Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
Fujima Kenji dribbled like a black flash, darting toward Shohoku's half-court.
Mitsui Hisashi reacted fast and stepped up to block. But Fujima Kenji's footwork was slick. With two sharp direction changes, he slipped through Mitsui's defense like an eel.
Rukawa Kaede quickly filled the gap. Like a solid wall, he stopped Fujima in his tracks.
But Fujima was ready. Just as he halted, he flicked his wrist and bounced the ball hard toward the floor on his side.
A sharp bounce pass.
The ball shot off the floor like a cannonball, heading straight toward Hanagata Toru near Shohoku's three-point line.
"Hanagata!" Akagi Takenori had been keeping his eye on him and rushed in like a pouncing tiger, setting up a firm defense.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stood not far away but didn't immediately move to help.
That opened a perfect chance for Hanagata to break through.
With a quick spin, he slid past Akagi and stepped into Shohoku's key like it was nothing.
Sakuragi snapped out of it and bolted forward in a panic, hoping to stop the shot.
Akagi also chased hard, closing in behind.
The two shot in like wolves. But Hanagata stayed calm, locking into shooting form.
"You're not getting that shot off!" Sakuragi yelled and launched up. Arms straight, palms wide like a lid, aiming to swat the ball from Hanagata's hands.
Akagi held back and shouted, "Don't rush it!"
His experience told him Hanagata's motion was off. No way he was going for a real shot.
As expected, Hanagata didn't shoot. He pulled the ball in and shielded it with both hands.
"Damn it..." Sakuragi realized too late and burned with frustration.
Akagi reached in, aiming to strip the ball—
But a hand flashed through like lightning.
It touched the ball before he could.
"What the—?" Akagi froze, stunned by the sudden appearance of this arm.
"Hanagata, look out!"
The shout cut through the court like thunder.
Smack—
The crisp slap of a steal rang out.
Hanagata's hands went light. His eyes widened in shock as the ball popped upward into his line of sight.
"What the hell?!" He panicked, eyes darting around.
Then he saw it.
Somehow, a hand had snuck in from behind him.
And then came that teasing voice from behind.
"You really thought three people could trap me? Too naive."
"It's him?! How—?" Hanagata couldn't believe it. How was Aoi Kunisaku behind him?
Fujima Kenji looked just as shaken, like he'd seen a ghost.
He hadn't even noticed when Aoi escaped the triple team.
He turned instinctively.
There stood Takano Shoichi, Nagano Mitsuru, and Hasegawa Kazushi—faces blank, eyes wide. They had only just realized their target was gone.
"What the hell just happened?" Fujima's mind was spinning.
And he wasn't alone. The whole gym was dazed.
Spectators. Other teams. Everyone was lost.
Even the referee looked like a bunch of question marks were floating above his head.
Only one person stayed calm.
Shimizu Kanon, sitting on Shohoku's bench.
Rewind a few seconds.
Just as Sakuragi got tricked by Hanagata's fakeout—
Aoi Kunisaku, stuck in a triple team, had already started to move.
He was surrounded, but that didn't mean he was locked down.
As long as he had even a sliver of space, breaking free was easy.
At first, he made tiny shifts. Small bumps, nothing out of line. Just light shoves.
Takano and the others got used to his harmless-looking motions.
Then—
A sudden burst. His speed cranked to max.
The sudden jolt made their muscles tense.
But they knew if they just stayed put, locked him in tight, they could contain him.
What they forgot—was Aoi's stopping power.
He sprinted, then braked hard.
As the other two followed their momentum, he used his body to block the third.
In a flash, the trap they built so carefully cracked open.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
Aoi Kunisaku shot forward like an arrow, slipping right through the brief opening.
The ball had been stolen. Hanagata Toru reached out to get it back.
But Aoi Kunisaku was faster than lightning. He leapt high, swung his arm, and scooped the ball out of midair. The ball skimmed right over Hanagata's head.
His movement was fluid, seamless.
