Once again, Shigure Akihito stood face to face with Fukaya Reiji.
After Reiji's last offensive burst, Shigure could clearly feel it, his aura had grown heavier, stronger, far more intense than before.
Even the first-years watching from the sidelines could feel it…
Fukaya Reiji's focus,
His eyes, his movements, it was like watching a silent beast.
Smack!
The ball in Shigure Akihito's hands hit the floor with a sharp thud.
"Nice look in your eyes…"
"Reiji."
Aside from Nijimura Shuzo, Shigure hadn't felt this kind of thrill from a single offensive-defensive exchange in a long time!
The very instant the ball rebounded, Shigure moved, exploding into motion with lightning-fast instincts unleashed under his awakened wild instinct.
He bypassed Reiji's initial burst with ease!
A behind-the-back dribble,
Into a smooth crossover!
Fukaya Reiji,
Triggered his second burst!
Contact!
Disruption!
Reiji's eyes locked onto Shigure's every move. Their clash, though brief, ignited with intensity in just a few seconds!
Boom! Boom!
But then,
Right after the double burst…
Shigure didn't give Reiji the slightest window to recover or launch another skill.
Abrupt step-back!
It was swift, his form crisp, decisive, and agile!
Before anyone could even react, Shigure had already shaken off Reiji and unleashed a move that Aomine Daiki had been obsessively trying to master.
Technically, it was a hook shot,
But to Aomine, it was the formless shot.
Every eye in the gym followed that moment, transfixed.
And at the same time…
They noticed Reiji trying to unleash a third burst, but his legs wobbled, his strength faltering.
He failed.
"…The moment I got here,"
"You could no longer stop me, Reiji."
So,
The failed third burst?
It no longer mattered.
Whoosh!
Behind-the-back dribble,
Crossover!
Reversed hook shot!
[Reversed Hook Shot]: Executed during a crossover sequence, the player uses the momentum to spin back and launch a hook shot.
And he did it,
With his left hand.
Palm gripping the ball single-handedly, body turned sideways,
He swung it upward in one fluid motion!
Swish!
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Fukaya Reiji: "…"
Monster.
Shigure Akihito.
Haa…
Reiji took a deep breath.
As he suspected, just two consecutive bursts weren't enough.
But still…
That shot just now,
Was that really… a hook?
No.
That was just a single hand,
Casually flinging the ball.
"…Seriously?"
"He scored like that?"
No matter how many times he watched it, Aomine couldn't wrap his head around it. The most outrageous part?
Shigure had used his left hand this time!
No aiming.
He just gripped the ball with one hand…
Lifted it and launched,
A loose swing, like a flick.
The arc, the spin, it wasn't even elegant.
But every time Aomine had seen that move…
It always went in.
The first-years,
Stared with their mouths agape.
Even Midorima Shintarō frowned deeply.
Shigure's offensive choices were always beyond expectations.
Instead of using his superior speed and stamina to control the tempo, he arrogantly met Reiji's burst head-on…
And won.
Then, even after creating space beautifully,
Instead of using what Midorima considered the nation's strongest shooting form,
He tossed it, like a joke, from that far out.
"…"
But the ball went in.
And that, left Midorima speechless.
On the other end,
Nijimura Shuzo, who knew Shigure best, understood perfectly.
That kind of reckless-looking choice?
That was Shigure Akihito at full power.
When he hadn't yet entered some even crazier state…
That shot just now,
Was the fastest,
The most space-creating,
And the hardest to defend.
In fact,
It was even more threatening than his step-back fadeaway.
But more than anything…
Shigure was blessed.
That range, Nijimura thought, might even extend beyond the three-point line…
That sideways hook-like fling…
Wherever he threw it,
It just landed.
Elite athleticism, reaction speed, control over his body, and that overwhelming desire to crush his opponent, Shigure Akihito had it all.
Nijimura casually glanced at the surrounding first-years.
Some looked grim.
Some pretended not to care.
Some were excited.
Some even looked eager to jump in.
But none of them,
Showed the slightest fear or hesitation.
Seeing this, Nijimura paused for a moment, then smiled.
As first-years, they were clearly skilled.
But if they wanted to stay on this court longer, they'd have to compete against the reigning king.
Of course,
They'd have to beat me too
Heh.
What a tough draw, being a Teiko first-year.
Spending so much time around Shigure Akihito, Nijimura couldn't help but smirk mischievously.
…
The current score…
2:0.
And the pace didn't slow down.
Reiji's explosive offense after receiving the ball, and Shigure's relentless head-on assault,
Caused this five-point match to escalate rapidly.
Shigure Akihito,
Block!
Offense,
Ultra deep three-pointer!
Score!
Shigure Akihito,
Block again!
Offense,
Special move: Freeze Frame!
Break ankles!
Score!
Shigure Akihito,
Steal!
Offense,
Drive!
In the paint, Hammer of Destruction!
In a flash,
5:0.
And the entire Miracle Generation backup squad,
Was shocked senseless.
Murasakibara Atsushi, seeing the "Hammer of Destruction" again, crushed his snack stick in one hand.
Midorima, witnessing the ultra-deep three, grew visibly serious.
Akashi, watching Shigure's "Freeze Frame" ankle-breaker on Reiji, widened his normally placid eyes in surprise.
Aomine felt itchy not seeing more formless shots, but also carefully planned when to schedule his next 1v1 with Shigure.
As for Haizaki and Kuroko…
One muttered "boring," but hadn't looked away for even a second.
The other clutched the ball nervously, watching his exhausted, sweat-drenched senior Reiji still charging ahead without hesitation, and felt heartbroken for him.
