On the court.
The moment Reo Mibuchi lifted the ball, Reiji Fukaya moved in sync.
Balance.
Knees…
The angle of the bend, the depth.
The spacing…
The distance in defense.
At the instant a shooter raises the ball, the body always stiffens for a fraction of a second!
That's the timing to leap and block!
Reiji Fukaya: "...!"
Perfect!
I still have energy left to move!
In that instant, his mind was as calm and clear as a deep, still lake, flooding into his limbs as he moved.
Then
He sprung.
Whoosh!
His legs pushed off the floor, his whole body soared, eyes wide and locked in cold focus on the ball just within reach!
To everyone's shock, in his very first head-to-head clash against Mibuchi, Fukaya decisively forced him to stop, then delivered yet another block.
From the stands, just as Kasayuki Hagioka had predicted:
"Even his 'Void' got shut down in one breath."
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed. Mibuchi's shot was sealed by Fukaya!
Not far away, Akihito Shigure clenched a fist in excitement.
"Holy crap, that's insane! I knew it, Reiji's strength is easily on par with the Five Generals now!"
"…Uh."
Realizing he had just blurted out a curse, Shigure quickly glanced around, relieved to see that everyone's attention was fixed on Fukaya instead of him.
Teiko's counterattack.
As the ball was pushed forward, Fukaya's eyes met Shigure's.
"Pass it to me, Shigure."
Whoosh!
The pass came.
Ordinary, straightforward.
But the very moment Fukaya received it, he flowed with its momentum, instantly snapping into a behind-the-back crossover!
Then
Explosion!
In Mibuchi's widened eyes, his pupils shrank.
So fast!
Whoosh!
Breaking free, Fukaya immediately pulled up!
Swish!
"Whoa! Is Teiko dead set on trading threes in this match?!"
"Even against an opponent famed for three-pointers, the Five Generals, Teiko's stance is iron-hard!"
"Reiji Fukaya… what a monster!"
Mibuchi frowned slightly. A teammate brushed past him.
"Don't you think that guy's shooting form looks… a lot like yours?"
"Hah~?"
"Right? Looks similar, doesn't it?"
"Tch."
It only looked somewhat similar.
As a shooter, Mibuchi's style was one of a kind across the nation, and Fukaya was clearly not just a three-point specialist.
But still…
Compared to offense, the real key lay in defense.
"Not bad at all…"
"Even against attacks at my level, he still managed to shut me down."
Half-lidding his eyes, Mibuchi smirked.
"But if you think I only brought this much to fight Teiko with, you're gravely mistaken~"
"Everyone…"
"Give me even more support!"
Senzan's players:
"Of course, Captain! Attack without hesitation, leave all the support to us!"
…
"Unbelievable!"
"Back and forth offense from both sides!"
"A true shooter's duel!"
"But…"
"Compared to when he faced Midorima, the roles seem reversed now. Mibuchi's doing far more off-ball runs and using screens."
"And Fukaya's no pure spot-up shooter like Midorima—he's just as deadly inside the arc as he is outside."
"Seriously, this is insane, Teiko's Fukaya is actually a Five-General level player?!"
On court.
Watching the duel, Shigure confirmed in his heart:
For Mibuchi to rely on his teammates this heavily, it meant he had already drawn out every last card in his hand.
And even with all that support, Fukaya—using Burst and Final Shadow, was still matching him blow for blow.
Offense aside…
On defense, though Fukaya had foreknowledge from Shigure about the tricks behind "Heaven" and "Earth," his counter to "Void" came entirely from his own observation and analysis of Mibuchi's battle with Midorima.
That insight forced Mibuchi into leaning on teammates' screens to delay Fukaya's defense.
It worked
When Fukaya wasn't using Burst, screens could buy just enough time for "Heaven," "Earth," or "Void" to break through his defense.
But the problem was
While Burst drained stamina heavily, it was by no means fragile.
…
Second quarter begins.
"Here comes Mibuchi again!"
"Ohhh, how many times has he already pulled up from beyond the arc?"
"Senzan's offense still runs through Reo Mibuchi!"
But staring at Fukaya crashing through yet another screen with raw explosive power, Mibuchi's face tightened.
Reiji Fukaya…
This guy… is actually this strong?!
Not only could he counter both "Heaven" and "Earth" with precision defense, even "Void" was being denied head-on!
Now
The screen failed.
Should he switch to scoring with something other than threes…?
"…"
No.
"Little Midorima~ In a battle of threes, the moment you rely on something else, you've already lost."
The words Mibuchi once said to Midorima weren't mockery, but his deepest conviction.
For him, the three-pointer…
Was his sharpest spear.
His ultimate weapon!
That's why he had to decide victory with threes!
Because
Raising the ball in his hands…
He cannot retreat.
All his pride and dignity, he will stake on this shot!
And face him head-on…
Defeat him!
Thankyou everyone!!
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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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