The moment his feet hit the ground, his speed maxed out. A red streak bolted straight toward Shoyo's basket.
Takano Shoichi, Nagano Mitsuru, and Hasegawa Kazushi all chased after him, trying to stop him.
Their eyes were locked on Aoi Kunisaku, who was charging full speed ahead.
They exchanged a look. Without needing to speak, they each moved to form an iron wall of defense.
Aoi Kunisaku caught sight of them. A confident grin crept onto his lips. A glint of boldness flashed in his eyes.
His feet shifted rapidly like an illusion. The ball bounced between floor and fingertips with tight, rhythmic thuds.
His dribbling speed was terrifying. Faster than ever. It felt like time itself had been left behind.
Even with three defenders in front of him, Aoi Kunisaku didn't hesitate or flinch.
His body moved like a phantom. The ball was glued to his hand like it had a will of its own.
In just a moment, he slipped through the tight defense like a bird darting through thorns—effortless and clean.
Takano, Nagano, and Hasegawa were left frozen. Their eyes were wide. Their minds were still stuck replaying that blur of red flashing by.
In the stands—
Kiyota Nobunaga's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "No way! He just blew past all three of them in a flash!"
Maki Shinichi furrowed his brow. His serious gaze darkened. This move by Aoi Kunisaku had shaken him. "That wasn't just breaking through three defenders. They didn't even react."
Sendoh Akira's eyes widened too. He murmured, "His speed went up again…"
Aida Hikoichi lifted his head from his camera, hands trembling. His expression looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Oh my god. Even the footage couldn't catch that moment…"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Back on court—
The sharp thumping of the ball echoed from Shohoku's side straight through to Shoyo's.
Fujima Kenji chased hard from behind, gritting his teeth.
Aoi Kunisaku noticed the sound behind him. His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Not bad…"
Just as Fujima was about to catch up, Aoi Kunisaku turned his wrist and spun. A slick behind-the-back move switched the ball from right to left. His body tilted left as well.
Fujima followed, sliding in that direction.
But in the next second, Aoi Kunisaku gave a crooked smirk. His movement flipped again. A between-the-legs dribble sent the ball back to his right hand.
At the same time, his body lurched to the right. He sprang up high off the ground.
What?!
Fujima, who had shifted his weight to the left, froze in place.
Wasn't he just going left? How'd he jump right in the blink of an eye?
Isn't that enough to snap a leg?
Fujima clenched his teeth, trying to stop mid-step. But it was already too late.
Aoi Kunisaku floated midair. His body leaned to the right. With his right hand under the ball, he launched it up toward Shoyo's basket.
The Formless Shot reappeared.
All eyes followed the ball as it drew a strange arc, bounced off the backboard, and dropped straight through the net.
Swish—
The ball went in.
Shohoku 6 to Shoyo 24.
Damn it.
Fujima clenched his fists. His frustration burned.
The match went on.
After escaping that triple-team, Aoi Kunisaku didn't give them another chance.
More accurately, Shoyo couldn't even find the chance.
Aoi Kunisaku's movement was ghostlike. He never stayed in one place.
His off-ball running was so fast it left the defenders scrambling. If they slipped for even a moment, he might steal the ball right out from under them.
And when they tried to recover, they just couldn't keep up. It was infuriating.
After a few plays, Shoyo's players were drained. Their tight formation had started to crumble.
Shohoku took advantage, launching attacks and scoring again and again.
Their score shot up like a rocket.
Besides Akagi Takenori and the others scoring through coordinated plays, most of the points came from Aoi Kunisaku.
Shoyo could still counterattack now and then. But their scoring pace looked pitiful next to Aoi Kunisaku's.
Shohoku's huge point gap was closing fast.
8 to 24.
15 to 26.
21 to 28.
26 to 30.
…
Tweet—
The ref blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half.
The scoreboard stunned the crowd.
Shohoku 33 to Shoyo 33.
They ended the half in a tie.