"Why? Aomine clearly jumped first for the block, so how did he not stop Akashi?"
"Because Aomine isn't tall enough!"
Midorima Shintaro had regained his composure and explained calmly.
"Nothing miraculous happened just now. The reason Aomine didn't block Akashi is simple, his jump height wasn't higher than Akashi's release point. That's it."
Aomine wasn't like Kōgami; his talents lay in speed and explosiveness. His vertical jump was excellent, even stronger than Akashi's, but that was all.
Akashi's height and wingspan easily compensated for and surpassed that slight disadvantage in jumping.
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"No way… even Aomine can't stop that monster?"
Konishi Shoichi felt sweat trickle down his forehead and goosebumps crawl all over him. The last time he'd felt this was yesterday when Kise Ryouta successfully mimicked Aomine.
But today, the goosebumps felt even more intense.
Dribbling past midcourt, Aomine reached for the ball again, setting up a one-on-one with Akashi.
"You wanna play rough? Then I won't hold back!"
Despite failing to stop Akashi earlier, Aomine wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was thrilled, almost laughing from excitement.
BANG BANG BANG…
They faced each other at the perimeter. Aomine lightly tapped the ball, looking casual.
Then, in the next instant, he exploded. His speed shot from zero to a hundred in an instant, defying human limits.
So fast that Akashi glimpsed nothing but a blur, and then Aomine vanished from sight entirely.
Only the basketball hovered in midair…
This was streetball technique.
Aomine wasn't formally trained; his incredible skills were honed on the streets. Streetball is flashy and dazzling, able to confuse opponents and even make them stumble. Players trained in streetball often have exceptional technique.
But there's a downside: flashy moves aren't always practical. Like now…
Aomine tapped the ball to the right, drawing Akashi's attention, then cut from the left. Midway through, he'd scoop the ball back from the right, a trick requiring extreme speed, reflexes, and skill.
Most high school players couldn't react in time, even if they anticipated it.
At that moment, Akashi completely lost sight of Aomine. Suddenly, a hand shot up from the lower-left, aiming to grab the spinning ball.
But the moment the hand touched the ball, Akashi swatted it away.
Time seemed to stop.
Aomine's drive froze mid-motion, while Akashi snatched the ball and launched it hard.
"Fast break!"
Tsugawa Tomoki led the charge.
Although Seiho's main players coordinated well with Akashi, the most instinctive teammate was clearly Tsugawa.
Akashi's steal stunned not just the opponents but even his own teammates. Yet Tsugawa didn't hesitate and sprinted toward Tōō Academy's basket.
By the time the others reacted, it was too late.
Tsugawa effortlessly scored off the backboard, adding two points for Seiho.
59:16.
The entire arena went silent.
Tōō Academy's starters froze on the court. Satsuki Momoi covered her mouth in shock. Spectators like Kuroko Tetsuya, Kagami Taiga, Midorima Shintaro, and Kise Ryouta were equally stunned.
Even Aomine himself paused, dumbfounded.
"Just stepped in and tried to score, playing hero? Don't make me laugh. The real Demon King doesn't give you time to level up," Akashi said, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
Akashi normally avoided taunting, unless it served a tactical purpose.
But this time, Aomine had practically invited it.
Though Akashi had known from the start that Aomine was arrogant, he hadn't expected this level of audacity.
If Akashi had simply blocked Aomine, the crowd wouldn't have been this shocked.
But stealing the ball from Aomine's hands, no one expected that, not even Akashi himself.
Akashi wasn't particularly skilled at steals. His tall, bulky frame wasn't suited for them, and he hadn't trained much in that area. His steal rating wasn't even 70.
Yet, despite poor steal skill, Akashi's reaction and agility were excellent.
In fact, they were almost on par with Aomine, the gap barely a point.
Under these circumstances, if Aomine had been dribbling normally, Akashi wouldn't have stopped him.
But Aomine, freshly on the court, used flashy streetball tricks, tossing the ball in fancy arcs, which accidentally sent it straight to Akashi.
Down by over forty points, and he dared to play around?
This wasn't underestimating Akashi, it was outright insulting.
And that wasn't even the most reckless thing Aomine had done.
If he were at full power, Akashi might not have intercepted a move like that.
But right now… Aomine couldn't even use his full strength.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria