"Freedom?" Sakuragi froze.
"Unbound by rules. Acting entirely on instinct."
Coach Anzai gazed at the figure on the court, his tone calm and unhurried.
"You, right now, are still an unpolished jade."
"And Makino Juro…"
"He's already a demon blade drawn from its sheath."
On the court.
The game continued.
But the atmosphere had completely changed.
On Ryonan's side, that unshakable belief in victory had begun to crack.
Fear spread like wild grass in their hearts.
Fukuda stood there, head lowered.
His hands trembled.
Not from anger.
But from… fear.
In that instant earlier, what he felt from Makino Juro wasn't pressure from an opponent—
It was something else entirely.
A kind of…
Predatory hierarchy.
Like a husky facing a wolf king.
No matter how much it struggled, the outcome was already decided.
"Fuku…"
Sendoh walked over and patted Fukuda on the shoulder.
The warmth of that touch pulled him slightly back to his senses.
"Don't overthink it."
Sendoh's voice was as gentle as ever—
But his eyes had never been more serious.
"That guy… really is strong."
He turned to look at Makino Juro, who was high-fiving Rukawa Kaede.
A flicker of excitement ignited in his gaze.
"So strong… it makes you want to destroy him."
Sendoh smiled.
But this time, it wasn't casual.
There was something feral in it.
"Give me the ball."
He spoke to Koshino.
"If the strategy's been exposed…"
"Then we settle this the old-fashioned way."
Ace versus ace.
Shohoku's half.
Juro raised an eyebrow.
Oh?
The hedgehog's going all out?
Did I just push the boss into phase two?
He watched Sendoh approach with the ball, his own aura growing wilder.
"Come on."
Makino Juro spread his arms.
His stance still looked loose—
But the air around him seemed to freeze.
"Let me see…"
"Whether Kanagawa's genius can make me break a sweat."
In a corner of the stands.
A middle-aged man in a Kainan uniform—
No, a high schooler.
Maki Shinichi.
Arms crossed, his gaze locked tightly onto Makino Juro.
"Maki, what is it?"
Coach Takato fanned himself lightly as he asked.
Maki stayed silent for a long moment before speaking.
His voice was low—
Carrying a rare hint of caution.
"That number 16…"
"He's still not going all out."
"What?!"
Kiyota Nobunaga jumped up.
"This isn't full power?!"
"That dunk earlier nearly ripped the backboard off!"
Maki shook his head.
"Instinct."
"Shohoku…"
"This year, they might be the biggest dark horse."
Back on the court.
Sendoh moved.
No screens.
No passing feints.
Just a straight, face-up drive.
"Thump!"
The ball slammed against the floor, heavy and forceful.
Using his height advantage, Sendoh forced his way into Juro's space.
Back-down post-up.
A move he rarely used—usually reserved for smaller guards.
But now, he used it against Makino Juro.
"Trying to overpower me?"
Makino Juro almost laughed.
With the [Aomine Daiki] template loaded, his core strength had skyrocketed exponentially.
"Bang!"
Their bodies collided.
Sendoh felt like he'd slammed into granite.
Juro didn't budge an inch.
"So solid!"
Sendoh's heart jolted.
No wonder he could bully Uozumi earlier.
This guy looks lean—but his base is insane.
If I can't push him…
Then—
Spin!
Sendoh pivoted on his left foot and turned into a fadeaway jumper.
Smooth.
Elegant.
A picture-perfect shot.
Unblockable.
But the moment the ball left his fingertips—
A hand appeared in its path.
Not a block.
A blind.
Makino Juro's palm cut perfectly between Sendoh's line of sight and the rim.
He didn't touch the ball.
Didn't touch the man.
He just… turned the lights out.
"Tch."
Relying purely on muscle memory, Sendoh forced the shot.
"Clang!"
The ball hit the back rim and bounced high.
"REBOUND!!"
Akagi roared, boxing out Uozumi.
But at that very moment...
A figure shot into the sky.
Sakuragi Hanamichi?
No—
Makino Juro!
The instant he landed from contesting the shot, he had already jumped again.
That second-jump explosiveness was inhuman.
He rose above both Uozumi and Akagi.
And snatched the rebound one-handed!
"Another board?!"
Uozumi's eyes bulged.
Makino Juro landed—
No hesitation.
"Fast break!"
With a low shout, he fired the ball forward like a cannon.
Up ahead—
Rukawa had already taken off.
"No way!!"
Koshino tried to intercept on the retreat.
But the pass was too fast—
Spinning violently as it sliced past his ear.
Rukawa caught it.
An open lane ahead.
"BOOM!"
Another one-handed slam.
57:46.
The lead stretched to 11.
"Damn it…"
Coach Taoka stared at Shohoku.
Especially at Juro, surrounded by his teammates.
A deep sense of helplessness surged within him.
This variable…
Was too big.
So big it completely exceeded his tactical calculations.
"Ryonan! Go! Go! Go!!"
"Ryonan! Charge!!"
The cheers crashed like tidal waves, shaking the arena.
Even with the deficit now in double digits.
Ryonan's cheer squad roared on relentlessly.
Maybe they were fired up by Coach Taoka's hoarse shouting.
Or maybe they simply believed...
That the man with the broom-like hairstyle could still turn the tide.
Lose the game—
But never lose momentum.
Kainan's section.
Kiyota gripped the railing tightly.
His monkey-like sharp eyes were now filled with confusion.
"Something's off…"
He frowned deeply, muttering to himself.
"Way off."
"What is?" Jin asked calmly, unscrewing his water bottle.
"Rukawa!"
Kiyota pointed at Shohoku's number 11, who looked expressionless.
"That smug, poker-faced fox—why is he so quiet today?!"
"In the first half, aside from a few easy points, he barely showed up. Hardly any shots!"
Kiyota rubbed his chin, going full detective mode.
"Could it be… he got scared of Sendoh? Doesn't dare attack?"
"No, no, no…"
He immediately shook his head.
"That guy's like me—a total battle maniac… I mean, loves fighting."
"Against prey like Sendoh, he should be charging in like a mad dog."
"So why does he look like he's… AFK?"
Maki Shinichi, arms crossed, scanned the court like a radar.
Finally—
His gaze settled on the figure jogging back.
Makino Juro.
"When the sun burns too bright…"
"The fireflies lose their light."
Maki spoke slowly, his voice deep and steady.
"Huh? Senpai, what kind of riddle is that?"
Kiyota looked completely lost.
"Rukawa's style needs the ball. Needs rhythm."
Maki's eyes sharpened.
"But today, Shohoku's rhythm has been completely monopolized by someone else."
"When Makino Juro displays that kind of overwhelming dominance…"
"Even Rukawa Kaede…"
"Has no choice but to tuck away his fangs—and play the supporting role."
END OF CHAPTER
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