With that block—so unmistakably in Shigure Akihito's style—Shinji Kurokami's arms cut through the air like fire and thunder. On Rakuzan's bench, a faint unease stirred. Because it wasn't just the style that was familiar
It was the aura.
The black flames swirling around Shinji Kurokami grew stronger, licking up his arms as if alive.
Swoosh!
Tosei Kurumiya caught the ball just in time.
Whish!
Again—swift as the wind. A pass that once would've been impossible for Rakuzan's players to receive now landed safely thanks to the "Unmoving as the Mountain" support system.
But this time, the target wasn't Hagioka Kasayuki—still tightly marked by Shigure Akihito—but Tondo Kaoru, cutting in along the baseline toward the paint.
It was a viciously sharp, high-risk pass.
Tondo Kaoru: "...Got it!"
This position—yes, this was the perfect spot.
Even if that Kurokami guy could somehow use Shigure's ability—there's no way he could cover here!
Tondo Kaoru's motion was seamless. From the cut-in to the floater, there wasn't a single pause—it was so fluid the pass itself seemed part of the shooting motion.
A surprise cut like this—there was no way Shinji Kurokami could follow up after his block just now.
Or so everyone thought
BOOM!
Flames ignited once again!
Charging on defense—the Man of Flames burns again!
This time
It was Fukasaya Reiji!
Fukasaya Reiji: "...Unbelievable…"
It wasn't the same as Shigure's version, but this continuous, accelerating defensive burst—was already on par with his own full-force explosiveness.
And yet
It was so much less taxing on the body.
Fukasaya Reiji: "!? …So that's it… I get it now."
So this is how it feels—Rakuzan's players weren't just playing individually. They were receiving Hagioka Kasayuki's synchronized push, in a web of control so complex and seamless it was terrifying.
Thud!
In an instant
Just like Shinji Kurokami moments ago, Nobunaga Kiyota leapt up for a flying block!
But unlike Shinji's wild, brute-force chase, Fukasaya's movement was calm and precise—after meeting the shot mid-air, he caught the ball cleanly in his hand!
And with that block—the possession ended.
As both teams reset for a brief moment, Rakuzan finally saw what Kaijō had become. The overwhelming momentum rolling off them was unlike anything Rakuzan had faced so far
And disturbingly familiar.
Rakuzan's players stiffened.
"...No way."
That's impossible!
Under the black flames enveloping Shinji Kurokami and Fukasaya Reiji, there was another hue hidden beneath
The ink-black shimmer of "Unseen as the Shadow."
They turned
Shigure!
Nijimura!
Kurokami!
Fukasaya!
All four of them—had entered Unseen as the Shadow.
The only one left out was Kasamatsu Yukio.
But aside from him, everyone was now shrouded in dark ink, overlaid with Shigure Akihito's signature—the burning scarlet flame of the Man of Fire.
At that moment
Facing Rakuzan's stunned expressions, Shigure turned around with a calm smile and said lightly,
"Relax, Rakuzan. Don't worry."
"I'm not in Zone or anything~"
"I'm really not that strong."
"As for me—other than 'Unseen as the Shadow,' nothing's changed much since the start."
He grinned.
"But my teammates—that's another story."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The next instant, before everyone's eyes
Even the Generation of Miracles froze in disbelief.
Kaijō's four-man core, within the ink-black mist of Unseen as the Shadow, began to glow—not just with crimson fire—but with a brilliant green light!
"Wait—that's…"
"Shigure-senpai's Green Light?!"
"What—no way?! What even is that?! Akashi?!"
Akashi Seijūrō blinked, momentarily lost for words.
"It's… similar to Hagioka's method…"
"Shigure-senpai seems to have perfectly mimicked 'Unseen as the Shadow,' and is using it as a conduit to channel his own ability to his teammates."
First to react was Haizaki Shōgo, who couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Hah?! Forget about copying a monster's ability like that"
"Even that ability itself is insane! Sure, maybe Nijimura the musclehead could pull something like that off, since he's basically Hagioka with rage issues, but Shigure the freak? He's not that kind of genius!"
Aomine: "?"
Midorima: "?"
Murasakibara: "?"
Kuroko: "?"
Even Kise, who rarely interrupted, looked at Haizaki like he'd lost it.
Akashi finally sighed and replied, "You're underestimating him."
"When it comes to on-court data analysis and tactical processing…"
"Shigure-senpai might not show it often, but his mind is every bit as sharp as Nijimura's."
"Otherwise…"
"How do you think he earned the title of The Technician?"
Beside them, Aomine Daiki nodded slowly.
"No fixed style. Full-court defense. Green Light. The Hammer of Destruction. Ultra-range threes. Even misdirection…"
"So many of our skills—Shigure-senpai taught us those."
"Honestly," he added, looking back to the court, "I wouldn't be surprised no matter what he pulls out."
"Even this mimicry."
As they watched, memories of their early days under Shigure resurfaced—their matches, the victories, the lessons.
Now those same terrifying abilities were showing up in other people.
Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
But when they turned their eyes back to the court
They saw Hagioka Kasayuki, the same kind of monster as Shigure himself
smiling.
Not in fear. But in excitement.
In the stands, Aida Kagetora caught that expression and felt his scalp tingle.
Meanwhile, the U-20 coaching staff were just as frozen.
They knew better than anyone how powerful Zone could be—and Hagioka's Second Stage Zone even more so.
And yet—Shigure Akihito had matched that effect without it.
Perhaps Unseen as the Shadow played a part, but the fact that he could replicate such a technique at all… was monstrous.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
On the court, Shigure dribbled forward casually.
Across from him, Hagioka Kasayuki dropped his stance, studying the shadowy aura around him. His eyes lit with curiosity.
"Technician," he said with a half-smile, "what do you call this one?"
Shigure chuckled, "Perfect Imitation."
"…Impressive," Hagioka replied sincerely. "The name fits. The imitation truly is flawless."
Shigure grinned wider.
"Just kidding."
"I'm not stealing my junior's move name."
"Gotta leave the next generation some room to breathe, right?"
He leaned forward, eyes flashing.
"This one's called"
"An Eye for an Eye."
Training Camp Rukawa — An Eye for an Eye!
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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