"Hurry up, move it! Shigure-senpai is taking the court!"
"One of Teiko's Twin Stars, the strongest offensive force in the nation, the top shooting guard! First-years, pay close attention and study his attack techniques!"
"But with Shigure-senpai's height now… can he still be considered a shooting guard?"
"Maybe. I guess he's still mostly an outside player…?"
…
As Teiko Middle School's brightest star, Shigure Akihito's mere appearance on court sent shockwaves through the Iizumi Junior High bench, panic rippling across their ranks like wind through tall grass.
By the time the Third String members of Teiko arrived courtside, they saw the Iizumi coach pulling his players aside, nervously and hurriedly whispering instructions.
"Don't panic!"
"Even if Shigure Akihito was Teiko's championship core last year…"
"He's grown a lot taller. That kind of height gain will definitely affect his performance as a shooting guard, whether it's his speed or his shooting rhythm!"
"And besides, he's all alone! Without Nijimura Shūzō to orchestrate the team! The rest of the First String here today, aside from him, are just rough-edged big men, especially that tall first-year who can barely pass properly!"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance…"
"To beat Teiko!"
Right before tip-off, hyped up by their coach's rally, Iizumi's players' eyes began to glow with renewed fire.
After failing to qualify for the "Top Ten School Tournament" following last year's Nationals, they hadn't yet seen what Shigure Akihito looked like after his growth spurt. At this moment, the seed of hope was still blooming strong in their hearts.
Looking at Teiko…
Mostly Second String players.
One massive first-year who could barely execute a clean pass, just all brawn, no finesse.
Plus one of the Twin Stars of Teiko, whose current form was still a mystery.
"..."
They could win!
Although Iizumi didn't have much of a history in the junior high basketball world, this year's explosive rise of their new third-years had sparked ambitions and dreams of greatness.
Nationals!
They'd prove their strength today,
Against Teiko, the strongest school in Japan!
"Don't get intimidated by the whole 'Teiko Twin Stars' title! We're already third-years!" their captain bellowed, picking up where the coach left off.
"That's right!" the players echoed, nodding furiously.
"Even against Teiko, we're going for the win!"
Iizumi's players stormed onto the court, all full of bravado. The terror they felt when Shigure first appeared had now transformed into overflowing confidence.
Then…
First possession.
A chill descended.
A dark cloud loomed.
…
The moment Shigure Akihito received a pass from the Second String point guard,
Instantly.
Iizumi deployed a double-team, showing strategic respect even if their attitude toward him was arrogant. They wanted to see how strong he really was now.
Right from the frontcourt, they applied pressure.
Shigure grabbed the ball with one hand. With a slight bend of the knees, no skills activated, no fancy tricks, just pure speed.
And that speed… stunned the court.
The Nijimura-style: Exposing Weak Points!
Even though,
Shigure didn't even look for an opening.
He simply exploded past them.
A raw drive!
BOOM, !
In a flash, the two defenders were left blinking as Shigure's figure vanished past them. They had been charging up for a tight press, but now they just stood there, dumbfounded.
By the time they turned around, the No. 5 in white was already flying, his jersey rippling through the air like cresting waves.
The two immediately pivoted and gave chase.
But…
They couldn't catch him.
Despite Shigure still dribbling mid-sprint, the defenders, running unburdened without the ball, couldn't close the gap. In fact, the gap only widened.
"So… fast!"
"Shigure-senpai is way too fast!"
"But… isn't he basically center-sized now?"
"Even their starting backcourt can't keep up with him!"
The Iizumi players stared, jaws dropping, as the backcourt collapsed on the very first play. All it took was one smooth step from Shigure to blow them wide open.
On the court, Iizumi's captain's expression darkened.
What height gain affects speed?
What kind of nonsense was that?
If anything,
He's even faster than when he was a first-year!
Caught in a mental storm, the captain rushed forward, arms out wide, desperately trying to stop Shigure's advance.
He had to stop him!
Shigure charged in.
Suddenly stopped, pulled up.
Sendō Akira's signature: Ground Glide!
Fwoosh, !
A sudden crouching dive after the hesitation dribble stunned Iizumi's captain. His mind tried to react, but that explosive low drive came so fast, his body just froze.
Move…
Move, damn it!
And then he heard,
"Nice spirit~"
"But that's all it is, just spirit."
Smack.
Smack.
Smack.
Shigure's calm words echoed in his ears, each syllable drifting further away along with the rapid bounce of the ball.
The disparity in speed was so severe that even Teiko's Third String first-years were completely speechless.
On the court,
Iizumi's captain turned to rejoin the other two defenders, only to see the No. 5 jersey already slicing into the paint.
Iizumi's twin bigs stood firm, forming the last line of defense.
But against Shigure's onslaught, the rest of Teiko's players were frozen, unsure what to do. Huge gaps opened all over the court.
Inside.
Shigure Akihito met the twin post defenders.
Backed down.
Drew the double.
Faked the pass,
One defender took the bait.
Then, still with his back to the rim, he slammed his shoulder forward.
The Mammoth Charge.
The remaining center's stance cracked under the sheer impact.
"Wha, ?!"
A… shooting guard?
This kind of strength, is that even legal for a shooting guard?!
"Careful now… wouldn't want anyone getting hurt."
"Here it comes~"
"Hammer of Destruction!"
Fwoosh, !
Shigure lunged deeper into the paint, twisting from a backdown into a side-step. The basket came fully into view.
Then,
Unleashing his wild instinct.
He jumped,
Hard.
So hard, it was like the air shattered around him.
Everyone watching swore they could feel the wind shift as he spun mid-air, twisting like a cyclone primed to tear the roof off the gym.
Especially that flickering vision of the mammoth behind him…
The presence…
Was terrifying.
Shigure's powerful spin in mid-air, arms raised, looked like a whirlwind sweeping through the defense behind him.
The earlier defender, tricked by the fake pass, scrambled back in terror, leapt to contest,
But,
The moment they collided mid-air, he froze.
His teammate beside him,
Same look of horror.
Shigure Akihito…
Spun.
Leapt.
Eyes wide open.
Soared like a rocket.
His elevation blew past them with ease, slicing through their defense like a paper wall shredded by a box cutter.
And if the strength wasn't terrifying enough,
The height.
Their block only reached his elbow.
That's all.
Their defense,
Was meaningless.
At best, symbolic…
Like trying to stop a storm with a curtain.
BOOM, !
The dunk crashed down from on high, slamming between both of them.
Then,
BAM!
BAM!!
With both hands hanging on the rim, the backboard rattled violently. Iizumi's twin big men were sent flying backward like ragdolls, collapsing with loud thuds.
In that moment,
Everyone, both friend and foe, was frozen in shock.
End of chapter...
To be continued...
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