"Fast break!!!"
Miyagi Ryota roared, bursting forward like a streak of lightning toward the frontcourt.
Behind him, Akagi and Sakuragi landed almost simultaneously.
The two shot each other a glance—still snorting in mutual disdain, turning their heads away with a cold "hmph."
And yet—
That impenetrable defensive presence they had just formed sent a chill down everyone's spine.
In the stands.
Aota Tatsuhiko finally loosened his grip on the railing, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
"Heh…"
"Looks like that idiot Akagi finally found his soul again."
Not far away, the usually silent Maki Shinichi watched the bandaged, big-headed Akagi radiating overwhelming presence, and spoke slowly:
"As expected."
"When Makino Juro is on the court, his strength alone is enough to give opponents headaches."
"But only when Akagi returns…"
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the court—over the roaring Akagi, the sprinting Miyagi, the ice-cold Rukawa Kaede, and the constantly bouncing Sakuragi.
"…does Shohoku become a complete army."
"That gorilla… is the true backbone of this team."
In just a few seconds, the tide shifted.
Shohoku, whose hearts had been hanging by a thread because of Akagi's injury, were jolted back to life by that brutal, momentum-crushing block.
Adrenaline surged.
"Great defense!!"
Miyagi steadied the dribble, shouting toward the backcourt, his face drenched in sweat but blazing with wild excitement.
On the other side.
Ryonan fell into dead silence.
Uozumi Jun stood under the basket, chest heaving, eyes unfocused.
"Hold it together! Get back on defense!"
Sendoh Akira's voice rang out—still calm, but noticeably quicker than usual.
He cast a deep glance at the red-haired boy rubbing his forehead, his brows knitting slightly.
Shohoku had… too many unpredictable elements.
Play continued.
Miyagi didn't give Ryonan a moment to breathe.
The fast break didn't convert—but he slowed things down after crossing half-court, raising a finger.
Half-court set!
Akagi Takenori backed Uozumi down into the paint.
He planted his feet, spread his hands, and called for the ball.
His broad back was like a mountain.
"Give it to me."
His voice was low, carrying unquestionable authority.
With a flick of his wrist, Miyagi fed the ball perfectly into the post.
Smack.
Akagi caught it, then slammed his back into Uozumi.
That single impact snapped Uozumi's drifting focus back into place.
He braced hard against Akagi's waist, all the humiliation from Makino Juro and the taunts from Sakuragi twisting into a warped, obsessive will to win.
"Akagi…"
"Stop forcing it. Today, you're the worst you've ever been!"
Uozumi's voice squeezed out between clenched teeth.
Akagi ignored him, lowering his shoulder to test the defense.
Sensing weakness in the pressure behind him, Uozumi's confidence grew.
He immediately switched to trash talk, trying to shake Akagi:
"Your ankle hurts, doesn't it? You can barely stand!"
"Admit it, Akagi—you can't beat me like this!"
"You needed that redhead just to barely stop me. How pathetic!"
He pressed harder, sweat dripping down his rugged face.
"Beating you like this? That's only natural!"
It sounded like the declaration of a victor—
But in truth, it was nothing more than self-hypnosis from someone on the brink.
Akagi paused for a fraction of a second.
"Uozumi… you talk too much."
His reply was cold.
At that exact moment.
A red-haired head popped out sneakily from a blind spot.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stood there with his hands on his hips, staring at Uozumi like he was looking at an idiot.
"Hey, Monkey Boss."
His uniquely cocky voice instantly shattered the tense atmosphere.
"Did your brain short-circuit or something?"
He stuck out his pinky, dug into his ear exaggeratedly, then flicked at the air in Uozumi's direction.
"The gorilla has a few off days every month. Totally normal."
"But…"
Sakuragi grinned, flashing a full set of white teeth.
He pointed at himself, then at Juro—who was wrapped in a towel on the bench.
"Isn't this genius still here?"
"And seriously—what gives you the right to run your mouth?"
His gaze suddenly sharpened, words striking like needles:
"You're just a monkey who got beaten so badly by my master that you questioned your entire existence—crawling on the floor looking for your mom."
"And when my master treated you like a grade-schooler just now, why didn't you say that was 'only natural'?"
Critical hit.
True damage +10086.
Uozumi's already dark face flushed into a deep, liver-red shade. Veins bulged on his temples as his blood pressure skyrocketed.
"Y-you… red-haired monkey…!"
He trembled with rage, breathing like a broken bellows.
This was Sakuragi Hanamichi—
A natural-born mental warfare specialist.
One sentence, perfectly stepping on every landmine.
And then dancing on top of it.
The moment Uozumi's mentality cracked—
Akagi moved.
No fancy footwork.
Just raw, brutal force.
"BOOM!"
Like a heavy tank crashing forward, he knocked Uozumi off balance in an instant.
Even with his ankle screaming in pain, Akagi didn't make a sound.
Spin. Dribble. Takeoff!
"Don't even think about it!!"
Fueled by humiliation, Uozumi exploded upward, roaring as he leapt to block.
Two mountains of flesh collided midair!
"RAAAAHHH!!"
A pure clash of strength—
A battle of will.
Akagi's arms surged with power, forcefully pushing Uozumi back.
But Uozumi held him off just enough.
They both came down hard, the floor trembling beneath them.
Uozumi staggered back, eyes filled with shock.
This… is an injured player?!
But Akagi gave him no time to recover.
The instant he landed—
He jumped again!
"RAAAAH!!!"
Gripping the ball with both hands, Akagi's body arched like a drawn bow, every ounce of rage channeled into his arms.
"KONG—DUNK!!!"
His momentum was overwhelming—like he was about to shatter the rim itself.
Uozumi's knees buckled.
He couldn't jump again in time—
All he could do was watch as Akagi blotted out the lights above.
The entire arena rose to its feet, bracing for the slam...
At the last possible moment.
A ghost-like figure appeared behind Akagi without warning.
Fast.
Too fast.
So fast that even Makino Juro, who had been "sleeping" on the bench, cracked one eye open.
Sendoh Akira.
Like an unpredictable gust of wind, he cut in from the side, arriving at the deadliest angle.
Akagi didn't notice.
Just as the ball was about to drop through the hoop...
A slender, pale hand shot out—precise and merciless.
"PAH!!"
A crisp sound—
But one that shattered hearts.
Sendoh slapped the side of the ball—
And with it, sent Shohoku's rising momentum flying.
"Sendoh!!"
Ryonan's bench erupted in desperate cheers.
The ball changed trajectory, soaring high into the air.
Akagi's dunk attempt failed. He landed heavily, turning back—
Only to meet Sendoh's unfathomably deep gaze.
"Sorry, Captain Akagi."
Sendoh spoke calmly.
"That one… I couldn't let you have."
But the smile on Sendoh's face froze instantly.
Because...
High above—
A red figure was rising at an impossible height.
That was...
"Sakuragi?!!"
The entire arena cried out.
Sakuragi Hanamichi shot upward like a blazing red rocket.
His vertical leap surpassed even Akagi and Uozumi from moments before!
His red hair burned under the lights, his eyes blazing with pure, unfiltered intensity.
"Heh!"
"This genius saw it coming!"
END OF CHAPTER
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The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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