouted, "We stopped him!"
Even the fallen Fujima kept his eyes glued to Aoi, full of anticipation.
He no longer cared how embarrassing his fall had been. The only thing that mattered was stopping this attack. Even if he kept getting shaken out of his shoes, it didn't matter.
For a moment, it was like the whole court froze. All eyes were on Aoi, still airborne.
Seconds ticked by.
Aoi continued gliding through the air, sailing past the three defenders and over the baseline, floating out of bounds behind the hoop.
Seeing this, Shoyo's hearts finally relaxed. They let out sighs of relief, sure the shot was dead.
Everyone in the gym thought the same—this ball was done.
But just as everyone thought the chance was lost, the impossible happened.
Right as Aoi's feet were about to land, his back to the rim, he flicked his wrist and launched the ball high behind him.
The basketball flew over his head, carving a strange arc through the air. It curved from behind the backboard and glided around to the front.
Everyone froze—eyes wide, mouths open, stunned silent.
The ball dropped perfectly into Shoyo's basket.
Swish—
That crisp net snap rang out like a song. Or a thunderclap. Shattering the stunned silence of the gym.
The entire court fell dead quiet.
No one could speak. Everyone stood in stunned silence, as if time itself had stopped.