Rukawa Kaede chose to attack face-up this time. A back-to-the-basket move would feel like bullying Kiyota; he wanted revenge that was clean, undeniable, and satisfying.
He wanted to beat Kiyota fair and square—leaving him utterly speechless.
Receiving the ball, Rukawa gave a sharp jab step.
Kiyota tensed immediately, not daring to be careless. He knew that a single mistake would allow Rukawa to blow past him.
But to his shock—
Rukawa suddenly rose into a fadeaway jumper.
"Swish!" The ball ripped through the net.
From the bench, Sakuragi grimaced and cursed, "Tch! Yaru, that idiot actually let Rukawa score like that. Useless!"
On the commentary stand, Aida Yayoi gasped.
"Rukawa Kaede just shot that directly? Isn't that too reckless? Kainan is pressing hard. If he missed, Shohoku would've faced a furious counterattack. Is he confident… or just arrogant?"
She fired off three questions in a row, leaving Nakamura speechless. He only stared at Shohoku's number 11. Rukawa looked aloof, almost distant, but when he played, he burned like a hidden flame.
On the court, Maki dribbled leisurely, waiting for his teammates to settle into position. He smiled faintly.
"Oh? So you're the one guarding me now."
Rukawa stayed silent, focused on defense.
Maki didn't mind. To him, it didn't matter who stood in front of him. He wasn't someone that one defender could stop. Not Shohoku. Not even the reigning champion Sannoh Industrial.
When the play began, he called Kosuge for a screen to force a switch against Mitsui. But Nango suddenly abandoned Kiyota, doubling on him and sending Mitsui back to mark Kiyota instead.
Maki glanced at the unguarded Kiyota but didn't pass. Kiyota's long-range shooting was unreliable—even worse than Maki's own—and Akagi was already lurking in the paint, waiting to pounce.
"So this is your plan?" Maki asked calmly.
"That's right," Nango said firmly. "You won't escape this time."
Maki chuckled. "Escape?"
He smirked, his eyes gleaming. "I'll show you just how naïve you are."
With slick between-the-legs dribbles, Maki backed up, creating space to accelerate. Nango stayed glued to him.
Near the three-point line, Maki suddenly exploded toward the baseline.
Nango sprinted alongside, determined to cut him off. He knew if Maki got past, Akagi would be forced to help, risking another foul. Protecting Akagi meant he had to shoulder this matchup himself.
Nango's defensive style was clever—he focused on denying space, forcing difficult shots, and avoiding fouls. But it lacked the raw, punishing contact that players like Akagi or Sakuragi thrived on.
At the edge of the key, Maki abruptly decelerated, then executed a smooth hop step. Nango froze for half a beat—just enough.
Bank shot!
The ball kissed the glass and dropped cleanly.
Maki caught the rebound out of the net and casually tossed it back to Nango.
"Still think I was running away?" he asked coolly before jogging off.
Behind him, Kiyota bounced excitedly.
"Maki! That was awesome! So cool!"
Akagi frowned, looking toward Nango. "You alright? I've never seen you look this frustrated before."
But Nango only shrugged with an innocent expression. "I'm fine. This is exactly what I wanted—to face him head-on."
Shohoku's offense resumed, with Nango pushing the ball up the court.
Maki's last score had been effortless, but it wasn't what he truly wanted. His real aim had been to bait Akagi into fouling again. Yet Nango's persistence had made him rethink.
Even if he broke past Nango, the younger player would just drag him down before he reached the rim. There was no need to force it.
Nango swung the ball to Rukawa.
Maki called out teasingly, "What? Not planning to come at me?"
Nango shook his head, pulling Maki away from the paint.
"No rush. You'll get your turn."
Rukawa faced Kiyota again, jabbing with his foot. This time, Kiyota crowded him, shuffling from side to side with relentless energy.
"Kiyota's defense is tight. How will Rukawa attack now?" Aida Yayoi leaned forward, her eyes locked on the duel.
Rukawa feinted another jab—but instead exploded forward.
Kiyota slid to block him. But Rukawa slammed on the brakes, pulling the ball back. Kiyota reacted, stopping too.
The very next moment, Rukawa restarted with lightning speed—completely shaking Kiyota off balance.
"Beautiful!" Aida blurted out before clamping her mouth shut.
But instead of attacking the rim, Rukawa stepped sideways into another jumper—this time a long two.
"Swish!" Perfect again.
The Rukawa fan club erupted with shrill cheers, their passion filling the arena.
"Damn it, these women are so noisy!" Sakuragi grumbled from the bench.
Nakamura, watching in awe, muttered, "His accuracy is terrifying…"
He had always preferred covering football over basketball. Reporting on hoops felt dull—until now. Watching Rukawa Kaede, he finally understood basketball's allure.
Beside him, Aida Yayoi had fallen into deep thought. A veteran reporter, she had seen countless young stars. But today, she witnessed something different.
What does revenge mean?
For Rukawa, if he missed two shots in the first half, then in the second, he would make them back. Not just even the score—he'd double it.
"Rukawa Kaede…" Aida whispered. "He's too confident. This isn't always the best choice. But he just keeps hitting… it's so unreasonable."
Her thoughts drifted to another player—Sendoh.
"They're completely different types," she murmured.
On the court, Maki had the ball again. He'd already humbled Nango once. Now, he wasn't interested in Mitsui anymore.
This time, he called Takasago up, preparing to challenge Akagi directly. But once again, Nango stepped forward, pushing Akagi back.
"Oh? Kid, you're really coming at me again?" Maki smirked.
"That's right," Nango said seriously. "It's time for King Kainan to taste defeat."
Maki chuckled under his breath.
"Big words… but you're still too green."
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