Hanamiya Makoto sat on the floor, struggling to pry off the hand pressing down hard on his head. But no matter how he tugged, it wouldn't budge an inch.
"…"
"Hanamiya!"
"What the hell are you trying to pull?!"
The players from Kirisaki Daiichi rushed over in alarm. Even the upperclassmen, led by Imayoshi Shōichi, who had been standing nearby watching the scene unfold, began heading over.
Meanwhile, Shigure Akihito raised his hands innocently, mimicking Hanamiya's tone from earlier with an identical smirk.
"It had nothing to do with me~ He just fell on his own~"
"Don't go smearing a good man's name."
"If you don't believe me…"
"Ask the ref"
Ask?
Ask my ass!
Hanamiya staggered to his feet, his expression shifting rapidly.
Just moments ago, he had noticed that damn Nijimura Shuzo deliberately directing Teiko's players to block the referee's line of sight — and even the courtside camera's angle from the press.
You're way too experienced at this crap!
Bastard!
Shigure glanced back at Nijimura, and the two exchanged a knowing look.
Shigure Akihito: Nice job.
Nijimura Shuzo: He's still way too green to play tricks like this.
Although the referee didn't catch the exact moment due to the obstruction, the unusual gathering of players immediately drew his attention. He quickly stepped in and separated both teams.
And then
All suspicion fell squarely on Kirisaki Daiichi.
During the regional prelims, the referees had already been briefed on various teams. Kirisaki had earned a notorious reputation — in nearly every match, the opposing team would suffer from some strange "accident." That made them a high-alert team, especially here at Nationals.
Even more so now — because their opponent was Teiko, the reigning champion, who had completely crushed the Okayama Miracle Twins head-on last year.
So naturally…
The referee instinctively assumed Kirisaki was the one causing trouble.
…
Because of the sudden incident, the warm-up time flew by, and before long, both teams returned to their benches for final instructions before taking the court.
On Teiko's side, now stepping onto the national stage, they immediately resumed their standard starting lineup:
Jersey Numbers: 4 → 8.
Nijimura Shuzo, Shigure Akihito, Kurokami Shinji, Fukaya Reiji, and Akashi Seijūrō.
The five starters gathered in a huddle with their teammates from the bench. As usual, they shouted their goal with confidence:
"Champions of Nationals!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, the players from Kirisaki Daiichi reacted with visible disdain.
Unlike Teiko's orderly lineup, Kirisaki's jersey numbers didn't follow any traditional seniority or starter-sub rotation logic.
Their lineup started from #9…
And went all the way up to #13.
Number 9 — was none other than Hanamiya Makoto.
Kirisaki's #10 twirled a toothpick in his mouth, his tone annoyed and full of contempt.
"Teiko, the elite powerhouse? So damn annoying. Once the game starts, I'm gonna shred them."
#11, expressionless as ever, spoke coldly.
"No matter how talented you are — once you're used up, the ending's always the same: washed up and tossed aside. Let them enjoy their hype while it lasts."
"Doesn't change the outcome."
He glanced toward Hanamiya, who was lost in thought. Compared to Teiko's high-energy huddle, he was more focused on what had just happened to his teammate.
"You alright?"
Hanamiya snapped out of his daze.
"Yeah."
"I'm fine."
He lowered his gaze briefly. Then that chilling grin — one Kirisaki #11 was all too familiar with — slowly returned to Hanamiya's face. And to the second-years who shared his twisted mindset, it was oddly comforting.
"I was just thinking…"
"What's the best way to crush those two completely?"
Though the safest strategy would be to throw this match and settle for second place to move into the knockout stage…
Facing Shigure Akihito, Hanamiya was itching for something much more dramatic — to destroy them here and now, in a way no one could ever forget.
And on the other side, Nijimura and Shigure were thinking exactly the same thing.
Nijimura: "You sure you're good to go?"
Shigure: "Of course. I'm a direct disciple from the Nijimura School of Streetball. What could possibly go wrong?"
Nijimura: "…"
Nijimura: "You're sure he'll strike back if we provoke him?"
Shigure: "Don't worry."
Shigure: "Oh, but—try not to hit too hard."
Nijimura: "Got it."
…
"The match between Teiko Middle School and Kirisaki Daiichi is about to begin!"
"Line up!"
"Salute!"
As the referee gave the cue, players from both teams stood at center court, eyeing each other warily.
"Let's have a good game!"
"Let's have a good game!"
The players split apart.
At center court—Shigure Akihito went up for the tip-off.
