Mitsui Hisashi's expression froze.
That hand wasn't especially long—
but the leap behind it was enough to make one's scalp tingle. At the very limit, the fingertips barely brushed the underside of the ball.
"Pa!"
A faint, crisp sound.
The perfect arc warped instantly, turning into a short-lived high floater.
The figure landed, letting out a low, beast-like growl:
"Don't get so cocky, Shohoku!"
It was Maki Shinichi again!
Even after being blown past by Miyagi, he still managed to unleash this inhuman recovery speed!
"He touched it? He actually touched that?!"
Mitsui clenched his teeth. That vertical… it was ridiculous.
The ball slammed against the front of the rim and bounced high.
"Rebound!!!"
This possession was crucial!
If Kainan secured the board, their fast-break storm would swallow Shohoku whole in an instant!
Under the basket, bodies collided with bone-rattling force.
Takasago Kazuma roared as he fought for position, trying to use his weight to shove away the beast behind him:
"This rebound is mine!"
But it felt like he had slammed into solid granite.
Akagi Takenori's face twisted, veins bulging across his forehead.
His entire body radiated suffocating pressure.
"GET… LOST!!!"
With a thunderous roar, Akagi exploded upward from a standstill!
This was the "Gorilla's" absolute control of the airspace!
Towering over Takasago, one hand reached skyward—
Five fingers like iron clamps, snatching the ball out of the air and pulling it into his grasp!
A one-handed rebound!
Utterly domineering!
"Nice one, Captain!" Kogure Kiminobu pumped his fist from the bench.
Akagi didn't celebrate after landing. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head—his arm whipped forward instantly.
"Rukawa!!!"
The basketball shot forward like an orange lightning bolt, piercing straight into the frontcourt.
There—
A black-haired figure had already taken off, swift as a cutting winter gale.
Rukawa Kaede!
He caught the ball and accelerated in one motion.
His face remained expressionless, but in the depths of his eyes burned two cold flames.
Beside him, a red whirlwind surged forward neck and neck—
shouting noisily the whole way:
"Pass it to me, you damn fox!"
"This genius is in a better position!"
It was Sakuragi Hanamichi.
The two were like twin blades, instantly tearing through Kainan's defense.
"Get back! Hurry and get back!"
Kainan's transition defense was lightning-fast. Jin Soichiro and Kiyota Nobunaga sprinted back.
"Stop them!"
Kiyota gritted his teeth, locking onto Rukawa.
"We can't let Shohoku score first!"
Rukawa's eyes flickered.
He glanced at Kiyota closing in from the wing—then at Sakuragi, who was practically begging for the ball beside him.
"Idiot. Go stop that wild monkey."
He spat the words coldly, accelerating even more.
"WHAT?!"
Sakuragi exploded, a vein popping on his forehead.
"You damn fox, ordering a genius around?!"
"I'm the one who's supposed to score!"
"Scoring king, got it?!"
He kept yelling—
but his body moved honestly.
Sakuragi stomped forward.
His massive frame cut diagonally across Kiyota's path like an out-of-control tank.
"Move! Red-haired monkey!" Kiyota shouted in panic.
"Like you own the road, wild monkey?!"
Sakuragi spread his arms like a wall, blocking him.
The technique was crude—like a game of hawk catching chicks—
but with that monstrous physique, he still managed to pin Kiyota behind him.
"Nice one, Sakuragi!" Miyagi shouted from the backcourt.
In an instant, the frontcourt became a one-on-one for Rukawa—
No.
A one-on-two.
Because in that very moment, a terrifying pressure surged from behind.
Maki Shinichi again!
Together with Jin Soichiro, they formed an iron wall under the basket, sealing off every scoring lane.
Jin in front, Maki behind—
A dead end!
"It's over! It's Maki!"
"Rukawa plays too selfishly!"
"He should pass here!"
The crowd cried out in alarm.
Facing a double-team from Kanagawa's king—
even Rukawa Kaede should be stopped here, right?
"Hmph. An overconfident first-year."
Maki's eyes sharpened like blades as he leapt high, his hand blotting out the sky.
"Here, I am the rule!"
And yet...
Rukawa showed no trace of panic.
Instead.
At that instant—
A strange glint of red flashed through his usually lifeless eyes.
Like a beast opening its eyes in the depths of the night.
"Rule?"
In full sprint, Rukawa slammed the ball down hard.
"Bang!"
The ball smashed against the floor with an explosive crack.
His body tilted sharply to the left at an unnatural angle—
so extreme it looked like he was about to glide along the ground.
Wild Instinct · Red Fox!
On the sidelines, Makino Juro—who had been half-dozing—suddenly opened his eyes, a playful curve forming on his lips.
"Oh?"
"Looks like this fox… has caught the scent of blood."
On the court, Rukawa's movement defied human biomechanics.
The moment Maki shifted his center of gravity to block left—
Rukawa's body twisted like a boneless serpent, impossibly reversing direction!
Toe planted. Core engaged.
His body carved a massive "Z" through the air!
Through the airtight gap between Maki and Jin—
like a streak of red lightning, he forced his way through!
Fast!
Too fast!
And carrying a raw, primal beauty!
Maki's hand swept through empty air, feeling only a gust of wind across his face.
"What?!" He whipped his head around, disbelief filling his eyes.
That movement…
Breaking through the defense, Rukawa now faced nothing but an open rim.
He took off on one foot, body stretched like a drawn bow, black hair whipping wildly.
Gripping the ball in one hand—
he slammed it down!
"BOOM!!!"
A thunderous crash.
The rim wailed.
Rukawa hung from it as the backboard trembled violently.
The ball tore through the net, slammed into the floor, and bounced high.
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
"WOOOAAAH!!!"
The arena erupted like a volcano, nearly blowing the roof off.
"It's in!!!"
"One against two!"
"That was Maki Shinichi and Jin Soichiro!"
"My god! How did he even pull that move off? He looked like a spirit fox!"
"Shohoku scores first!"
Rukawa released the rim and landed, expressionless as he adjusted his wristband.
He turned, casting a cold glance at Maki's darkened face.
Then at the stunned Kiyota.
Finally...
his gaze cut through the crowd, landing on the bench.
There was a hint of provocation in his eyes.
As if to say: Did you see that?
On the bench, Makino Juro lazily shifted his posture and muttered:
"Why're you looking at me?"
"Wasn't that something I taught you?"
"I even named that move for you."
"Tch… kids these days…"
Then...
a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"But still…"
"This fox's wild instinct… is actually pretty interesting."
On the court, Sakuragi rushed over, shouting bitterly:
"Damn fox!"
"You stole the spotlight again!"
"That ball should've been mine!"
Rukawa rolled his eyes from being grabbed, then drove an elbow straight into Sakuragi's ribs.
"Idiot."
END OF CHAPTER
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The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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