Compared to who he was a year ago, Shigure Akihito had grown dramatically in his ability to read the game.
That's why,
The moment Fukaya Reiji showed a completely different playstyle than before, Shigure immediately sensed the difference, where the change had occurred.
"He's focused purely on explosive burst, huh..."
"Speed…"
"And instantaneous power during impact."
But once that instant surge of speed and strength ended, his momentum clearly dropped off in sharp steps.
It was fundamentally different from Aomine Daiki's agility-based talent. Aomine's ability combined rapid acceleration from zero to top speed with an equally fast deceleration, allowing him to maintain high-level speed over time.
But Fukaya,
Had he deliberately trained himself this way?
Sacrificing sustained speed in favor of extreme burst, breaking through the upper limits of acceleration for just a moment, allowing him to chase down Shigure's ground-gliding drive and apply contact-level interruption.
Put simply,
Think of him like a sprinter.
Although they weren't in the same class at all, Fukaya was like one of those sprinters obsessed with gaining the edge in the first phase, like "Su Shen", (Su Shen = Su Bingtian, real-world Chinese athlete) famous for explosive starts.
That thought left Shigure... a little disappointed.
"Is that all there is, Reiji?"
To sacrifice so much, only to match him for one instant, how could that ever be enough to hold him back?
In a full official match,
Off-ball, he had Goda Tomokazu's Full-Power Acceleration.
With the ball, there was Fujima Kenji's Signature: Green Light, or even Makishima Shinichi's Special: Emperor Pass Acceleration.
And even in this 1v1, where his "Ultimate Skills" hadn't fully charged yet…
He still had Wild Instinct.
In fact,
As long as he carefully avoided that post-burst contact from Fukaya and extended his own high-speed control with tighter dribbles, he could completely outlast Fukaya's "burst window."
If he wanted to beat him...
There were just too many ways.
And yet, Fukaya Reiji stayed laser-focused on the ball in Shigure's hand. He didn't react to Shigure's tone or expression, not a single flicker.
Then,
Vmmm, !
"Sure, I have plenty of ways to win. But if you're giving me your all..."
"Then anything less would be disrespectful"
Suddenly!
In the flickering shadows,
Shigure's body moved. From the dim gym lights, the massive phantom of a rampaging mammoth exploded into view!
In the blink of an eye,
Shigure had already flashed to Fukaya's side!
BOOM!
Grimacing fiercely, Fukaya fearlessly unleashed another explosive burst. Though he'd lost position, he twisted his body and slammed his shoulder into Shigure's.
At the same moment,
Wildness surged through Shigure like a beast unchained, and just as he blew past, their eyes locked.
It was the first time Fukaya's burning spirit had ever been this fully exposed.
But,
Under Wild Instinct...
Shigure's acceleration still outpaced him. Even the strength that had managed to disrupt his drive just moments ago was now crumbling under the Mammoth's iron hooves.
And after that burst,
Fukaya's speed and strength would only decline further.
However,
Just as that thought passed through Shigure's mind,
The next second,
Fukaya surprised him again!
BOOM!
Though he had lost position during the initial burst, Fukaya suddenly launched a second burst, catching the momentum from their collision and using Shigure's forward force,
To land right where Shigure would be next!
Shigure Akihito: "…"
He can chain it?!
Goda Tomokazu's: Mochizuki Stepback!
Shigure immediately went into a through-the-legs dribble. His pace quickened, every bounce of the ball thudding with force. He kept drawing Fukaya back and forth...
Makishima Shinichi's Crossover Drive!
"Only two bursts max, huh?"
Once he confirmed it,
He pulled the ball through, switched hands with a sharp, minimal flick of the wrist.
Makishima Shinichi's Crossover Drive…
Talent,
Smooth Transition Drive!
One smooth pull-back between the legs, ball swapped hands.
Then, with a short pause, he transitioned into a spinning drive!
BOOM!
The entire move happened in an instant,
And in that instant,
THUD!
Shigure's back crashed against Fukaya's chest mid-spin, stunning him for just a split second.
In that moment, Shigure cleanly blew past him.
Next,
Talent,
Behind-the-Back Drive!
With a sharp burst of speed, he launched himself straight toward the hoop!
Fukaya trailed just behind his shoulder, now two strides back thanks to the previous combo.
Yet there was no panic in his eyes, just that intense, fiery focus, locked onto Shigure and the ball.
At the entrance,
Kurokami Shinji, who had stubbornly claimed he wouldn't come but showed up anyway, noticed that fierce, murderous glint in Fukaya's eyes, one he hadn't seen in ages.
And on the court,
Shigure didn't hesitate for a second.
After Makishima Shinichi's Behind-the-Back Drive, he immediately palmed the ball, took a giant step just inside the free-throw line...
And launched into the air!
It was,
Behind-the-Back Spinning Tomahawk!
[Behind-the-Back Spinning Tomahawk: Performed during a behind-the-back drive, transitioning into a tomahawk dunk with a spinning motion.]
In a flash,
Fukaya's pupils shrank.
He burst forth again!
Fukaya: "!"
Let's go.
Climb higher!
BOOM!
To jump that high, Shigure had to sacrifice some speed for vertical.
Fukaya seized that instant.
He used his final burst to close the distance, aiming precisely at the moment before Shigure reached his peak, right as the tomahawk dunk was about to begin.
His leap,
Didn't chase height.
It was all horizontal burst, a leap designed for distance, not air.
He struck out,
Aiming from below, trying to smack the ball before it reached its apex.
But then,
"Too bad…"
"That one won't make it."
"If this were Shigure from last year, maybe it would've worked. But now... his 'full power' doesn't just mean physical or technical skill anymore."
As Nijimura Shuzō's voice echoed from the sidelines,
On court,
"Hm So, even your double bursts have a cooldown. Noted."
"Reiji."
"You haven't seen this one yet, right?"
Well,
Outside of my private brawls with Nijimura, no one's ever made me use this move before.
That dunk just now,
Even though he could have gone straight into Sendō Akira's Flying Tomahawk, he chose instead to activate a move that required setup, Makishima Shinichi's Behind-the-Back Spinning Tomahawk.
Why?
First,
To test the cooldown on Fukaya's burst.
Second,
Was for this.
Mid-air adaptation.
Makishima Shinichi's Crossover Drive...
Talent,
Behind-the-Back Drive.
Layup Switch, Hang and Glide!
[Hang and Glide Layup: Transitions from a tomahawk motion mid-air into a reverse layup, executed with Makishima's signature one-handed finesse.]
Fukaya: "!"
Wait, that movement's off!
Fukaya's pupils trembled.
Right in front of him, Shigure's body motion suddenly shifted.
It no longer matched a dunk at all!
Palming the ball, he subtly angled his body, and instead of finishing the upward swing,
He swept the ball across to the side,
And with a single-arm reverse scoop, floated in a graceful layup from the opposite side!
SLAP!
The ball kissed the glass,
Swish!
Straight through the net!
Shigure Akihito, with a completely absurd sequence: behind-the-back drive → tomahawk setup → mid-air reverse layup.
Smooth as silk.
First point: scored.
End of chapter...
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