"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
Oliver lowered his center of gravity and began dribbling the ball rapidly with his right hand. Standing in front of him was Sendoh, arms wide and eyes locked onto Oliver. A confident smile formed on Sendoh's lips as he bent his knees slightly, preparing for any move.
The tension between the two players was palpable—it was like a match about to ignite!
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Oliver slammed the ball downward and exploded to the right wing with incredible speed. Sendoh reacted immediately, closely tailing Oliver's movement.
But Oliver wasn't finished.
Seeing Sendoh tracking him so closely, Oliver swiftly dribbled the ball behind his back to his left hand, made a short step to the left, then in the blink of an eye, transferred it back to his right hand and darted toward the right again!
Sendoh frowned. He was nearly thrown off balance but managed to rely on his long legs and swift reflexes to block Oliver's path in an instant.
This guy… is really something.
Oliver smacked his lips. Sendoh's strength was insane. From what Oliver had seen so far, Sendoh already had one foot in the door of the professional basketball world.
Maybe it was because of the world of Slam Dunk itself—where the characters often possessed extraordinary athleticism—but someone like Sakuragi could even outmatch many real-life professional athletes in physical ability!
Time was ticking. The shot clock was almost out. Despite his reluctance, Oliver knew he had no better option. With a quick decision, he passed the ball to Sakuragi.
"Oh!! Are you finally putting your faith in this genius!?"
Sakuragi laughed out loud, full of confidence as he caught the ball and charged toward Ryonan's basket.
"What!? Hanamichi got the ball? Is Oliver out of his mind!? Why pass it to that fool?" Mito shouted, startled.
Despite their shock, Mito and the others cheered for Sakuragi with all their might.
"Hanamichi! Don't pass it to the other team again!!"
"You guys are so noisy! You're dead meat after this game!!"
On Ryonan's bench, Hikoichi had already pulled out his notepad and was scribbling rapidly.
"Shohoku's No.10, Sakuragi Hanamichi, has explosive power and incredible jumping ability… but I wonder how the rest of his skills measure up?"
Coach Taoka squinted and observed intently.
"Hmm… decent dribbling skills, but there's no way he can beat Sendoh. Which means—this is probably a decoy. They're trying to draw defenders to open up a pass to Oliver… or maybe Kaede Rukawa."
The Ryonan players on court were already debating internally.
"Is it going to Oliver?"
"Or Kaede Rukawa?"
Except for Yuzumi, the Ryonan players had split into two mental camps—one focusing on Oliver, the other on Rukawa.
"Pah pah pah pah!!"
Sakuragi dribbled swiftly, charging toward the hoop with reckless enthusiasm.
"That idiot's not going to try…"
Akagi, watching from under the basket, saw Sakuragi's familiar smirk and felt a chill run down his spine.
"Hehehehe…"
Sakuragi laughed maniacally as he dribbled, proud and full of energy.
"There's no way this genius would ever pass to that fox-faced Rukawa! Oliver believes in me. He passed the ball to me—so I will not disappoint him!!"
Then, in typical Sakuragi fashion, he glanced up toward the second-floor stands and scratched his head bashfully.
"Haruko-sister! Watch this genius dunk like never before!!"
"Oh my—!"
With an explosive leap, Sakuragi launched himself toward the hoop, aiming for a dramatic slam dunk.
"Nice try, kid!"
Yuzumi wasn't about to let him have his moment. He leapt up to contest.
"Damn it! I knew this would happen! He doesn't even know how to dunk properly!!"
Akagi gritted his teeth and jumped for the rebound.
BANG!!
The ball hit the rim squarely and bounced off—Sakuragi missed again, and Shohoku lost possession.
But just then, another unsettling sound echoed on the court.
Thud!
"Akagi-senpai!!"
"Captain!!"
Everyone in Shohoku's lineup gasped in horror.
In his nervous state, Yuzumi had instinctively grabbed Akagi's jersey during the jump. Worse, his elbow accidentally slammed into Akagi's head mid-air, knocking him off balance.
Akagi crashed to the ground!
Beep!!
The referee blew the whistle at once.
"White No. 4! Foul for pulling the opponent!"
"Akagi!!!"
The entire Shohoku team rushed to their fallen captain.
Akagi lay on the court, waving them off, but blood had already begun to trickle down his forehead.
"Akagi... I..." Yuzumi was frozen with guilt, ready to apologize, but Akagi raised his hand calmly.
"I'm fine. No need to say anything."
"Gorilla…" Sakuragi murmured, shrinking back. Seeing Akagi bleeding filled him with guilt.
"Brother!!"
From the stands, Haruko and the rest of Akagi's family rushed down.
"Brother! Are you okay?!"
Haruko's voice trembled, tears pooling in her eyes. Sakuragi clenched his fists tighter, his guilt swelling.
"Akagi-san! Quick! Hikoichi, help him to the infirmary!"
Coach Taoka ran over to check the injury and gave the order.
"Yes, sir!!"
Hikoichi nodded and moved to help.
"I'm fine. I can walk on my own."
Akagi stood up stubbornly, waving off assistance. He accepted the towel Ayako handed him and pressed it against the wound.
"I'll go to the infirmary myself. Don't worry about me. Let's keep playing. Yasuda, you're in for me."
"…Yes!"
Yasuda nodded with determination.
"Sakuragi…"
Akagi then turned and called out.
"Huh—huh!?" Sakuragi flinched as if hit by lightning.
Akagi said nothing more. He just gave Sakuragi a firm pat on the shoulder.
"The rebounds are in your hands now."
"Gorilla…"
Sakuragi stared at him, speechless. Akagi nodded, then limped out of the gym, helped along by Haruko.
Sakuragi lowered his head. His fists trembled with resolve.
"Coach Anzai… now what?" Taoka asked.
Coach Anzai adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly.
"Since Akagi-san says so, let's resume the game."
"Alright then! Referee, continue!"
Beep!!
The game resumed. Shohoku had possession.
"Hey~"
Oliver had the ball again. He dribbled while surveying the court, his eyes locking onto Sakuragi.
Oh? Seems like Hanamichi is finally serious.
A small smile crept across Oliver's face. Despite his immaturity, Sakuragi's physical gifts were undeniable. With him under the basket, the team's pressure to shoot successfully eased a bit.
"Ruka!!"
Oliver ran forward and suddenly spun the ball with his right hand, passing it to Rukawa.
Rukawa caught the ball without hesitation, jumped, and released his shot.
"Not that easy!"
Sendoh dashed over like lightning, leaping into the air. His fingertips brushed the ball, slightly altering its course.
!!
Nobody expected Sendoh to be that fast. The shot's fate was now uncertain.
Oliver didn't waste a second. He turned instantly and yelled:
"Rebound!!"
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