Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The three of them crashed into the hoop stand together, snapping it in half before falling backward onto the court. Yet even as they hit the ground, all three reacted with lightning speed — lying flat, they each extended an arm to hold up the fallen backboard before it could hit the floor.
"Shigure…"
"What were you even jumping for?"
"Huh?"
"I was helping you block Hagioka-senpai!"
"Isn't it possible that you made things worse by jumping in? I couldn't even finish my next move — you completely destroyed my spacing!"
"Oh."
"Oh? You even had a next move? Impressive."
"…"
"Hey, you two brats—can you stop chatting on the floor for a second and help hold this hoop up?"
At the baseline, the group of reporters had just scrambled out of the way when the hoop collapsed. When they turned back, they were met with the sight of three players lying there, holding the entire backboard above their heads.
And then
Their minds went completely blank.
"This is insane…"
"They actually broke the hoop stand… again?!"
"…"
Silence fell over the court. Even the reporters, who had seen their fair share of basketball chaos, were left completely dumbfounded by the scene before them.
During the brief intermission while the staff replaced the broken hoop, the entire gym remained in a daze. It took a while before anyone even started talking again—though the shock and awe were still plastered all over their faces.
One reporter, trying to keep his voice down, nudged the colleague beside him who used to cover middle school basketball.
"Tell me… are your middle schoolers always this strong now?"
The other swallowed nervously. "Hagioka Kasayuki was already ridiculous back in his first year at Kasayuki High… but these two from Teiko—'the Twin Stars'—they just came out of middle school, and they're already beyond that level."
"Still, back then he was strong… but not this strong."
"Of course…"
"It might also be because, during their final year in middle school, they gave up the spotlight to their juniors."
"Gave it up to their juniors?"
"Yeah…"
"Next year's Teiko batch—the Generation of Miracles—they'll be entering high school too."
"What?!"
"There's more coming?"
Soon, both sides returned to the court, and the ferocious exchange resumed without missing a beat.
This time
All eyes were once again drawn to Shigure Akihito and Hagioka Kasayuki.
Even from the stands, you could feel it—their razor-sharp focus, that crushing aura pressing against one another.
Pa!
Pa!
Pa!
Shigure Akihito, fully synchronized with his own rhythm, chained together dribble after dribble with eerie precision. His tempo was strange, unpredictable—then suddenly, he exploded with a blistering split drive!
But Hagioka, guided by his near-clairvoyant predictive defense, immediately compensated for the speed gap and matched Shigure step for step.
And then
The furious duel reached a boiling point.
Against Hagioka's suffocating, foresight-driven defense, Shigure Akihito responded with every trick in his arsenal, probing, testing, pushing both himself and his opponent to the limit.
Sshhh!
Hagioka made another lunge for a steal
but Shigure's lightning-fast change of direction left him grasping at air!
On the court, the two streaks of motion crossed again and again—two flashes of light colliding in a heartbeat.
Then
Shigure deliberately exposed the ball to Hagioka's line of sight. As his opponent went for the steal, Shigure slammed the ball down hard, letting it rebound skyward instead of catching it.
A mistake? Not at all. His expression didn't even flicker—if anything, his lips curled in the faintest grin.
And then
He launched himself into the air after the soaring ball!
The sheer force of his jump sent his jersey flapping violently.
But
Hagioka wasn't fooled. He read the move perfectly, shadowing Shigure in midair.
The audience held their breath.
The entire arena fell silent.
Hagioka's eyes narrowed
(He's… going for a self alley-oop?)
Timing it just before Shigure reached his peak height, Hagioka reached out to intercept the ball's path
but then
"!?"
Something was off.
Shigure's jump… was too low!
In midair, Shigure twisted his body slightly, using his elbow to knock the ball mid-flight
Smack!
It wasn't a random movement. His elbow flick was a perfectly calculated connection
a Rainbow Link, executed with Nijimura Shuzo!
Before Hagioka could react, Shigure landed first, already catching Nijimura's swift return pass in the paint!
And right before him stood Nebuya Eikichi.
The mammoth bared its tusks.
Clutching the ball in both hands, Shigure's strength surged violently—he met Nebuya's blocking arm head-on, both of them colliding midair in a contest of raw power!
The next second
Nebuya felt a massive force ripple through his arm, running straight into his body.
(This guy… never betrays his muscles…)
The two were deadlocked for only a moment before the balance tipped. With the height disadvantage forcing Nebuya to defend one-handed, Shigure's sheer force carried him—and Nebuya—straight toward the rim!
BANG!
The slam shook the court.
Blasting through Nebuya's block, Shigure hammered the dunk with both hands. His hair flew back, revealing eyes burning with wild exhilaration!
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
After all, Shigure's frame looked far leaner than Nebuya's muscular build—yet the contrast only made the outcome even more shocking. The difference in their power was undeniable.
At the same time, the seamless coordination—the elbow assist, the lightning exchange, that rainbow-like connection—had everyone's eyes spinning.
Since the start of the fourth quarter, both sides had been locked in a relentless, breathtaking back-and-forth.
Looking back on it
It was pure madness.
Impossible by any normal standards.
On the court, Shigure dropped down from the rim as it clanged loudly behind him.
At that exact moment
A dark spark flickered in his eyes, a surge of energy bursting like black lightning. From the baseline, Hagioka could feel it—an overwhelming pressure radiating from Shigure, cold as ice and sharp as wind.
He lowered his gaze for a brief moment. When he looked up again, the aura around him had shifted—Nanchiruyin roared back to life, whirling around him like a storm.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
🔥 Rookie Recruit – Read 15 chapters ahead
🔥 Starting Five – Jump 35 chapters ahead + 6 bonus chapters!
Huge thanks to everyone already on Patreon—you're the real MVPs! 🙌Bonus chapters, early access, and all the good stuff are live. 👀✨
And for the rest—it's not too late to be part of the team. 🚀
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer