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It was his team turn to attack.
After crossing half-court, Mibuchi Reo received a pass from his teammate.
He stared intently at Midorima Shintaro.
"You seem a little different!"
Midorima Shintaro ignored him, calmly observing his every move.
Mibuchi Reo's eyes gradually grew serious; Midorima Shintaro's pressure was simply too intense.
'What's wrong with this guy?'
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Mibuchi Reo's forehead.
A sense of crisis inexplicably rose within him.
He shook his head, shaking off the complex emotions and the chaotic thoughts that had inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
'Forget it, I'll ignore all that for now. As long as I make you commit two more fouls, I'll be the winner.'
With that thought, Mibuchi Reo took a step.
His movements swayed from side to side, trying to disrupt Midorima Shintaro's judgment and close the three-point gap as much as possible.
Midorima Shintaro noticed this too.
However, his green eyes, as if tracking a target, were fixed on the basketball in Mibuchi Reo's hands.
'Damn it, this guy has suddenly become difficult to deal with.'
After failing to break through from either side, Mibuchi Reo stopped, raising the ball high with both hands.
Seeing that Midorima Shintaro was simply watching him without moving, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
'Heh... no matter how you change, the height difference between you and me is unchangeable.'
Mibuchi Reo relaxed slightly.
He bent his knees, aimed at Teiko's basket, and prepared to shoot.
Midorima Shintaro's green eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, the lenses reflecting a cold glint like menacing blades, ready to pierce Mibuchi Reo.
Earth Shot.
Just like the previous three times, Mibuchi Reo made a fake shot, trying to trick Midorima Shintaro into committing.
Midorima Shintaro suddenly took a step back, creating a small distance between them.
"What?"
Mibuchi Reo's pupils contracted, a bad feeling suddenly welling up in his heart.
'Since I didn't fool you, then I'll lean back, Heaven Shot.'
The Earth Shot motion suddenly changed; his body gradually leaned back, about to leap and shoot.
Just then...
Whoosh…
A gentle breeze brushed past Mibuchi Reo's face.
Snap...
A crisp sound followed.
Mibuchi Reo's eyes widened, a thought he didn't want to believe surfacing in his mind.
'I got blocked?'
In front of everyone, Midorima Shintaro, like a cobra hunting its prey, flashed to Mibuchi Reo's side in an instant, then leaped up and sent the basketball flying from his hand.
After landing, Mibuchi Reo gritted his teeth and immediately turned to chase after him.
After stealing the ball, Midorima Shintaro caught up with it at more than twice his usual speed.
Sensing the movement behind him, Midorima Shintaro's forward momentum suddenly stopped.
The sudden change caught Mibuchi Reo off guard, and he rushed past Midorima Shintaro.
Midorima Shintaro took a step back, creating distance between them.
He immediately raised the basketball, aimed at Rokkaku's basket, jumped, and shot.
By the time Mibuchi Reo regained his footing and tried to turn around for a counter-attack, it was too late.
Whoosh…
The basketball shot out like a cannonball, tracing a perfect arc through the air above the stadium before landing precisely in basket.
45 to 42.
"Midorima, when did you become so strong? You really surprised me," Aomine walked up to Midorima and asked.
Akashi and Murasakibara also turned their gazes towards him.
Midorima adjusted his glasses, his expression remaining calm.
"I just felt that shot would go in, and…" He looked down at his hands. "I feel a special power flowing through my entire body."
He felt the power surging within him.
This power was peculiar.
He felt he could score no matter how he shot, like a newborn baby instinctively knowing how to nurse.
It was an instinctive power.
The game continued.
An electronic scoreboard hung in the arena.
The time displayed gradually decreased as the game progressed.
Like countless stars in the Milky Way, shining with a desolate past, awaiting a future that might fall at any moment.
One shot, two shots, three shots…
Midorima Shintaro was like an emotionless shooting machine.
He appeared anywhere in the opponent team half of the court, and if he had the ball, he would immediately shoot.
No matter how Mibuchi Reo tried to defend, he couldn't stop the opponent's shots.
The ball was already in the air before he even reached him.
Not only that, Midorima Shintaro was also much faster than before.
This made Mibuchi Reo feel like he was being toyed with at every turn.
And on offense… whether he used his Earth Shot or his Heaven Shot, Midorima Shintaro ruthlessly intercepted them.
With Mibuchi Reo's two signature moves broken, he had become a complete loser.
Midorima Shintaro's sudden change brought opponent team into an irrecoverable situation, leading to a complete collapse.
The whistle blew to end the second quarter. This also signified Mibuchi Reo's complete defeat in the battle against Midorima Shintaro.
Teiko led 66-42, a 24-point advantage.
As he left the court, Mibuchi Reo lowered his head, his expression one of utter dejection.
A feeling of resentment filled him, causing his body to tremble slightly.
At Teiko's rest area, as soon as Ryu and the others left the arena, Midorima Shintaro was surrounded by everyone, showered with concern, encouragement, and praise.
It was clear that Midorima Shintaro was drenched in sweat, obviously severely exhausted.
The assistant coach looked at him and nodded in satisfaction. "You did very well, Midorima. Now you should rest well. I'll hand over the offensive duties to Ryu and Aomine."
"Okay," Midorima Shintaro didn't refuse.
He was indeed severely overexerted.
The assistant coach then looked at Ryu and Aomine Daiki. "Ryu, Aomine, you two will be in charge of the offense from now on, okay?"
Before Aomine Daiki could say anything, Ryu spoke first. "No problem, the championship of the tournament will definitely belong to our Teiko."
Hearing Ryu say this, Aomine Daiki pursed his lips, speechless.
The assistant coach nodded. "Go, bring back your first championship."
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