Midorima closely watched the movements of those two monsters, his mind racing nonstop.
"..."
Although Captain Nijimura was the one handling the ball, Shigure-senpai's overwhelming scoring ability—and Captain Nijimura himself, practically the embodiment of Teiko's spirit—meant that this point would definitely be exploited.
Five percent…
As expected…
Stealing the ball directly from Captain Nijimura was unrealistic.
Then the only option was to cut off Shigure-senpai's catch.
Victory or defeat would hinge on
However, before Midorima could finish his train of thought, the Shigure-senpai who had stepped up suddenly exploded into a completely unstructured, rule-breaking run. The sight froze his expression for a split second—just like everyone else on Yōsen.
"!?"
Yōsen's Okamura Kenichi was tracking the runs directed by Midorima while simultaneously watching Shigure Akihito zigzag left and right across the court, ignoring friend and foe alike, before brushing past his own side. His face was full of confusion.
He…
What was the meaning of this utterly patternless, random movement?
What the hell was he doing?
This was completely outside his realm of understanding.
Especially under the orderly framework of Midorima's tactical command, Shigure Akihito's blatant disregard for both teams' formations stood out as sheer absurdity—so absurd it would even disrupt his own side's rhythm.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Okamura's forehead. Unlike Midorima, who was constantly "divining" possibilities in his mind yet arriving at no answer, Okamura had a simpler feeling
Shigure Akihito hadn't really exerted himself for nearly half the game…
And now he was just going berserk with nowhere to spend his excess energy!
The very next second
Okamura Kenichi: "!?"
Nijimura Shuzo's pass!
Even if Midorima had divined the most likely next move Nijimura would make
It was still too fast!
The motion was fast, the reaction even faster!
Under Midorima's defensive command, that passing lane was impossibly narrow, wickedly sharp, and fleeting—under normal circumstances, there was no way a pass could go through there…
And yet
Shigure Akihito, at full speed, caught the ball in stride.
The pass locked onto Shigure Akihito with pinpoint precision. Clearly, in Nijimura Shuzo's eyes, Shigure Akihito's bizarre running route was completely within his expectations.
Boom!
"So this way…"
"I can still catch up, you know~!"
Atsushi Murasakibara's defensive positioning was different from before. Unlike the earlier spread-out isolation plays, both teams were now fully engaged inside the three-point line, compressing the defensive space even further. In this situation, Murasakibara's advantage—needing fewer strides—was brought into full effect, his long legs used with exquisite efficiency.
The ultra-wide-range help defense Fukaya Reiji had mentioned before couldn't fully show its power in a one-on-one perimeter matchup. Under Midorima's defensive scheme, this weakness was specifically compensated for.
"Oh~"
"Long legs…"
"Sure are convenient, huh~"
Shigure Akihito dribbled laterally a few steps, joking as he turned his body sideways toward Murasakibara.
From the audience's perspective, on the other side of the court, Fukaya Reiji had already burst forward at high speed from behind Shigure Akihito. In that instant, Fukaya didn't even look back.
Shigure Akihito immediately swung the ball over, a faint smile appearing as he said, "You're really impressive, Murasakibara. Your defensive movement and positioning are beautiful."
But at that moment, Murasakibara had no time to pay attention to Shigure Akihito's words. His first reaction was to look toward Midorima.
However
Midorima: "..."
Fukaya-senpai!?
He…
Was he just a decoy providing support next to Shigure-senpai!?
Damn it!
Even after reaching that level…
Beside those two monsters, he was still reduced to this kind of role?
As if sensing exactly what Midorima was thinking, Fukaya Reiji's eyes—once again hidden beneath his bangs—were calm, utterly devoid of emotion, as he murmured softly:
"Victory is everything…"
Near the paint, Fukaya Reiji plunged into Yōsen's collapsed interior defense. This time, however, he didn't return the ball to Shigure Akihito—instead, he flicked a pass sideways, away from Shigure!
Fukui Kensuke: "…!"
Not to Shigure Akihito at a moment like this—side pass!?
Ah…
That is—Nijimura Shuzo!!
