Reo Mibuchi stepped onto the court with Kotarō Hayama, Eikichi Nebuya, and two other first-years at his side.
The good news was that Kasayuki Hagioka had at least shown a shred of conscience—their opponents had supposedly been randomly drawn. The bad news? It was obviously rigged. Because standing before them was…
Hagioka Kasayuki, Tajika Makoto, Hino Shinya, Kurumiya Tose, and Tondo Kaoru.
This was basically the entire Okayama squad!
At center court
Eikichi Nebuya tilted his head upward, staring at Hagioka Kasayuki across from him.
"…"
So tall!
Even at his own height of 190 centimeters, he still had to crane his neck—this guy stood a full ten centimeters above him!
"As a center…"
"To be that much taller than me is just…"
"Ridiculous…"
Hagioka Kasayuki gave a faint smile.
The next second, a dreadful aura burst forth from his body, like a demon clawing its way out of the depths of hell!
Beside him, Reo Mibuchi's whole body shivered. Was it because Hagioka was simply that overwhelming, or because his own growth had finally allowed him to glimpse this man's domain, making the pressure even clearer?
Either way, this was heavier, far more terrifying than even facing Akuto Shigure himself.
Mibuchi's face stiffened, sweat moistening his palms.
Hagioka Kasayuki…
It had been a long time since he'd felt such genuine tension standing opposite someone.
Assistant coach Sato Takuo tossed the ball high into the air. The moment it left his hand, still climbing, Hagioka suddenly moved!
Like a great eagle soaring skyward!
He caught up to the ball's rising arc in an instant, then seemed to hang suspended in midair, calmly waiting for it to peak and descend. At the very instant the ball began to drop, his eyes locked onto its trajectory—along with Nebuya's belated leap!
Smack!
Hagioka snatched the ball first!
"!?" Nebuya's eyes widened.
Damn it…
This feeling… why was it so familiar?
This guy…
Could it be that, like Shigure, he was also a freak of nature blessed with monstrous leaping ability?!
Landing with a heavy thud, Nebuya grit his teeth. "Damn, you're insane, senpai!"
No technique
Just pure, absurd athleticism!
And yet, as Nebuya fumed, another shock followed… Hagioka Kasayuki, despite being a "center," received the ball from his teammate beyond the three-point line.
Whoosh!
No jump.
Just a clean, smooth release.
Swish!
The shot splashed through the net.
"There's one thing you got wrong, Nebuya," Hagioka said coolly.
"And that is…"
"I'm not a center. I'm a shooting guard."
"!?" All the first-years froze in disbelief.
Before they could even gasp, Rakuzan's upperclassmen pressed full-court, suffocating. Kotarō Hayama advanced the ball—and his defender was once again…
Hagioka Kasayuki!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hayama snapped into his Lightning Dribble without hesitation, trying to shake free
"!"
It failed!
Despite being over two meters tall, Hagioka's speed matched, even surpassed, Hayama's 180-centimeter frame—even against his signature Lightning Dribble!
"As a first-year, I'd like to say you're not bad," Hagioka said evenly, "but that stiffness when you gather the ball… you haven't improved at all. Didn't Shigure and Nijimura already expose this weakness?"
Smack!
With clinical precision, Hagioka slapped the ball away. Hayama scrambled, recovering possession, but Hagioka was already glued to him again, relentless.
On the sideline, the other rookies looked utterly dumbfounded. Their own point guard was being smothered alive…
And not just anyone—this was the Thunder Beast, Kotarō Hayama!
The crowd of recruits erupted in whispers.
"No wonder he's Hagioka-senpai…"
"His defense is terrifying!"
Off the court, coach Shirogane Eiji had arrived unnoticed, standing beside Sato Takuo. His gaze was sharp as he analyzed.
"Hayama's speed and dribbling are excellent, but it's clear he hasn't received the right guidance… That Lightning Dribble, though improved, still carries the same flaws as in middle school."
Sato chuckled. "And against Hagioka, even the tiniest weakness will be magnified tenfold. That's why it's interesting, isn't it? Otherwise, with nothing but Hagioka-types, coaching would lose all its fun."
On court, Hayama struggled alone until Mibuchi's voice cut through.
"Number 25! Set the screen!"
"Number 41! Move to receive!"
Hayama exhaled, using the screen to free himself, and quickly swung the ball to No. 41. But before the rookie could make any progress, Rakuzan's veterans collapsed on him with merciless pressure, cutting him off entirely.
"Pass it back!"
The ball returned to Hayama. This time he shifted, backing down before snapping into a sudden crossover
Boom!
His Lightning Dribble shifted form slightly, breaking toward Rakuzan's halfcourt at high speed!
Shirogane Eiji raised a brow. "…Hmm?"
"So, I underestimated him after all."
Hayama charged inside the arc, but Hagioka's looming frame still shadowed him, suffocating every angle. Worse—he realized he was being steered directly into a trap.
No choice!
If Hagioka wasn't patrolling the paint, then surely Nebuya would dominate inside.
With a sharp stop, Hayama hurled the ball high.
Alley-oop!
Just as expected, Nebuya powered upward—not with sheer vertical, but with raw muscle, forcing his opponent down so that neither of them could rise high. His brute strength promised a violent finish.
The rookies watching on the sideline leaned forward, eyes wide. They could practically see the thunderous dunk that was about to follow
But then… the man pinned beneath Nebuya, Tajika Makoto, suddenly opened his mouth.
"Rookies… far too naïve."
And in the very next breath
"Swift as…"
"Thunder!"
A streak of lightning burst across their vision, a blur of movement!
Nebuya and Hayama both froze.
Bang!
Hayama's lob was snatched clean from the air—Hagioka Kasayuki intercepting mid-flight, slapping it against the backboard with casual force.
The ball rebounded hard
Right into the waiting hands of Rakuzan's point guard, Tondo Kaoru.
"Fast break!"
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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