"Takauta."
"Stop him."
Back in the gym, Coach Sun Fengwu turned toward Takauta Kōka, whose calm smile never faded, after discovering that Zhu Yangyu had been stirring things up in his absence.
Kōka simply nodded.
"Got it."
He then strode slowly toward the court.
At that moment
Shigure Akihito noticed it.
The instant Kōka took his first step, the air around him changed—his presence, usually so composed, now felt like an endless abyss, threatening to swallow everything whole.
Buzz!
Even his eyes
Both the whites and pupils
Had turned completely black.
Sun Fengwu: "...?"
This brat…
When did he reach that level?
To Kōka, who was now stepping onto the court, this was also the first time he had ever revealed this evolved visual ability before others.
But this, too, was a good opportunity.
His opponent
Zhu Yangyu, one of the top-ranked players among them.
His audience
Sun Fengwu himself.
And across the court
Shigure Akihito, whose very aura carried a faint sense of threat.
They were all among the first batch of players invited to this program. A year from now, each would stand as a rival in the legendary Blue Prison 470 project. Their fates were bound for collision.
Buzz!
Kōka slowly opened his eyes again.
And just like the first time he entered this state
He once again witnessed that new, transcendent world.
Before his eyes, faint mirages appeared in front of everyone on the court—phantom outlines that mirrored each player's movement, layers upon layers of translucent shadows that shifted with every motion.
He knew exactly what they were
Each shadow represented the next action that person would take.
Beyond that, among the flickering shapes, certain glowing spots appeared and shifted continuously.
Those marked zones—he understood them instantly.
They revealed the opponent's defensive gaps and his team's best offensive opportunities, as seen through his eyes.
Everything
So intuitive.
So clear.
Every pattern and movement laid bare before him, immersing him in a world where the future was already known.
Zhu Yangyu's going to cut to the other side…
Fifty centimeters from the paint…
He'll spin there…
If I were defending, one step now could block the drive…
Hmm…
As always
Impressive speed and ball control.
But…
His next move
Isn't a breakthrough.
He's about to stop.
That feint was a setup.
He's going for a direct shot.
It's coming.
Just watch
It's happening.
In Kōka's darkened eyes, light flared under Zhu Yangyu's feet.
Kōka understood
That was Zhu's scoring point
And his own interception point!
Amazing… compared to before, his field of vision now reached terrifyingly far!
Takauta Kōka: "!?"
Just as Kōka moved to intercept that point, something appeared in his sight
He hadn't even turned his head, yet the scene burned clearly in his perception.
It came from Shigure Akihito
And the shadow in front of him that represented his next move.
Takauta Kōka: "…"
So fast—what a block!
"Kōka-kun, this is my home court~"
"Why don't you let me handle it?"
Step—Step—
With two sharp strides, Shigure Akihito's body burst into motion, a fiery red aura erupting around him in reverse flow.
From a distance, Nijimura Shūzō's expression tightened.
"...As expected."
Every time after a major tournament
Shigure always grew stronger.
[Current Glory Path Mission: IH First Championship]
[Mission Objective: Win the Interhigh Tournament during high school.]
[Mission Reward: Legendary Player Data—]
[『Moment of Glory』 — Sakuragi Hanamichi]
…
[Current Glory Path Mission: Strongest High School Player]
[Mission Objective: In the IH Finals, defeat the previous top high school player head-on.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock Legendary Player Talent—]
Swoosh!
Legendary Sakuragi Skill Activated: "Moment of Glory"!
[Moment of Glory: During a match, you can enter either "Genius" or "Savior" state based on your own judgment, enhancing different attributes and evolving all active skills.]
[Genius State: In this mode, body posture and movement adapt instantly, enabling ultra-fast transitions into the next action.]
[Savior State: In this mode, physical stability, dribbling speed, and ball control are greatly enhanced, along with all related stats.]
Right now
Shigure Akihito chose: Genius!
Genius Flight Block!
Talent
Extreme Sky Block!
[Extreme Sky Block: When used in Genius State during a max-jump sequence, allows instantaneous aerial extension for a direct block at landing point.]
The description sounded simple enough
But the faces around him told the truth.
Even among players of extraordinary skill, their widened eyes and stunned silence said it all—
This legendary ability was terrifying.
Swoosh!
Shigure shot upward toward Zhu Yangyu's drive, his leap so fast and powerful that his jersey snapped violently in the wind.
Meanwhile, Zhu—who was attacking the rim with his signature Dragon Fist Dunk—instantly sensed danger mid-jump!
Split-second reaction—he turned in midair
"What the—!?"
In his vision, that red-glowing figure curved like a drawn bow, coiled and ready to strike, pouncing toward him with the force of a starving tiger.
It was like a fighter jet slicing through the air, locked on for the kill!
But
"I'm a dragon!"
BOOM!
In an instant
His right hand tightened around the ball, every ounce of strength channeling through his arm—dragon energy surging!
"My right fist opens the heavens—becoming!"
Slam!
But the next second
Zhu's expression twisted.
He couldn't even finish his line.
"!?
Wait
How… how is he still rising!?
Genius—Shift—Savior!
Savior Flight Block!
Savior Effect
Insight!
[Insight: When the opponent performs a second aerial attack move, Sakuragi Hanamichi adjusts his blocking trajectory to disrupt their release space, extending their vulnerable timing frame for a counter block.]
Smack!
Ball caught.
Shot denied.