He even wondered…
Had his weak passes dragged his senpai down?
"5:0…"
"Reiji."
"…Yeah."
"But…"
"You started with the ball, Shigure. I… still get one last shot."
Watching Reiji's strained breathing after just five possessions, Shigure knew,
That back-to-back burst ability came with a price.
Just like world-class sprinters, those ten seconds of brilliance…
Would always be followed by gasping breaths and drenched shirts.
Even if the final shot went in, it wouldn't matter.
This match was about momentum.
And right now, at this moment,
He'd already won.
But,
Looking at Reiji before him…
You can't beat me.
Those five simple words,
Shigure just couldn't say them out loud.
Meanwhile,
Nijimura hesitated.
He took a step forward, then stopped when he met Reiji's eyes, but eventually, he still acted.
Even if Reiji wouldn't accept his strength…
At the very least,
Help him use his strength to the fullest.
"Akashi."
Akashi Seijūrō: "?"
"You're the one leading the external matches, right? With Reiji as captain?"
"That's right."
"Then…"
"For the final ball, switch in for Kuroko."
"You'll pass to Reiji."
"…"
"Yes, Captain."
"Akashi, your vision and passing are excellent…"
"Sync with his breathing, his movements, even his eyes… control the spin… anticipate his fakes…"
Nijimura rattled off rapid-fire advice.
"Passing belongs to the point guard's domain. Make sure the ball reaches the most comfortable position for the scorer."
"Remember, Akashi, "
"A perfect pass…"
"Can extend…"
"A scorer's life."
"I'm counting on you."
"I hope you'll be the brain, and heart, of this generation."
Akashi Seijūrō: "!"
"I…"
"I understand, Captain Nijimura."
Akashi clenched his fists, leaving the first-year squad and stepping solemnly onto the edge of the court where Shigure and Reiji stood.
"Kuroko."
"Let me handle this one."
On the court,
Fukaya Reiji's final shot.
With his back to Shigure, he pulled the tie from his hair, letting it fall loose around his eyes again.
"Akashi… That guy Nijimura…"
"…He said a lot, didn't he?"
"He's always like that. Cold on the outside…"
"But he really takes care of people."
"But still…"
"Don't pay too much attention to my eyes. I won't give any signals, just pass like you always do."
Akashi nodded in understanding.
Fukaya-senpai…
Such a fierce pride.
In this short match, Akashi had seen more than hunger, he saw a man whose pride burned like fire.
And yet…
That pride?
He shared it too.
"Passing…"
"That's my job."
"Senpai just needs to catch it, "
"And make the shot."
Reiji blinked.
"…You're right."
"I just need to make the shot!"
Boom!
On the court,
Reiji's positioning mirrored his earlier moves, but this time, as Shigure circled around to front him,
He changed his approach!
Exhausted and drenched, Reiji had already used up his double burst just asking for the ball!
Boom! Boom!
Swaying…
As the wind lifted his bangs,
Akashi's eyes flashed!
Swoosh!
Now!
The ball left his hands with a sharp crack of air, a tremendous pass, like a martial arts master unleashing a shocking punch!
The force,
Was incredible.
Akashi: "…"
It's fine.
Reiji's instant catch-and-shoot is flawless. He'll handle it.
Then,
Accelerate!
Smack!
Reiji caught the pass without flinching!
Instead of breaking down with dribble work, he used the ball's rotation and power to launch directly into a shot!
From catch,
To raise,
Inhumanly fast, like it was driven by an outside force.
"…Pity, though…"
"This shot won't land."
Facing the surge of wild instinct, rapid footwork, and onrushing contest,
For the first time, Reiji smiled.
The first five shots…
All choices.
All bursts.
And now,
Everything he'd fought to learn from this monster.
"Shigure… what do you think…"
"…Is the easiest thing to learn from you?"
"This move, "
"Let's call it…"
Ultimate Shadow.
Though Reiji was mid-shot,
His voice reached Shigure's ears.
Turning his head,
A blur of motion passed beside him, Reiji!
Before him, the image faded, a phantom.
A skill of Shigure's own!
Like Sendō Akira or Himuro Tatsuya, a fake indistinguishable from the real.
Ultimate Shadow!
Smack!
Land!
Spin,
Fujima Kenji: Special Move – Green Light!
Sudden acceleration!
Kiyota Nobunaga: Monkey Step!
Closed in again!
But at the point of contact, even Reiji's third burst…
Was still slower.
Much slower than Green Light.
But this burst,
Was purely for body control!
Boom!
In midair, using the contact to shift momentum, Reiji drifted toward the right side of the rim.
Falling…
Flicking the ball upward from below…
Even with Wild Instinct closing in from behind,
The distance…
Was perfect.
This shot!
Then,
Reiji released it off the contact.
In that frozen moment, as Shigure's hand loomed behind him,
Swipe, !
Just grazed the ball!
Boom! Boom!
Both of them, Shigure and Reiji, crashed outside the baseline!
Through the transparent acrylic of the backboard, they both watched,
As the ball bounced on the rim…
Clang,
Clang,
Swish!
It dropped in!
Thump-thump,
Thump-thump,
The ball rolled to a stop at Reiji's feet as he sat slumped on the floor.
"Haa…"
Sitting there, hands braced on his knees,
Fukaya Reiji lowered his head,
Then suddenly raised his arms and roared.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Coach Takeuchi…
I…
Didn't stop at "yesterday."
I waited,
And that "moment"… finally came!
This,
This is the moment I fell in love with basketball.
End of chapter...
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