Courtside.
Atsushi Murasakibara blinked in confusion, letting out a puzzled, "Eh?"
Meanwhile, Shōgo Haizaki was far from pleased that Shigure Akihito had just given a "special lesson" to an idiot like Murasakibara. Scowling, he turned his head and glared sharply at the still-bewildered giant.
The poison tongue went to work.
"You're the kind of guy who wouldn't get it, right?"
"Idiot!"
Haizaki's sarcasm snapped Murasakibara out of his daze. He frowned, still replaying that spinning move in his head, and replied absentmindedly, "You're the idiot, Haichan~."
Haizaki: "?"
He had expected Murasakibara to say something along the lines of, "Careful, or I'll crush you," but instead he got a childishly petulant comeback.
For a moment, Haizaki's irritation had nowhere to go.
"Yeah, yeah, sure," he muttered, curling his lip and imitating Shigure's mocking tone.
"Not that it matters…"
"You still wouldn't be able to pull it off."
Tch!
That monster-like move wasn't just a matter of skill anymore. Even if someone else tried to copy it, they couldn't match Shigure's freakish speed.
On the other bench, Assistant Coach Naoto Sanada cast a glance at Murasakibara.
Everyone knew his weakness — without question, it was technique.
Whether it was boxing out, finishing a shot, or footwork, Murasakibara's game was almost identical to Nagayoshi from the opposing team — entirely built on raw strength.
In fact, he had something Nagayoshi didn't: superior height.
His talent… was all body, body, and more body.
That's why his technical shortcomings weren't surprising — pure physical ability alone was already enough for him to crush not just his peers, but even his seniors.
Take the "Hammer of Destruction" he'd learned from Shigure.
Brutal, straightforward offense — devastatingly effective.
But clearly…
Shigure expected more from Murasakibara.
After all, although Shigure was called a "Technician," he rarely gave such direct technical guidance to teammates — probably because even if they learned, they could never execute it at his level.
Perhaps…
Sanada glanced at Fukaya Reiji on the court.
Perhaps in that match's final moments, when Reiji managed to pull off the "Ultimate Shadow" he'd stolen from Shigure, it made Shigure realize that others could learn his techniques.
On the court.
It was Ibu's turn on offense.
After witnessing Shigure's attack just moments ago, Nagayoshi's expression darkened instantly.
In his eyes, that kind of finesse-based offense was nothing short of a betrayal of the "Church of Muscle." For someone like him — who had once deeply respected Shigure's understanding of muscle — it was unacceptable.
However…
He also knew.
His current muscles weren't yet enough to crush this opponent.
Not a problem of muscle…
But of time.
He needed more time to forge his body into a true weapon.
We're a team. If you can't do it alone, don't force it. Relying on your teammates is also part of basketball.
Even I need everyone's support… because Teiko is strong.
His captain's words from before the game echoed in his ears.
The captain had done it.
And now…
He needed that support to let his muscles shine at full power.
Near the free-throw line, Captain Inomaru slammed his shoulder into Shigure, then quickly cut into the paint, setting a solid screen for Nagayoshi.
Bang!
The collision of muscle.
Kurokami Shinji was stopped dead behind Inomaru's massive frame.
"Muscle!"
"Muscle! Muscle!"
Face grim and eyes sharp, Nagayoshi caught the pass. Without a shred of technique, he stepped straight into his attack zone, sprang upward, and folded both arms back, his muscles coiling like steel cables.
"Muscle Dunk!"
On Ibu's bench
"What's going on? Nagayoshi's actually working with the captain this decisively?" The substitutes exchanged strange looks. Judging from Nagayoshi's expression, there was clearly some weird anger mixed in. "And he looks… mad?"
It was surprising. After all, everyone knew that this muscle-obsessed maniac lived for 1-on-1 power plays, smashing through opponents with nothing but raw strength.
"No matter how you look at it…"
"This one's in the bag"
Or so they thought.
The words froze in their throats.
Because Shigure's suffocating, wide-range defense was already there, like a ghost that refused to leave.
"ngh…!"
The moment Shigure made contact with Nagayoshi's dunk attempt, he felt the surge of raw power behind it.
Fueled by a rage buff and an adrenaline spike, Nagayoshi's strength was clearly pushed to the limit.
But…
Wild!
Primal!
Akagi Takenori — Swat the Fly!
Bang!
Without warning, it was like two wild beasts clashing in the jungle. The crowd's thoughts froze for an instant under the shock of the collision.
When they snapped out of it, they were met with a jaw-dropping sight
Shigure, facing Nagayoshi's "Muscle Dunk," had met his opponent's full-force, two-handed slam with a single arm!
Their arms moved in a blur, muscles taut to the breaking point, the ball visibly warping under the strain.
Aerial battles are usually brief.
But in that moment…
Less than a second felt like slow motion.
The crowd could clearly see every detail of the clash.
Nagayoshi gave way first, his arms buckling as Shigure's brutal block forced his body off balance through the force transferred from the ball.
But unlike the earlier put-back dunk that sent him flying, this time Shigure was on defense and had to avoid invading Nagayoshi's cylinder — so aside from the clash through the ball, he kept his body contact to a minimum.
That…
Gave Nagayoshi a sliver of hope.
Driven by stubbornness
He forced the ball toward the rim!
Clang!
But a shot that's nearly stripped from your hands is never going to be accurate.
Not that it mattered
Just before his hands rattled the rim, the ball had already been swatted far away by Shigure, ripped clean from his grasp.
Thud!
Shigure landed smoothly.
Across from him
Step!
Step, step, step!
Nagayoshi staggered, but compared to being posterized and knocked out of bounds earlier, this time — thanks to having the offensive advantage — he at least looked better.
Even if he still stumbled back several steps.
The arena went silent.
Though it seemed drawn out in words, it had all happened in an instant. By the time the ball flew off from Shigure's block, the crowd hadn't even reacted.
A moment later
The stands erupted in excitement.
Thankyou everyone!!
Your continued support means everything. We've already made it through almost half of this journey together, and none of this would be possible without you.
Because of you, this story keeps moving forward, chapter after chapter, battle after battle. You're not just readers, you're part of the team that's keeping this dream alive.
We've come this far… now let's see it through to the very end. 🏆
Stay in the game, and let's cross that finish line together.
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