Slam dunk! Akagi takes the lead with the first point!!
"...I'm sorry."
Amid the thunderous cheers echoing through the gymnasium, Akagi dropped down from the rim and immediately reached out a hand to help Oliver, who had stumbled slightly after the intense collision.
Going all out in a 1v1 using his overwhelming physical advantage felt borderline unfair, even to Akagi himself. But strangely, despite clearly holding the upper hand, he couldn't afford to take Oliver lightly. Not for a second.
Something about this guy feels dangerous.
A quiet voice inside him whispered: If he ever shows his true power, it might be too late to stop him.
"Hey, I'm good. Nice play!" Oliver said casually, accepting Akagi's hand as he stood back up, brushing the dust off his shorts with a light grin.
"You're not mad about how I played that?" Akagi asked, genuinely surprised.
"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Oliver tilted his head, as if confused by the question.
"You didn't break any rules. That's all that matters, right? No need to feel bad about being strong."
He offered a light smile.
"In basketball, it's simple. You score, or you get scored on. If I lose a point, I just have to take the next one back."
Akagi was left momentarily speechless.
What kind of mindset is this...?
So calm. So accepting of defeat—yet not discouraged. A fire burned quietly behind his relaxed demeanor.
Akagi took a deep breath and looked seriously at the boy standing before him. Just recently, he'd publicly rejected Oliver's application to join the basketball club, even mocking him and his friends. And now, even after that—and after being dominated physically—Oliver was the one comforting him.
In that moment, Akagi finally understood what his sister Haruko meant when she said Oliver was "different."
"Mature... and not petty..."
Akagi couldn't help but smile.
At this point, he'd already accepted Oliver in his heart. Even if Oliver lost the match, he had earned a spot on the team. But as a passionate basketball player, Akagi also wanted to test just how strong this guy truly was.
"Come on!" he said, stepping back toward the court's center. "Let's see if you can score this time!"
"Hahaha, alright!" Oliver replied enthusiastically.
The two returned to the centerline. Oliver took the ball from Akagi and began dribbling, organizing his thoughts as he bounced it rhythmically.
From the last play, it's obvious—if I challenge Akagi head-on without using any skills, I've got no advantage.
But Oliver had noticed something important. During the last possession, when he defended Akagi from beyond the three-point line, Akagi didn't shoot. Instead, he opted for a power drive, using strength and footwork to break through.
That told him everything.
Akagi's shooting isn't reliable. His domain is the paint.
If Oliver wanted to even the score, he couldn't meet Akagi at his strongest point. He had to strike from range.
He dribbled slowly, eyes locked on the tall figure in front of him. Then, in a flash, he slapped the ball with his right hand, stepped back sharply, and gathered for a shot.
Woosh—
Oliver rose into the air, ball held firmly in both hands.
"Three-pointer!!"
The crowd instantly tensed up. Even Sakuragi, Haruko, and the others stopped breathing for a moment.
"Will it go in?" someone murmured.
"Of course it will! Oliver never misses his shots!" Sakuragi shouted confidently.
But Akagi wasn't about to let him have it easy.
"Screech!"
The sound of shoes grinding against the wooden floor cut through the air as Akagi lunged forward, leaping high into the air. His towering frame loomed in front of Oliver like a wall of stone.
"It's not that easy!!" he roared.
BANG!!
With a thunderous slap, Akagi's hand collided with the ball, smacking it down and denying Oliver's shot in spectacular fashion.
"Amazing! That's the captain's signature move!" a player in the crowd yelled.
"Yeah! It's called the 'Fly Swatter Block'—because it looks like he's swatting a fly!"
"Ugh! I really thought that one was going in!!" Sakuragi stomped his foot in frustration.
"C'mon, Oliver! Don't lose to that gorilla!!"
"You have no right to talk," Mito muttered beside him. "You missed nine out of ten shots earlier…"
Back on the court, Oliver landed and let out a chuckle.
"This guy... is something else."
He had watched Akagi in the anime and knew he was strong. But seeing it in person—feeling it—was a different experience altogether.
This was the first time one of his favorite skills, Accurate Shooter, had been blocked.
---
Skill: Accurate Shooter
Effect: Greatly increases shot accuracy for the next five attempts.
Stamina cost scales with shooting distance.
Cooldown: 15 minutes.
---
It enhanced aim, not guaranteed results. Against someone like Akagi—a top-tier inside defender—even boosted accuracy couldn't get the job done.
I need to change my approach...
Oliver took a deep breath, and his expression shifted.
His eyes were no longer playful.
They were sharp. Focused.
Ready.
"Come on!" Akagi taunted. "Don't hold back! I know you're stronger than this!"
He opened his arms wide in a defensive stance, but inside, he was shaken.
Oliver's previous shot hadn't even come from the three-point line—it was nearly from half-court! And it had almost gone in.
If he hadn't blocked it at the last second, that would've been three easy points.
In a full 5v5 game, a shooter like him would be a nightmare...
Akagi bit his lip. No matter the outcome, Oliver had to join the team. He could be the ultimate outside threat.
Oliver exhaled slowly.
He had no idea what Akagi was thinking. All he knew was that to beat this beast, he had to use everything he had.
Not just skills.
Combos.
It was the secret he'd discovered during summer training.
Skill overlap—activating a second skill while the first was still in effect.
It had once been impossible. But as Oliver mastered his system, built stamina, and gained experience, it became doable.
But there was a catch.
Using overlapping skills doubled the stamina cost.
However, since this was only a five-point match, Oliver figured he had just enough energy to pull it off.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
He bounced the ball gently, eyes flicking from the hoop to Akagi's arms.
Then he smiled.
"Alright, Captain Akagi," he said with a glint in his eye. "Enough warm-up. It's time I got serious."
"Hmph! Big talk!" Akagi replied, already locking in mentally. "Come at me with everything you've got!"
"Sonic Dash—Activate."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Oliver lowered his body. His dribbling exploded in speed, a blur of motion as he darted forward.
Then—he vanished past Akagi like a gust of wind.
"What!?"
"No way!"
The audience gasped in disbelief. Even Haruko covered her mouth in astonishment.
"That acceleration! It's unreal!!"
Akagi twisted to follow. Though caught off guard, he was no slouch. His long legs carried him quickly, keeping him just one step behind Oliver.
The two raced toward the basket.
Oliver stormed into the paint and raised the ball for a layup.
"I won't let you score!!" Akagi bellowed, closing the gap and raising both arms to cover every angle.
Oliver smirked.
"Bull Charge—Activate."
patreon(Jutsu_143)