"What the hell was that? Just stood there waiting to get rammed?"
"That had to be a drawn foul! But I've never seen someone pull it off so cleanly."
"That number 9's sudden stop was insane. Like he hit a wall."
"The guy chasing him had no time to dodge. Too damn fast."
"He actually used the contact to shoot? That's just unreal."
…
The crowd erupted in loud chatter, all stunned by Aoi Kunisaku's foul-drawing play.
On the court—
Swish…
Aoi Kunisaku stood at the free-throw line and sank it with ease.
Kanagawa 81 to 56 Akita.
The gap widened to 25 points.
The Akita players stood frozen, staring blankly at Aoi Kunisaku.
There was no more anger in their eyes, no resistance. Only helplessness and despair.
It felt like an invisible hand was gripping their throats. Even breathing became hard.
Sawakita Eiji stood still. His jersey was drenched in sweat, his face streaked with it.
His breathing was heavy and ragged. His chest heaved up and down.
But what truly broke him wasn't the exhaustion.
It was mental collapse.
His eyes were wide and unfocused. His thoughts were a mess.
He finally realized something terrifying.
Since the match began, Aoi Kunisaku had been playing in a normal state.
He hadn't triggered "Wild Instinct," nor stepped into that inhuman peak mode.
But still…
Why?
Why couldn't he compete, even after going all in with "Wild Instinct"?
"You're a real disappointment."
Aoi Kunisaku walked past him slowly. His tone was calm, almost indifferent.
He didn't even look back. Just dropped that single line.
But those few words stabbed straight into Sawakita Eiji's chest like a knife.
He stood there frozen. His muscles stiffened. That voice echoed in his ears.
It wasn't mockery. It wasn't scolding.
It was disappointment—from a place above him, like pity.
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. His teeth ground together, threatening to crack.
"Dammit…" he muttered, voice thick with frustration and rage.
Possession switched.
Akita had the ball again.
But this time, they didn't rush. They slowed the tempo on purpose.
Fukatsu Kazunari dribbled slowly. His steps were steady and cautious. He looked like he was trying to find a path—or maybe just buying the team a breath.
Aoi Kunisaku's last sequence had shattered their defense.
That kind of pressure wasn't something you could shrug off after one or two mistakes. It was psychological. Repeated. Crushing.
They needed to slow down.
Even if it was just a few seconds, they had to ease the tension and find a way out.
But that slower pace clearly annoyed Aoi Kunisaku.
Before Fukatsu even made it past half court, Aoi Kunisaku exploded like a red flash.
His speed was so fast, it was almost impossible to react.
It was like he had been hiding in the blind spot of Fukatsu's mind, waiting to strike.
Fukatsu's heart jumped.
A wave of danger surged up his spine. His hairs stood on end. His back chilled. His heart rate spiked.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that red figure streaking toward him at high speed.
He didn't need to look.
He already knew who it was.
It had to be Aoi Kunisaku.
He reacted on pure instinct.
He stopped the dribble. Took a half-step back. Flicked his wrist and sent the ball toward Sawakita Eiji.
Since Aoi Kunisaku was charging him, Sawakita had to be open.
That was the logic. It was a good decision.
In that kind of high-pressure moment, passing to the open man made perfect sense.
But the problem was—he still didn't understand just how fast Aoi Kunisaku really was.
The moment the ball left his fingertips—
Aoi Kunisaku's eyes narrowed. Locked onto the ball mid-air like a hawk.
And in the next breath, his whole body twisted sharply.
He had already predicted this pass. Like a ghost, he vanished from his charge route and reappeared elsewhere. Smooth. Unreal.
His arm shot out. And before the ball got halfway, he snatched it clean.
Smack…
The ball landed squarely in Aoi Kunisaku's palm. Fluid. Sharp. Brutal.
Fukatsu's pupils shrank. He froze like he'd been struck by lightning.
His heart squeezed in his chest.
'Shit. I got careless,' he cursed silently. The play flashed back in his head.
He had underestimated how quickly Aoi Kunisaku could change directions.
"Damn it, how is he that fast?" Fukatsu Kazunari felt a tightness in his chest, like something was stuck there. His heart sank.
