Tweet—
The Referee's sharp whistle rang out.
Kainan called for a Timeout.
The momentum had flipped so fast, like a sudden storm. It caught everyone off guard.
Takato Riki had no choice but to call for a pause.
He had been calm and in control at first. But now, Aoi Kunisaku's overwhelming power—especially that "Wild Instinct" that surpassed even Maki Shinichi—had completely disrupted his plans.
Huff… ha… huff… ha… huff… ha…
The Kainan players walked off the court, panting hard.
Sweat rolled down their faces like broken strings of pearls.
But their exhaustion wasn't just physical. It came from the crushing pressure deep inside them.
Aoi Kunisaku stood like an immovable mountain in front of them. His presence alone was suffocating.
Even worse, Maki's repeated setbacks against Aoi had put them all on edge. They couldn't relax for a moment. Mental fatigue spread like a flood.
Takato's expression had lost all trace of his early confidence.
His brows were furrowed, his face heavy. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to shut Aoi down.
What could they do?
…
Shohoku's Bench.
"Good work." As always, Shimizu Kanon greeted Aoi the moment he stepped off, handing him a towel and water. Her voice was soft, her smile gentle.
Aoi's lips curved into a grin. He took the water and tilted his head back, chugging it like he could gulp down his fatigue.
"It's been a while since I've seen Saku-chan like this," Kanon murmured. Her eyes sparkled, her words holding hidden meaning.
Aoi knew what she meant. He answered, "Yeah. The opponent's not bad. Hope he can keep it up."
Coach Anzai silently observed Aoi. The look behind his glasses was deep. No one could guess what he was thinking.
The Timeout ended quickly.
Kainan returned to the court. Their edge had faded slightly, but the fire in their eyes still burned.
The moment Maki received a Pass from a teammate, Aoi flashed in like a ghost. He blocked Maki immediately. The two locked up again.
Aoi looked like a starving beast. His blue eyes pierced straight through Maki.
But Maki didn't back down. His eyes held firm.
For an instant, it was like lightning cracked between them. Their glares collided midair. The pressure shook the space around them.
Neither moved for a long time. The tension was razor sharp.
Suddenly, Maki pushed off and whipped the ball sideways, passing cleanly to Muto Tadashi.
"…Huh?" Aoi's pupils shrank. Surprise flickered across his face.
He hadn't expected Maki to avoid direct combat and pass the ball.
Aoi's expression darkened. His voice dripped with annoyance. "What, is that all you've got?"
Maki stayed calm. Instead of getting angry, he smiled. "I admit, I'm no match for you. But that doesn't mean Kainan will lose."
Heh…
Aoi chuckled coldly. "Don't tell me you're gonna say the whole 'what one man can't do, a team can' thing."
Maki didn't respond. But the resolve in his eyes said it all.
Heh-hah…
Aoi's grin widened, but his gaze turned sharp as ice. "So I've been underestimated. That pisses me off."
In an instant, his eyes went freezing cold. His presence grew heavier, like it could erupt any second.
On the other side, Muto Tadashi moved into Attack the moment he caught the ball.
As soon as he stepped into the paint, Miyagi Ryota rushed over like the wind, blocking him firmly.
Muto decided to rely on his height and go for a forced Shot.
ROAR—
A roar, like it came from a prehistoric beast, exploded beside Muto's ear.
The sound carried a strange force. His body froze mid-Shot. Goosebumps shot up his arms. Cold climbed from his feet to his skull.
Before he could recover, a hand as fast as lightning swiped the ball from his hands.
"What… was that just now?" Muto's face went pale. He turned his head slowly, shaken.
All he saw was the back of Shohoku's number 9 jersey.
But that terrifying aura still lingered in his head like a scar burned onto his soul.
Kainan got the ball stolen again.
Aoi charged forward with the ball. But just as he reached Half-Court, Maki stood tall in his path like an unbreakable wall.
Aoi glanced at Maki's firm stance and burning eyes. His mouth curled into a smile full of meaning. He whispered, "I see… so this is the pride of a king."
Hmph…
Aoi scoffed, voice laced with disdain. "A mad dog's still just a mad dog."
Right as he said that, Aoi vanished past Maki's face like a gust of wind.
Maki's expression twisted. Panic flashed in his eyes, but he had expected this. He turned without hesitation and gave chase with everything he had.
He knew he had to catch Aoi before he took the Shot. That was his duty as Captain. Kainan's lead depended on it.
He clenched his teeth. His legs moved like springs, pumping fast as he sprinted after him.
But no matter how hard he pushed, the gap never closed.
Then, just as Aoi stepped into Kainan's paint and leapt for a Dunk, Maki's legs tensed. Like a spring coiled to its limit, he burst forward like a cannonball.
In that one desperate leap, Maki finally managed to close the distance.
