Special Move: Showtime · Ball Separation.
First came the dazzling dribbles of Showtime—crossovers, behind-the-back, between-the-legs—rhythmic and unrelenting. Then, mid-dribble, Shigure suddenly spun, turning his back to the defender.
In that instant, he flicked the ball behind his opponent, disguising it as a behind-the-back pass, before accelerating into a sharp spin, chasing the ball down with lightning speed from behind.
Using the separation, the feint, and the misdirection, Shigure swept past Haizaki like autumn wind scattering fallen leaves.
From the sidelines, Aomine's eyes widened in disbelief.
Streetball?!
And not just a flashy trick—the kind of move that actually worked in real competition.
Haizaki didn't even have time to react!
"Don't think you're getting through me!"
Facing Shigure's sudden charge after blowing past Haizaki, Aomine squared his stance, eyes burning with excitement. But in the very next heartbeat, he met the same fate as Haizaki.
Special Move: Showtime · Ball Pull Separation.
Only a single word different from the last, yet the execution demanded an even greater finesse.
Again Shigure spun with his back to the defender, again he flicked the ball toward the space behind his opponent. Aomine lunged forward to cut him off—but froze in shock the next moment.
The spin… was a fake!
He had feinted left, but the true turn was to the right!
"What?!" Aomine's pupils shrank.
Impossible! Then what about the ball he sent behind me?! Did he just abandon it?
But before he could process it, Shigure's voice overlapped perfectly with the crisp sound of the ball being caught:
"I told you, it ends in an instant~"
Whoosh!
Aomine whipped his head around.
"..."
He caught it—at that position?!
The pass disguised as a flick had been subtly altered at the last moment. Hidden by the spin, Shigure had rotated the ball with precision so that upon hitting the floor, it bounced back in the opposite direction. Unless slowed frame by frame, even Aomine could never have noticed it.
From the second tier of the stands, Naoto Sanada could feel the difference. The rhythm of Shigure's dribbles, the speed of his movements—it wasn't just quick, it was a tempo wholly different from his opponents.
"...!" Sanada's breath caught.
He had never seen a player like this before.
When Shigure entered that flamboyant dribbling state, it wasn't merely speed, it was a constant rhythm—relentless, sustained. Even at that blistering pace, he executed complex streetball maneuvers flawlessly.
What level of ball control did this demand?
Compared to him, Haizaki's so-called supersonic dribbling looked like child's play.
…
Moments later, on the court.
"Put it in already, you stupid black-skinned idiot!"
Aomine twitched. "…Tch."
Annoying! Always interfering…
"Just watch me!"
It was their turn on offense. Aomine had the ball, and though he repeatedly signaled to Haizaki to stay out of it, Haizaki still came up to set a pick.
From his perspective, it wasn't even his shot. Why not screen? If Aomine needed a pick in a 2v1, that embarrassment was his problem, not Haizaki's.
Yes, let the idiot black-skinned one look bad!
But then
Whoosh!
A white flash streaked past Aomine's front.
Seita Nobunaga · Shunpō Acceleration
Talent: Shunpō Chase-Down Block!
Acceleration merged seamlessly with leaping power. With terrifying speed and height, Shigure swatted Aomine's drive clean out of the air.
"Damn it!"
It happened again! So fast!
Shigure chuckled. "Too naïve. Did you think it'd be that easy? Maybe try passing more. Against me, it's simpler to stretch the floor and move the ball than to force your way in for points."
But still… you're impressive, Aomine.
Your speed is sharper than it was back at the Nationals.
And I can almost see traces of your Wild Instinct emerging.
"Hah~"
"Now then, it's my turn again~"
Aomine's eyes burned, locked on Shigure. He could feel it—Shigure's entire playstyle had shifted, closer now to what he imagined a true rival should be.
But by now… he was also adjusting.
Next time, he swore, he would stop him!
…
On Shigure's possession, the special move Showtime flared to life once more.
That's right—again.
Because Seita Nobunaga's unique strength in this Training version was this:
His ultimate move required no energy cost.
Talent: Infinite Variations!
[Showtime · Infinite Variations: During any breakthrough, instantly switch into Showtime mode and freely choose which dribble style to use.]
"Careful now…"
"Through the legs!"
Slap!
After a sudden Seita Nobunaga · Stepback Spin Fake, Shigure instantly chained into Showtime, linking seamlessly into the talent skill—Nutmeg Dribble!
The sudden move froze Aomine entirely, left in the dust with no chance to react.
"!?"
On the other side, Haizaki rushed forward to cover.
Slap!
Shigure stopped abruptly.
Seita Nobunaga · Stepback Jumper
Talent: Spin Fake to Bank!
[Stepback Jumper · Spin Fake to Bank: During the spin fake, direct the ball off the backboard instead of shooting, rebounding it for a secondary play.]
Haizaki blinked.
Just tossing it off the board? What was the point? Was he fighting for a rebound?
This monster… he was completely unpredictable, playing by no one's logic.
"Hmph! You won't get it!"
Haizaki had the better position under the rim. The board was his.
But then
The rebound came off with such force that it sailed almost back to the three-point arc. No chance for him to reach it.
Still, even if Shigure could leap that high, what was the point? Throwing it just to catch it outside—what could that accomplish?
And then—he saw it.
Seita Nobunaga · Bank Shot
Talent: Fadeaway Shot!
[Bank Shot · Fadeaway: As the ball rebounds back, leap backward into the air, catch it mid-flight, and release into a fadeaway jumper.]
In Haizaki's stunned gaze, Shigure soared, body arched backward.
Slap!
He caught it mid-air, fading as he released.
A self-thrown, self-caught, mid-air fadeaway jumper!
END OF CHAPTER
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