The atmosphere on Teiko's side was full of energy. In contrast, Heishi Middle School was wrapped in gloom. They hadn't come into the game with much confidence to begin with, but now, even the small spark of wanting to "put on a good show" had been completely extinguished, all thanks to Akihito Shigure's opening play: a devastating block that left no room to breathe.
Seeing this,
Heishi's coach immediately called a timeout to halt the game. As the whistle blew, the roaring crowd was brought to an abrupt pause.
And then…
An uproar.
"Huh? The game just started and they're already calling a timeout? Two blocks and they're shutting it down? Middle schoolers these days are monsters."
"Well, it is Akihito Shigure…"
"Heishi doesn't stand a chance. The gap is just too big… no saving this."
"Shigure is unreal. He doesn't look like a middle schooler at all. Honestly, I feel like he could hold his own in high school."
"Probably. I haven't heard of any high schooler putting up this kind of defensive lockdown."
Heishi's coach had no choice. If he couldn't break the other team's momentum, his players wouldn't even be able to perform at their regular practice level.
This timeout wasn't about strategy, it was purely to break Teiko's rhythm and snap his players out of their daze.
Not long after,
Play resumed. Heishi's possession.
Baseline inbound.
Teiko was already in position, bracing at half court.
And standing once more at the free throw line was that same figure, Akihito Shigure. Not long ago, he had soared like a bird, wings unfurled, delivering a clean, brutal block, a moment that kept looping in the Heishi point guard's mind.
Heishi's captain: "..."
Hell…
That was a drawing straight out of a horror manga.
Fast breaks were impossible. Forced into a half-court set, Heishi was now operating exactly where Shigure thrived.
He scanned left and right…
Buzz!
A pulsing green glow flickered around him.
He'd already built up his energy, after blocking and scoring back-to-back, and activated his signature move, locked and ready: the same special technique as Takeshi Fujima—
"Green Light"!
And as the timeout clock naturally wound down…
He'd even begun charging a second ultimate.
Others might not have noticed the shift, but Nijimura Shuzo knew Shigure's power too well.
Even though Shigure always waved off his abilities as "mystical" or "vague," Nijimura could feel the surge in aura, the change in pressure. He had always been sensitive to that kind of intensity.
Then it happened
Shigure glanced over at him.
Raised an eyebrow.
Nijimura: "…"
Ha!
A challenge?
Bring it on…
The timing might've been early, and the opponent was weak, but no matter how many times he saw that smug provocation, it still made his blood stir.
That bastard…
Heishi's point guard passed the ball. After their earlier inside attempt failed, they shifted to an outside play, deliberately far from Shigure's zone, the corner of the baseline.
But the shooting guard, visibly rattled by the earlier block, called for a screen the moment he caught the ball, even though Shigure was still near the free throw line.
The power forward stepped out of the paint.
It looked like he was about to dive back in after the pick.
However…
Nijimura saw through it instantly. The screen left an intentional gap, a feint to compress Teiko's defense and open up a shot from deep.
The shooter? No doubt the power forward, No. 6.
And sure enough
The shooting guard faked a drive off the screen, then dished it to No. 6 popping out to the perimeter.
But just as the ball left his hands—
ROAR!
A lion's roar, deep, palpable.
No. 6 and No. 8 from Heishi both froze in shock.
Because a white shadow suddenly flashed between them, severing their passing lane clean in half.
Sharp, cold eyes. Wild black hair.
Teiko's No. 4, Nijimura Shuzo!
A clean, anticipatory steal!
Smack!
Under the stunned gaze of Heishi's players, Nijimura snatched the pass and, like a whirlwind, exploded down the court!
Heishi responded quickly.
But—
Since the turnover had happened near Teiko's baseline, where Heishi had spread out for spacing, most of their players were near the three-point arc. That gave them time to recover.
Their No. 4, the point guard, was the first to get back.
Though only 173cm tall, he was lightning-fast. He knew Nijimura wasn't your typical power forward, so he didn't dare press like he would against slower big men.
He pressed cautiously, trying to slow Nijimura down just enough for his teammates to catch up.
Thud!
Heishi No. 4: "!?"
What the…
Monster?!
Nijimura, reading the defensive body contact, adjusted instantly, turning into it, increasing the intensity.
He rooted the Heishi guard in place with raw power.
Seeing Nijimura about to break away, Heishi's guard made a desperate dive from behind, reaching out with his right hand to swipe at the ball!
Swish!
But—
It was useless!
Like he had eyes in the back of his head, Nijimura spun the ball behind his back and slipped out of the blindside steal attempt with ease, barreling into the paint at full speed!
A power forward stood in front. A small forward chasing from behind.
A double team!
But the very pressure of being surrounded…
Created an opening.
Instead of forcing his way through
Nijimura's eyes stayed locked on the rim. But with a flick of his wrist, the ball zipped through the legs of No. 7, a perfect bounce pass to the teammate streaking in beside him.
No surprise there.
The only one who could keep up with Nijimura's pace…
Was Akihito Shigure, now surging forward with Green Light and a full speed boost.
A second later
The ball was in front of him, almost like magic.
Shigure didn't look surprised.
Nijimura's passes had grown more and more uncanny. If Akashi's passes were about setting up smooth transitions and flowing movements, Nijimura's were pure aggression, distracting defenders to create space for teammates.
"Uwah?!"
"When did he get there?!"
The pass was so fast and clean, most of the crowd couldn't even follow it.
But then…
Something even crazier happened.
And it didn't stop there.
Shigure, mid-stride, swung his arm.
Nijimura's pass, which had drawn a double-team, was swatted by Shigure, not caught, but deflected like swatting a fly, sending the ball flying toward the rim.
Makunouchi Shinichi's Signature Technique: Imperial Pass.
Ability Triggered:
Imperial Relay, transfer the energy of a pass through a teammate instantly.
Imperial Alley-oop, convert any pass into an immediate alley-oop.
Whoosh!
Nijimura, carried by Shigure's pass, soared upward!
Nijimura: "…"
This guy…
What the hell is he doing?
Smack!
Catching the ball mid-air, Nijimura lightly redirected it to the opposite side of the basket!
Shigure's expression darkened.
Ability Triggered: Imperial Acceleration!
Effect: After executing a flashy Imperial Pass that draws defenders' attention, instantly accelerate toward an open space.
Smack!
With Green Light and Imperial Acceleration stacked, Shigure became wind itself, vanishing and reappearing under the left side of the rim.
And at that moment—
Nijimura hadn't even landed yet.
Shigure: "..."
Nijimura, you bastard…
Trying to one-up me?
The assist was gone. His ultimate charge was broken.
Boom!
Alley-oop slam!
Landing.
After this outrageous aerial sequence, Shigure and Nijimura stood before two dumbfounded Heishi players, both wearing sour expressions.
Shigure: "You didn't give me the assist?"
Nijimura: "You passed up a wide-open shot?"
They spoke at the same time.
Then both fell silent.
As they jogged back on defense, passing by the Teiko bench, Coach Shirogane said nothing, just smiled quietly. But Assistant Coach Sanada couldn't hold back any longer.
"You two…"
"What the hell was that? Passing just for the sake of it?!"
"Are you in elementary school?!"
Nijimura and Shigure exchanged a glance.
Nijimura: That forced pass? I meant you.
Shigure: You did it too!
End of chapter...
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