Offense and defense flipped.
Kainan counterattacked.
Maki Shinichi dribbled skillfully with both hands, dashing into Shohoku's half like a streak of wind.
After getting burned by Aoi Kunisaku's insane shot earlier, Maki wasn't the type to take that lying down. He was already fired up to return the favor.
Miyagi Ryota was on him.
But physically, they were in totally different leagues. Maki had more burst speed and a stronger build. Miyagi just couldn't match up.
Maki easily broke through Miyagi's tight defense and tore down the court like a wild horse, charging hard toward the basket.
"Stop him!" Miyagi shouted from behind while sprinting to catch up.
Akagi Takenori reacted instantly. He shot out from under the rim like a fired arrow to help defend.
But that movement accidentally opened a perfect offensive window for Maki.
He saw it. His wrist snapped, sending a bullet-like long pass to Takasago Kazuma on the wing.
"Crap," Mitsui Hisashi cursed in his head. He spun around and sprinted toward Takasago, trying to block him before he could shoot.
But they were too far apart. Even though Mitsui pushed himself to the limit, by the time he reached Takasago, the shot was already up.
Still, Mitsui didn't quit. He gritted his teeth, leapt with everything he had, stretched his arm, and tried to block the ball midair.
But the ball soared just past his fingertips.
Everyone watched in tense silence as it arced toward Shohoku's hoop.
Next second—
Clang...
The sharp sound of a missed shot rang through the gym.
Takasago's face twisted in disbelief. He stared at Mitsui, mind racing: Did he actually touch it?
"Get the rebound!" Mitsui yelled.
If you looked closely, the tips of Mitsui's fingers were faintly red.
Aoi Kunisaku reacted fast and darted toward the basket.
But just as he was about to leap for the ball, a figure suddenly slipped in front of him like a ghost, completely cutting off his path.
Huh?
Aoi's eyes narrowed. He focused—and saw it was Maki Shinichi blocking him.
Meanwhile, left wide open, Kiyota Nobunaga seized the chance. He jumped, grabbed the rebound, and slammed the ball straight into the basket.
Clang!
The ball went in.
Kainan scored.
Aoi didn't even glance at Kiyota's dunk. His eyes stayed locked on Maki, standing right in front of him.
He knew—Maki was the reason he didn't get that rebound.
"Not bad," Aoi said, smiling slightly with a knowing look.
Maki gave a confident smirk. "Of course. When it comes to a threat like you, even the smallest slip-up can cost us."
Heh...
Aoi chuckled softly, saying nothing more.
The game continued.
Shohoku went on offense.
Akagi passed to Miyagi. Miyagi caught it and quickly handed it off to Mitsui.
Mitsui wanted to break through Jin Soichiro and go for a three-point shot. But Jin's defense was airtight, like an iron wall. Mitsui couldn't find even a sliver of space.
Left with no choice, he bounced the ball low and sent a pinpoint pass to Aoi.
As soon as Aoi got the ball, Kiyota Nobunaga's expression turned dead serious. He stared at Aoi with sharp, focused eyes. His body was tight, like a drawn bow, ready to react to anything Aoi might do.
But no matter how focused Kiyota was, he still couldn't stop Aoi's drive.
With just a quick direction change and smooth spin, Aoi slipped past him with ease.
"Damn it! He broke through again!" Kiyota cursed, frustrated.
He spun around and chased hard. But Aoi's speed was just too fast. Even full sprinting, Kiyota couldn't catch up—Aoi was already gone.
Face red with anger, Kiyota fumed inside: What is this guy, a freaking rabbit?
Thump...
Thump...
Thump...
The ball pounded the floor fast and heavy. Each bounce was like a drumbeat, driving deeper into Kainan's side of the court.
The rest of Kainan's players sprinted with all they had to get back on defense. But compared to Aoi, they looked like snails. No one could catch his lightning pace.
Well—except one.
Just as Aoi neared the paint, a figure shot forward behind him like a cannonball.
Huh?
Aoi's instincts screamed. He felt the sudden presence behind him.
On reflex, he stopped cold. His wrist twisted, switching the ball to his other hand.
At that exact moment, a thick, powerful hand reached out—right where the ball had been a second ago.
That hand belonged to Maki Shinichi.
No one knew when he had caught up.
He didn't manage to steal the ball. But he didn't stop there.
