Chapter 077: Shigure Akihito—Wild, Elephantine, Mammoth!

On the court.

The fierce showdown between Shigure and Hagioka had lasted half a quarter, the two like twin skiffs darting through the raging river that was the basketball court, so swift that the eye could scarcely follow.

On one side was Shigure Akihito, whose individual offense had grown visibly sharper.

On the other stood Hagioka Kasayuki, who, in the second half, had suddenly revealed astonishing technique. He became the spearhead that pierced Teiko's defense, creating scoring chances for his teammates.

But it was clear: while both were formidable, Hagioka's play, compared to Shigure's lethal consistency, lacked stability.

And so…

Teiko vs. Okayama.

85:70.

Midway through the third quarter, the lead had stretched to 15 points.

In the stands.

The still-elementary-school-aged Akashi Seijūrō watched this pinnacle-level junior high battle with blazing eyes. But when his gaze shifted to Hagioka Kasayuki, his pupils flickered with visible doubt.

"Hagioka Kasayuki's game plan..."

To him, it didn't quite seem like the right call.

Shigure Akihito's offense was relentless. Hagioka struggled to keep up, yet he often refrained from direct confrontation, opting instead to orchestrate dense defensive schemes with his teammates.

Even on offense, Hagioka chose to conserve energy, opting more often to assist than attack directly.

In contrast, Shigure Akihito had maintained an inhuman pace since the start of the second half. Akashi couldn't fathom how, but it was obviously beyond what any middle schooler should be capable of.

This wasn't normal stamina consumption.

And considering,

Shigure was just a first-year.

There was no way he should've still had that much left in the tank.

All that being said...

Indeed, Hagioka's setup appeared sophisticated on the surface.

But the target was wrong.

If it were him, Akashi thought, this strategy wouldn't have been directed at Shigure Akihito.

Sure, Hagioka had managed to wear down Shigure's stamina, but once Shigure entered a conservation phase, the counterattack would have to face, Nijimura Shuzo.

A player whose style was similar to Hagioka's, equally adept at reading the game. Another of Teiko's "Twin Stars."

Unlike Shigure's raw, individual brilliance, Nijimura was the engine of the team, a player who used everything on the court to construct victory.

At that point,

A stamina-depleted Hagioka, going up against a still-fresh Nijimura, would find his usual advantage neutralized.

"So no matter how I think about it... the plan should've been reversed."

Start by lengthening offensive possessions to exhaust Nijimura first. Then, during the counterattack, even if Hagioka had less gas in the tank, he could still use his elite court vision to lead the team against Shigure.

That way,

The odds of winning would be much higher.

So then,

Why?

What was it that,

Forced Hagioka to abandon a clearly better game plan, and focus so relentlessly on Shigure Akihito?

"…?"

The question lingered in Akashi's mind,

Until the fourth quarter began.

And then,

It was answered.

…

Just as Akashi had suspected,

In the latter part of the third quarter, under Coach Platinum's orders, Shigure Akihito relinquished the lead role to Nijimura Shuzo, entering a so-called "energy-saving" mode.

Now it was Nijimura vs. Hagioka.

In many ways…

This was the true Teiko vs. Okayama.

And again, just as Akashi predicted, with Hagioka spearheading Okayama's counterattack, their performance slightly tilted in their favor, but not by much.

Teiko vs. Okayama.

94:83.

By the end of the third quarter, Okayama had only shaved four points off the deficit, 15 down to 11.

And then,

Came the fourth quarter.

A minute and a half in.

Hagioka executed beautiful footwork in the paint, shielding the ball with one arm to fend off Shigure. This time, opting for variety, he didn't pass. He stepped back for a shot,

But just as he was about to release!

Boom~!

Shigure lunged forward!

Sky-high block!

Hagioka furrowed his brow, twisted mid-air, and smashed into Shigure!

Tweet~!

The referee's whistle echoed.

Shigure Akihito: "…"

He exhaled deeply.

Under intense focus, his eyes, and the silent pressure radiating from his presence, made him feel almost unfamiliar, even to his own teammates on the Teiko bench.

The score was still an 11-point gap. If these two free throws went in, it would shrink to 9.

On the sidelines.

Captain Ōzō Masaaki noticed Shigure's condition.

"Shigure…"

"Get ready for the rebound…"

"You, "

But Shigure Akihito barely responded.

With his leaping ability, even as a shooting guard, he was expected to contest rebounds on free throws. Yet this time, he instinctively drifted outside the three-point line.

"Natsumi-senpai…"

"Sub Shigure out, please."

Nijimura Shuzo turned to Utsumi Masahiko, calling calmly.

"Ah… Got it."

Swish~!

Hagioka's first free throw, good.

As he high-fived his teammates, he couldn't help glancing behind him, at Shigure, standing beyond the arc, hands on his hips, head bowed.

Hagioka: "…"

Damn.

So he's hit his limit.

But this… was as far as he could hold out.

Just then, outside the arc, Nijimura could clearly hear Shigure's slow, deliberate breathing. And the aura radiating from Shigure…

It was all too familiar.

Shigure Akihito: "Hoo… ha…"

One more play?

Two?

Maybe three more possessions?

That should be enough…

It was excruciating.

This barrier he was stuck at,

It felt like…

He was just a sliver away.

As Shigure drowned in his own thoughts, Nijimura, beside him, furrowed his brow, and suddenly unleashed a surge of primal energy.

