Hearing Nijimura Shuzo's words, Shigure Akihito also shook his head.
"It really doesn't matter, does it? If you call that restraint, then if I never used the Zone at all…"
"Then what about your 'Flame Man'?"
"Wouldn't you be doomed to lose?"
At this
Nijimura Shuzo didn't bother to argue further.
But watching Shigure's Flame Man ignite, and remembering Aida Kagetora's Stellar Breath just now, he had seen more clearly another possibility: a different path of power outside the high-consumption state of the Zone.
On the other side
Hearing their exchange, everyone, including Aida Kagetora, reacted instantly. It wasn't just Nijimura who realized it
That Zone Shigure mentioned, he had it too.
And beyond that…
He also possessed another ability, one he called Flame Man.
Aida Riko quickly engraved both abilities into her memory, already thinking of asking her father about them later—forgetting entirely that she still hadn't agreed to join Seirin's basketball team in the first place.
On the court
After Nijimura's turn, it was Aida Kagetora's offense.
Facing him stood Nijimura Shuzo, arms lowered naturally at his sides, fully invested in defense. The Zone had already faded, leaving only the faint silhouette of a lion flickering behind him.
When Kagetora began to dribble, he started cautiously, probing.
Pa~
Pa~
Then acceleration, a sharp dribble fake!
Nijimura's defense shadowed him, perfectly matching his movement!
Slide step!
Step-back!
Cross-step!
Kagetora's textbook-level ball control and technical execution were fluid and beautiful, Nijimura's eyes narrowing slightly as his body tracked every motion.
"…"
That feeling of perfect foresight was gone.
It seemed the perception of his Stellar Torrent could only be applied on defense.
But still
The starlight at his feet hadn't vanished.
It wasn't just perception. It seemed also to be some technique of concentrating force into his steps to explode with power.
Yet how…
How were airflow perception and vibration awareness linked to this explosive technique?
Suddenly, Nijimura pushed off the ground, wild instinct fully unleashed, chasing hard against Kagetora's hip-turn drive. Then, catching the instant of over-commitment, Nijimura suddenly appeared right in front of him!
Boom!
Collision!
The force transmitted from Kagetora's body made Nijimura's entire frame shudder.
And Kagetora felt the same.
Their eyes locked
And Kagetora froze for a brief moment.
As expected…
Leaving aside the instant processing of court information, this kid's physical confrontation style was so much like his own.
On the sidelines
Haizaki Shōgo was watching with rare seriousness.
That violent freak… tch.
It had been a long time since he'd looked this happy.
Silently, Haizaki added Aida Kagetora's name to the list in his heart, after Shigure Akihito, Nijimura Shuzo, and the Generation of Miracles.
Beside him, Kuroko Tetsuya wore a strange, unreadable expression as he looked at Kagetora. Regardless of whether he was a former national player, no one knew better than Teiko's team just how terrifying Captain Nijimura's strength was. Even seeing what looked like an even battle, he couldn't help but think, in disbelief
That middle-aged man is really this strong.
At that moment
"Not bad…"
"It's rare to find a player with this kind of style."
Yes, truly
It was a perfect match!
Basketball
Was meant to be played like this, head-on!
As Kagetora spoke, the heat of his presence surged outward, overwhelming in intensity.
The starlight around him burned even brighter.
Others might not have been able to see it clearly, but in Nijimura's eyes, with every breath Kagetora exhaled, that pressure condensed into shimmering fragments, flickering like starlight as they all pressed down upon him!
Nijimura: "…"
Stellar Torrent was perception combined with concentrated bursts of power.
This Stellar Breath, on the other hand, was similar to Shigure's Flame Man Burning—a near-Zone level boost to physical ability.
And more than that
From the way he wielded it, its consumption seemed far lower than the Zone's.
Boom!
A clash of breakthrough and defense, styles colliding head-to-head!
Such incredible power!
Off-court
Kiyoshi Teppei and the others could clearly sense it: with each breath Kagetora took, his physical battle with Nijimura tilted further in his favor.
And yet
Astonishingly, Nijimura's defense felt bottomless, like a true abyss. Even when Kagetora suddenly ramped up his power another level, Nijimura's response was impossibly quick, his slightly weaker physical resistance always arriving just in time to interrupt the drive. His speed and strength hadn't noticeably improved compared to before his Zone state—but it was as if he were predicting Kagetora's movements in advance.
"Already gathered enough information from the sidelines, huh? And after just a single possession, you're able to apply it so perfectly~"
"What an impressive kid."
"But…"
"Without the Zone, you probably won't be able to stop him."
As if to prove his words
The next moment!
Pull-back crossover!
Drop step!
Half spin!
In-and-out!
The originally simple dribble sequence suddenly grew rich and layered, a seamless blend of power and technique. The style was familiar to Nijimura, though slightly different—Kagetora wasn't as ruthless in striking directly at his opponent's defensive weak points with raw power.
Kagetora's next move
Shhhk!
Nijimura's hand shot out!
Snap!
He managed to brush the ball—but in the very next instant, the starlight at Kagetora's feet flared. The sharp screech of sneakers against the court followed!
Just like Kuroko's misdirection, the Stellar Torrent's perception ability also carried a limitation while handling the ball. Yet even in possession, he managed a momentary application, slipping past Nijimura's attempted steal!
Kagetora: "…"
This kid…
His processing ability for movement information is insanely strong.
Even against dribbling of this level, he could nearly predict it.
How troublesome…
If that's the case, then—what about this!?
In a flash, Stellar Torrent combined with Stellar Breath. Dropping the refined technical moves, he launched a straight-line explosion, all-out force smashing into Nijimura's body!
But
Kagetora's eyes widened as Nijimura slid laterally, cutting off his driving lane, and then
Collision!
Boom!
Nijimura collapsed to the floor.
"Uncle Aida, charging foul~"
From the sideline, Shigure Akihito's playful voice rang out right on cue.
Kagetora: "…"
As a player, this kid
Terrifying.
From every angle.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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