On the court.
Rukawa Kaede's eyes were firm. He shot a cold glance at Kiyota Nobunaga, then spun and broke through with lightning speed.
That move was like a red flash, instantly tearing through Kiyota Nobunaga's defense.
Kiyota's heart burned with frustration. He clenched his teeth, widened his eyes, and chased after Rukawa without hesitation. His steps were frantic—he refused to let Rukawa steal the spotlight.
Rukawa dribbled the ball quickly and rhythmically, like it was synced with his heartbeat. Within seconds, he charged into Kainan's paint like a wild beast.
"I'm not letting you score that easy!" Kiyota shouted from behind, his voice filled with stubbornness and resolve.
But Rukawa paid him no attention. Eyes locked on the rim, he exploded off the ground like a cannonball. As he jumped, he raised the ball for the shot.
At that moment, Takasago Kazuma reacted.
He jumped up too, positioning himself right in front of Rukawa. With both arms stretched wide, he blocked off all possible shooting paths.
Kiyota, unwilling to be left behind, leapt up from behind. Though his timing was off, he still stretched out his arm, trying to swat the ball from Rukawa's hand.
But Rukawa's reflexes were sharp. While still in mid-air, he quickly pulled the ball back and threw it hard toward the ground.
Thud…
The ball slammed into the court and bounced high. It landed cleanly on the other side of the paint—right in Akagi Takenori's hands.
Seeing this, both Takasago and Kiyota's expressions changed drastically.
Only then did they realize they had made a critical mistake.
Akagi's eyes lit up. Seeing no one in front of him, he planted his feet and launched himself into the air, ready to dunk.
"AAARGH!!"
He roared at the top of his lungs, gripping the ball tightly in both hands. He used every ounce of strength to slam it toward the rim with enough force to shatter it.
Smack…
But just before the ball hit the hoop, a white blur appeared like a ghost behind Akagi.
A strong hand shot out like lightning and smacked the ball away.
"What?!"
Akagi's pupils shrank. His face was filled with shock.
Everyone around him froze. Their jaws dropped, completely stunned by the unexpected block.
Miyagi Ryota stared at the one who had blocked Akagi—Maki Shinichi—with wide, bulging eyes. He still hadn't processed what had just happened.
'These guys with "Wild Instinct" really are scary,' Miyagi thought to himself.
Before he could think more, Maki had already recovered the ball and turned toward Shohoku's half with no hesitation.
His eyes were full of burning hunger, like a starving beast out for blood.
Huh?!
Seeing Maki rush toward their half, Miyagi instinctively assumed this was a regular fast break.
He didn't hesitate. He opened his arms and positioned himself in defense, trying to block Maki's path.
But Maki's speed was insane. He didn't slow down at all.
He slipped past Miyagi like a ghost.
Miyagi tried to turn and chase him.
But the moment he pivoted, his momentum threw him forward uncontrollably.
Right in front of him was Maki's back, who had already passed by.
Miyagi had no time to react.
Thump!
He slammed hard into Maki's back.
Tweet…
The sharp whistle sliced through the tense atmosphere.
The referee pointed directly at Miyagi Ryota and declared loudly, "Shohoku number 7, charging foul!"
Maki slowly turned around. His expression was calm as still water. He looked at Miyagi with a cold gaze.
Their eyes met. A jolt shot through Miyagi's chest. Then his face darkened, and he muttered low, "You bastard… you did that on purpose."
Maki glanced at him and replied flatly, "You rushed in too fast."
Miyagi's face looked grim.
He had already prepared himself mentally for fouling out with five, but he didn't want to leave like this—tricked.
Kainan inbounded the ball.
It landed in Jin Soichiro's hands.
Dribbling quickly, he reached the three-point line in Shohoku's half.
His eyes sharpened as he prepared to shoot.
But just then, Mitsui Hisashi darted in like a black flash. He reached out without hesitation.
Smack…
Mitsui swatted the ball away cleanly.
"So fast…" Jin Soichiro stared at Mitsui in disbelief.
He clearly remembered he had caught the pass and shot instantly.
Yet Mitsui still blocked it. That meant Mitsui had been watching his every move, completely ready to shut him down.
