In the stands.
The once thunderous cheers for Kainan had grown faint, like a candle flickering in the wind.
In stark contrast, more and more spectators were being won over by Shohoku's incredible performance. They started switching sides, shouting Shohoku's name louder and louder, the chants rolling like crashing waves.
Many in the crowd held a burning hope in their hearts. They wanted to witness the rise of a new basketball king. The whole stadium gradually turned into Shohoku's home court.
"Shohoku… Shohoku… Shohoku…"
The booming chant pounded like a hammer against the hearts of the Kainan players.
Even with all the intense training they'd gone through over the years, building up solid mental fortitude—
Right now, under this overwhelming noise, their defenses were starting to crack.
Boom… boom… boom…
The basketball bounced quickly on the court.
Aoi Kunisaku had the ball again. He moved like a black panther, tearing through the court with blinding speed, storming Kainan's half.
This time, Kainan went all in. Three players were sent to trap him near the sideline.
Takasago Kazuma, Kiyota Nobunaga, and Maki Shinichi moved quickly to the corner, successfully cutting off Aoi's path.
Kiyota's eyes were glowing with excitement. In his mind, he prayed desperately, Almost there. Just a little more, and we can force him out of bounds.
Takasago's gaze was sharp, his body brimming with energy. He moved faster than before, ready to respond to any breakthrough.
Maki was fully focused. He locked onto Aoi like a hunting hound waiting to strike. The moment Aoi twitched, he'd go in for the kill.
But Aoi looked thrilled—crazy, even.
This kind of pressure, this long-lost thrill, was like a fine wine. He was drunk on it.
"You think this'll stop me?" Aoi grinned, teeth gleaming. There was a wild, unshakable confidence in his smirk.
Then something unbelievable happened.
Right in front of the three defenders, without warning, Aoi leapt backward toward the sideline—leaning back like a fired cannonball, flying out of bounds.
In Takasago, Kiyota, and Maki's minds, players usually stay in bounds. It never even crossed their minds someone might jump out deliberately.
Even if Aoi had pulled a shot from the baseline before, that was still the baseline. This was near the corner sideline—way farther from the hoop than the three-point line.
And yet, Aoi did it.
Their minds went blank. Their bodies froze. They could only stare, stunned, as Aoi flew out of bounds, eyes filled with shock and confusion.
In midair, Aoi twisted his body. Just before he hit the ground, he whipped his arm forward and launched the ball like a meteor toward Kainan's hoop.
Whoosh…
The ball soared over the three defenders' heads, leaving behind a brilliant orange-yellow streak in the air.
The match's first ever Formless Shot three-pointer had just appeared.
As the entire arena watched, jaws dropped, the ball flew in a bizarre, beautiful arc. It slammed off the backboard, then gently dropped into the hoop like pushed by an invisible hand.
Swish…
The net swayed softly. The ball went in clean.
Shohoku scored 3 points.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
Takasago, Kiyota, and Maki stood frozen like statues. Their minds went blank.
The audience was equally stunned, staring wide-eyed at the court. Silence filled the arena.
No one had ever seen Aoi shoot a three-pointer before. And that shot—both the form and the position—was clearly a three-pointer.
More than that, no one had ever witnessed a shot so bizarre, so shocking.
Then, in an instant, the whole place exploded like a nuke had gone off. The crowd's cheers and screams surged like a tidal wave, bursting through the ceiling.
"I didn't think Shohoku's #9 could shoot threes!"
"Oh my god! How did that even go in from that angle?"
"Aoi Kunisaku can shoot threes?!"
"He's unstoppable! Even his weird form goes in!"
"There's no one who can stop Aoi Kunisaku now!"
…
On Kainan's bench.
Coach Takato Riki stared blankly at the court, lips slightly parted. All the fire and sharpness in his eyes had faded, replaced by hollow despair.
His knees gave out, and he slumped onto the bench, mumbling, "It's over. It's all over. We can't stop him. We've already lost."
He couldn't believe it. Kainan's long reign… crushed by one single player.
His eyes slowly drifted toward the scoreboard.
Shohoku 73, Kainan 53.
A full 20-point gap. For Kainan to make a comeback now was nothing but a fantasy.
Right now, the Kainan players looked pale and lifeless, like the world had ended.
In stark contrast, Shohoku's bench was on fire.
Everyone was trembling with excitement. They all leapt to their feet, fists clenched tight, hearts pounding in their chests like war drums.
No one made a sound. They all held their breath, waiting for the final buzzer.
As long as the match ended, Shohoku would qualify for Nationals.
Kogure Kiminobu and Ayako already had tears in their eyes. Even Akagi Takenori and Mitsui Hisashi, still fighting on the court, had red-rimmed eyes. Their tears hovered on the edge, ready to fall any second.
They had shed blood and sweat for this moment. Victory was now within reach. How could they not be moved?
