Chapter 073: Senpai Hagioka, you'd better pick up the pace... or the score gap’s going to blow wide open

Hagioka Kasayuki said nothing.

He's coming!

Boom!

Shigure Akihito exploded out of his triple-threat stance!

In the bleachers, Kurome Shinji and Fukaya Reiji's eyes flew wide. In their minds, Akihito's speed was already absurd, but Hagioka Kasayuki was still keeping up.

They'd already seen this back when Nijimura and Akihito tried to chase him down. But watching it unfold again… it still felt unreal.

Hagioka was simply too tall. Even with a naturally longer stride, without an insane cadence to match, it should've been impossible.

And yet, among all junior high players over 190 cm, not a single one moved like this.

The two hurtled across the court at blazing speed, but Hagioka had the edge, his read on the game was elite. The moment their shoulders brushed, he used his strength to forcefully throw off Akihito's rhythm.

Then came the smothering defense, soft as cotton, but tightening like a vice.

But Akihito wasn't about to back down.

This time, his dribbling came alive, bursting with intensity and precision, chaining one move into the next with smooth, aggressive footwork.

Step-back burst!

Lateral shift!

Low-flight crossover!

Hagioka wasn't just any defender. He ramped up the pressure, matching the attack with a relentless lockdown. His feet never faltered, sticking close in a tight dance, cutting off Akihito's speed.

And then…

In one split second,

Hagioka made a move!

He abruptly broke his own perfectly rhythmic defense!

Whoosh!

A swipe,

But it missed!

Akihito responded with the instincts of a wild beast. Just as Hagioka's long arm lunged into his dribble path, Akihito instantly switched his move,

Shadow Slip Breakthrough!

[Tomoyuki Uekusa · Shadow Slip Breakthrough]

When the opponent attempts a steal, there is a chance to automatically swerve and break through them (Triggers passively while handling the ball).

Hagioka was thrown off.

He turned, trying to pursue,

But Akihito was already gone.

"...!?"

Every eye in the arena locked onto the two.

Even though Hagioka had just been beaten, there wasn't the slightest hint of panic in his eyes.

Instead, he barked out a quick set of instructions, initiating a seamless defensive rotation with his teammates.

But,

Whoosh!

Akihito passed!

Tomoyuki Uekusa · Passing on the Move!

Even at full sprint, pass without losing momentum.

Akihito's passing was unique, fluid, instinctive.

Even as he added a pass, his speed didn't drop in the slightest.

And then, just when Hagioka thought he'd accounted for everything,

The ball landed in Nijimura Shuzo's hands,

And instantly whipped back!

A lightning-fast one-two pass!

Like a ping-pong rally!

Smack!

Nobunaga Kiyota · Quick-Catch Floater

Catch and release in a single motion, launching a fast layup.

Swish!

The floater dropped cleanly.

Teiko vs. Okayama.

26:19.

"!?"

Hagioka froze.

One possession.

And in that single sequence, Shigure Akihito had forced multiple reactions out of him.

Compared to his performances during the All-Japan middle school league, this Akihito seemed… different. Almost abnormal.

The breakthrough,

Relied on raw instincts.

The attack,

Used a sequence of passing and floaters to cut through the defense.

As Hagioka stood there, just a step too slow for the block, he finally understood:

So that's how it is…

Just like how he, as a center, was showing a technical arsenal far beyond expectations,

Akihito had come to do the same.

What a ridiculously competitive kid.

, , ,

On the sidelines, Hino Shin'ya watched in disbelief.

Then, he noticed Hagioka still standing at the top of the key, motionless.

He quickly approached him,

Normally, Hagioka was the calm and steady leader, someone who anchored Okayama's slow and methodical victories.

But now,

When he saw Hagioka's expression up close, Hino froze.

Because it was the first time…

He'd seen Hagioka's excitement so clearly, so unashamedly, spill out from his eyes.

, , ,

The end of the first quarter passed in a blur. The tone set in those final moments carried straight into the second, and before long, they hit the midway mark.

42:35.

Ever since Akihito turned up the pressure, the game had become electric.

And it wasn't just him.

No one had expected this, but Okayama's team-first captain, Hagioka Kasayuki,

was now fighting fire with fire.

At center court, Nijimura's face darkened.

All that talk about "step by step, grounded and patient"...

What a load of crap!

This guy doesn't give a damn about the process. He only wants the result!

Whoosh!

Hagioka made another pass,

Then instantly cut hard!

Boom!

Kurumiya Tosei, the shooting guard, set a screen!

As Akihito and Nijimura got caught in the tangle, they were forced to switch.

Akihito leapt to contest,

But the jump was shallower than usual.

Deliberately so.

As expected,

Hagioka faked the shot, pulled the ball back down,

And Akihito's face turned black.

That outrageous theory Nijimura had thrown out earlier,

Was actually correct!?

This guy…

never intended to shoot at all!

Hagioka had the elite technique of a guard, despite being a center. His first made three-pointer, followed by that carefully staged setup,

It had completely fooled them.