Bathed in rainbow light set against a base of pitch-black flames, Nijimura Shuzo looked like a demon king who had just emerged from hellfire and stepped into holy radiance. The instant he received the ball, he gave no one time to think
He rose immediately!
Whoosh!
Yōsen was struck dumb with shock!
Seamless continuity!
As if his brain didn't need to think at all—purely reflexive action. And yet, just like those passes that perfectly matched Shigure Akihito's irregular movement before
How could it possibly be thoughtless!?
On the court
No one could keep up with Nijimura Shuzo's thinking!
A shot
No!
That's not it!
The ball's rotation was strange…!?
The ball
It was almost passed along an arc—it was a pass to Shigure Akihito!!
"Go, Shigure." As the flames around Nijimura Shuzo slightly receded, on the other side Shigure Akihito dragged a streak of crimson—the red of a glorious moment—through the air…
Red
So red it looked like it might drip blood!
Boom!
Just as Yōsen's players stood frozen, Midorima's figure suddenly burst into view!
At the instant Midorima intercepted, in the eyes of everyone present, the ball between Shigure Akihito and Midorima visibly distorted for a split second—then a ring of white shockwave exploded outward!
"Senpai!"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Completely overpowered by Shigure Akihito's strength, Midorima had no leeway midair to protect his own body. He crashed fiercely into Shigure, using the collision to disrupt the alley-oop!
The ball slipped free from between their hands, flying out of bounds and landing deep in the front-row stands!
"Midorima!?"
Amid Fukui Kensuke's worried shout, Midorima—who had charged in almost recklessly, aiming to stop the attack even by committing a foul—collided head-on with Shigure Akihito due to uncontrollable inertia. The violent clash threw him completely off balance, and he was about to flip and crash to the floor!
At that moment
Shigure Akihito hooked an arm around Midorima's shoulder with one hand.
Stabilized.
Force dissipated.
He ensured Midorima landed safely.
Midorima: "..."
Though Midorima's expression was tightly drawn, as he looked at Shigure Akihito
The loss of bodily control just now…
After regaining his composure…
As his mental focus snapped back into place, Midorima couldn't help but show a flicker of shock at Shigure Akihito's utterly absurd midair body control.
Shigure Akihito, however, only glanced at him with a complicated expression.
"..."
So similar…
Extremely similar.
Only this time, the roles were reversed—he was Hagioka Kasayuki, and Midorima was himself.
Beep!
Beep!
As expected.
The referee blew the whistle for Midorima's foul.
"Ah—thought he barely stopped it…"
"No way… On that play, once Midorima failed to stay attached to Nijimura Shuzo, he immediately turned to the paint. That move—he was clearly going for the foul…"
"So decisive. Midorima Shintarō is really something."
Among the spectators, people replayed the sequence in their minds and continued discussing:
"By the way, after ending the isolation phase, Kaijō's coordination and passing are honestly unbelievable!"
"The initiation point was Nijimura Shuzo, the link was Fukaya Reiji, and the finisher was Shigure Akihito—perfect synergy among the three…"
"Yeah…"
"Too fast for the eye to follow…"
"This possession didn't even show the terrifying techniques from earlier matches. It was pure tactical movement… and ridiculous physical ability."
On the court
Midorima, a shooting guard, took a rebounding position during the free throw. Compared to his nonstop motion on the previous defensive possession, now that he was still, the veins along his forehead gradually stood out.
Hah!
It wasn't Shigure-senpai's individual power at its peak—it was tactics…
So that's it…
A deliberately constructed teaching match.
On the other side
During the pause after Shigure Akihito made the first free throw, Okamura Kenichi patted Midorima's back encouragingly. "Midorima… you still managed to catch up like that… Even though it was a foul, that was beautiful defense."
Midorima: "..."
Huff…
But in the end, I could only stop him with a foul…
Damn it…
Passing, receiving, positioning, timing—I accurately grasped Shigure-senpai's intent, and through that intent, divined the most likely attacking spot.
Yet in the end, because of Fukaya-senpai's tactical linkage, the defensive success rate plummeted straight to the bottom.
