The speed was too fast. Taiga Kagami gave his all, yet he couldn't catch up to Haizaki Shogo, who carried the ball with effortless power.
This was the difference. Pure strength. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just cannot catch up.
At the free-throw line, Shogo planted a step and surged forward. The basketball gripped in his palm was slammed into a dunk.
Behind him, Kagami had already leapt from outside the free-throw line, attempting to block Shogo's ferocious dunk.
The whistle blew—two points counted.
The ball swished through the net, but Kagami had committed a foul, colliding with Shogo's back. One free throw would follow.
Shogo, landing lightly on the floor, ignored Kagami's slightly resentful glare and calmly walked to the free-throw line.
Taking the basketball from the referee, a small smile curled on Shogo's lips. He released the ball; it bounced twice against the metal rim before falling back.
Then, taking two steps forward, Shogo leapt again and dunked it cleanly.
The whistle confirmed two more points. Spectators were left slack-jawed.
My god! Is this a dunk contest?
The crowd erupted in whispers and applause.
At the top of the stands, Aomine Daiki's eyes narrowed. His mind replayed and analyzed the dunk over and over, trying to determine if he could replicate it.
After a long pause, he exhaled, unsure if his words were admiration or bitter envy.
"Even if it's a show, you can't do that without skill."
"Aomine, that dunk Shogo just did was amazing!"
"Not bad. That arrogant guy is getting stronger. That dunk was a direct response to Kagami's solo alley-oop. Personally, I'd call it… a slap to the face."
======
In Seirin's bench area, Aida Riko stared at Shogo on the court, thinking How is this possible? Such legendary plays shouldn't exist in a small high school league.
Even Midorima Shintaro and the others in the stands were dumbfounded, certain they must be seeing things.
"Am I seeing things, Shin?"
"Unbelievable. A monster among monsters."
Yukio Kasamatsu and Takao Wakamatsu whispered in disbelief, still processing the four-point swing.
Finally, Midorima, who had been silent, turned to Kise Ryouta with a low voice.
"Could you do that?"
Kise squinted, considering for a long moment before responding.
"No. My vertical jump and explosive power aren't enough yet. That move is beyond limits—it requires exceptional physical ability. Impossible to imitate."
"Shogo is ridiculously strong right now."
======
On the court, Fukuda teammates rushed over to bump chests with Shogo, showing respect to their captain.
Then, all five returned to their half to defend, waiting for Seirin to attack.
Seirin's players were stunned. Is this even high school basketball?
Fear spread like a dense fog, suffocating them.
Shogo, in his own half, watched Seirin's stiff movements and muttered to his teammates:
"Soft spots are right in front of us. Squeeze them all you want!"
"Got it!"
"Hehe!"
"Okay!"
"Watch me!"
Unexpectedly, Shogo intercepted Izuki's pass to Kagami and sprinted down the court.
Behind him, Kagami and Kimura Tosho gave chase.
Shogo reached the paint but didn't dunk. Instead, he passed back to Tosho, who caught the ball and leapt for a clean dunk.
This classic 2-on-1 setup gave Fukuda an effortless score. Their lead continued to grow.
Back on his half, Shogo watched Izuki pass to Kagami. Kagami, trapped under Shogo's defense, paused and gave up the ball, passing to Hyuga.
Hyuga faked a shot and then passed to Mitobe.
Mitobe quickly launched a hook shot—the ball swished through the net. Okawa, defending Mitobe, froze, realizing he had misjudged.
Shogo and the teammates said nothing. Mistakes happen, but they minimize them.
"Stay sharp! Half a minute left. Let's see who squeezes the softest spots first."
"Got it!"
Harano Shinichi brought the ball across midcourt, launched a short floater—missed. Karasu Suzuran jumped high, grabbed the rebound, and redirected it off the side of the board into the net.
The ball went in. The second-quarter buzzer sounded.
Every point counted, bringing the score to 58–12. Fukuda's dominance was overwhelming.
In Fukuda's bench area, they had a ten-minute break and returned to the locker room.
Coach Ichiro Kudo continued his instructions:
"After this break, Seirin will improve slightly in the third quarter. But we're stronger. I want you to crush them. In the third quarter, we secure our Tokyo tournament spot. Understand?"
"Understood!"
"Yes!"
In Seirin's locker room, morale could be summed up in one word: shattered.
In the silence, Kuroko Tetsuya spoke:
"Coach, let me play in the third quarter."
"Kuroko, do you have a plan?"
"I have one, but it's risky. We can only try it."
Everyone's eyes lit up, hope sparking like a lifeline.
In the stands, Kaijo captain Yukio Kasamatsu whispered to Kise Ryouta:
"If the Phantom Sixth Man doesn't step in, the team won't just lose hope—they might collapse completely."
Kise nodded at Midorima, both understanding each other.
"I'm afraid Seirin won't make it, Shin."
"The game isn't over until the final whistle. Don't jump to conclusions."
At the top of the stands, Aomine Daiki turned to leave.
"Let's go, Satsuki. The light is too dim to illuminate the path. Without a path, how can we move forward?"
"…Aomine…"
Satsuki Momoi looked at his back, then at the court, stomping her foot and clenching her teeth. She turned, following him, her pink hair flowing like a waterfall behind her.
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