Taiga Kagami caught the rapidly spinning basketball with steady hands.
He gripped the ball tightly, his gaze turning sharp and blazing hot. Every muscle in his body tensed in an instant, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
At that moment, a powerful fighting spirit surged out from within Taiga Kagami like a roaring tide.
It was so intense that the air around him seemed to ignite, forming a visible wave of heat.
At the same time, an indescribable ferocity quietly spread from his body.
It was a primal impulse from deep within him, like a fierce beast longing to break free from its restraints, tear through everything in front of it, and devour it all.
Standing not far away, Ryota Kise could not help frowning slightly as an indescribable discomfort rose in his chest.
'Is this... Animal Instinct?'
The next second, a tiger's roar exploded across the court.
The sound was overwhelming, as if it could shake the entire arena.
Then, a mighty, imposing tiger burst out from Taiga Kagami's body.
After leaping in place twice, the tiger shook its head and trembled its body.
Then it slowly looked toward Ryota Kise, revealing a pair of bloodthirsty eyes.
At the same time, it lowered itself into an attacking stance.
The Seirin players all widened their eyes as they stared at Taiga Kagami.
Junpei Hyuga's mouth opened slightly, and he murmured, "So this is... Kagami's Animal Instinct?"
Although Teppei Kiyoshi was shocked as well, he quickly regained his calm. He looked at Taiga Kagami and murmured, "Kagami, you really are different."
On the sidelines, Tetsuya Kuroko's eyes also shone faintly. He was sincerely happy for Taiga Kagami.
Shinji Koganei wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "That's terrifying."
Kōki Furihata suddenly turned his head and exclaimed, "Koganei, why are you trembling?"
Shinji Koganei's body kept shaking, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he said, "I don't know either, but my body just feels like it won't listen to me..."
...
On the court, Taiga Kagami locked onto Ryota Kise and said, "Kise! Let's fight!"
With that, Taiga Kagami suddenly launched his attack and began breaking past Ryota Kise.
The tiger behind him raised its head and let out a roar, then pounced forward.
Ryota Kise's focus instantly sharpened. His eyes locked firmly onto Taiga Kagami's movements.
Taiga Kagami kept dribbling, spinning, then dribbling again.
Again and again, he shifted Ryota Kise's center of gravity.
Finally, during one spin, Taiga Kagami quickly chained into another, completely breaking past Ryota Kise.
Then he charged into the paint.
Ryota Kise cursed under his breath.
"Damn it!"
Then he immediately chased after him.
Ryota Kise pushed his speed to the limit, pursuing Taiga Kagami.
Seeing Taiga Kagami charging in, Kōji Kobori immediately stepped up to help defend.
But what shocked Kōji Kobori was that Taiga Kagami actually took off...
one step inside the free throw line.
Kōji Kobori's lips trembled nonstop, and he nearly lost his voice.
"No way. From the... free throw line?!"
Seeing that Taiga Kagami was already flying, Kōji Kobori gritted his teeth and jumped, trying to block him.
Ryota Kise also arrived at that moment. He jumped from Taiga Kagami's side, stretching his arm with all his strength to cover the ball in Taiga Kagami's hand while shouting, "No way!"
Taiga Kagami felt the pressure from both of them and let out an angry roar.
"Ah!!!"
The next second, Taiga Kagami actually threw the basketball out.
No.
He smashed it out.
Taiga Kagami used a forceful smashing motion to send the basketball straight into the hoop with perfect accuracy.
Ryota Kise's eyes widened in midair, completely unable to believe what had just happened.
Kōji Kobori was the same, because the basketball had flown right over his head.
Off the court, Daiki Aomine could not help standing up, his eyes full of excitement.
'Interesting. This is too interesting. That kind of growth speed... Kagami, huh? I acknowledge you.'
Over at Shūtoku, Shintaro Midorima rarely showed a shocked expression. But soon, he returned to calm, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.
Over at Kirisaki Daiichi, Miyamoto Tokima could not help clicking his tongue when he saw this.
How should he put it?
The World Will's correction really was something else.
It had actually brought out Taiga Kagami's Meteor Jam in the very first game of the National Tournament.
Even his Animal Instinct had appeared too.
Miyamoto Tokima even suspected that in this match, Taiga Kagami might also be able to enter the Zone.
On the court, Taiga Kagami landed heavily and took several rough breaths before holding out his hand.
Kōji Kobori had fallen to the floor, his expression still carrying a trace of shock.
He looked at Taiga Kagami's outstretched hand and instinctively took it. Then Taiga Kagami pulled him up.
As Taiga Kagami headed back on defense, Tatsuya Himuro slowly ran over and held out his fist.
Taiga Kagami turned to look at the person who had always been like an older brother to him.
Tatsuya Himuro smiled with incredible gentleness, held out his fist, and said, "Taiga, congratulations."
Seeing this, Taiga Kagami also smiled from the bottom of his heart. Then he held out his fist and bumped it against Tatsuya Himuro's.
Their brotherly bond was finally restored.
On the other side, Ryota Kise lifted his jersey to wipe the sweat from his face, staring at Taiga Kagami's back with countless thoughts running through his mind.
Finally, Ryota Kise sighed and murmured, "He really is improving fast. But..."
Ryota Kise paused, then his eyes flickered with a faint golden glow.
"My progress... is just as fast!"
In that instant, it was as if the entire world had been lit up. A dazzling yellow radiance suddenly burst from around Ryota Kise's body.
The light was like brilliant stars in the night sky, glittering brightly and illuminating the surrounding darkness.
At the same time, the aura radiating from him changed drastically, like surging waves.
The change was so strange that it was hard to describe.
At times, his aura felt like his own familiar presence. But in the next moment, it seemed as if he had become someone else entirely, impossible to grasp and deeply astonishing.
That unpredictability made his entire presence feel mysterious and unfathomable.
Even more striking were his eyes, already deep and captivating, now shining with a faint golden light.
That golden glow made his already handsome face look even more radiant and dazzling.
Ryota Kise slowly raised his head, looked toward Seirin, and murmured, "The game... has only just begun!"
...
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