Chapter 201 - 210

Chapter 201: Daiki Aomine's Peak State

Having lost his vision, Daiki Aomine could only rely on instinct to fling the ball out.

Thud!

The basketball slammed into the backboard with a dull bang.

Everyone on the court turned to look.

The shot was wildly off, crashing against the top of the backboard before rebounding straight back the way it came.

Atsushi Murasakibara and Kosuke Wakamatsu both stared up at the returning ball, momentarily stunned.

Atsushi Murasakibara: “Huh? It bounced back.”

Kosuke Wakamatsu: “You idiot, Aomine! What kind of shot was that?!”

The ball flew back—right toward Miyamoto.

Miyamoto quickly grabbed it. After a brief pause—no more than a quarter of a second—he snapped back to his senses.

“Oh? It actually came back.”

At that moment, Aomine’s vision returned. The instant he saw the ball in Miyamoto’s hands, he lunged forward to steal it.

Miyamoto sidestepped him with ease.

Left with no choice, Aomine retreated, bracing himself for Miyamoto’s attack.

Instead of pushing for a fast break, Miyamoto waited until the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi had advanced into the frontcourt. Only then did he begin dribbling forward at a measured pace.

Aomine’s eyes, crackling with blue lightning, locked onto Miyamoto as if trying to see straight through him.

Just past half court, ripples spread out beneath Miyamoto’s feet—he had activated [Eye of Truth].

Aomine immediately pressed up on him. He couldn’t allow Miyamoto the time to analyze everyone’s positioning.

If that happened, Tōō would be at a complete disadvantage.

Sure enough, under Aomine’s sudden pressure, Miyamoto stopped scanning the court.

His focus shifted entirely to Aomine, and the ripples of [Eye of Truth] faded from view.

Off the court—

Taiga Kagami stared in shock.

“[Eye of Truth]… was it broken?!”

Riko Aida bit her nail thoughtfully.

“Looks like it. Against a defender like Aomine, no one could spare attention for anyone else.”

Junpei Hyuga seemed to realize something.

“Then doesn’t that mean Kagami could also—”

Tetsuya Kuroko cut him off calmly.

“No. Miyamoto-kun’s [Eye of Truth] can’t be interrupted by a single person.”

“Not even Aomine-kun.”

Kagami frowned.

“But the ripples from [Eye of Truth] already disappeared, didn’t they?”

On the Shūtoku side—

Kazunari Takao asked the exact same question.

Shintaro Midorima adjusted his glasses, his tone firm.

“He simply chose to stop observing. Otherwise, the ripples wouldn’t have vanished.”

“Keep watching, Takao. Everything Miyamoto has shown so far is what he already displayed in middle school.”

“I’m not foolish enough to think his growth has stopped.”

On the court—

Satsuki Momoi continued recording Aomine’s data, calculating rapidly in her mind.

From the first quarter until now, she had already analyzed the full extent of Aomine’s current performance.

The result left her stunned.

Watching Aomine struggle to contain Miyamoto, she murmured softly:

“If my deductions are correct, Aomine…”

On the court—

Miyamoto looked at the suddenly aggressive Aomine and smiled.

“Aomine, tight defense like this isn’t really your style.”

Aomine said nothing, his expression serious as he guarded him closely.

Miyamoto gave a faint smile and began to dribble.

Thump… thump…

He used repeated drag steps, shifting Aomine’s center of gravity little by little.

Miyamoto gave a small hop to the right, as if about to drive.

Aomine immediately retreated to cut him off—

But the moment he did, he realized Miyamoto hadn’t driven at all. He had simply pulled his weight back.

With that single drag step, Miyamoto had already created enough space for a shot.

Without hesitation, he smiled mysteriously at Aomine and gathered the ball for a jumper.

Aomine’s pupils shrank.

‘Damn!’

He knew better than anyone how fast Miyamoto’s release was. In fact, Miyamoto had the quickest shooting motion Aomine had ever seen—no exceptions.

There was no time to hesitate.

Aomine exploded forward, trying to recover.

But just as he prepared to jump, the ball had already left Miyamoto’s hands.

