"My defensive schemes..." "They've completely collapsed..."
Taoka Moeichi felt as if his entire worldview had been shattered into a million jagged pieces. Is this really high school basketball? This isn't a game... it's a total dimensional strike!
[Mission Progress: 3/3] [Mission Complete!] [Rewards: Medium Stamina Potion, Skill Point ×1 (Distributed)]
"Whew..." Hayashi Rin landed, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "Finally done. I'm beat."
He glanced at the scoreboard, then the clock. Eight minutes left.
"Master! Master!"
A red blur hurtled toward him. Sakuragi Hanamichi was drenched in sweat, but his eyes were as wide and frantic as a Husky eyeing a prime bone.
"That move just now was incredible! I want to learn it! Teach me! I want to make that old man pee his pants in fear too!"
Hayashi Rin looked at Sakuragi, and a plan began to take shape. Since his mission was complete, he might as well let the "Monkey" run wild for the home stretch. Besides, he didn't have the energy to sprint anymore.
"Sakuragi," Hayashi said, patting the boy's shoulder with mock solemnity. "You're not ready for that move yet. However... I have an even more powerful ultimate move that only you can pull off."
"Really?!" Sakuragi's eyes practically turned into searchlights.
"Of course." Hayashi pointed toward the rafters above the rim. "In a moment, I'm going to launch the ball toward the sky. No matter how high it goes, no matter how off-target it looks... you just jump. Fly up there and smash that ball into the hoop as hard as you can."
"It's called... the 'Genius Air-Walk.'"
"Genius... Air-Walk!" Sakuragi tasted the words, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Bwahaha! What a perfect name! It suits This Genius to a T! Leave it to me, Master! I'll fly higher than anyone!"
The game resumed. Ryonan missed a jumper; Akagi snatched the rebound and fired a crisp outlet pass to Hayashi Rin.
Hayashi brought the ball slowly across half-court. By now, the Ryonan defense was in a state of pure panic. They were paralyzed, caught between guarding Hayashi's drive or his lethal passing lanes.
Hayashi stopped two steps behind the three-point line. A mischievous smirk played on his lips.
"Up you go."
He heaved the ball high into the air with both hands. It wasn't a shot; it didn't even look like a pass. It looked like a botched lob.
"What the—" Uozumi started to scoff, expecting an airball.
Suddenly, a streak of red lightning took flight from the free-throw line.
Sakuragi Hanamichi.
He sprinted, planted, and launched. The floorboards let out a pained groan under the force of his takeoff. His body soared like a surface-to-air rocket. He cleared Koshino's head, sailed past Sendoh's fingertips, and—impossibly—soared right over the massive Uozumi.
"Nani?!"
The entire crowd surged to their feet. That red-haired kid... is he actually flying?
In mid-air, Sakuragi's body coiled like a taut hunting bow. His worn-out sneakers seemed to find purchase on the very air itself. At the apex of his jump, the orange ball met his palms perfectly. His eyes were level with the rim.
"I AM A GENIUS!!!"
With a primal roar, Sakuragi engaged his core and hammered the ball home with both hands.
CLANG!!!
The thunderous impact echoed through the gym. The basket support groaned and shuddered under the violent vibration. A monster alley-oop!
Sakuragi landed, stumbling a few steps from the sheer momentum before sticking the landing. He turned to the deathly silent crowd and the petrified Coach Taoka. Hands on his hips, nose in the air, he struck his most arrogant pose.
"Hmph! Did you see that, mortals? This is the secret weapon! This is the power of the Genius Sakuragi Hanamichi! Bwahahahaha!"
Coach Taoka clutched his chest, gasping for air. He looked at the red-haired monster, then at Hayashi Rin, who was snickering in the distance. Only one thought remained: Shohoku... what kind of army of monsters have they built?
67:68. The lead was gone.
The momentum in the gym had completely flipped. Sakuragi's "Genius Air-Walk" had acted like a bucket of ice water over Ryonan's home-court advantage. But for Shohoku, it was high-octane fuel.
"Get back on defense! Don't get cocky!" Akagi shouted. Despite his internal excitement, he maintained his captain's poise, being the first to sprint back.
"Yes, Gorilla!" Sakuragi called out, still savoring the sting in his palms—the badge of honor for a Genius.
However, Ryonan was a top-four team for a reason. After the initial shock, Uozumi Jun's massive frame became the anchor once more.
"Give me the ball!" Uozumi barked, sealing his man in the paint. The "Monkey Boss" was fuming after being posterized by Sakuragi.
Sendoh didn't hesitate, zipping a bounce pass into Uozumi's hands. Akagi immediately threw his weight against him. Two mountains of muscle collided under the rim; the sound of the impact was enough to make your teeth ache.
"You aren't getting past me!" Akagi hissed, bracing against Uozumi's post-up.
"Hrrraagh!" Uozumi powered upward for a contested shot. The ball clattered off the rim.
"REBOUND!"
Akagi and Uozumi leaped together. Four massive hands tangled in the air, fighting for the ball.
Thump!
An accident. On the way down, Uozumi's flailing elbow caught Akagi squarely on the brow bone. Blood erupted instantly, masking half of Akagi's face in red.
"Captain!" "Gorilla!"
The Shohoku players rushed in. Akagi slumped to the floor, clutching his face as blood dripped onto the polished wood—a grisly sight.
The whistle shrieked. "Timeout! Shohoku!"
Uozumi stood frozen, looking at his bloodied rival. His aggression vanished, replaced by guilt. "Akagi... I didn't mean to..."
He tried to step forward, but Ayako shoved him back. "Don't touch him! We have to stop this bleeding now!" Her hands, usually so steady, were trembling.
Akagi sat there, allowing Ayako to work. He shoved away Kogure's helping hand, his one good eye fixed on the scoreboard. "I'm fine... just tape it up."
"No! The cut is too deep! You're going to the infirmary!" Ayako snapped. "Do you want to pass out from blood loss on the court?"
"But—" Akagi bit his lip, staring at the floor in frustration.
"Just go, Gorilla," a lazy voice interrupted.
Hayashi Rin stood there, hands in his pockets, frowning slightly at the blood on the court. "Leave the rest to us. Besides... your successor is already chomping at the bit."
Hayashi pointed to Sakuragi, who was vibrating with a mix of worry and unbridled intensity.
"Gorilla! Don't you worry about a thing!" Sakuragi thunmped his chest. "Leave the paint to This Genius! I'll knock that Monkey Boss into next week!"
Akagi looked at Sakuragi's eyes. There was no fear there—only a desperate hunger for the challenge. Akagi remained silent for a long moment.
"Sakuragi," Akagi said, his voice low and gravelly.
"Yeah?"
"Defend that paint with your life. Don't you dare embarrass Shohoku."