"Teiko is making a substitution!"
"Whoa! It's Shigure Akihito!"
"Eh?"
"But hasn't Teiko always avoided sending in their second-years during the Ten Schools Tournament?"
"Look carefully, they didn't bring any substitute players this time…"
"Anyway, just getting to see Shigure Akihito on the court is enough. I still remember last year's Ten Schools Tournament—when he suddenly switched to a pass-oriented playstyle, it shocked everyone!"
"Yeah, and those ridiculous, almost careless-looking shots… unforgettable."
Shigure stepped onto the court, soaking in the gasps and awe from the crowd. A rush of exhilaration filled him.
"Senpai is so full of himself~"
Murasakibara muttered, while Aomine gave a firm nod in agreement.
At that moment, all eyes from Ryuzaki Middle School fixed on Shigure Akihito. Everyone knew exactly what those four characters meant:
The strongest in middle school.
The game tipped off.
Even though Teiko had planned to let their first-years take center stage in this tournament, Murasakibara instinctively tipped the ball toward Shigure.
Ryuzaki's players weren't about to let him run free. Two defenders immediately swarmed him, determined to force the ball back to Teiko's younger players.
"Don't even think"
Before the words finished, Shigure had already begun his 'Nobunaga Kiyota: Showtime'—a dazzling display of streetball-like dribbling, the ball snapping back and forth so fast the defenders' eyes couldn't keep up.
And then
Whoosh!
A sudden pullback and split!
With a single flash of movement, Shigure was already behind them.
The two defenders froze mid-stance, still holding their defensive posture. Their brains screamed to react, but their bodies had been completely deceived.
"What was that just now…?"
"Some kind of trick play?"
Shigure barreled forward with explosive speed. Another Ryuzaki defender cut him off, arms spread, eyes locked in determination.
Whoosh!
A sudden stop!
The defender instinctively halted as well, only for Shigure to unleash a crossover into a behind-the-back dribble, leaving him wide-eyed and helpless.
Damn it!
Not here!
Move, legs, move!
The defender stumbled to recover—only for Shigure to slip the ball cleanly through his legs, darting past in a blur.
"!?"
A monster!
Shigure cut straight into the paint, soaring high, and with a breathtaking 'Nobunaga Kiyota: Nutmeg Spin-Dunk', hammered the ball through the hoop.
The defender he had just humiliated collapsed onto the floor, sitting in shock, completely broken by that sequence of ankle-breaking moves.
The crowd fell silent.
Then
"...Insane."
Just like last year, after winning Nationals, he had begun another "technician's path." Back then, it was about passing and finishing. This time…
Streetball?
Spectators from other schools had long since accepted Shigure's terrifying reputation as almost a fact of nature. But watching him live—his divine presence on court, his endless creativity as a "technician"—they couldn't help but shiver.
So strong!
"Nice play, Senpai!"
"Amazing!"
The legendary Shigure Akihito…
For Ryuzaki, who had avoided Teiko in the qualifiers, seeing him now was a nightmare. Every player was already thinking of one thing:
How do we get this guy off the court?
Honestly, that first-year who just nosebled his way out of the game wasn't so bad…
Even without tapping into his raw instinct, Shigure's very presence on court weighed down on Ryuzaki like a crushing force. Just standing across from him felt like staring into a bottomless abyss, with darkness threatening to swallow them whole.
On Ryuzaki's offensive possession, their movements were sluggish.
Shigure's explosive opening attack had crushed their confidence.
The coach frowned, knowing they couldn't go on like this. But with Shigure out there… what could he do?
Moments later, Shigure lunged in with a lightning-fast 'Nobunaga Kiyota: Instant Dash Steal', ripping the ball away. Then he surged down the court like a storm.
BOOM!
A thundering 'Sendoh Akira: Flying Tomahawk' slammed through the hoop, shaking the gym.
BEEP!
Ryuzaki immediately called for a timeout, desperate to settle their players.
It helped a little—their energy returned, their ball movement smoothed out—but against overwhelming talent, it was meaningless.
This time, Akashi suffocated his opponent with relentless pressure, finally forcing a turnover. The ball arced perfectly toward Shigure.
Whoosh!
Baseline drive!
He exploded toward the hoop, leaping as three defenders crowded the paint to wall him off.
But instead of pulling up, Shigure launched himself along the baseline.
His body floated behind the backboard, drifting farther and farther across, slipping through the narrowest space, straight past all three defenders.
'Nobunaga Kiyota: Baseline Reverse in the Dead Zone!'
"What?! That's impossible!"
"He's… flying?!"
The crowd's gasps echoed through the gym. This wasn't just a jump—he was literally soaring.
"But how can he even shoot from there? He's about to fall flat on his face!"
At the last possible instant, Shigure twisted in midair, hurling the ball back over his shoulder.
It looked wild and desperate.
But the ball traced a perfect arc
and dropped through the net.
"Ah?!"
"No way!"
"Unreal…"
As the arena roared in disbelief, Shigure basked in the spotlight. But just as he passed by the bench, Nijimura's voice cut through:
"Shigure. Did you forget something?"
"…Eh?"
"You're supposed to take it easy today. Remember—the stars are the first-years."
Shigure froze, expression stiff.
"Ah… I got carried away. Sorry."
Ryuzaki's players: …
Ryuzaki's players: "What the hell?! Didn't we say this before the match—stick to the plan, you idiot!"
END OF CHAPTER
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