Offense and defense switched.
Meihou reorganized their attack.
Nakayama Tenri looked serious and shouted a warning to his teammates.
"Everyone, be careful. That guy's speed is even faster than it looks."
He still felt his heart pounding from just recalling that flash-like burst from Aoi Kunisaku.
The rest of Meihou nodded in response.
Morishima Ryoushi, Meihou's small forward, got the ball and began charging forward.
However, his individual ability was only average on the national stage.
And the one guarding him—was Rukawa Kaede.
The difference in their strength was clear.
The moment Morishima Ryoushi faced Rukawa Kaede, his momentum was blocked as if he hit an invisible wall. He was instantly stopped.
Though he barely kept possession with effort, Rukawa's tight shadowing defense severely limited his movement. He had no choice but to pass.
"Over here!"
At the critical moment, Maeda Ryu'u broke away from Sakuragi Hanamichi and signaled for the ball.
Morishima Ryoushi didn't hesitate and quickly tossed the ball toward Maeda Ryu'u.
But he underestimated Rukawa Kaede's instincts.
Rukawa was already showing signs of awakening his "wild instinct." His awareness had leveled up.
As long as he kept his focus, no subtle move from the opponent could escape his eyes.
Pa—
A sharp slap echoed across the court. The ball had barely left Morishima Ryoushi's hands when Rukawa Kaede cut it off cleanly.
'Damn it.'
Morishima Ryoushi and Maeda Ryu'u both panicked.
Without pause, Rukawa Kaede spun and shot past Morishima Ryoushi like a red lightning bolt, charging straight for Meihou's basket.
Morishima Ryoushi and Maeda Ryu'u gave chase, teeth clenched, pushing themselves harder.
But Rukawa's speed gave them a feeling of chasing a phantom.
If it had been Aoi Kunisaku, they wouldn't be surprised. But Rukawa?
They'd seen his speed before. It was fast—but not unreachable like this.
What they didn't know was that during the match against Kainan, Rukawa Kaede had started to awaken his "wild instinct." That gave his physical abilities a clear boost.
Even if that boost was still small, it had a clear impact in this high-speed game.
Morishima Ryoushi and Maeda Ryu'u finally began to close the gap.
But just as they were about to reach Rukawa Kaede, he suddenly tossed the ball to the side—
It landed right in the hands of the trailing Akagi Takenori.
Akagi took the pass cleanly and charged into Meihou's paint without hesitation.
"RAAH!!"
He roared, clutching the ball with both hands, stomped hard, and jumped high, ready to hammer it down into Meihou's rim.
But just then—a towering figure appeared before him like a ghost.
At the same time, a massive hand slammed down on the ball in his hands.
PAH—
A heavy, sharp thud.
Morishige Hiroshi delivered a brutal block on Akagi Takenori.
Stomp—
Thud thud thud…
After landing, Akagi Takenori stumbled backward several steps before barely regaining his balance.
He stared wide-eyed at Morishige Hiroshi in front of him, full of shock.
That block just now—Morishige Hiroshi's power was overwhelming.
If it weren't for Akagi's consistent strength training and his naturally solid frame, he might've been knocked flat by that one slap.
Shohoku's bench.
Kogure Kiminobu jumped up in surprise when he saw Akagi nearly blocked to the ground.
"My god! Akagi almost got flattened! That Morishige Hiroshi is a total monster!"
Ayako looked nervous.
"That guy isn't just strong—he's fast, too."
Miyagi Ryota's eyes narrowed. He nodded seriously.
"That big guy moves way too well for his size."
On the court—
The ball flew far.
Just when everyone thought it was definitely going out of bounds, a figure flashed like a ghost. At the last moment, before the ball crossed the sideline, he saved it cleanly.
The Meihou players froze. That figure—was none other than the one they feared most, Aoi Kunisaku.
Aoi held the ball, the corners of his lips curled in a confident smirk. His sharp eyes locked onto Morishige Hiroshi, who was stationed under the hoop.
Morishige Hiroshi seemed to feel the sharp gaze burning into his back. He slowly turned to meet Aoi's eyes.
The two locked eyes across the court. It was like sparks were crackling in the air between them.
In the next instant, Aoi's figure blurred. He streaked forward like a red flash of light, charging straight toward Meihou's paint.
Maeda Ryu'u quickly dropped into a defensive stance—feet wide, arms out, fully braced.
But Aoi's speed and agility far exceeded his expectations. Like a phantom, Aoi ghosted past him without slowing down at all.
Maeda froze, his mind blank. He stared at the empty space ahead, still lost in the surreal moment, as if he had been hit with a petrification spell.
After breaking through Maeda Ryu'u, Aoi charged clean into Meihou's paint.
Daimon Saburou made a snap decision—he abandoned Mitsui Hisashi and rushed over to help.
Though Akagi Takenori was sticking close to Morishige Hiroshi, the latter's gaze never left Aoi.
Just as Aoi reached Meihou's restricted area, his speed suddenly dropped. From max to zero in an instant. He stopped cold.
SCREECH—
The friction between his sneakers and the floor screamed in everyone's ears. The sound sent a jolt through all of Meihou.
Aoi sprang up right after the stop. He raised the ball high, aiming at the hoop. He made the motion for a sudden jump shot.
Daimon Saburou reacted fast. He leapt and stretched his arm to block the shot.
At the same time, Morishige Hiroshi powered forward, shoved Akagi aside, and leapt up too. Both his arms raised, completely sealing off all paths for Aoi's shot.
In mid-air, Aoi's lips curled into a sly grin. His jump shot pose shifted in a blink. He now held the ball with one hand. Then, with a smooth motion, he twisted his body into a graceful reverse layup.
Morishige Hiroshi and Daimon Saburou both flinched at the sudden move. Their eyes twitched. In that moment, they understood Aoi's real aim.
Daimon's arm instinctively drifted right, trying to cover Aoi's unpredictable release.
But that shift created a tiny gap between him and Morishige Hiroshi.
Aoi's hawk-like eyes caught it instantly.
Without hesitation, he flicked the ball.
The basketball streaked like a flash of orange light. It flew right between the heads of Morishige and Daimon.
BANG—
The ball smashed off Meihou's backboard and bounced perfectly into the hoop.
CLANG—
SWISH—
The ball dropped clean through the net.
Shohoku 4 to 0 Meihou.