Aoi Kunisaku did not look at the ball that Sawakita Eiji had just scored, but instead, he turned his gaze to the one who blocked his way—Fukatsu Kazunari. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he said, "I overlooked you earlier. Well done!"
Fukatsu Kazunari snorted coldly, his eyes filled with sharp determination. He responded, "Don't think that Sannoh only has Sawakita as the strong player."
Watching Fukatsu Kazunari fall back into defense, Aoi Kunisaku's gaze deepened, a barely noticeable smile curling at the corners of his mouth as he murmured, "Heh... this is getting more and more interesting. Let me see how far you all can go."
Maki Shinichi observed Fukatsu Kazunari with complex emotions in his eyes. "So, this guy has awakened too."
However, he was not overly surprised. After all, Fukatsu Kazunari, known as "the strongest point guard in the country," was not someone to be underestimated. Back in the day on the court, Fukatsu Kazunari had been able to suppress him.
Next came Shohoku's offense.
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari blocked Aoi Kunisaku's path from both the left and right.
A double-team?
Seeing this, everyone on the Shohoku bench stared in shock.
The atmosphere on the Shohoku bench grew tense.
Kogure Kiminobu couldn't help but exclaim, "Could Sannoh be using two 'wild instincts' to suppress Aoi's one 'wild instinct'?"
Ayako's expression also turned serious as she said, "This is bad."
Anzai Mitsuyoshi hadn't expected that Sannoh would field two players with 'wild instincts.'
He sighed, "This is truly unexpected. Sannoh lives up to its reputation."
Miyagi Ryota watched the situation intently, his eyes filled with concern. "Two against one... He should be able to handle this, right?"
Shimizu Kanon smiled confidently and reassured them, "Don't worry. The wild instinct is all about enhancing one's focus and sharpness. No one can match Saku-chan's in that regard, even against two players."
How could two wolves be a match for one black panther?
Moreover, among the two opponents, only Sawakita Eiji could truly be considered a wolf, while Fukatsu Kazunari was more like a jackal, stronger than a hunting dog, but far from a true wolf.
On the court, Aoi Kunisaku dribbled steadily, facing Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari, two opponents as fierce as wolves or tigers, yet Aoi stood calm as a mountain, no fear in his eyes.
The immense pressure emanating from him pushed against Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari.
Although they were shaken by Aoi Kunisaku's presence, neither Sawakita Eiji nor Fukatsu Kazunari were easily intimidated. They did not hesitate.
The two closed in from both sides, blocking Aoi's path and preventing any chance of a breakthrough.
However, Aoi's lips curled into a slight smile, and he performed an action that bewildered everyone.
He slammed the ball hard onto the ground. It was unclear whether it was a mistake or intentional, but the basketball flew off to the side.
A pass?
Everyone froze, confused.
Sakuragi Hanamichi, too, was baffled. He wondered if he was seeing things. Did Aoi Kunisaku actually pass the ball?
He doubted his eyes.
But seeing the ball heading toward him, he instinctively extended his hands to catch it.
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari, too, thought it was a pass, though they found it a little odd.
But the next second…
They were stunned to see Aoi Kunisaku suddenly disappear from their view.
Damn it.
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari's faces changed instantly.
They both realized that what seemed like a pass was likely a feint.
Without hesitation, they turned their heads in the direction of the ball.
Just as the ball was about to fall into Sakuragi Hanamichi's hands, a red streak of light flashed past, moving faster than they could process. Aoi Kunisaku sped by, leaving the ball in his wake.
In that moment, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt a blur before his eyes. The ball he thought he would catch had vanished in an instant.
When he regained his senses, Aoi Kunisaku had already grabbed the ball and was charging toward Sannoh's basket.
Sakuragi Hanamichi roared in frustration, his teeth gritted in fury, "Damn you, Aoi! You bastard, how dare you steal my ball!"
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari wasted no time, immediately giving chase.
In an instant, the court was filled with the image of one red and two white figures chasing each other down, the two white figures moving like wild beasts pursuing their prey, keeping close to the red streak ahead of them.