Aoi Kunisaku stole the ball without a moment of hesitation.
His body burst into motion like someone had hit a speed boost. He launched forward like a predator leaping from the jungle.
His move past Fukatsu Kazunari was clean and sharp. Fukatsu had no time to react.
Aoi Kunisaku's steps were like wind. His motion, pure lightning. He tore straight toward Akita's basket.
In that moment, his speed felt even faster than before.
The Akita players all launched into pursuit almost at once.
But just as they started moving, the gap was already there.
No one could catch up.
Even Sawakita Eiji gave up the chase, breathing hard, eyes filled with helplessness and frustration.
All he could do was watch that red figure storm into their paint.
Bang…
A deafening slam echoed through the court.
Aoi Kunisaku rose up and hammered the ball into the rim with one hand like thunder striking down.
The scoreboard changed.
Kanagawa 83 to 56 Akita.
Aoi Kunisaku turned and jogged calmly back on defense. His steps were steady, his expression composed. As if that powerful dunk had just been routine.
As he passed by Fukatsu Kazunari and Sawakita Eiji, he didn't stop. But his voice cut out like a blade.
"I even gave you the entire first half. I've waited long enough."
His tone was flat, but his words dripped with cold superiority. "If that's all you've got, then just accept the loss already."
He didn't look back. Didn't give them a chance to reply.
Fukatsu and Sawakita stood frozen, fists clenched, knuckles pale, chests heaving. It felt like a weight had been dropped on their lungs.
Especially Sawakita Eiji. His eyes were blank. His lips pressed tight. He looked nailed to the spot.
Only now did he truly understand.
Why he had managed to keep up in the first half. Why he thought he still had a chance.
Because that wasn't Aoi Kunisaku's real strength.
The entire first half, Aoi Kunisaku had been holding back.
Sawakita Eiji had suspected it.
He had felt it. Aoi Kunisaku's rhythm and speed were always one step ahead. Yet it never felt like he was going all out.
He had sensed something was off. But still clung to hope.
Maybe he was just getting stronger.
And he was. But Aoi Kunisaku was growing too—with every second.
It was like he had climbed a mountain with everything he had… only to look up and realize there was an even higher peak above.
And maybe more beyond that.
Disappointment. Rage. Shame. Frustration. The emotions churned inside him like a storm.
For the first time, he truly hated someone.
And for the first time, he felt a fear he couldn't explain.
Fukatsu and Sawakita looked at each other. No words were spoken. But in that gaze, they shared the same thought.
They had been wrong from the beginning.
One man alone couldn't stop Aoi Kunisaku.
They had been tricked by his slowed-down rhythm in the first half. They had thought they had a chance. That if they gave it everything, they could hold their own.
Reality crushed that illusion.
Now they stood at center court, silent as stone.
But something had changed in them.
The frustration, the humiliation, the anger—they were no longer suppressed. They burned now, feeding something darker.
They didn't speak.
They didn't move.
But the pressure coming off them was enough to still the air around them.
Aoi Kunisaku stood calmly, eyes fixed on Fukatsu and Sawakita.
The power gathering in those two began to rise. Muscles tensed. Their eyes gleamed like blades. They looked like beasts waking from a deep slumber.
They both triggered "Wild Instinct."
But even then, Aoi Kunisaku's face showed no change.
No surprise. No caution. Not even curiosity.
Just a deeper disappointment in those eyes.
Soon, Fukatsu pushed into Kanagawa's half again.
This time, his gaze didn't drift. He wasn't hiding anything.
His entire focus was locked on Aoi Kunisaku.
There was a sharpness in his eyes, like he'd made up his mind.
Sawakita no longer clung to Aoi Kunisaku like before. Instead, he shifted into position, ready to receive from Fukatsu and clear space for a drive.
There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them.
Against Aoi Kunisaku, going solo meant nothing.
Only by joining forces could they even hope to break through that ironclad defense.
Just then, Maki Shinichi was already standing in front of Fukatsu Kazunari, his expression solemn.
He could clearly feel the pressure radiating from the opponent.
Maki's gaze sharpened instantly. He lowered his stance, body leaning forward slightly, muscles pulled taut like a drawn bowstring.
