It should've been a high ball bouncing violently off the backboard, yet Shigure Akihito leapt, caught it midair, and even pulled into a fadeaway posture. Unbelievably, his body remained steady in the air.
Swish!
Fadeaway, nothing but net.
An attack no one had ever seen before left everyone in the gym—Nijimura Shuzo included, wide-eyed in shock.
Even Nijimura hadn't expected this.
After entering Zenkai Mode, Shigure had unveiled something even crazier than last year's "Super Pass" or "Formless Shot."
On court, Haizaki Shōgo, who had been telling himself that no matter how absurd this monster acted, it must all be reckless nonsense, was slapped hard in the face by reality.
That impossible shot had gone in. Clean, flawless, and precise.
Up in the stands, Sanada Naoto's jaw was hanging wide open.
"!?"
What… what kind of basketball is this?
Too… too outrageous.
So much so that Sanada rubbed his eyes, unsure whether he was dreaming.
This wasn't basketball anymore—it was madness.
But the worst part was…
Even playing like this, breaking every convention, Shigure was still scoring.
Sanada, unable to help himself, turned toward Coach Kozo. But then, for the very first time, he saw a trace of shock flash across the coach's face.
So it was true.
Even Coach Kozo… couldn't easily accept this.
On the court.
Aomine's eyes were wide, locked onto Shigure-senpai's back as he turned to defend again, his face filled with excitement.
"This is the completed version of the 'Formless Shot,' isn't it?!"
"It has to be…!"
"A shot completely free from form, unrestricted and unbound…"
This is amazing!
Hearing that, Shigure paused for a moment.
If it had only been Training Mode: Maki Shinichi, he would have said no, it was still far off.
But now—with Training Mode: Kiyota Nobunaga unlocked, his talents fully realized, his abilities overlapping more and more with "Miracle Aomine's" playstyle
He gave a firm nod.
Moments later, Aomine and Haizaki once again failed to break through Shigure's suffocating defense.
And then came the next play
"Whoa!"
"No way that goes in?!"
Sanada, now fully reduced to a stunned spectator, couldn't help blurting out.
Because what had just happened was even more ridiculous than the alley-oop fadeaway from before.
On offense, Shigure had once again triggered his Special Move: Showtime. A dizzying sequence of flashy dribbles followed, then a sudden Man-Ball Split past Haizaki.
Facing Aomine's defense, Shigure casually palmed the ball with one hand and leapt.
The height… nothing special.
Aomine went all in on the block. In his mind, no matter why Shigure hadn't jumped with full force, this time his defense was airtight.
The driving lane was sealed.
This time… there was no way Shigure could score.
But then
Still gliding forward, Shigure flashed a faint smile.
Special Move: Showtime
Talent Skill: Reverse Scoop Layup!
[Showtime · Reverse Scoop: After a Man-Ball Split, the player rotates midair and scoops the ball from behind with one hand for a layup attack.]
Shigure twisted slightly in midair, palmed the ball, and scooped it from behind his back.
The ball arced perfectly past Aomine's desperate defense
Clang!
Off the glass
And in.
Aomine Daiki: "!?"
Haizaki Shōgo: "What?!"
Haizaki roared, "What kind of move was that?! Are you kidding me?!"
Sanada's face mirrored theirs—pure disbelief.
That move didn't even have a name in basketball. At best, it might barely be called a "scoop layup." But no—this was more like tossing the ball behind his back at random.
How could that possibly go in?
Completely incomprehensible.
At this point, Shigure Akihito's basketball could no longer be judged by conventional eyes.
Sanada's face was still in turmoil, but Coach Kozo had already recovered, regaining his usual calm and composed demeanor.
"Basketball, or any sport, was built through centuries of refinement. That's why we have fundamental techniques, the universally recognized optimal forms. Because of this, players can predict their opponents' options and build strategies from there. That is the essence of competition."
"But right now, Shigure has already broken free of that framework."
"In my expectations, this should've been Aomine's path. From the streetball he played as a child, to his natural agility and personality, everything about him was meant to give rise to a freer, wilder style."
"…But Shigure—the so-called 'Technician'—has also been chasing constant evolution in his game."
"And beyond all expectation…"
"The image of a 'free, unrestrained playstyle,' which even I couldn't yet picture clearly, has now been given form by Shigure himself."
"No… not 'perhaps.' Without a doubt"
"This is not Shigure Akihito's limit, but it will be Aomine's final form."
"If Aomine can do this—break free from every conventional option in both dribbling and shooting—then just like Shigure, he'll become an unstoppable scoring machine."
On court.
Here came Shigure Akihito again.
This time, both Aomine and Haizaki abandoned all restraint and went straight into a two-man trap.
But strangely, Shigure ignored their defense entirely and sprinted—toward the baseline?!
"No angle to attack!"
"Shut up! Jump with everything you've got, blackie!"
They timed his jump perfectly. Both leapt, walling off the basket like a volleyball block.
And then they saw him leap… almost from behind the backboard.
"!?"
From… behind the board?!
Shigure's hair whipped in the air as he fully immersed himself in the joy of "Miracle Aomine's" style. Laughing freely, he said:
"Impressive defense, really airtight~"
"But version 1.0…"
"Is still a little short~"
"The baseline isn't a dead end, you know~"
Whoosh!
Kiyota Nobunaga · Return Breakthrough
Talent: Reverse Baseline Layup!
[Return Breakthrough · Reverse Baseline Layup: During a Return Breakthrough, leap from behind the backboard and finish on the opposite side of the rim.]
As his words echoed, Shigure's body flew along the baseline, gliding from the right side of the backboard to the left.
Further and further away from Aomine and Haizaki's block.
Until
He twisted dramatically in the air, nearly flying from one end of the paint to the other, almost collapsing as his body gave out.
And then he released
More a fling than a shot.
Swish!
It dropped.
END OF CHAPTER
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