Fukaya-senpai…
Was a feint—an interference blending truth and falsehood!
A tool Captain Nijimura deliberately used to disrupt me!
Just as Midorima realized this, Nijimura Shuzo across from him frowned slightly and suddenly spoke:
"Was that really the best choice?"
"?"
"Shintarō—do you only see that single option?"
"..."
"Reality and ideals," Nijimura Shuzo said with half-lidded eyes, his in-game aura as cold as ever. "Aim your thinking at the tiny point where the two overlap. Don't let inspiration slip away. Think about what you can actually do in that instant."
In a flash
Goosebumps erupted all over Midorima's body.
At the same time
Clang!
Shigure Akihito's second free throw slammed off the front of the rim!
Rebound!
Whoosh!
The Glorious Moment genius charged to the limit and launched himself for the board!
The instant the second free throw left his hand, Shigure Akihito—already storing power—stepped forward violently, then soared like a bird!
Distance
Terrifying: from a step inside the free-throw line straight to the rim!
Height
Monstrous: his head rose above the rim!
An unexpected play—he muscled past Murasakibara and grabbed the rebound!
And at the same time
He flung it midair straight to Nijimura Shuzo!
On the other side, green flames burned in Midorima's eyes as he instantly divined the on-court situation!
The very next moment
Exactly as Midorima had foreseen!
With the paint crowded after the free throw, Captain Nijimura didn't attack directly. Instead, he fired a long, lateral pass!
Midorima: "...!"
In that blink of an eye
Me…
Faster than any possession before!
This pass
Even though Fukaya-senpai was running, he clearly started earlier only to draw some of the defense away. In the end, it was still Captain Nijimura and Shigure-senpai's combination!
A lightning-fast pass—if I dive, I might barely
However
Midorima's diving steal fell just centimeters short!
"…!?"
"Can't reach it!?"
Captain Nijimura…
Did he deliberately aim a few centimeters beyond the furthest point I could reach at full speed? Since when had he already envisioned this!?
At the far end
Beyond the three-point line
In an instant, the red light around Shigure Akihito condensed into something thick, viscous—almost blood-colored!
From the moment he grabbed the rebound, he never once looked back. Yet he clearly knew the ball was behind him. Perhaps it was a beast's hunting instinct—or more likely, a tacit understanding born of perfect chemistry. In the next second, the shooting motion completed itself reflexively!
A smooth catch in one motion!
A genius adjustment to his shooting form!
Identical to Fukaya Reiji's instant catch-and-handle technique—and the airborne release mirrored Midorima's Falling Leaf perfectly!
Whoosh!
Training camp Rukawa—an eye for an eye…
Midorima's Falling Leaf!
The leaf-like arc that drifted through the air fixed everyone's gaze on that damn ball that refused to fall, a three-pointer so psychologically crushing
And this time, like a boomerang, it came crashing back down on Yōsen's head!
Until
Swish!
A beautiful nothing-but-net.
Kaijō's first possession after the timeout cut four points in one breath, plunging the arena into a brief, stunned silence!
"They're monsters…"
"No way… right?"
"So this is…"
"Shigure Akihito × Nijimura Shuzo?"
The roar of the crowd made everyone feel as though they were being swallowed by a tidal wave of excitement. On the court, Shigure Akihito spread his arms wide, accepting the worshipful cheers!
On the other side, Yōsen took a long moment—only snapping back under the referee's urging.
Midorima lowered his gaze slightly…
Beside him, as Fukaya Reiji slowed his steps while retreating on defense, he spoke as he passed:
"Your ability is strong, Shintarō…"
"But in this direction, you can't beat Nijimura."
"No matter when…"
"As the brain that leads Teiko to operate at full speed without obstruction—"
"It has always been Nijimura Shuzo."
"He is Teiko's heart…"
"Shigure…"
"Is the blood rushing through its veins."
As Fukaya Reiji's words fell, in the distance, the rainbow light of Teiko's heart and the blazing red glow of its surging blood
Reflected with exceptional clarity in Midorima's eyes.
END OF CHAPTER
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