"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"
"You dare try to assassinate a genius?!"
The two of them tangled together like elementary school kids, grappling and shoving without any restraint.
Akagi strode over with a dark expression and hammered each of them on the head.
"Both of you, shut up! Get back on defense!"
"..."
Clutching their heads, the two still glared at each other—but the aura between them had completely changed.
The earlier tension was gone.
What replaced it… was a bloodthirsty excitement.
The scoreboard flipped: 2–0.
Shohoku had struck first.
Maki Shinichi watched Rukawa Kaede's back, took a slow breath, and for the first time, a trace of seriousness surfaced on his calm face.
He picked up the basketball and bounced it hard.
The sound was low—but carried a chilling pressure.
"Interesting."
He turned to his teammates, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Even though Juro hasn't stepped onto the court yet…"
"Don't get careless."
"These guys—are playing for real."
Jin Soichiro's eyes flashed coldly. "Understood."
Kiyota Nobunaga fumed, shouting loudly:
"Damn it! That poker-faced guy scored first?!"
"Give me the ball! I'll dunk it back!"
The atmosphere of the game was completely ignited.
And this… was only the beginning.
On Shohoku's bench.
Coach Anzai adjusted his glasses. The reflection on the lenses hid his eyes.
"Hehehe… Rukawa's awakening came even earlier than expected."
He turned to the boy beside him.
"Juro, what do you think?"
From beneath the towel came Makino Juro's muffled voice:
"Eh… if he awakened, then he awakened."
"Means the special training worked…"
"Isn't it better if they're strong? I can rest more."
Coach Anzai's smile grew even gentler.
"Is that so?"
"But your leg… seems to be shaking."
Makino Juro froze.
Silently, he pulled the leg—trembling from excitement—back under the chair.
"That's a cramp!"
"Coach, you saw it wrong!"
"It's definitely a cramp!"
Coach Anzai only smiled without speaking, his gaze returning to the court.
Within those cloudy old eyes, anticipation flickered.
The wildness had awakened.
Next… would be the real slaughter.
On the court, Kainan launched their counterattack.
There was no panic whatsoever—this was the composure of a king.
Maki Shinichi advanced with the ball, every step steady to a terrifying degree.
Miyagi Ryota braced himself, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
He had gotten past Maki just now.
But he could feel it—
The opponent hadn't gone all out.
Or rather… that was the arrogance of a king.
But now…
Maki Shinichi's gaze had changed.
It carried anger at being challenged—and an absolute dominance.
"That last play was good, Miyagi."
Maki stopped beyond the three-point line, his voice cold as ice.
"But that's as far as it goes."
"Next, I'll show you why Kainan is called the king."
Before his words even finished—
Maki exploded forward.
No fancy dribbling. No feints.
Just pure power and speed combined.
A tank-like drive!
"He's coming!"
Miyagi's pupils shrank as he desperately slid to block.
Bang!
The two collided violently near the free-throw line.
Miyagi felt like he'd slammed into a speeding truck. His chest tightened as his body staggered backward uncontrollably.
The difference in strength was overwhelming!
"Too light!"
Maki roared lowly, blasting past Miyagi straight into the paint.
"You're not getting through!"
Akagi roared as he rotated over, his massive frame sealing off the basket.
In front—Akagi.
Behind—Rukawa closing in.
A double team again!
But this time, the attacker was Maki Shinichi.
Facing Shohoku's two defensive pillars, Maki didn't retreat—he advanced instead, jumping straight at Akagi.
"You're asking for it!" Akagi swung his massive hand down.
But midair, Maki displayed terrifying core strength.
He forcibly absorbed the contact, pulled the ball back into his chest at the instant he lost balance, avoiding the block—
Then...
"Tweet!"
The referee's whistle blew.
While falling, Maki casually flicked the ball with astonishing touch.
Swish! The ball banked in.
"Basket counts! And one!"
"Three-point play!!!"
Kainan's stands instantly erupted.
"Emperor Maki! Emperor Maki!"
"This is Kanagawa's No.1!"
Maki landed, lightly brushing dust off his jersey, not even breathing heavily.
He lifted his head, his gaze passing over Akagi—landing directly on Shohoku's bench.
More precisely—
On Makino Juro.
There was provocation in his eyes:
They're not enough.
How long are you going to keep resting?
Makino Juro blinked his dead-fish eyes and sighed helplessly.
"Tch. This old guy… his stare's pretty fierce."
He grabbed his water bottle and gulped it down, then suddenly shouted onto the court—his tone lazy, yet piercing:
"Sakuragi! Rukawa! Did you two skip your meals?!"
"If you lose to this middle-aged man, you're doing 500 suicide runs when we get back!"
On the court, Sakuragi and Rukawa both shuddered.
"F-five hundred?!"
Sakuragi's face instantly turned green. Even Rukawa's lips twitched.
That devil…
He meant what he said.
"Damn you, old man!"
"You're gonna make this genius run suicides?!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi glared at Maki on the free-throw line, flames practically shooting from his eyes.
"I curse you! I curse you! I'm drawing circles to curse you!"
Outside the key, Sakuragi made exaggerated faces, drawing bizarre symbols with both hands.
Maki's mouth twitched.
This redhead… was he really here to play basketball?
Clang.
Whether affected by Sakuragi's "curse" or the fatigue from the previous clash—
Maki's free throw unexpectedly bounced off the rim!
"Rebound!!!"
This time, no one needed to shout.
A red figure shot into the air like a rocket—jumping even higher than Akagi!
"This is mine!!!"
At the peak, Sakuragi grabbed the ball with both hands.
Upon landing, he hugged it tightly like a beast guarding its prey, eyes scanning warily.
"Heh heh heh! See that?!"
"This is the genius's rebound!"
Maki looked at the over-energetic red-haired boy, surprise flashing in his eyes.
Watching from the stands was one thing.
Facing him directly was another.
That terrifying jumping ability…
Even in the national tournament, there weren't many like that.
Shohoku… were they all monsters?
The pace of the game was suffocating.
The audience in the stands was completely stunned.
Was this really Shohoku—the team that always got eliminated in the first round?
They were actually going blow for blow with the reigning king, Kainan?!
"Interesting…"
In a corner of the stands, Sendoh Akira stroked his chin, his smile deepening.
"Rukawa's evolved. Sakuragi's technique has stabilized."
"And Miyagi and Mitsui…"
His gaze finally settled on Shohoku's bench.
"But as long as that guy hasn't stepped onto the court, Kainan hasn't been pushed to the brink."
"Juro… what exactly are you waiting for?"
At this moment, Makino Juro was staring at the flashing mission prompt.
[Mission Triggered: The True Emperor]
[Mission Description: Enter the game and defeat Maki Shinichi using a point guard template]
[Mission Reward: +5 Free Attribute Points; +1 Skill Point; Kise Ryota Template Activated]
"Tch."
Makino Juro clicked his tongue.
But deep within his eyes, a trace of excitement flickered.
"A point guard template?"
"If it's Kuroko… that'd be tricky."
"But System, did you forget…"
A faint smile curled at his lips.
"I have Akashi."
"So… who the real emperor is—"
"is still up for debate."
END OF CHAPTER
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