The whistle signaling the end of the first half echoed through the court.
With Teiko's usual rotation, this meant one thing—Nebuya Eikichi's chance to keep dueling Shigure Akihito had just ended.
Because coming up next…
Was Teiko's all–first-year lineup.
But
Just as Nebuya Eikichi was feeling sour about that, the second half began… and to his surprise, Shigure Akihito was still on the court, now alongside four first-year Teiko players.
Only
His joy didn't last long. Because the Shigure Akihito who had played center against him in the first half… was now playing point guard.
"Huh?"
"He's a point guard now?"
"…"
"With Shigure Akihito's all-around skills and athleticism, he'd be one of the best in the country at any position. No need to be shocked about that."
The second half began with possession to Ibu Middle School.
Facing Shigure's defense, Ibu's point guard didn't dare relax. After the first half, he had a much clearer idea of what kind of monster he was dealing with.
He gave a quick signal to his teammates.
The next moment
Ibu's point guard sent the ball straight to their captain, Inomaru.
It was obvious this opening play had been carefully planned during halftime, because the instant Inomaru caught the ball, without a moment's hesitation, he lobbed it toward the rim.
A surprise alley-oop right out of the gate!
Under the basket
Nebuya Eikichi was matched up against Murasakibara Atsushi.
Nebuya: …Perfect pass!
Sure, it had a lot of zip on it
But with his muscles, this was an easy grab!
And with Shigure Akihito off playing point guard, there was no one in Teiko's paint who could possibly stop him…
Or so he thought.
Just as Nebuya was about to give Teiko a taste of his dominance
"…!?"
A surge of force came from the first-year kid behind him, just enough to make him hesitate.
Then came the sharp whoosh of someone leaping.
The figure behind him had absorbed the contact, and jumped up right alongside him.
It was then
When that purple-haired first-year spread his arms in the air
That Nebuya realized just how outrageous Teiko's first-year center's static physical gifts really were.
As a first-year, he was already taller than him. Compared to another 190-plus cm player like Kurokami Shinji, his wingspan was even longer, and his leap
When fully extended, the reach was downright terrifying!
And
Though his raw strength wasn't quite on Nebuya's level, it was still far beyond an ordinary big man.
Smack!
With a sharp crack, Murasakibara snatched the ball at its peak, not only breaking up the alley-oop but outright grabbing it with both hands mid-air, like plucking a melon.
"What?!"
"He stopped Nebuya Eikichi head-on?"
"And that reach… How long are his arms?"
"For his height, his reaction speed is pretty fast too…"
"He's really a first-year?"
"Hah?"
"You didn't know? All those guys in Teiko with crazy hair colors are first-years."
Nebuya: …
He glanced at the kid behind him, whose expression was even more pissed off than his own. The excitement of meeting a "kindred spirit" vanished instantly in mutual shock.
Then came the ice-cold jab:
"Your fault, you know~"
"Muscle gorilla~"
"You got me chewed out by senpai again, so now I'm gonna crush you~!"
Before Nebuya could retort, another dark-skinned first-year cut in,
"Murasakibara… according to the plan, this is my possession—"
But
Before Aomine could finish, the towering Murasakibara was already striding past him toward Ibu's half, purple hair flowing in the wind as his spoiled voice drifted back:
"I don't wanna~"
"Ao-chin~"
"This time it's mine…"
"I'm not losing in strength to that muscle gorilla~"
"So give me the ball, okay…"
"Shigure-senpai~!"
In an earlier match, Fukaya Reiji had told Murasakibara something about "pride."
Somehow, that had sparked a small shift in him—away from thinking summer Nationals were just exhausting and boring, and that basketball itself wasn't worth much.
No one knew what Reiji had said to him at halftime,
But now Murasakibara's fighting spirit… was blazing.
From Shigure's perspective, maybe Murasakibara would soon find his own answer about the "fun" of basketball.
Shigure: …
Reiji, that guy
He might not talk much, but compared to me, he's a real senpai.
Both Midorima and Murasakibara clearly respected him.
Teiko's offensive possession.
In Ibu's paint, Murasakibara posted up against Nebuya, shoving hard, but couldn't dislodge him like he usually did opponents. His expression darkened.
"Pass it!"
"Senpai!"
Whoosh!
The instant he called, Shigure—the consummate troublemaking playmaker—sent the ball right to him.
He was eager to see it too: the match-up between the muscle-trained Nebuya and the not-yet-fully-developed first-year Murasakibara.
From the short clash earlier, it still seemed Eikichi had the upper hand in raw strength.
A full year of specialized muscle training is no joke.
And when you can't back your man down, and you don't have finishing moves… what do you do?
With the set-up Shigure had given him in the first half,
Would Murasakibara end up like Nebuya—stuck unless he could bulldoze his way in
Or would he look for another way to break through?
If he could take even that first step, even without immediate success,
A shift in his basketball mindset could lead to a completely different future.
Just imagine
A future Murasakibara, 208 cm tall, combining strength, speed, and agility.
Hair flying
Pulling off a smooth "Dream Shake" in the paint.
Ah…
Now that would be a beautiful sight.
Thankyou everyone!!
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