As expected, Teiko secured the number one seed in the preliminaries. The second seed went to Tomoya Inoue of Kamizaki Middle, who had once again been crushed by Aomine.
A year had passed. Tomoya Inoue had grown stronger, but compared to last year, Aomine now completely overwhelmed him.
But…
For Shigure Akihito, matters between juniors like that were utterly irrelevant.
What mattered now…
Was the man standing before him — Nijimura Shuzo.
Clap!
Akihito bent slightly, snagging a ball with one hand from the side.
"Ever since we entered middle school…"
"Have you ever beaten me?"
"Nijimura!"
That night, Teiko's First Gym was packed to the brim.
The entire First String, Coach Sanada, Shirogane, even members of the Second and Third Strings who had caught wind of the news—more than a hundred members of Teiko's powerhouse club had gathered.
At Akihito's words, Nijimura's lips slowly curled upward.
"Akihito, are you saying you're stronger than me?"
Shigure Akihito nodded. "What else? Who do you think I am?"
In that instant, the atmosphere around both of them shifted violently. Nijimura unleashed his wild instinct without restraint, while across from him, Akihito answered with the thunderous roar of a mammoth.
"Full court."
"Twenty-one points."
"Fine, you start."
"Good."
"Heh… not holding back, are you?"
Though Akihito's words carried a light tone, his eyes burned with unprecedented focus. He immediately lowered his stance, bracing himself against Nijimura.
Boom!
Boom!
Nijimura's presence surged, flames igniting in his eyes, crashing against Akihito in wave after wave. At the same time, Akihito's own wild aura trampled down upon it, like the heavy strides of a mammoth.
On the sidelines
The Generation of Miracles.
Kise.
Kuroko.
They all swallowed hard. Aomine and Haizaki, who shared that same primal instinct, widened their eyes in shock as Nijimura's ferocity crashed over them, even from afar.
At that moment, unlike any ordinary one-on-one match, as soon as the tip-off was complete—Nijimura moved!
No triple-threat stance, no probing. With a savage, borderline-foul aggression, like a hunting lion, he charged straight at Akihito!
This was a side of Captain Nijimura none of the Generation had ever witnessed, a sight that awoke memories in the upperclassmen who had once watched from the stands as first-years.
Thud!
The violent collision stalled Nijimura for a split second, but he didn't stop—he pressed on even harder!
Ball control tight!
Driving straight into Akihito's chest!
Forcing his way forward!
Accelerating!
Nijimura's thoughts flared
Yes! This feeling…!
Though his body clashed with ferocious contact, his mind remained sharp, calm, always analyzing.
But this time…
Instead of seeking weaknesses or useful data, his mind was filled with nothing but memories of Shigure Akihito.
So many of them.
All their battles, all their time together at Teiko—compressed into a single clear goal. Defeat him. Crush him, here and now!
Boom!
Nijimura's wild instinct exploded to its limit. His body moved with such unnatural speed that to everyone watching, he seemed faster and faster by the second.
"Ooooh…"
"Nijimura's going wild!"
"It's rare to see…"
"He's been holding back all this time, hasn't he?"
His eyes now bore no trace of the cool composure they usually held.
Now
They were feral.
Predatory.
Like a beast baring its fangs.
Thud!
With a heavy slam, Nijimura slightly shifted his frame, forcing his way into Akihito's path.
"Enough talk."
"Watch yourself—before I tear you apart."
At those words, the Generation of Miracles froze. Even from a distance, they saw it—behind Nijimura's back, the phantom of a lion, massive, drooling, baring its teeth!
Thud!
Suddenly, Nijimura's drive was cut off by Akihito's brute force.
Yet
Nijimura's expression didn't waver.
He abandoned all rational thought, giving himself over to instinct.
That instant…
He seized it.
"Akihito…"
"To have you as my opponent…"
"The only thing I'm grateful for… is this."
Really… thank you.
Akihito.
With a sharp crossover, Nijimura shifted his rhythm. And in the shadows of his heart, a door he had long kept sealed—swung open.
Light leaked through the crack, illuminating the wild grin he could no longer contain.
Let's go.
Watch closely, Akihito!
The key I've found—just to defeat you!
Nijimura drew a deep breath. The crowd erupted in shock. Kozo gripped the rail, standing in excitement.
Crackle!
Snap!
Pop!
Iridescent lightning
Frenzied, surging light
Burst from Nijimura's eyes!
Akihito watched in disbelief as arcs of dazzling electricity split across his vision. A piercing crack tore through the air, and suddenly—his opponent was gone from his defensive stance.
The lion wreathed in lightning had slipped past him.
By the time anyone realized, Nijimura had vanished, reappearing alone in the paint, unleashing a shot so swift it was almost unreal.
The entire gym fell silent.
What was that? Did they imagine it?
No—he really just broke through Shigure's defense… that fast?
Was this Nijimura's true power?
But then
Crackle!
Snap!
Pop!
Dark lightning rippled in Akihito's eyes, arcing through the air.
And in the next heartbeat, he was already behind Nijimura
Leaping.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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