On the court.
Daiki Aomine kept accelerating, his dribble growing faster and faster.
At the same time, the blue lightning around him became increasingly violent.
"Haaah!!!"
With a roar, Daiki Aomine actually broke past Miyamoto Tokima from the left.
The moment he felt the resistance disappear, a smile slowly crept onto his face.
Shoichi Imayoshi's expression changed.
"He got through?!"
Then his face shifted again.
"No!!!"
Smack!!!
Daiki Aomine's smile froze. He felt it clearly.
The ball in his hands... was gone.
Miyamoto Tokima had deliberately let him break through on the left, only to seize the moment and steal the ball.
After the steal, Miyamoto Tokima immediately accelerated and charged toward the frontcourt.
Black lightning streaked across the court.
"Damn it!"
Daiki Aomine smacked his leg in frustration, then spun around and chased after him at full speed.
But even at maximum speed, he still could not catch up.
All he could do was watch as Miyamoto Tokima dunked the ball once again.
Boom!!!
The rim shook violently, as if letting out a pained cry.
Daiki Aomine gradually slowed to a stop.
His face was filled with frustration, blaming himself for that mistake.
After landing, Miyamoto Tokima turned and met his gaze.
"Let's keep going, Daiki."
Daiki Aomine took a deep breath, calming himself.
"Yeah!"
Possession changed.
Daiki Aomine once again brought the ball up from the backcourt, while Miyamoto Tokima waited in his own half.
The moment he crossed midcourt, the defensive range appeared again before his eyes.
Only the ball handler who crossed midcourt could see Miyamoto Tokima's defensive range.
No one else could.
So the other players and the audience had no idea what Daiki Aomine was facing.
He dribbled slowly, step by step, then stepped into the defensive range again.
His gaze sharpened, his body heating up.
"So even you're getting excited?"
Daiki Aomine smiled faintly.
He could feel it.
His instincts were stirring.
His hunting drive was surging.
He lowered his body, dropping his center of gravity like a black panther ready to strike.
Miyamoto Tokima mirrored him, lowering his stance to prepare for the drive.
Their eyes burned with fighting spirit as blue lightning and black lightning clashed in the air.
Finally.
Daiki Aomine moved.
He burst forward with an unbelievably low stance.
Crack!
The black lightning in Miyamoto Tokima's eyes flared wildly.
He immediately stepped in and cut him off.
Daiki Aomine laughed, dribbling at high speed while shifting left and right.
Miyamoto Tokima spread his arms and tracked him step for step.
At the same time, a massive iron wall appeared.
And green liquid began spreading across the ground.
This was Miyamoto Tokima's other defensive skill.
[Speed Bump].
The moment Daiki Aomine stepped into it, he felt his movements slow down.
Reacting instantly, he switched to a behind the back dribble.
The moment he changed, Miyamoto Tokima's hand struck out, but missed by a hair.
"What a waste," Miyamoto Tokima murmured.
Daiki Aomine, still shaken, quickly retreated until he was out of the defensive range.
"Phew… that was close. Way too close."
Miyamoto Tokima made no move, simply standing one step inside the three point line, waiting.
Daiki Aomine glanced at the clock.
Twelve seconds left.
He steadied himself.
With ten seconds remaining, he stepped back into the defensive range.
At the same time, the iron wall appeared again around him.
This time, it was even larger.
It felt completely different.
But Daiki Aomine did not hesitate.
He focused entirely and attacked.
The blue lightning around him surged violently, forming the shape of a Thunder Panther.
The lightning beast slammed into the iron wall.
And shattered it.
On the court, Daiki Aomine broke past Miyamoto Tokima on the right, gaining half a step and driving straight inside.
Miyamoto Tokima was briefly surprised.
'His speed increased?'
Then he immediately adjusted.
If you got faster, then I will too.
He raised his speed and cut him off again.
This time, Daiki Aomine did not pull back.
He jumped on the spot.
He had already reached the free throw line.
He had to shoot.
He leapt, his body leaning backward.
Miyamoto Tokima stopped instantly and jumped with him, reaching out to contest.
Aomine's body tilted further and further, until it was nearly parallel to the ground.
Even then, it was not enough.
Mid air, he forcibly twisted his body.
His two handed grip switched to a left handed release.
Then he flicked it.
This shot was impossible to block.
The angle was too extreme.
If he had stayed flat, Miyamoto Tokima might have reached it.
But with that twist and left handed release, there was no way.
So Miyamoto Tokima did not chase it.
He landed and turned to watch.
The ball hit the rim...
and dropped in.
Instead of frustration, a hint of excitement appeared on Miyamoto Tokima's face.
He turned back.
"Daiki, nice shot. I didn't expect you to…"
He stopped mid sentence.
Daiki Aomine was bent over, hands on his knees, gasping.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
......