When Aoi Kunisaku reached the three-point line, Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari finally caught up.
The two closed in from both sides, trying to completely shut down his movement.
But Aoi Kunisaku had already noticed their approach, showing no signs of slowing down. He dived into Sannoh's paint, continuing his powerful drive toward the key.
At this moment, Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari had both closed in on Aoi Kunisaku, ready to form a pincer attack, pushing Aoi to a halt.
However, Aoi Kunisaku did not give them a chance. With a sudden push off the ground, he leaped high into the air.
The two, seeing this, did not hesitate and jumped up as well, spreading their arms like an impenetrable wall, blocking Aoi's path to the basket.
They blocked him.
The Sannoh players smiled, their faces full of delight.
Shohoku's players, however, were tense, their eyes fixed on this critical moment.
At that moment, Aoi Kunisaku's motion of holding the ball with both hands suddenly changed. He moved the basketball to his back, using the strength in his wrist to hook the ball towards the basket from behind.
Whoosh…
The ball flew from his hook shot, making a small arc in the air, perfectly passing over Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari's hands, and then swished cleanly into the net.
Swish…
The sound of the ball going through the net was crystal clear in the otherwise silent gym.
Shohoku 47, Sannoh 44.
The entire arena fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was stunned by Aoi Kunisaku's unbelievable shot.
Not looking at the basket, shooting a hook shot from behind.
This was beyond what anyone could have imagined. Was that really something a person could do?
The Sannoh players stared in shock, their mouths agape, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
They couldn't believe their eyes. Was that really the play they had just seen?
The crowd outside the court was equally astonished. The majority had never witnessed such a magical shot, completely mesmerized by Aoi Kunisaku's basketball skills.
"Is that for real? Am I seeing things? Did that shot really go in?"
"My God! A hook shot from behind, with two players defending him, how did he do that?"
"His shot is so messy, yet it went in."
"I can't even imagine how he pulled that off. Why have I never heard of his name before?"
"That move is so cool, I'm going to practice it when I get home."
...
The audience was completely fired up by Aoi Kunisaku's incredible shot, their emotions reaching a peak.
"Aoi Kunisaku... Aoi Kunisaku... Aoi Kunisaku..."
It was unclear who started the chant, but soon, the arena was filled with a wave of cheers, calling Aoi Kunisaku's name. The voices, loud and synchronized, seemed as though they might tear the roof off the building.
Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari slowly landed.
Sweat covered their faces, their hair damp, sticking to their foreheads. Their chests heaved with every breath, gasping for air.
They looked at Aoi Kunisaku, their expressions filled with disbelief.
They thought they had locked down Aoi Kunisaku completely, but they never expected him to score with such an unbelievable method.
At that moment, they truly understood why Aoi Kunisaku was called the "Unstoppable Scorer."
His shots were bizarre and unpredictable, making it nearly impossible to defend.
Time quietly ticked away in this intense game.
In the following plays, Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari teamed up with Aoi Kunisaku for a breathtaking "Battle of the Three Beasts."
On Sannoh's side, it was two against one, but the result was not what they had expected.
When it came to offense, Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari worked well together, and they managed to score.
But when it was Aoi Kunisaku's turn to attack, the two clearly showed signs of exhaustion.
They truly experienced Aoi Kunisaku's unpredictable shots.
His bizarre shots came one after another, each more dazzling than the last.
No matter how hard they tried to defend, Aoi Kunisaku would always find an opening to break through, effortlessly shooting the ball into the basket. It was a defense that could never keep up.
From an overall view, the scores seemed to be neck and neck, tied up.
But anyone with a keen eye could see that Aoi Kunisaku had the upper hand.
After all, he was single-handedly overpowering two of Sannoh's main players who had awakened their 'wild instincts.' That was truly incredible.
At this moment, players from other schools in the stands were all stunned by Aoi Kunisaku's immense power.
Whoosh…
The sharp sound of the referee's whistle signaled the end of the first half.
The score was temporarily set at Shohoku 53, Sannoh 49.
Shohoku was leading for now.