Kise had been staring absentmindedly at Kuroko when he suddenly heard the latter speak:
"Please, don't take your eyes off the ball."
"There's still a big gap in the score. Let's get serious."
"Ha… haha~."
Hearing that, Kise let out a bright laugh. For some reason, his state of mind felt better than ever.
So this was it… this was Kuroko's basketball that Shigure-senpai and the others had spoken of!
Inside the gym of Shimanami Academy.
By now, Teiko Middle School had already caught up on the scoreboard.
Watching Kuroko and Kise grow sharper with every possession, Shigure Akihito knew the goal of this match had been achieved. Standing up, he stretched his body, warming up lightly, then turned toward the coach with a grin:
"Coach, it's the final stretch. Let me go in and finish this—with a killing blow."
This team's dirty style of play…
With his personality, there was no way he wouldn't show them what true fear looked like!
To mess with their mentality, Shigure was practically itching to get on court.
"Heh heh~."
His gaze turned cruel, a predator's stare locking onto the players in front of him.
"Teiko, substitution!"
Shigure stepped on court, fist-bumping Kuroko—one up, one down.
Kuroko sat back on the bench. After playing nearly half a quarter and using his "Misdirection" to its fullest, he was visibly short of breath. But as always, his expression remained calm and unreadable, rippling no more than still water.
"What the?! They subbed out No. 15!"
"Ha! That weakling must've run out of stamina! This is our chance!"
"As long as that weird guy's not in, we'll take the advantage again!"
"Yeah, with just over three minutes left, we can pull away, just like the first three quarters!"
"Wait a second…"
"That black-haired guy is…!"
"Damn it…"
"Why the hell would a monster like that come here?!"
The Shimanami supporters were still yapping nonsense from the stands, but on Teiko's side, their voices didn't matter in the slightest.
Because stepping onto the court now—was Shigure Akihito.
The strongest.
In the entire nation.
The eyes of every Teiko player burned with awe and excitement as they watched him walk in.
The game resumed.
Teiko had possession. The second-stringers knew full well how terrifying Shigure was. Their point guard didn't even cross half-court—he passed the ball straight to him.
The moment Shigure touched the ball, a crushing aura burst forth. A wild mammoth charging head-on, making your scalp tingle.
The two Shimanami defenders who had been hounding Kise immediately switched their attention. They knew—the focal point of Teiko's offense had now shifted to this newcomer.
"We'll just lock him up like we did with Kise!"
"I'm not Kise~."
Before the words had fully left his lips, Shigure moved—simple, direct, unstoppable!
By the time the defenders blinked, he was already past them. To their eyes, it was less a basketball move and more like a burst of teleportation.
"O-Oh my god… so fast! He's a monster!"
"That's Shigure Akihito!!"
Another defender rushed up desperately. His eyes burned with determination, but to Shigure, it looked stiff and lifeless.
A sudden cross—through the legs! The defender instinctively snapped his knees shut, looking ridiculous in the process.
Eyes wide. Panic.
He reached out with a dirty grab at Shigure's jersey
But Shigure's explosive momentum was too much.
"Ahh!"
The next instant, with a booming bang, the defender was yanked clean off balance and flung aside like a ragdoll.
"So strong!"
Kise, stationed wide as a decoy, stood frozen in shock at the raw display of power.
Charging into the paint, Shigure leapt
A thunderous two-handed slam!
The two Shimanami big men who tried to meet him head-on were sent flying by the sheer force, crashing to the floor in a daze.
What just happened?!
Half his arm was over the rim!
Was this really the dunk of a middle schooler?! And that strength…
On the bench, Teiko's second-string erupted in cheers. For many of the upperclassmen, it was the first time seeing Shigure play since he officially joined the first team. Even the usually stern second-team coach couldn't help but take notice.
"Whoooa!!"
"Shigure-senpai! What a dunk!"
"Show them how it's done!"
That single play had left even Kise stunned—an overwhelming reminder of what it meant to be a captain-level force.
Calling for a defensive switch, Shigure set himself at the frontcourt, waiting to hound Shimanami's point guard.
All the while, he kept taunting him with a grin:
"Come on, kid, put some effort into it. Didn't eat breakfast? Even my grandma's pull is stronger than yours."
"You bastard…!"
The point guard started to shove him back—then froze.
Looking up at the 190cm frame before him, solid and unyielding, with the aura of a beast ready to devour him whole, he swallowed his anger.
"Tch…"
Baseline inbound.
Shigure picked him up full-court.
Sweat poured down the guard's forehead. Up in the stands, the once-rowdy Shimanami fans had fallen silent, as if strangled into submission by Shigure's presence.
"This… this is insane!"
"Even Ibuki can't bring the ball up?!"
"Why is he moving so slow all of a sudden?"
"Not good…"
Completely smothered by Shigure, the point guard couldn't dribble, couldn't pass. His sightlines were shut down.
Shigure didn't even bother stealing the ball. He just hounded him relentlessly until
Beeeep!
An eight-second violation.
Given how loose the refs had been all game, it was actually far longer than eight seconds—but the humiliation was unbearable all the same.
Without a doubt, that possession wasn't just a turnover—it was a scar. A wound to their pride.
Moments later, Shigure threw down another effortless dunk.
The Shimanami players' morale wavered. They had thought Teiko's substitutions meant a chance to turn things around. Instead, one problem left—only for an even bigger monster to take his place.
Point guard Ibuki caught the ball on the baseline again. His eyes darted nervously upcourt.
And froze
Because Shigure Akihito was already pressing in, looming like a devil.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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