And unsurprisingly, he secured the jump ball with ease. In midair, he instantly swatted the ball toward Nijimura.
A full-on
Fast break right out the gate!
"Whoa!"
"That vertical's insane!"
"Teiko's opening with the Twin Stars connection!"
"He passed it straight to Nijimura!"
"This is the Twin Stars' Nationals debut! I heard in the prelims they were even stronger than last year!"
Boom!
Boom!
Kirisaki #10, assigned to guard Nijimura, was momentarily stunned — a vision of a roaring lion flashed in his mind as he faced him head-on!
That must be…
Wild Instinct?!
Nijimura grabbed the ball and immediately launched into a full-throttle, wild, explosive drive. In the blink of an eye — and just two heavy dribbles — he vanished from Kirisaki #10's field of vision!
The plan to cause a "little accident" right at tip-off?
Scrapped.
Kirisaki #10 stood frozen, his whole play shredded in an instant.
Damn it!
That speed's insane!
Elsewhere
Seeing his teammate get passed so effortlessly, and with no "accident" triggered, Kirisaki #11 sprang from the paint to intercept.
But he was up against Nijimura Shuzo — a player who pursued victory with brutal precision.
Luring the defense, creating space — especially coordinated with Shigure's decoy movement — Nijimura elevated mid-dribble and in that brief moment
Swish!
He flicked the ball toward the rim with the back of his hand!
With Kirisaki #11 drawn out of the paint, the lane was now wide open — and for Shigure Akihito, it was as fragile as paper.
One jab and it would collapse!
What's more…
The move Shigure launched into?
It was new, yet strangely familiar.
A signature alley-oop inspired by a "common" character card drawn from the post-prelims training gacha:
{ Akagi Takenori – Alley-Oop! }
Alley-Oop: Leap high, catch a teammate's pass within a certain radius, and slam it into the hoop mid-air.
Sounds simple…
But in Shigure's hands, it was a pure power slam — something well within his normal capabilities.
What made this worth using was the talent upgrade attached to the skill:
Chance to knock back opponents: +20%
Teammate pass range: +3
Usable area: +0.2
Close-range shot accuracy: +8%
Unlocks new moves: Running Bomb and Alley-Oop Shot
Shigure had only equipped the first perk:
The "Fighting Spirit" series.
Levels I, II, and III combined gave him a 20% chance to knock back defenders on contact.
Though it sounded modest, for someone like Shigure — who already became unstoppable after activating Wild Instinct — this probability-based bonus could be devastating.
Like now
Kirisaki #12, the center, saw the alley-oop and made a soft jump, planning to trip him on the way down.
Just a little touch, just enough to provoke a fall.
But with that talent equipped, any contact counted as a contest — and 20% chance to blow through the defender meant…
Boom!
That light touch sent Kirisaki #12 flying through the air, like a bomb had gone off on his chest.
"W-Whoa!! That was an alley-oop!"
"Teiko's going full force right out the gate!"
"Nijimura's speed is unbelievable—and that pass! So quick!"
"But…"
"What's up with Kirisaki's #12? For a center, that was a weak challenge. Barely touched him!"
"Kirisaki Daiichi already has a bad rep. Could it be a flop?"
That thought wasn't limited to the spectators — even the referee walked over with a cold expression and issued a stern warning.
Kirisaki #12: "…?"
He was stunned.
It was just a brush
Damn!
Was that guy a walking bomb?!
Why did it blow up on contact?!
Or… was that some kind of bizarre power technique?
At that moment
His teammates rushed over.
"You idiot…"
"If you're gonna do it, do it right. What the hell's a flop supposed to mean?!"
"Huh?"
"Who the hell flopped?! I didn't!"
"We saw it with our own eyes! Shigure jumped that high, had a perfect slam setup—and you didn't trip him? Wait… were you scared?"
Kirisaki #12 realized nothing he said would be believed.
So he fell silent.
Let's see how they like it once they get hit next…
Damn it.
Teiko's Twin Stars really weren't easy to handle…
Just then
Hanamiya took the ball at the baseline.
"No worries. That guy's nickname is The Technician. You never know when he'll pull out something new…"
And as he said that, a twisted grin crept onto his face.
"That's what makes it exciting~"
"Anyway…"
"No matter how much of a genius you are, no matter how jaw-dropping your tricks—once you're broken, you're just a pile of forgotten garbage in the corner."
"Now that…"
"…sounds absolutely delightful~"
End of chapter...
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