He might be able to shoot from deep, but certainly not with that level of consistency!

"...You sneaky bastard…"

Akihito muttered.

Big eyes, innocent look,

But conniving as hell!

His first three-point shot had gone in. The next one was a convincing fake, a near miss on purpose, just to deepen the illusion that he was gunning for more.

Thinking back to Nijimura's defense earlier,

The "wild instinct"…

The strategic reads...

All of it had worked.

And all of it had been for nothing.

Heh.

Akihito glanced sideways at Nijimura, whose eyes looked ready to catch fire.

He couldn't help but laugh, not entirely kindly.

But…

The pot shouldn't call the kettle black.

Since the end of the first quarter, Akihito had been running like a man possessed. His Flying Swat attempts had him leaping nonstop. Even he was running out of gas.

The truth was, Hagioka never gave either of them a moment's rest.

"Senpai Hagioka," Akihito taunted, "you talked such a big game earlier…"

"And you still haven't beaten Nijimura before turning your attention to me~"

"Are you scared?"

Right after his feint block, where he'd left a margin, Akihito, at Full Throttle, caught up again, sliding into position before Hagioka.

Hagioka didn't react.

Instead, with a subtle signal, Kaoru Tendo moved in to set a screen.

Akihito didn't have Nijimura's court vision, but with raw speed, he tore around the pick and evaded cleanly.

Tendo Kaoru: "...He's too fast!"

Didn't even use my screen at all…

Hagioka then sidestepped, leaning forward into a fake, before snapping back toward the screen's original location.

Tendo had been preparing to disengage, but,

Thanks to their years of chemistry, he barely managed to stop himself and hold position.

Now caught between both players, Tendo just froze.

Guess I'll stay here and let Senpai handle it...

Next moment,

Hagioka, using Tendo as cover,

Rose up for a fadeaway from the free-throw line!

Swish!

2 points!

42:37.

"Beautiful!"

"What the hell's gotten into Hagioka today? He's playing like he's possessed!"

"Possessed? More like awakened! I didn't even know he had this in him!"

"Excited Hagioka is terrifying!"

"If we're talking 'best center in the country,' people better stop sleeping on this guy! It's not that he can't, he just hadn't met a worthy opponent yet!"

"Wait… does this still count as a center?!"

On court,

Tendo Kaoru shuffled up awkwardly.

"Senpai Hagioka… do you really need me to screen for you? Feels like I'm just standing there doing nothing…"

Hagioka, still laser-focused on exhausting the Teiko freshmen, gently shook his head.

"No."

"Forcing both of them to go all out on every possession burns their stamina. But at the same time, it's draining me too. This is a double-edged sword…"

"So even the slightest help makes a difference."

Tendo nodded quickly, then couldn't help glancing toward Akihito.

He smiled bitterly.

We're Okayama…

Why the hell am I starting to doubt?

But soon enough, the reason for that doubt came crashing back.

Because what followed was the next clash between Shigure Akihito and Hagioka Kasayuki

And this time…

Something was wrong with Akihito.

His previously short-lived speed burst,

Was now sustained.

And this time, it was Hagioka on the receiving end of the assault!

Ultimate – Green Light:

When adrenaline surges, transform into a green flash on the court. Gain Light-Speed Dribbling and Shadow Phase Breakthrough. Duration: 30 seconds.

Talent – Emerald Miracle:

Sustain Green Light permanently upon generating enough energy.

Miracle Speed I–III:

Each tier increases speed and dribbling further while in Emerald state.

After receiving a courtside signal from Coach Platinum,

Akihito finally unleashed full power in the second quarter.

And in just thirty seconds, he dropped two buckets and grabbed a rebound,

Green Light: Permanently Activated.

From that moment on,

Shigure Akihito went berserk.

Every move was executed at such high velocity that even basic techniques took on the destructive force of special abilities!

Boom!

In Green Light mode, his Flying Tomahawk Slam shook the whole court.

Akihito streaked across Okayama's rim like a bolt of green lightning.

"Whoaaa!"

"He's back again!"

"Still Shigure Akihito!!"

"Even before, Teiko's offense had Akihito leading the charge, with Nijimura steering the team flow, but now? Akihito's completely taken over…!"

"Wait… could it be? He's using the long halftime break to recover, so he's burning through everything before then?!"

On Okayama's end, Hagioka backed in, then used a screen to step back,

Fadeaway jumper from deep range, arc soaring!

But this time,

In Green Light + Full Acceleration,

Akihito caught up from behind with impossible speed.

SLAM!

A Flying Denial pinblocked the fadeaway!

SMACK!

The ball flew from Hagioka's fingertips straight off court!

Okayama's players froze.

The crowd gasped.

Even THAT got blocked?!

Akihito turned to face Hagioka.

"Another act, huh?" he asked quietly. "Another setup?"

"Whatever it is…"

"You better pick up the pace, Senpai."

"Because before this quarter ends, "

"I'm pulling away."

Hagioka Kasayuki: "..."

End of chapter...

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