In his past life, Shigure Akihito had developed the bad habit of mimicking NBA-style trash talk from his days on the local street courts. Now, fueled by adrenaline and excitement, those instincts flared up, and the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it.
Because he remembered all too well…
Nijimura Shuzo wasn't just a skilled baller, he was also a master of karate. And the very person who had once tamed Haizaki, that unruly beast, like a well-trained pup.
Just thinking about Haizaki's nasty personality…
Who knew what kind of torment he'd suffered under Shuzo's hand to end up so tame?
One thing was certain,
It couldn't have been a pleasant experience.
Shigure had no intention of finding out firsthand.
So immediately afterward, he flashed Shuzo what he thought was a friendly, disarming smile, hoping to win him over with warmth and charm.
But he could've never guessed…
In Shuzo's eyes, that smile only amplified the provocation.
Shigure: "…"
Uh-oh.
Why does it feel like Shuzo's glare just got way more intense?
…
After scoring, Shigure passed the ball back.
Now it was Shuzo's turn on offense, and it was plain to see: he was hungry to score.
A fake shot from the triple-threat stance, followed by a flurry of jab steps.
Shigure's scalp tingled.
On paper, the moves looked simple. But the way Shuzo executed them was surgical, predatory, even. Technically speaking, his skill level was terrifying.
Shigure defended cautiously. He'd originally planned to rely on his 'steal' attribute to challenge Shuzo, but that was laughable now, the guy wasn't giving him any room to even get close!
His timing was flawless to the millisecond.
Every time Shigure tried to inch forward,
Boom! A jab step knocked him right back.
Each move was lightning-fast, deceptively real.
Shigure didn't dare go for a steal, but he also couldn't backpedal too far, if he gave up too much space, Shuzo would bait him with a fake and shoot over him without mercy.
For a tense stretch of seconds,
Shigure was frozen in place.
Pinned by Shuzo's relentless pressure, doing everything he could to maintain a razor-thin balance between driving and shooting threat.
But somehow…
He managed to hang in there.
Shuzo's sharp eyes scanned Shigure, never letting up.
His terrifying offense from the triple-threat position was thanks to two things, painstaking observation and countless reps on the rough blacktops. It was the product of pure experience.
As for Shigure,
Even with his excellent attributes and several signature "dunk game" skills under his belt, those moves still felt too game-like in nature.
His Mochizuki stepback was powerful.
His soft-standing three-pointer was silky.
And the other skills he'd unlocked? All strong.
But they were static.
Rigid.
As a real player, Shigure still had gaping holes in his fundamentals, his core technique largely propped up by his memories from his past life.
Like now, when the battle came down to defensive finesse and micro-movements…
Just then,
Shuzo's eyes narrowed. He caught a subtle flaw in Shigure's stance.
Heh.
Still grinning now?
Shigure Akihito!
A small feint to the right, then a lightning-fast crossover, pulling the ball behind his back into his left hand.
Smack!
A sudden drive, then a hard stop!
Shigure's expression changed in an instant.
[Full-Speed Drive: Fueled by the will to win, allows for explosive acceleration (off-ball)]
After being momentarily "frozen," Shigure activated his Tomokazu Godayo: Full-Speed Drive and managed to keep up.
But truthfully, he was already on the back foot.
Smack…
Smack…
Smack…
Shuzo's ball control was wide-ranging and fluid, every move polished and purposeful.
Left-handed cross-step.
Half-spin.
Switch hands.
Through the legs.
Front-body drag into a lateral crossover!
Shigure, now reactive and out of position, was tossed around by Shuzo's dazzling footwork. His center of gravity teetered dangerously until, BAM!, his heels almost skidded out from under him.
Shuzo's specialty…
Was inserting brutal physical contact right into his super-finesse moves. The clash looked violent, but the control was surgical.
Shigure nearly fell flat, but his attributes bailed him out just in time, allowing him to barely stay upright.
Still, from this compromised stance, there was no way he could stop Shuzo's next move.
The moment Shigure lost balance, Shuzo surged toward the paint without hesitation.
His black hair flared behind him,
, blazing past Shigure like a shadow.
Boom, !
He charged the rim.
And exploded into the air!
But,
Even if Shigure couldn't stop Shuzo's drive…
That didn't mean he couldn't contest the finish, especially one that required hang-time, like a dunk!
Monkey Step!
Followed by, Aerial Block!
[Kiyota Nobunaga: Monkey Step , A nimble, forward-pouncing motion that allows a massive leap in stride]
[Kiyota Nobunaga: Aerial Block , Exceptional vertical leap for a high-flying block, as if soaring through the air]
A chained combo block!
Shigure instantly closed the distance Shuzo had opened with his drive!
Then,
Ignition!
His aerial block launched him like a missile, altitude and reaction time spiking to an absurd level, leaving everyone in the gym slack-jawed!
Smack!
Under everyone's stunned gaze,
Shigure slapped the ball against the glass with raw force!
Thud!
And the momentum carried him forward,
Slamming Shuzo into the backboard post in a near wall-pin.
Then…
As adrenaline surged through him, his old trash-talking habit came flaring back.
"Haven't eaten today?"
"Even a grasshopper jumps higher than you!"