On the court—
The Kainan players still hadn't given up their last sliver of hope. Even though things looked bad, they kept fighting back with everything they had.
But Aoi Kunisaku stood in front of them like an immovable mountain. Every counterattack met resistance, whether big or small.
And not just Aoi—Akagi Takenori, Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota looked like they'd been injected with adrenaline. They were on fire. Their performance had jumped a level.
Under their onslaught, Kainan kept falling back. A few times, they couldn't even get the ball past half-court.
The score gap widened again.
Maybe it was because the "Wild Instinct" had been active too long, but Maki Shinichi's stamina was clearly dipping. His movements were no longer as sharp or fast as they were earlier in the second half.
Even so, the fierce resolve in his eyes and the aura he gave off never faded. His fighting spirit stayed high. Aoi Kunisaku had to admit—he respected that.
"You guys have only one thing I admire," Aoi said as he casually dribbled the ball, glancing at the Kainan players. "You never give up."
Right after saying that, Aoi launched a fierce attack.
He started with a flurry of quick direction changes. The ball danced in his hands like it was enchanted, slipping through the defenders with ease.
Then, with a quick spin, he carved out space, slammed his feet into the floor, and exploded forward like a wild beast pouncing on prey. He broke through Maki Shinichi's defense in an instant.
The Super High-Speed Dribble in real-time stunned everyone watching.
Maki's heart dropped. He's still got this kind of handle? And he's still this fast?
For the first time, he truly accepted that this monster in front of him was beyond anything he'd ever faced.
After slipping past Maki, Aoi surged forward like there was no one in his way. He got past Kamizo Ichiro and Kiyota Nobunaga.
Then came Takasago Kazuma's final blockade.
Aoi pulled out another Formless Shot.
He wrapped his arms around the ball, spun clockwise from right to left, turning his whole body with the motion. He twisted smoothly around Takasago's block and launched the shot.
Swish…
The ball curved oddly in the air and dropped through cleanly.
For the rest of the match, Aoi moved like a silent assassin. Every move was calm but deadly.
His steals came out of nowhere, perfectly timed. He'd snatch the ball when the Kainan players were completely off guard, then follow with one of his signature "unreasonable" shots.
The Kainan players were completely lost. It was like being trapped in fog. They had no idea how to stop him. All they could do was watch helplessly as he kept scoring.
Aoi's offense only got scarier. In the last 10 minutes, he was like a lit fuse. The tempo kept ramping up. Every attack was a heavy blow, pounding Kainan's defense.
In the final 5 minutes, his scoring peaked. The barrage of points left the entire crowd speechless.
By then, Kainan's players were completely drained. Their legs felt like lead. Every step was a struggle.
Aoi's speed dropped slightly from fatigue. But compared to anyone else, he was still a wild predator dominating the court.
Bang…
Swish…
Clang…
Dunk after dunk, net after net—every sound blended into a fierce symphony.
The audience's eyes were wide. Their jaws hung open, big enough to fit an egg.
Cameras flashed non-stop as the press tried to capture history.
Players from other schools watching the game were dumbfounded. They had never seen such a one-sided massacre.
And the one being crushed… was Kainan—the supposed kings.
Clang…
Aoi slammed in one final dunk. The ball ripped through the net.
Time froze.
BEEP…
At the exact same instant, the referee's whistle echoed across the court.
The sharp whistle signaled the end of the game.
Shohoku vs. Kainan. Final score: Shohoku 96, Kainan 68.
A 28-point blowout.
Maki Shinichi stood motionless on the court. His eyes were shut. Head tilted back. He didn't move. Like a statue.
He seemed to be replaying every second of the game. The fierce battles. The missed chances. And that opponent who made him feel powerless.
The other Kainan players couldn't hold back anymore. Their tears burst forth—tears of frustration and regret streaming down their faces.
Coach Takato Riki let out a long sigh. It carried defeat and resignation.
Then he pulled himself together and walked over to Coach Anzai.
"Coach Anzai, we lost this match," he said, offering his hand. "Shohoku's really got one incredible player."
Coach Anzai smiled kindly. "Ho ho ho ho… Not at all. It's all thanks to the boys."
Soon after, both teams gathered at center court. They lined up and bowed in farewell.
Maki looked at Aoi Kunisaku, his expression complicated. He hesitated, then held out his hand.
"If we meet again at Nationals, I'm taking it back," he said.
Shohoku still had two matches to go—Ryonan and Takezato High.
But he didn't think either could beat Shohoku.
Shohoku heading to Nationals was already a sure thing.
And he didn't believe Kainan would lose to them either.
Aoi smiled confidently and shook his hand.
"I hope you can make it more fun for me next time," he said.
Maki was caught off guard. A strange emotion swelled in his chest, but he didn't know how to respond.
And with that—
Shohoku officially advanced to the finals.