After Aomine slipped past Nijimura's volleyball-style block, on the other side Shigure Akihito seized the rebound with blinding speed, carried by the surge of his Green Light state, and sprinted down the court like a gale!
At first glance, there was no one before him.
Yet Shigure still ran with wild abandon, the air splitting into a humming roar in his ears. With every step, he felt a joy so sharp it bordered on euphoria.
He could sense it clearly, deeply—whether it was the cheers from the crowd or the stunned looks from his opponents, it all lifted him higher. As long as he remained on the court, he felt as if he could step into a deeper, boundless world of basketball.
Not the shallow thrill of crushing a weaker rival, nor the fleeting joy of being chased by a stronger one, this joy was something different. It blurred the lines between past satisfactions and drew him into a new, purer focus.
It made his offense, his defense, everything about his game, sharper and more devoted.
And then
Crackle
Zap
Bang!
Without realizing it, faint streaks of black lightning flickered across Shigure's eyes. Though it lasted only an instant, it was enough to make Coach Shirogane rise abruptly to his feet on the sidelines.
"Impossible…!?"
That boy, who once, upon joining the team, didn't care for winning or losing—who only sought to humiliate whoever stood before him, to wring out 120% of his strength and revel in the raw pleasure of domination…
Had already come this far?
It was too sudden.
So sudden that it shattered every plan Shirogane had prepared for him.
"Good… yes, Shigure…"
"This is it. This is the key."
"The instant you recognize your love for basketball itself."
With your talent…
When that day comes, you'll awaken the hidden potential buried within, rising to a dimension far beyond mere results or records.
On court
The black lightning vanished from Shigure's eyes as quickly as it appeared.
Yet his heightened focus, merged with his primal ferocity, turned the already-powerful Mammoth into something even faster, sharper!
Whoosh!
Kotaro Hayama had just lowered his stance to defend when
Shigure was already gone.
"What!?" Hayama's eyes widened.
So fast!
It's already the fourth quarter, and he still has this much left in him!?
The coach of Chōgen swallowed hard, panic flashing across his face. "Don't just stand there! Defend! DEFEND!!" he shouted, barking at his players.
But his mind too was clouded—dazed by Shigure's lone charge that looked set to tear through his entire defense, forgetting for a moment the true limits of his players' strength.
Could they really stop that kind of speed, just because he ordered it?
Whoosh!
Like a spring wound to its limit, Shigure shot forward, light and unstoppable, cutting through Hayama first, then breaking past Chōgen's entire line with ease.
One man, two men—gone.
In a blink, he was already in the paint.
By now, every defender was far behind him.
Bang!
The arena's eyes locked onto him as he soared, executing a perfect Flying Tomahawk dunk. The rim shuddered, the sound echoing as he swung forward, suspended in the afterglow of his leap.
In that instant, everyone in the stands looked at him as if at a god.
Landing, Shigure remained composed, face calm, even as Chōgen's players flinched instinctively when he passed by, their bodies shivering against their will.
Even Kotaro Hayama could not suppress a complicated look.
From the audience seats, Reo Mibuchi broke his silence at last, muttering, "This Shigure Akihito… scores, and says nothing… tch, what's with this 'mysterious expert' act…"
"Tch!"
"Monster…"
"For Chōgen, that's probably the final straw breaking the camel's back…"
Unlike Reo's slightly sour complaint, the crowd held nothing back, roaring Shigure's name with fervor.
Some cheered for Nijimura's earlier block as well, but soon that applause was drowned out by the tidal wave chanting Shigure's.
And as though a stone had been dropped into still waters, after the storm of "Shigure!" came another ripple—the resounding cheer for the "Champion Teiko!"
"…Amazing…"
On the court, Aomine Daiki muttered, unsure if his awe was for the atmosphere itself, or for Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo, who were unleashing all their power in this final quarter.
His tone carried half excitement, half envy.
Midorima Shintarō remained silent, but those watching closely noticed his eyes subtly flicker across the crowd, scanning with a searching gaze.
On Teiko's bench
"Victory is beyond doubt."
Akashi Seijūrō, who had started the game as usual and then subbed out alongside Haizaki Shōgo and Kurokami Shinji after halftime, spoke calmly, his role as captain completed with unwavering composure.
Beside him, Haizaki's sharp instincts caught something.
The moment Akashi's words fell, his eyes—normally warm, flashed with sudden, overwhelming dominance.
A tide of aura surged forth, suffocating, absolute.
Though Akashi quickly returned to his polite smile upon noticing Haizaki's gaze, Haizaki knew he hadn't imagined it.
"What's wrong?"
"Haizaki?"
Haizaki Shōgo frowned slightly, lips curling.
This guy…
He's strange too.
Or rather, the whole of Teiko—every single one of them, are monsters.
"It's nothing. I've just rested enough, and I want to take Aomine's spot now."
He paused, eyes narrowing at Akashi.
"And another thing"
Monster or not…
I am one too.
"With that kind of suffocating aura, don't think we can all just get along, Akashi. Even if you're the point guard, it doesn't matter. That starting position"
"One of them will be mine!"
For a split second, Akashi froze. Then, as always, his lips curved into a gentle smile.
"Haizaki-kun…"
"I won't lose."
Haizaki snorted coldly.
Hmph.
Pretender.
That hunger Nijimura the Berserker once spoke of—it's already bleeding through in the aura you just revealed. You two-faced pretender!
END OF CHAPTER
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