Under Aomine's resentful gaze, Shigure Akihito didn't steal the spotlight. Instead, he turned calmly and went back to defending the opposing center, leaving the ace of Kamizaki Middle School to a cute little first-year junior.
On the other side
Though the Kamizaki players let out a breath of relief, somewhere deep inside, they couldn't help hoping their opponents wouldn't push forward anymore. That flicker of hesitation… was a blow to their morale.
But…
The game had to go on.
And with such a huge point deficit, they had no time to worry about Shigure Akihito's attitude.
They had no choice now,
Even if…
They had to take advantage of their opponents going easy for some unknown reason.
After a failed surprise attack on Shigure Akihito, Kamizaki fell back on a tried-and-true tactic. Only this time, their target wasn't Shigure, it was Aomine Daiki.
Using a screen set by Kamizaki's power forward, guarded by Haizaki, the play unfolded with clear intention. This wasn't improvised, it was a well-rehearsed tactic: a sudden screen popping up in the opponent's blind spot. Clean, sharp, practiced.
Just like that,
Aomine found himself facing the exact same situation Shigure had earlier.
And while it's one thing to watch how someone else handles a play, actually dealing with it yourself… that's a whole different story.
Aomine's reaction speed was already well beyond average. Even though he hadn't awakened his wild instincts yet, he still managed to dodge. But against Inoue Tomoya, who was exceptionally skilled at exploiting teammates' screens, Aomine's defense was dragged out just long enough.
That fleeting moment's delay,
Inoue Tomoya broke past the three-point line defense and drove straight into the paint.
He faked.
Right in front of Shigure Akihito guarding the basket, he suddenly pulled up, like he was about to take the shot.
Shigure glanced at him,
Didn't move.
Because Inoue hadn't completely shaken his defender. Aomine, hot on his heels, had already leapt up, aiming to block the quick-stop jumper.
But Aomine never expected,
It was a fake!
Not just Aomine,
Even the other players watching from the sidelines had been completely fooled by that move.
"Wait, was that a fake-out?"
"I really thought he was going to shoot. From any angle, it didn't look like a move that could be pulled back, yet somehow, he did…"
"That was so convincing, even Aomine Daiki from Teiko fell for it."
"Yeah… same here."
From the sidelines, Shirogane Kōzō offered praise without reservation.
"Beautiful fake."
He nodded in approval and added:
"His attack is simple and straightforward, drive, stop, jump, lift the ball, shoot. But because there's zero hesitation or wasted motion, and the transitions are seamless and fluid, it's no wonder Aomine assumed he was really going for the shot."
"He's poured all his energy into perfecting these fundamental moves, sharpening them to their limits. That kind of polish… only comes from relentless, long-term training."
Back on the court,
Having deceived Aomine, Inoue Tomoya paused for just a breath. Then, once Aomine flew past and overcommitted, he leapt from right near the rim for the layup!
In the paint,
Kamizaki's center tried to initiate physical contact with Shigure Akihito, but the overwhelming power he'd felt before,
Wasn't there.
Instead, Shigure just gave way again and again. The center ended up awkwardly battling thin air, as if playing mind games with a ghost.
And in the next second,
Whoosh!
A sharp gust of wind sliced past his ear.
Behind him,
The lane was completely empty!
"Even if it was a fake, it doesn't matter~"
Shigure hadn't cared at all whether the move was a feint. The moment Inoue Tomoya made the layup motion, he activated Wild Instinct plus Goda Tomokazu: Full-Speed Acceleration. He instantly zipped past the Kamizaki center in front of him, and leapt!
In the air,
Inoue Tomoya stayed composed. Even when facing Shigure Akihito, he didn't panic. Instead, he used a smooth switch-hand move midair, just like Aomine had done before,
Bending his body!
Slipping past Shigure!
The next moment,
Just as he was about to release the ball, Inoue was stunned.
Shigure-senpai's block was still in the path of his shot!
Inoue Tomoya: "..."
Incredible…
That height!
No wonder he'd said, "Even if it's a fake, it doesn't matter."
This block had nothing to do with timing,
It was a pure show of strength.
He intercepted the attack at the very first moment.
He was still blocking it after the midair switch.
He was still there!
Still composed, Inoue passed the ball midair!
Target:
The Kamizaki center, now wide open after Shigure left to help defend.
The center caught the ball, but even in the paint, he dared not act recklessly in the face of Shigure's terrifying defense. It wasn't until Inoue gave him a sharp look that he understood.
Back to the basket, he shielded the ball away from Shigure, then,
As Inoue circled back, he quickly handed it off and turned sharply, bumping into Aomine who was chasing behind. It became a perfect screen that caught Aomine on his shoulder!
Then,
He stuck his hips out to block the returning Shigure as well!
"Beautiful movement, beautiful screen!"
"Inoue Tomoya's court awareness is incredible!"
"Kamizaki's first-years are so strong!"
"That was seamless…"
Back on the court,
Inoue Tomoya used the screen and stopped for another jump shot!
This time, no fake!
The ball flew cleanly past Aomine, who was still tangled up in the screen and couldn't get a proper block. It soared toward the second line of defense,
Inoue Tomoya: "!?"
Kamizaki players: "!"
A second block?!
Shigure Akihito!
The moment he realized Aomine's defense had failed, Shigure didn't hesitate.
He stepped up, fast and unrelenting. Despite the gap of two or three paces between him and Inoue, he leapt across the screen and closed in!
A terrifying vertical leap,
Makunouchi Shinichi's Special Move,
The Emperor's Close-Quarters Block!
Boom!
A heavy, dull thud echoed through the air,
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
Shigure's block not only closed the distance but came at an even higher elevation than before. In midair, he grabbed the ball with one hand!
With the inertia from his leap,
Shigure flew forward, landing behind Inoue, who had just attempted the shot from several steps away!
Inoue turned to look.
Shigure-senpai, after catching the ball midair, had already passed it, silently, into the stunned hands of Aomine.
"..."
From his blind angle midair, with just a slight twist of his body, he'd precisely passed the ball out?
That move…
He'd seen a glimpse of it once, at Teiko Court.
But this time, it felt completely different.
Yes, his senpai could jump incredibly high…
But this instantaneous decision-making,
Wasn't it just too much?
At that moment, Shigure Akihito landed and turned to Aomine with a faint smile.
"Now's the perfect time for a fast break…"
"But…"
"To be honest, just like the last play with Inoue, you failed to defend this time too, Aomine."
"You missed a chance that was never really yours to begin with…"
"Maybe that's for the best."
End of chapter...
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