The black flames of the Man of Fire—a power known to belong solely to Shigure Akihito—still lingered faintly in the air. Yet when the first half ended, and the Rakuzan players turned to look at Hagioka Kasayuki, who sat on the bench, chest rising and falling with sharp breaths, they all seemed to see a blazing aura erupting from him—an unyielding fire of resolve.
And more than that
Everyone could clearly see it.
The captain's gaze was still fixed on the same spot—
the hoop where Shigure Akihito had just faked him out and sunk that three-pointer.
"Senpai…"
Kotarō Hayama started to say something, but before the words could leave his mouth, Reo Mibuchi lightly grabbed his wrist.
"Don't interrupt Hagioka-senpai," Reo murmured.
"The other senpai…"
"They haven't said a word either."
"Just believe in him. That's enough."
"…Ah."
"I get it."
Hayama nodded, brows furrowed, though his anxious glances toward his monstrous captain betrayed the worry still gnawing at him.
Even though Hagioka showed no hint of frustration—his fighting spirit, if anything, burned even hotter—Hayama couldn't help it.
To be honest…
This was the first time he'd ever seen a monster battle like this.
Back in junior high—Chōgen versus Teiko
That was one level.
This… was something else entirely.
It was hard not to worry about his captain.
But just as Reo said, every Okayama player who'd fought alongside Hagioka all this way stayed silent
no comfort, no doubt, no words of encouragement.
Because what stood between them was something stronger than words
Absolute trust.
Meanwhile
Fukasaya Reiji glanced toward Hagioka, but didn't speak. Instead, his sharp eyes shifted to the bench.
"Reo."
"Hayama."
"Nebuya."
"It's the second half. Time for you three to take over."
"Yeahhh!!"
Aside from Nebuya, who thumped his chest with a booming laugh, both Reo and Hayama nodded seriously as they looked up at the scoreboard
69–51.
Their faces were calm, yet heavy with determination.
"Oh! Both teams are stepping back onto the court!"
"The second half's about to begin!"
As Hagioka Kasayuki walked back onto the floor, an unfamiliar gleam burned in his eyes.
From the stands, Kuroko Tetsuya watched closely.
What he saw in Hagioka wasn't mere fighting spirit—
it was love.
A pure, unwavering love for basketball, surging into something near madness.
And yet
That terrifying Zone that had shaken the court,
and the Okayama Miracle driven by Nanchiruyin
both were gone.
Across from him, Shigure Akihito glanced at Hagioka, thinking silently for a moment.
Then
He deactivated The Man of Fire,
and shut down Green Light,
and even turned off Revenge Copy.
But the Zone still crackled faintly with electric arcs around him.
Shigure Akihito narrowed his eyes.
Let's see what you'll do next.
Rakuzan's offense began.
Hagioka used Nanchiruyin to anchor himself against Shigure's pressure—but even that wasn't enough.
Every defensive move from Shigure was lightning-fast, suffocating.
Hagioka had to brace his back, his hips, his entire body to hold Shigure off. He dug his heels in, using his frame to shield the ball, his body swaying and tensing under constant contact, fighting just to avoid a steal.
Even normal dribbling forward had become painfully difficult.
From the stands, spectators looked stunned.
The same Hagioka who'd dominated the first half now looked human again—just an ordinary man struggling to move.
And down on the court
For Reo Mibuchi, Hayama Kotarō, and Eikichi Nebuya, it was their first time facing Shigure's Zone head-on.
They finally understood what that pressure really meant.
All three froze for a split second, eyes widening.
Reo's expression hardened.
So strong.
It was nothing like back in junior high.
This… this is Shigure Akihito's true form.
The lightning.
The aura.
The eyes
cold, focused, and overwhelming.
He'd always known the Zone was powerful.
But only now, standing here in front of it,
could he truly feel the terror that Hagioka and Shigure had been locked in all through the first half.
Even so
Seeing Hagioka voluntarily step out of the Zone as the second half began, Reo thought quietly to himself
As long as we stick to the plan, it'll be fine.
Alright. Time to move.
"Stepped out of the Zone on purpose, huh, senpai?"
"To save stamina?"
"Even after the halftime break?"
"Well, I won't be holding back~"
Despite the crushing pressure in front of him, Hagioka laughed—a low, calm laugh that somehow only made the tension heavier.
The inky aura of Nanchiruyin surged once again
this time, wilder than ever.
Wild enough to tear the air apart.
Hagioka twisted his hips, turning from a back-down into a face-up stance.
Left hand!
But Shigure's left was already there, moving almost before Hagioka himself could react.
Whoosh!
The ball brushed Shigure's fingertips.
Right foot planted.
Full pressure.
A steal
Slap!
Hagioka dribbled between his legs, narrowly escaping the steal.
Next moment
Reo Mibuchi and Kotarō Hayama stepped up, setting a double screen
But in the blink of an eye, Shigure exploded through both of them, black lightning tracing his path straight toward Hagioka again.
Hagioka took one quick step back
and launched
Itsu Hayaku Kaze no Gotoku! (Swift as the Wind!)
The release was as fast as ever
but compared to Shigure's Zone reaction speed,
it wasn't fast enough.
In the next instant, Shigure's shadow closed in,
his hand already rising to block the shot.
But then
"…A pass?"
The unexpected motion drew a murmur across the court.
After such a desperate advance—was this all for a pass?
Yet
The crowd quickly realized something was different.
It wasn't an ordinary pass.
It was a fake shot
a swift-as-the-wind shot feint turned into a razor-sharp assist!
Hagioka's lips curved slightly as he looked at Shigure.
He knew all too well the kind of defensive range a Zone player could cover.
That's why—if he wanted to pass
he had to use Swift as the Wind to drive it through.
And most importantly
he had to make Shigure jump.
Voom!
Hagioka twisted midair.
The ball slipped from his hand,
still carrying the violent spin of Swift as the Wind,
slicing through the air with a deep hum
straight toward Reo Mibuchi,
who had just slipped free to the three-point line after the screen.
In that instant
Not even Shigure Akihito,
no matter how fast he was,
could intercept both the block and the pass.
But…
Why?
Why go to all this trouble?
He'd already used this move once in the first half
and Shigure had seen through it.
Even adding the fake shot,
even if Shigure couldn't cover it
he still had teammates.
And then, a heartbeat later
That question found its answer.
Because standing there at the arc,
facing down Fukasaya Reiji's tight defense,
Reo Mibuchi caught the ball
and rose for the shot.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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