"Looks like he's really enjoying himself! That Murasakibara guy!"
"Hmm~~ I guess meeting an opponent like this must be a rare experience for him!" Kise Ryouta said, sounding almost empathetic.
"Maybe so." Midorima Shintaro nodded.
As fellow members of the Generation of Miracles, perhaps only Kise and Midorima could understand the joy Murasakibara felt in this moment.
Geniuses are lonely.
And a genius who can't even find an equal opponent? Even lonelier.
In this regard, Murasakibara's dilemma might be worse than Aomine Daiki's. Aomine had faced many opponents before and at least had Kise as a rival in the Generation of Miracles.
But even within the Generation of Miracles, Murasakibara could find no one who could match him.
Take note: "opponent" here doesn't just mean someone to win or lose against, it means someone of equal level, capable of a true contest.
Simply put, it's someone who could compete with him at the same position.
Murasakibara's talent was too immense.
So immense that even in junior high, he couldn't find a single player nationwide with comparable height and strength.
With such terrifying talent, defeating weaker opponents rarely brought him joy, victory was expected.
And losing? That would make him nothing more than background scenery.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The truly frustrating thing was that even opponents who had beaten him before could never give him the thrill of true confrontation. That's what annoyed Murasakibara.
Even Akashi Asuka couldn't provide that.
Back in junior high, a young Murasakibara faced Akashi in a private match and suffered a crushing defeat.
That battle shaped their dynamic afterward, Murasakibara obeyed Akashi, but it was far from an exhilarating match.
This time, however, though still suppressed, Murasakibara truly enjoyed the thrill of challenging a strong opponent.
"I haven't seen him give his all in a long time… looks like this game is about to get really exciting." Kise Ryouta sighed.
"Is that so?"
Midoriima, however, didn't respond to Kise. Instead, he watched the Yosen bench with excitement, whispering to himself while noticing Murasakibara panting heavily:
"I didn't think his stamina was this bad…"
==========
The ten-minute halftime break ended quickly.
As the second half began, Yosen immediately sensed a dangerous, almost beastly aura from Akashi Asuka.
"Can he actually control his 'Animal Instinct'?"
Araki Masako squinted. 'Animal Instinct' wasn't a common skill, even in her professional days, only a few players had it.
It didn't increase power or speed. It simply granted the player a far more precise and preemptive predictive instinct than mere anticipation.
Seiho started with the ball in the third quarter.
As Akashi dribbled outside, Murasakibara quickly closed in. Against a three-point capable Akashi, Yosen couldn't wait until he reached the paint.
In his Animal Instinct Mammoth state, Akashi looked lazy, but the instant he moved, that impression vanished.
Murasakibara, the first in line, felt as if a massive elephant charged at him. But in that split second of hesitation, Akashi suddenly stepped back and shot the ball.
"Crap!"
Murasakibara lunged, but this time, unlike before, even at full jump, the ball seemed to drift further away.
A leaning-back three-pointer.
In his Animal Instinct, Akashi's shooting was more stable, and his predictive ability meant Murasakibara couldn't afford a single lapse.
Swish!
Three points.
40 : 29.
"Tch~"
Murasakibara didn't say anything, but he pouted, clearly annoyed.
On the next play, he returned the ball under the basket.
With his safety line completely removed, Murasakibara's raw strength might even surpass Akashi's in this moment.
His technique lagged, yes, but with overwhelming power, he could still score in the paint.
40 : 31.
Yet despite this, Yosen could only keep the gap from widening. On defense and rebounds, Akashi still held the advantage.
By now, Akashi had grabbed 13 rebounds, while Murasakibara had only 3.
This disparity was the main reason for the score gap.
Both teams fought intensely.
Until the eighth minute of the third quarter, the game remained evenly matched.
Then, at 8:12, the unexpected happened.
It was Seiho's turn to attack.
Oddly, they opted for outside shots, though with their lineup, a mix of inside and outside attacks seemed smarter.
Most Yosen players were only slightly curious, after all, this had been a "battle of the aces" since early in the first quarter.
The other four players on both teams had essentially become background scenery, focusing solely on defense.
Akashi leapt for a three-pointer again, but this time, Murasakibara anticipated it. Before Akashi even released the ball, he had jumped to block every angle.
Akashi immediately adjusted, passing to Kasuga Ryuhei, then sprinted to another three-point spot. Once set, the ball came back to him.
It was clear from their fluid teamwork that this wasn't Seiho's first time using such coordinated plays.
Akashi tried to shoot again, but a tall shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.
Murasakibara had tracked him down again.
Even Akashi's pupils constricted at the speed, but it was too late.
He had jumped, wrist flicked, ready to shoot, but the ball went in… and no blocking hand appeared.
Because Murasakibara… couldn't jump.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria