Chapter 074: I’ve Tasted Victory Before, This Time, I’ll Win Too!

Although Shigure Akihito blocked the shot, the good news was that Okayama still retained possession. The bad news, however, was that after the inbound, facing a Shigure Akihito in Green Light mode, Hagioka Kasayuki still hadn't found a way to overcome him.

"Not just his jump shots, even Hagioka's drives are being locked down."

"He can only try to back him down!"

"But…"

"Shigure's full-speed burst is just too explosive, and those ridiculously high blocks…"

With only seconds left on the 24-second shot clock, Hagioka took a deep breath and suddenly rammed into Shigure's chest with a powerful backdown, knocking him off balance.

"!?"

A fadeaway!

And this time, it was faster than before!

The angle of the fade was even more extreme!

But Shigure Akihito still launched a soaring Nobunaga Kiyota-style aerial block, barely brushing the ball with his fingertips at the very limit of his reach.

From the sideline,

One possession.

Two consecutive blocks!

The Teiko bench erupted, fists pumping in excitement.

"Nice block!"

"Let's go, Shigure, offense now!"

"Keep it up!"

As Shigure sprinted to the offensive end, passing by Teiko's bench and hearing their thunderous cheers, he couldn't help but feel fired up, he had just shut down the strongest opponent he'd ever faced in junior high.

Going up against someone with this level of physique and athleticism, he wasn't quite on Nijimura Shuzo's level of court-reading, but his instincts… they were starting to catch up.

He was in peak form.

Right now,

With his entire body glowing with a flickering Green Light, Shigure exuded a pressure that felt tangible.

At least from Okayama's side, everyone seemed to see it.

For Hagioka Kasayuki, it was especially vivid.

The pressure Shigure exerted on him was rising, more intense than he had imagined.

Sure enough,

Shigure bolted into Okayama's half, hungry for the next play.

"Show me more passion, Hagioka-senpai!"

"Our styles are so similar…"

But, if you could just show me that same thirst for victory like Nijimura had... I'd be even more fired up!

Hagioka: "!"

With his Green 923 Light activated, Shigure unleashed his Shadow Shift Drive, his spin move reached its maximum speed, and even Hagioka, facing it for the first time, couldn't hold him back.

Glancing behind at Hagioka who was still chasing hard, Shigure suddenly slammed the ball way ahead of himself with a loud "pop."

The ball ricocheted upward, bouncing straight toward the rim!

Under the basket,

Teiko's captain, Ōzō Masaaki, frowned slightly.

Is that... for me?

An alley-oop?

But Tachine Makoto was still glued to him defensively.

Still,

Shigure doesn't pass to me often. Even if the pass was off, I might still get it!

"Shigure actually passed?"

"Alley-oop?"

"Nice! A bounce alley-oop?!"

"But that pass timing's off. Masaaki hasn't shaken his defender. This might turn into a turnover!"

"No, wait!"

"Whoa, Ōzō Masaaki just powered through Tachine!"

"Eh?!"

"Shigure Akihito?!"

While Masaaki was soaring and overpowering Tachine mid-air to reach for the ball,

He didn't notice,

From the opposite end,

Shigure Akihito, who had been further from the basket than both of them just moments ago, suddenly exploded in speed again, jaw-droppingly fast!

A burst from behind,

SLAP!

He snatched the ball clean above both their heads!

"Sorry about this…"

"Captain."

"I already took off. I couldn't stop myself."

With Green Light blazing and Full Speed Burst in effect, Shigure glided through the air, caught the ball, and then,

BAM!

A single-handed slam,

Executed like a missile launch.

He clung to the rim tightly, refusing to let go, swinging dangerously due to the force of his momentum.

Ōzō Masaaki looked at him, speechless.

"…What the hell was that, Shigure."

Do you have any idea how much effort I just used to carve out space in the paint for you, suppressing Tachine mid-air,

And you still went over the top?

Too much, man. You're too much.

Not far away,

Nijimura Shuzo silently watched Shigure, then finally muttered:

"You need to come down now. Also... we really need to work on that whole 'full-speed with the ball' thing…"

"What was that chaotic mess just now?"

Clang,

Shigure released the rim and dropped down.

"…."

It wasn't like he wanted to…

[Goda Tomokazu: Full Speed Acceleration , The will to win fuels even faster acceleration (off-ball only).]

That's just how the skill works, what's he supposed to do?

Hagioka Kasayuki took a moment to catch his breath, and the Okayama players glanced toward him.

Hoo…

I can't lower my head yet.

Nine-point gap...

Still within the limits I anticipated.

But Shigure Akihito's abilities exceeded expectations. If I had revealed my hand before halftime, it could've been risky. I had no choice…

Among Teiko's Twin Stars, their greatest weakness…

Is stamina. That's what I must exploit.

Teiko vs. Okayama: 58 – 49.

Okayama's next offensive possession.

Now that his three-point shooting had been read by Shigure and Nijimura, Hagioka initiated from midrange. Raigū Tosei came up to set a screen, and Hagioka dished it to the rolling Raigū.

Slap, !

Caught it! Drove in with momentum!

Raigū Tosei broke past Uchiumi Masahiko's defense and charged in!

Just as Raigū got past Uchiumi, completely turning his back,

Shigure Akihito suddenly abandoned Hagioka and spun toward the paint!

Hagioka was left wide open!

He immediately shouted for the ball back,

"Raigū!"

But Nijimura's reaction was just as fast. In the blink of an eye, he rotated over to fill Shigure's gap and directed Uchiumi to switch over and pick up Hagioka's man, the point guard, Dentei Kaoru.

Their instantaneous reads and rotations were lightning-fast!

Raigū Tosei also noticed his pass lane was shut. And right then, a flash of green burst into his peripheral vision.

It was Shigure Akihito!

So fast...

What kind of monster is this first-year kid?!

But,

No matter.

Raigū chose to go straight up!

Shigure leapt as well, but didn't use a high-risk skill block. Instead, he met Raigū with a two-handed wall mid-air.

The terrifying wind from his leap whistled past Raigū's ears, speed and vertical were insane. He had just been at the free-throw line, and now he was already in his face!

Even though he couldn't get off the pass for a wide-open shot, Hagioka's alert had still helped.

If I can just get him to jump…

Then,

It's my play.

Raigū twisted mid-air, shielding the ball with his body, and flicked it one-handed behind his back!

Right here,

Hagioka will be there!

Slap, !

Caught it!

Raigū knew it was Hagioka. But in this cramped paint, Shigure pushed his speed to the max!

The moment he landed, he lunged again, straight in front of Hagioka!

Behind Hagioka, Nijimura was locked down by a firm box-out!

Hagioka's eyes flicked, Tachine's brain sparked like a jolt of lightning. His body moved faster than his mind, jumping one beat ahead of Ōzō Masaaki!

At the same time,

Hagioka's pass landed precisely in sync with Tachine's leap!

Ōzō Masaaki's interior defense was completely broken by the rapid, almost telepathic link-up between the two!

Crap…

It wasn't just their chemistry, it was the way Hagioka's off-ball cuts into the paint demanded attention.

And as Ōzō regretted his slow response,

Nijimura, who had been sealed off by Hagioka's box-out, spotted the second Hagioka relaxed, spun out with perfect timing,

At the exact moment Hagioka passed, he launched toward Tachine,

And swatted down the incoming alley-oop with a vicious slap!

Tachine: "?!"

Damn it!

Shigure Akihito was already insane enough, chasing from the free-throw line to block, spinning to shut down Hagioka,

But Nijimura Shuzo too?!

How did he read Hagioka's alley-oop that cleanly?

Slap, !

No time for shock,

Nijimura's block smacked the ball into the backboard!

Hagioka, using his height, outmuscled Shigure for the rebound, no, more accurately, for a mid-air kick-out pass, sending it far away to the three-point line!

And there,

Was small forward Hino Shin'ya, mysteriously unguarded!

Swish, !

Three points!

Teiko vs. Okayama: 58 – 52.

Izawa Shō whipped his head around. His positioning had drifted too close to the paint during that scuffle, and this sudden long-range pass out to the arc caught him completely off guard!

Nijimura: "What a view of the court… and that pass…"

Shigure: "A super-sized Nijimura, huh…"

Hagioka glanced at the two Teiko stars around him, who suddenly felt like they were swarming him, and couldn't help but smile.

"Passing to connect teammates… is what I do best."

Simple, often overlooked, yet the kind of pass that creates breathing room, that's what makes basketball so addictive.

Clap,

Clap,

Clap,

As the team's applause rose, Hagioka raised his voice:

"Everyone!"

"Let's lock down on defense!"

"Yeah!!"

"Let's go!!"

On the sideline,

Teiko's bench.

Platinum Kōzō watched Hagioka pass in front of him and couldn't help but admire him.

Among all the aces he'd seen, Hagioka was unparalleled when it came to inspiring his team through sheer presence.

Even in a losing position…

His eyes,

His movements,

His voice,

It was clear: no one believed more in Okayama's victory than he did.

"Hagioka Kasayuki…"

Then,

As the rest of the second quarter played out,

Okayama didn't make drastic changes in tactics, but Hagioka's switch from attacking Shigure solo to gradually weaving in his passing allowed them to barely hold the scoreline.

At least compared to other teams who'd been steamrolled by Teiko.

From their closest point, 58:52,

By the end of the second quarter:

67:56.

The gap had stretched to double digits again, 11 points.

Halftime.

On Okayama's bench,

The head coach, who mostly just supervised regular practices, asked:

"How's it going, Hagioka? Still within your expectations?"

"Hoo…"

"Barely."

In truth, Teiko's Twin Stars were stronger than he imagined.

That's why he had no choice but to target those two first-years so aggressively in the first half, especially Shigure Akihito.

"I've forced him to go all out. He's been running full tilt for quite a while now. So that part of the plan's working. I've also managed my stamina well…"

"But…"

"Platinum Kōzō and Nijimura surely figured out my aim by now. I don't know how they'll respond, but that was part of the risk."

"We'll stick to the plan, methodical and steady."

"From here on, I'll be leading the offense."

"But the finishes…"

"Will depend on all of you."

Everyone nodded gravely.

The coach added at just the right time:

"Whatever adjustments Teiko makes, leave the strategy to Hagioka. The rest of you, support him with everything you've got!"

"Yes!"

"Right!"

Hagioka took a deep breath.

The first half…

Was just Round One.

Now, it's time for the real fight.

Haah,

I've tasted the sweetness of victory before…

This time, I'm going to win too.

That same craving for victory that Shigure once ridiculed,

Now, in Hagioka's burning eyes, flared with brilliance,

So intense, his pupils trembled with it.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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