He stretched his arms high, trying to Block Aoi from behind and stop the certain score.
But the next second, Maki's eyes widened in shock.
Aoi's perfect Dunk form suddenly shifted. He yanked the ball back and hunched his body forward—
Because of the sudden shift in movement, Aoi Kunisaku's lower back slammed hard into Maki Shinichi's chest.
Aoi held the ball in his right hand, quickly brought it down, then reached it out from under Maki's armpit from behind. He gently flicked his wrist, sending the ball flying with a push of his fingers.
The ball rose up behind Maki, first soaring over his head, then even past Aoi's own head, forming an incredible arc in midair before landing perfectly in the hoop.
Swish…
The net trembled lightly.
Basket in.
Tweet…
Right then, the sharp whistle pierced the noise of the court.
The referee pointed at Maki and called out, "Kainan Number 4, Defensive Foul. Basket counts. One Free Throw."
Maki wiped the sweat from his forehead, frowning so hard his brows formed a deep crease.
"What a monster… I still couldn't block that? This is really bad." He cursed to himself.
Kainan's situation grew more dangerous.
Swish…
Aoi stepped up for the Free Throw. The ball arced through the air and fell clean through the net.
Shohoku 44 to 44 Kainan.
The score was finally tied.
Boom—
The crowd exploded. The energy reached a fever pitch.
To the spectators, the tie was a thrill. They loved neck-and-neck battles full of suspense.
But to the Kainan players, the situation felt like a mountain pressing down on their chests. It was hard to breathe.
The lead they worked so hard to build was erased just like that.
They were already drained from intense play and mental strain. Now their nerves were pushed to the limit. It felt like they might snap any second.
Maki's face still looked calm and composed, but his heart was in turmoil.
Time ticked by. Every second felt like torture.
The tide on court tilted more and more toward Shohoku. Aoi Kunisaku, like a fully awakened black panther, tore through the game with unstoppable force. Kainan could barely breathe.
Maki, who had once managed to barely hold his own, now looked more like a helpless hunting dog cowering with its tail between its legs before a true predator.
Fear spread across the faces of Kainan's players. They stared wide-eyed at Aoi, eyes filled with dread and disbelief.
It was like they saw a ghost.
No—it was more like they were staring at a beast.
A wild beast?
A panther?
A black panther?
Aoi Kunisaku was like a predator at the top of the food chain, exuding a terrifying aura. If anyone dared approach, they felt like they'd be shredded in an instant.
Anyone on Kainan's defense who tried to block Aoi either got blown past by his speed and footwork or fouled him in a panic.
The players were suffering. The pressure was crushing them like a rising tide.
Inside the paint—
Kiyota Nobunaga, full of frustration, charged forward in a flash of stubborn pride, trying to stop Aoi's Shot.
But Aoi twisted in midair, showing insane flexibility and control. He pulled back and launched the ball at a weird, unnatural angle that looked impossible for the human body.
The ball sailed in an eerie arc.
Swish—nothing but net.
And another and-one.
Kiyota stood frozen, stunned, and mentally defeated.
In Kainan's paint again—
Aoi leapt high, going for a vicious Dunk. Takasago Kazuma reacted fast, jumped to meet him, and swiped his arms like spinning wheels toward the ball.
But Aoi shifted sideways in the air and changed the Shot angle in a flash.
Takasago missed completely. His hand slapped Aoi's arm in a panic.
Aoi stayed steady in the air, flicked his fingers—another clean basket.
Tweet…
The ref's whistle blew again.
"Kainan Number 5, Hitting the Arm. Basket counts. One Free Throw."
Another and-one for Aoi. Shohoku extended their lead even further.
On the sideline, Takato Riki could no longer sit still.
His whole strategy had been simple—have Maki avoid going one-on-one with Aoi and help the team find other paths to score.
But reality slapped him hard.
That plan crumbled like wet paper in front of Aoi.
It did nothing.
Takato stared at Aoi in horror and awe, a chill running through him. "What kind of player is this…?"
In all his years of coaching, he'd never seen anyone like Aoi.
Aoi was stronger than Maki. He moved like lightning. His Drives sliced through defenders like they weren't there. His style had no pattern, no rules. It wasn't tactics—it was instinct.
Aoi played purely on feel, tearing through the court like a beast.
He was terrifying.
The game kept rolling forward in a tense, high-stakes rhythm.
And on the scoreboard, Shohoku started pulling ahead fast.
It was like Shohoku flipped a switch. They suddenly exploded with energy. Kainan was pinned down and couldn't get up.
The score gap widened as if pulled open by an invisible hand.
But now, Shohoku was in control.
50 to 46.
56 to 48.
60 to 50.
…
Only 3 minutes had passed in the second half.
And everything had flipped.
Shohoku had gone from being 10 points behind Kainan…
…to leading by 10 points.
It was a complete shock.
No one had expected this.