On the court, Shigure Akihito snatched the ball with one hand, slowly opening his eyes. Hyūga Junpei's glasses slid down his nose, his wide eyes trembling in disbelief.
"His eyes…?!"
"He—"
"You've got to be kidding me?!"
Beside him, Kiyoshi Teppei was equally dumbfounded.
"..."
It was unbelievable!
Sure, Akihito's theory had been clear enough: as long as you didn't look directly at Kuroko Tetsuya, your focus wouldn't be misled. But
Was that really something you could pull off just by feeling your opponent's breathing and rhythm?
Through that heightened state of…
Wild Instinct?!
"Did you see that, Tetsuya?"
"That's how it's done."
Akihito casually flicked the ball toward the hoop, the clean swish echoing through the gym. Turning, he looked straight at Haizaki Shōgo.
"Well? Do you get it now?"
Haizaki: "..."
Damn it…
That familiar feeling again.
It was just like every year back in Teiko. At the end of each season, whenever they met again, he'd be forced to mutter the same words to himself—monster!
Did this guy's growth really have no ceiling?!
On the other side, Kagami Taiga, who had only half understood Kuroko's ability, now witnessed Akihito defending with his eyes closed. The shock left him speechless.
The junior high basketball he once sneered at, because his own school's level had been so low…
Suddenly towered before him.
A thought crept into his mind
Maybe… maybe it's still not too late to join the basketball team…
As silence filled the court, Akihito patted Kuroko on the shoulder, then spoke words that left everyone stunned.
"It's fine. Even after this dribble, you still haven't reached your limit."
"Once you fully master the Vanishing Dribble…"
"Your next task will be—"
"The Vanishing Shot."
"Just call me again, like before."
Kiyoshi: "?"
Hyūga: "?"
Haizaki: "?"
On the sideline, Nijimura Shuzo, who had somewhat anticipated this direction, pressed a hand to his forehead with a sigh.
"That's enough. Akihito… don't forget why we came to Tokyo in the first place."
At that, Akihito nodded.
Finally, he turned toward the day's true target. The man he looked at smiled wryly, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to Aida Riko.
"Good grief… kids these days really are…"
"Terrifyingly strong."
"Honestly, I regret this already. I'm forty years old, and yet here I am, agreeing to a one-on-one against these fiery youngsters…"
Looking at Aida Keisuke's still-solid frame, Akihito shook his head.
"Former national player, when you say things like that… it really doesn't sound convincing."
"Super senior~"
Aida chuckled. Truthfully, against some opponents, he still had confidence. Even past forty, aside from his reduced stamina, he believed he could still hold his own for ten minutes or so.
But against this one… his heart was uneasy.
"Alright then… ten possessions."
"Any more than that, and it wouldn't mean much for you anyway."
Unexpectedly, Nijimura stepped forward. Even though his choice to join Kaijō meant losing his competition with Akihito, that didn't mean his competitive drive was gone.
"Make it twenty, senpai," Nijimura said. "Akihito and I will alternate—one possession each."
Aida blinked, then glanced at Akihito. The meaning was clear, and he immediately understood.
"Heh…"
"Alright."
"If you're still capable of wanting to fight while standing beside this monster, then as your senior, I'll honor that spirit."
"Come on then. I'll even let you start with the ball. Who's going first?"
"Me, of course~"
Akihito gestured for Kiyoshi to pass the ball from the baseline. The tall center was still shaken—first by the sudden appearance of a former national player, and now by the fact that a first-year high schooler was about to challenge him.
How many times had he been shocked today already?
This wasn't even the same dimension anymore.
Kiyoshi snapped out of it, picked up the ball that had rolled to his feet after Akihito's last shot, and tossed it forward with a serious face.
The next instant
Akihito caught it one-handed.
Then
Turned, back to the basket.
"Senpai~"
"Let's start with something simple."
Aida didn't believe a word of that. Watching closely, he lowered his stance, studying every movement.
"Come at me, kid."
The next moment
Akihito's taller frame pressed back with the ball, without dribbling.
Then
His black hair whipped wildly as he moved!
Exaggerated footwork, starting from the three-point line—seamlessly blending Kiyota Nobunaga's flashy streetball rhythm with Akagi Takenori's Dream Shake!
Fake left,
Fake right,
Fake left again,
Spin low!
Ball down!
Left-right sway!
Behind-the-back pull!
Between-the-legs drag!
His chain of movements surpassed even Aomine Daiki's showboating streetball handling from Seirin's match. The frequency, the rhythm—completely outrageous!
Aida's expression sharpened. He nearly bit on Akihito's sudden "sham god" fake, but then—ball and body split! Twice! Even flashier moves burst out in succession!
"No wonder you're a former national player."
Akihito grinned, thrilled that Aida was still right there in front of him.
Then, as he stepped into the paint
Sham god!
Pull back!
Shoulder fakes, left and right!
Monkey step!
Pivot mid-air, feet switching like an axis!
In that moment
Akihito could choose either foot as a pivot. Aida, finally caught off by the chained fakes and steps, fell half a beat behind.
With the vision he had sharpened through competing against Nijimura, Akihito perfectly seized the space away from his defender.
Right foot pivot
Spin!
Sendō Akira's signature fadeaway!
Whoosh!
"Brat!"
"You call that simple?!"
BOOM!!
Under the crushing aura Aida unleashed, everyone could almost see starlight erupting beneath his feet!
"Torrent of Stars!!"
Smack!
His fingertips grazed the ball!
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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