The next second, without any hesitation, he activated "Wild Instinct."
If Fukatsu Kazunari was already in Wild Instinct mode, facing him in normal state would be nothing but arrogance.
Very soon, the two were locked in a fierce standoff.
Both had triggered Wild Instinct, fully unleashing their physical potential. Their moves were lightning fast, their reactions razor-sharp.
But even so, the gap in skill still faintly showed.
Fukatsu Kazunari's movements were steadier. His rhythm more refined. Each drive was calculated, full of intent and pressure.
Even though Maki defended with everything he had, he was always just a bit behind.
His footwork lagged by a beat. His block missed by an inch. His read came a fraction too late.
It felt like he was doing everything right, yet just barely failed to restrain the other man.
Once… twice… three times…
Every single time, Fukatsu Kazunari slipped past with precise timing, as if he had already decoded Maki's rhythm.
The helplessness left Maki feeling suffocated.
While Fukatsu and Maki were locked in this intense struggle, a familiar red figure suddenly flashed in the corner of Fukatsu's eye.
He didn't hesitate. Or maybe, he had been expecting this from the start.
The moment he sensed that red figure approaching—
He flung the ball away without delay.
His target was Nobe Masahiro.
The reason he didn't pass to Matsumoto Minoru was because the latter was already locked down tightly by Sendoh Akira, with zero room to receive the ball.
Fukatsu Kazunari had no choice but to pass to Nobe.
As for passing to Sawakita Eiji—he didn't even consider it. He erased that idea from his mind the moment it surfaced.
Not because he doubted Sawakita's ability.
But because he fully understood just how terrifying Aoi Kunisaku was.
If he passed that way, it was nearly 100% certain that Aoi Kunisaku would intercept it before Sawakita could even touch the ball.
And Fukatsu didn't want that to happen.
The ball successfully reached Nobe Masahiro's hands—but now he was in trouble.
Rukawa Kaede was already in front of him. His gaze was sharp as a blade. His defensive stance flawless.
With his precise positioning and sharp anticipation, Rukawa sealed off every single one of Nobe's driving lanes.
And Nobe wasn't known for breaking through defenders to begin with.
Faced with this kind of defense, he had almost no way forward.
His only chance was to lob the ball high into Kanagawa's paint and hope Kawata Masashi could snatch it in mid-air.
But that option was risky.
The moment he thought of that gorilla-like guy from Kanagawa, his confidence wavered.
Nobe gripped the ball. His fingers tightened slightly. His mind was full of conflict.
And in the moment of his hesitation—
A cold, deadly pressure suddenly surged straight at him.
Like a beast lying in wait, lunging out just when the prey had let down its guard.
He didn't even have time to react.
His muscles tightened instinctively. His body froze like he had been struck by lightning.
It was as if someone hit pause on him. Even his breathing stalled.
Smack…
A sharp, sudden slap echoed through the court.
Rukawa Kaede's figure flickered out like a phantom, drenched in Wild Instinct.
His hand cut like a blade, slapping the ball clean out of Nobe's grip with precision and power.
It happened so fast, no one could react.
"Damn—" Nobe's pupils shrank. Shock flooded his face.
He hadn't even made any move yet, and the ball was already gone.
It all happened in an instant.
Fukatsu Kazunari hadn't expected it either.
He hadn't thought Rukawa Kaede would also activate Wild Instinct.
Sure, they had studied footage of Kanagawa's matches against the Aichi team. They'd confirmed Rukawa had awakened Wild Instinct.
But by their analysis, Rukawa was still new to it. His control over it was unstable. Immature.
In other words, he shouldn't have been able to trigger Wild Instinct at will in a real match.
At least, that's what they believed.
But now—
Reality just slapped them in the face.
Rukawa Kaede hadn't just triggered Wild Instinct.
He had done it at the worst possible moment for them.
The second Nobe hesitated, Rukawa had pounced like a beast, pulling off a clean steal.
That kind of instinct. That kind of explosive reaction.
It wasn't what you'd expect from a rookie to Wild Instinct.
It felt like the work of someone who had mastered it.
What they didn't know was that long ago, because of Aoi Kunisaku's presence, both Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi had already been teetering on the edge of awakening their "Wild Instinct."