ROAR~!

The sheer force of it hit Shigure like a lion's roar echoing across the court!

At the same time,

Something inside him,

Began to swell!

"Shigure…"

"In some ways…"

"You're surprisingly… ordinary."

Shigure: "…"

Gee, thanks a lot!

But still…

Because of you,

That was…

"…Thanks, Nijimura."

From Shigure's body, a fierce, inky aura began to coalesce. In Nijimura's eyes, a phantom began to take shape, massive, solidifying by the second.

Too massive.

Swish!

On the other end,

Hagioka nailed his second free throw.

As the ball sank, he spun around to look at Shigure.

But by now, Shigure's full attention was on the ball. He quickly followed Ōzō Masaaki's movement to the baseline, hands ready, asking for the inbound.

Ōzō's eyes widened the moment he saw Shigure.

And then,

Without hesitation, he passed the ball.

Thwack.

Thwack.

Thwack.

Shigure dribbled forward slowly.

Waiting for him was still, Hagioka Kasayuki.

Hoo…

With each breath…

And each bounce of the ball…

Vmmm,

Vmmm, vmmm,

In that instant,

Hagioka felt the figure before him vibrate,

As if…

The earth itself was trembling.

Vmmm,

Vmmm, vmmm,

ROAR~!

Then a deafening roar exploded in his ears.

In the blink of an eye, behind Shigure Akihito…

A massive,

Elephant?!

No, A woolly mammoth!

And then Shigure exploded forward under the effect of Green Light. His speed wasn't drastically faster than before, but when he brushed past,

Hagioka suddenly felt an overwhelming force slam into him!

He stumbled,

And Shigure's figure vanished from sight!

Earlier, Hagioka could use his strength to disrupt Shigure's rhythm, slow his momentum.

But just now,

His defense,

Shattered. Completely.

What followed,

Despite a full rotation of Okayama's defenders intercepting him,

Shigure, under Green Light speed and the mammoth's charging phantom,

Blew through all of them!

Tachika Makoto.

Hino Shinya.

Komiya Tose.

Toguchi Kaoru.

One. Two. Three. Four…

In their stunned gazes, Shigure had already combined strength and speed, cutting through Okayama's entire formation.

Then, he rose.

BANG!

Two-handed dunk!

Teiko vs. Okayama.

98:87.

When Shigure let go of the rim and landed, neither Teiko nor Okayama, nor the spectators, made a single sound.

For a moment…

"…Was that Shigure?"

"What just happened? Did I imagine that?"

"That was insane…"

"He just, one man, sliced through all of Okayama, starting with Hagioka, and he didn't even use his outrageous techniques! Just pure explosive speed and basic crossovers!"

"What was that?"

"I think I saw something…"

"That was Wild Instinct!"

On Teiko's bench,

Sanada Naoto shot up.

Even Coach Platinum widened his eyes.

In the stands,

Young Akashi Seijūrō gaped in shock, then came to a realization.

Elsewhere,

Kurokawa Shinji turned to Fukaya Reiji, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What did I just see?"

"He…"

"He blew through them, "

"That was Okayama!"

…

Back on offense.

Even as Hagioka tried to regain momentum, he was relentlessly forced back by Shigure's Wild Instinct. Finally, he was forced to pull out his "back-down" butt-drive move, move 990.

And yet,

Even with that concentrated power,

He was barely able to move forward.

Had the rules allowed more aggressive defense, Shigure might've shoved Hagioka clear out to the three-point line.

Seeing Hagioka struggle like that, the crowd's jaws collectively dropped. It was the first time they'd seen him dominated so thoroughly in a physical clash.

Fellow center Kurokawa Shinji was speechless.

From afar, he couldn't feel the oppressive aura behind Shigure, the phantom of wild instinct. But as a veteran center,

He couldn't imagine how someone with Shigure's frame could hold his own like that,

No.

Dominate was more accurate.

How could someone that size physically dominate a 193cm Hagioka Kasayuki?

No matter how you looked at it,

It didn't make sense!

On the other end,

Akashi Seijūrō knew this was Wild Instinct's power.

But it was still too extreme.

Moreover, this must have been what Hagioka was guarding against the whole time.

But how had he known?

Shigure's Wild Instinct had awakened in real time, not before.

There were still many things Akashi couldn't see clearly.

Back on court.

Shigure, under the focus of Wild Instinct, locked fully onto Hagioka, and the ball in his hands.

While Hagioka, under the overwhelming pressure from Shigure's aura, grew increasingly grim.

Fake pass…

Real drive!

Small hop, half-spin!

BOOM!

Hagioka slammed into Shigure,

Like crashing into a wall of reinforced concrete!

And then,

Whoosh~!

Uekusa Tomoyuki's Phantom Steal!

With his sharp defensive instincts, Hagioka should've dodged.

But that split-second stall in their earlier clash left an opening.

At the edge of reflex,

The ball was tipped, and sent flying!

Hagioka dove after it!

Skidding along the ground, arm outstretched,

It was heading out of bounds!

At the last second,

His left hand whipped back!

Even under those extreme conditions, Hagioka's court vision and passing skill were so sharp that he landed a perfect pass into Toguchi Kaoru's hands.

Then, Hagioka sprang to his feet,

Like a beast caught in a swamp, thrashing,

Desperately sprinting toward his teammate to set a screen!

End of chapter...

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