'Just like coach said. They're targeting me!' Jin thought, his eyes filled with heightened caution.
The ball that was swatted away was quickly caught by Maki Shinichi, who had rushed in like lightning.
Without the slightest pause, Maki turned into a charging hound and sprinted straight toward Shohoku's basket.
Miyagi Ryota stayed tight behind him, constantly reminding himself that his task was to prevent Maki from passing to Jin Soichiro.
His eyes locked on Maki's every move, not daring to let down his guard.
Maki took one step into Shohoku's paint.
Without hesitation, right in front of the Shohoku players, he forced his way in.
Then he jumped up, lifting the ball high as if to slam it.
Akagi Takenori tried to step forward to interfere, but Takasago Kazuma held him back firmly, not letting him get close.
Seeing that, Miyagi didn't hesitate. He rushed in and grabbed the hem of Maki's jersey.
Maki's dunk motion instantly changed midair. His posture shifted in the air.
But it was like he had expected this. His dunk turned into a one-handed carry. Then with a slight flick of the wrist, he gently lobbed the ball.
Thunk…
The ball hit the backboard with a dull thud.
Then—
Swish…
It bounced cleanly into the basket.
Tweet…
The ref's sharp whistle echoed over the court.
He raised his hand and pointed toward Miyagi, announcing loudly, "Shohoku number 7, defensive foul. Basket counts. One free throw."
"Damn it…" Miyagi's face darkened instantly. His brows furrowed, eyes filled with frustration and regret.
He knew it clearly—this intentional foul had cost them. Not only did he get a foul, but it didn't stop the score either. A total loss.
Maki's lips curved slightly, revealing a smug smile.
He stepped confidently to the free-throw line. His eyes locked on the hoop. After a deep breath, he released the shot.
Swish…
The ball arced beautifully through the air and fell through the net. The rim barely shook.
With that free throw, the score changed.
Shohoku 38 to Kainan 32.
From that moment, it felt like Shohoku had used up all their luck.
Their smooth offensive rhythm broke apart. Every attempt to attack was blocked by Kainan in strange, unexpected ways.
The players were still in sync. Their offense flowed well. But no matter how hard they tried, the ball just wouldn't go in. Either missed shots, or it got blocked.
In contrast, Kainan seemed blessed by the goddess of luck. Their momentum surged, and they kept scoring, closing the gap little by little.
During those tense, fiery minutes, the referee's whistle kept echoing.
"Shohoku number 7, defensive foul. Basket counts. One free throw."
Not long after, another whistle.
"Shohoku number 7, offensive foul. Basket doesn't count."
Those calls sent the entire court into an uproar.
Miyagi Ryota was gasping, sweat pouring down his face. He stared hard at Maki, his face filled with frustration, but his heart wasn't as angry as it looked.
Things hadn't gone exactly as he imagined, but he knew that fouling out was part of the plan from the start.
He still didn't fully understand why Shimizu Kanon had arranged it that way, but because he trusted her, he stayed firm and followed it through.
Tweet…
Just as tension on the court peaked and Miyagi was thinking about his next move, the ref blew the whistle again.
Shohoku called for a substitution.
Miyagi froze.
He looked puzzled and turned toward the bench.
There, Kogure Kiminobu was already standing at the sideline, waving to him.
Miyagi was full of questions. He still had one foul left—why was he being subbed out now?
He walked quickly to Kogure and said, "There's still time, isn't there?"
Kogure smiled gently and replied, "I don't really know either. But for now, take a break. I'll cover for a bit."
His voice was calm, trying to keep Miyagi from overthinking the early switch.
Miyagi said nothing more. He just nodded and walked to the bench.
Then Shimizu Kanon came over and spoke softly to him.
"I figured they might use Miyagi-senpai as a breaking point, but I didn't expect Maki to bait a foul on purpose. Still, it works in our favor too."
Her voice was steady and composed. Her eyes reflected a sharp confidence.
She paused, then looked up at the scoreboard: 38 to 38.
Her gaze deepened. A confident smile curved her lips as she declared firmly, "Now it's time for our big counterattack."