Yoshinori Susa's body stiffened instantly.
Up until now, he hadn't sensed Shogo Haizaki activating his Animal Instinct at all.
But looking at the scene now, it was obvious—Shogo Haizaki had been in his Animal Instinct state the entire time.
Yoshinori Susa clenched his teeth as cold sweat poured down his face.
"Damn it! So you were waiting for this moment all along?"
Shogo Haizaki's expression remained indifferent, the lone wolf behind him baring its fangs.
Like a ruthless hunter, he had been waiting patiently to deliver a fatal strike.
And this was the moment he had been waiting for.
To avoid losing possession, Yoshinori Susa forced himself to endure the discomfort, twisting his body mid-air and forcibly redirecting his motion to throw the ball out.
Just as Shoichi Imayoshi was about to receive the pass, a voice suddenly rang out.
It was Kosuke Wakamatsu.
"Imayoshi! Watch out!"
Shoichi Imayoshi had just begun to feel puzzled when a figure flashed past him in an instant.
The basketball disappeared.
It was Miyamoto Tokima!!!
After stealing the pass, Miyamoto Tokima immediately took off toward the frontcourt.
The rest of Kirisaki Daiichi remained where they were.
They knew very well—once Miyamoto Tokima launched a fast break, there was nothing left for them to do.
But Tōō couldn't afford to stand still.
They had to get back on defense.
Just as the Tōō players were about to retreat—
an overwhelmingly dangerous aura, carrying immense pressure, froze all of them in place.
They stood there, stunned. Every pair of eyes filled with disbelief, every face gripped by terror.
They saw it.
They saw it.
They saw what was behind Miyamoto Tokima.
A mass of black mist—a vast, surging black mist.
It loomed like something that could swallow the entire world, ghostlike as it hovered behind him.
Within the mist, a pair of blood-red eyes glowed.
The moment their gazes met those crimson eyes, it felt as though they had been thrown into an icy abyss, the cold piercing straight through them.
They couldn't even control their own bodies anymore.
Weak.
Their legs went weak.
Their legs trembled uncontrollably.
Black mist began to form around their legs, slowly creeping upward.
Shoichi Imayoshi's face was pale with fear, as if he had just seen something beyond comprehension.
His lips trembled as he muttered,
"What… what the hell is that…?"
Kosuke Wakamatsu's pupils shrank violently. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, his voice hollow.
"M-Monster…"
Ryo Sakurai reacted even faster—the moment the black mist appeared, his body went completely limp and he collapsed to the ground.
He kept repeating,
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Daiki Aomine swallowed hard, his expression dazed.
"This… this is from that day…"
He recognized it immediately.
The black mist radiating from Miyamoto Tokima was exactly the same as the one from their one-on-one match back when Miyamoto Tokima was about to leave in middle school.
No.
It was even more terrifying now.
Back then, the black mist hadn't had those blood-red eyes.
Suddenly, a powerful sense of familiarity exploded in Daiki Aomine's mind.
His expression shifted to pure shock.
"No… no…"
"This… this is from that great [Gate]…!"
In that instant, everything clicked.
"So… the gatekeeper of that Great [Gate]… was you… Miyamoto…"
The black mist didn't just freeze the members of Tōō.
Even the players of Kirisaki Daiichi were stunned.
Dicky Anthony was seeing Miyamoto Tokima's Animal Instinct for the first time, his face filled with shock.
Shuzo Nijimura had seen it before, but witnessing it again was still astonishing.
Shogo Haizaki and Makoto Hanamiya both looked visibly unsettled.
Except for Atsushi Murasakibara.
He looked completely unconcerned, even carrying a faint "just as I expected" expression.
To him, nothing about Miyamoto Tokima was surprising.
Even if potato chips suddenly appeared, he'd think it was perfectly normal.
The black mist behind Miyamoto Tokima spread rapidly, growing larger and larger.
It even surged beyond the court.
The moment it spilled out—
everyone in the stands saw it.
Shintaro Midorima's expression completely collapsed, his face filled with shock and fear.
He wanted to stand up, but he couldn't.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
It wasn't just him who was afraid—his Animal Instinct was trembling as well.
In fact, his Animal Instinct was even more terrified than he was.
It felt as though his entire worldview was shattering.
"How… is this possible? An Animal Instinct of this level…"
"Fate… is this really how you intend to treat me?"
.......
In the stands, nearly every team's main players found their legs too weak to stand.
Only the rookies and substitutes remained standing.
"My God! What is that? A black mist?!"
"Someone's Animal Instinct is actually a black mist?!"
Some players shouted in excitement.
The audience also stood up, buzzing with excitement, constantly talking about the "black mist."
Kazunari Takao's legs were just as weak. Unable to stand, he looked around at the crowd and muttered,
"What's wrong with them? Can't they see those eyes?"
Shintaro Midorima fell silent.
Why could they stand without any discomfort at all?
Why…?
On the court.
Everyone on Tōō, except for Daiki Aomine, had collapsed.
They stared in terror at Miyamoto Tokima in the frontcourt, watching as he slammed the ball into the basket.
During that moment, Daiki Aomine tried to stop him.
But the more he tried, the faster the black mist engulfed him.
And when it completely enveloped him, he realized in horror—
his Animal Instinct… had disappeared.
No.
It hadn't disappeared.
He just couldn't use it anymore.
It was as if… as if… he had encountered a [King] and instinctively submitted.
And it wasn't just his Animal Instinct.
Even his Zone… couldn't be activated.
Daiki Aomine clenched his teeth tightly, staring at Miyamoto Tokima, who had just landed, and spoke word by word:
"Miyamoto… what exactly is your Animal Instinct…?"
...
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