Using the momentum, Maki stepped in hard and planted himself directly in Aoi's path.
Aoi Kunisaku stared at Maki Shinichi. Sparks of excitement lit up in his eyes.
Even though he hadn't gone full speed earlier, Maki had still managed to catch up. That alone proved just how strong he was.
It had been a while since he'd faced such a tough opponent. Aoi could feel his blood boiling.
He locked eyes with Maki and called out loud, "Nice speed. Let's see if you can stop me!"
Maki's expression turned serious. His eyes were firm and sharp. "Gladly," he answered without hesitation.
At last, in this game, the two faced off head-on for the first time.
For a moment, their gazes clashed. A fierce energy burst from both of them, rising higher and higher like raging flames.
The two forces collided, pressing against each other. It was as if storm clouds gathered over their heads, crackling with thunder and flashing lightning, signaling the clash to come.
Whoosh...
A gust of wind surged out from where they stood, sweeping through the court and sending clothes fluttering.
They stared each other down for a long time. At that moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
Everything suddenly went silent, eerily still. But beneath that calm surface, tension simmered.
Then—Aoi moved.
Whoosh—
He shot forward like a streak of black lightning.
At the same time, he dribbled the ball behind his back.
He dropped low like a crouching panther, aiming to break through on Maki's right.
Maki's eyes sharpened. Like a hawk ready to strike, he moved instantly.
But the moment he acted, a strange sense of unease swept through him. No... if that was all there was to it, it wouldn't mean anything. So what's his real plan?
With that thought, Maki instinctively slowed his step to the left.
As expected—midway through the right drive, Aoi's heel twisted hard. He spun his whole body with the ball, switching direction and cutting to Maki's left.
Maki reacted fast, shifted his weight, and blocked Aoi again.
But Aoi wasn't done.
After being stopped, he immediately went into a between-the-legs crossover. Smooth and fluid, he moved the ball back to his right side.
This time, though, Aoi didn't go for another drive. He suddenly leapt backward, rising high into the air.
One hand held the ball steady. He aimed at the rim, ready to shoot.
Maki had just tried to shift his balance left during that crossover. Before he could finish adjusting, Aoi was already mid-air with the shot.
Maki gritted his teeth. He forced his body to stop its momentum and leapt hard, trying to block the shot.
Whoosh—
Aoi released the ball without hesitation.
Maki extended his arm, wide like a massive fan, and swatted at the ball.
On Shohoku's bench, everyone's eyes went wide in shock. They looked like they were seeing the impossible.
Kainan's players, on the other hand, lit up with joy.
The crowd gasped. The gym exploded into chaos. No one could believe their eyes.
In front of everyone, Maki successfully blocked Aoi's shot.
Silence fell over the court.
Everyone was stunned.
"No way! Maki actually blocked Aoi Kunisaku's shot!"
"That was so fast! I couldn't even follow the ball. How did he defend that?"
"That back-and-forth was insane. I barely saw anything, but damn, that was hype!"
...
Over at Kainan—
Jin Soichiro's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Amazing. That's our captain Maki!"
Kiyota Nobunaga let out a big sigh of relief, then broke into a wild grin, laughing so hard he bent over. "Hahaha! Captain Maki's the best! That guy finally got shut down—so satisfying!"
Coach Takato Riki fanned himself calmly, a deeply pleased look on his face.
At Shohoku's bench—
Everyone looked shaken.
Kogure Kiminobu's teeth even trembled slightly. "Oh man… to block that crazy fast dribble, no wonder they call him the emperor."
Ayako stared in disbelief. "That's the first time I've seen Aoi's shot get blocked. It's unreal…"
Yasuda Yasuharu frowned. "If this keeps up, we're in trouble."
But Shimizu Kanon stayed calm. Her expression was still and quiet, like none of this had anything to do with her.
She wasn't surprised that Aoi's shot got stopped. It was almost like she'd expected it.
What did surprise her was how fast Maki had managed to do it. He shut down the shot even earlier than she'd predicted.
I thought they'd need a bit more time to clash head-on, she thought. A hint of admiration crossed her eyes as she looked at Maki.
After all, she had grown up playing basketball alongside Aoi. She knew exactly how hard his shots near the rim were to defend.
For Maki to block it—it could only mean he had the strength to match.