The potential buried deep inside had been stirring for some time, just waiting for a trigger to fully erupt.
But that trigger had never come.
The reason Sakuragi Hanamichi awakened "Wild Instinct" earlier than Rukawa was because of his pure and single-minded heart.
He was undistracted, without stray thoughts.
That raw, direct obsession became the key that unlocked "Wild Instinct."
By contrast, Rukawa Kaede, while cold and stubborn, carried his own brand of simplicity.
His obsession with basketball had reached an almost fanatical level.
So, after that soul-scorching battle against the Aichi representative team, he finally completed his awakening.
Now, he could enter or exit Wild Instinct at will.
After stealing the ball from Nobe Masahiro, Rukawa Kaede tried to gain full control of possession and charge straight for Akita's basket.
His eyes were sharp as a blade. His steps steady and quick. His body moved in perfect rhythm within Wild Instinct mode.
But just as he was about to accelerate and gain control—
A figure moved even faster.
That red figure seemed to appear out of thin air, pouncing like a predator striking the moment its prey let down its guard.
Smack…
The ball was snatched cleanly by a long, powerful hand. The motion was smooth, with not a hint of wasted effort.
Rukawa Kaede's feet halted. His pupils contracted. Shock and disbelief flashed in his eyes.
The red figure—none other than Aoi Kunisaku.
Fukatsu Kazunari widened his eyes, gaze locked on the figure that had just intercepted the ball.
He stood frozen, unable to pull himself out of the shock.
He never imagined Aoi Kunisaku could beat Rukawa to the ball in that split second.
That speed. That awareness. It was like he had foreseen it all.
Instinctively, Fukatsu turned to check where Aoi had just been.
But all he saw was Sawakita Eiji, standing blankly in place. His gaze was hollow, as if his soul had been drained.
There was no sign of Aoi Kunisaku—like he had never been there to begin with.
Fukatsu's brows furrowed hard. His chest tightened, unable to breathe.
'What… is going on?'
'How did he do that?'
'That speed is unreal!'
Fukatsu's thoughts were a mess.
'Why is he over there? Wasn't he just beside Sawakita?'
'How could he have moved so far so fast?'
But before he could figure it out, a suffocating pressure surged toward him like a wave.
Boom…
An overwhelming aura erupted from Aoi Kunisaku.
Like a wild beast breaking free from its cage, it radiated bloodlust and aggression, crashing straight into Fukatsu's chest.
It felt like standing before a predator, unable to even muster the courage to run.
Fukatsu's heart sank. His body tensed up instinctively.
He swallowed hard, eyes locked on Aoi. His lips trembled slightly.
"This… could it be…?"
This pressure. This completely shattered tempo. That breath-choking suppression.
This… was the feeling of facing a natural-born enemy.
Aoi's gaze was calm, like still lake water. But beneath that stillness lurked a cold, immovable chill.
He stood motionless, as if the whole world had gone silent, leaving only him in motion.
His gaze locked straight ahead—on Akita's basket.
Rukawa Kaede, standing behind him, and all the Akita defenders who had taken position—
They simply didn't exist in his eyes.
That indifference pressed heavier than any words.
Growl…
A low, savage roar erupted on the court.
The next moment, Aoi's figure exploded.
Like a leopard waking in the dark, his muscles coiled tight. His eyes gleamed gold with focus and killing intent.
He didn't give anyone a chance to react.
He didn't even glance at Rukawa's mildly annoyed stare. He simply charged straight for Akita's key.
In an instant, everyone stared, stunned by his speed.
From midcourt to the basket—it happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time Aoi reached the free-throw line, not a single Akita player had managed to return on defense.
This was speed beyond human limits. A total tempo-crushing, overwhelming display.
He leapt easily. His body extended midair. His wrist flicked gently.
The basketball traced a graceful yet deadly arc.
Swish…
The ball sank cleanly through the net.
Kanagawa 85 to 56 Akita.
The lead had stretched to 29 points.
At that moment, the game had lost all suspense.
On Akita's bench—
Domoto Goro slowly closed his eyes as he watched.
He knew it was over.
Akita had no more chances.