With no way to contest it in time, Aomine gave up and looked up at the ball spinning through the air, silently hoping it would miss.

On the sidelines—

As a sharpshooter himself, Midorima spoke the instant he saw the trajectory.

“The arc is perfect. It’s in.”

On the court—

The ball dropped cleanly through the net with a crisp swish.

Aomine sighed, then turned and grinned.

“Miyamoto, you’re still as accurate as ever. You’re a freak.”

Miyamoto shrugged.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Aomine blinked, then laughed and lightly punched Miyamoto’s chest.

“I’m serious. I’d rather deal with Midorima’s shots than yours.”

Miyamoto chuckled and turned to run back on defense.

Aomine watched his retreating back, a smile spreading across his face.

‘Miyamoto… only you can make my blood boil like this!’

His heart surged with fighting spirit.

The lightning in his eyes grew sharper, more resolute.

‘Come on, Miyamoto. Next… I’ll use everything I’ve got to challenge you!’

Possession switched.

Aomine received the ball, crossed half court, and faced Miyamoto once more.

His eyes burned with battle intent, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Miyamoto, now I’ll show you my strongest state!”

Miyamoto raised an eyebrow, then smiled.

“Oh? Then I’m looking forward to it.”

He truly was curious.

In the original storyline, the Zone had been Aomine’s ultimate weapon at this stage.

But now Aomine was claiming he had another state.

That sparked Miyamoto’s interest.

On the court—

Aomine drew in a deep breath.

The blue lightning in his eyes flickered wildly, growing more violent and chaotic.

Just as Miyamoto was wondering what was happening—

A thunderous panther’s roar erupted across the court!

..........

Chapter 202: Animal Instinct in Zone Mode!

A mighty black panther once again materialized behind Daiki Aomine, exuding overwhelming ferocity.

This was Animal Instinct!

But not the ordinary kind.

Blue lightning crackled within the panther’s eyes, flashing nonstop. Its fur grew darker—an inky, abyssal black—giving it an aura of supreme dominance.

Off the court—

Ryota Kise’s pupils shrank sharply as he stared at Aomine, stunned.

“Zone Mode… Animal Instinct…”

On the court—

Electric light flickered in Aomine’s eyes, mirrored perfectly by the black panther behind him.

A suffocating pressure swept across the entire court, chilling everyone present.

Dicky Anthony gave Aomine a long look before turning away.

Shuzo Nijimura scratched his head helplessly and muttered,

“Good thing I’m playing the fourth match. Otherwise, this would’ve been a real headache.”

He had expected Aomine to improve quickly—but not this quickly.

Activating Animal Instinct in Zone Mode wasn’t just difficult. It was on another level entirely.

Because in Zone Mode, what awakened wasn’t ordinary Animal Instinct—it was true Zone Animal Instinct, something that drastically amplified one’s power.

Animal Instinct alone was already a huge boost.

So what about Animal Instinct under Zone Mode?

Aomine’s entire body shimmered with a blue glow. He fixed his lightning-filled gaze on Miyamoto.

“Miyamoto, I’m coming.”

Miyamoto smiled faintly.

“Bring it, Aomine.”

Aomine grinned—and then he exploded forward.

He shot out like a bolt of lightning, so fast it made people gasp.

The violent friction between his sneakers and the hardwood let out a sharp, grating screech.

Off the court—

Taiga Kagami watched with a grave expression. Even he found Aomine’s current strength hard to believe.

Beside him, Shinji Koganei covered his ears.

“That’s way too loud!”

On the court—

Aomine drove from the right.

Miyamoto stayed glued to him, refusing to give an inch.

Aomine’s smile widened.

‘Miyamoto… you’re the only one who can make me this excited!’

The grin on his face was the same one he’d worn back in his first year of middle school.

He was truly enjoying this game.

He dribbled continuously—crossovers, spins, feints—throwing out every move in his arsenal.

But no matter what he tried, he couldn’t shake Miyamoto’s defense.

Finally, with only three seconds left on the shot clock, Aomine suddenly leapt, his body drifting to the right.

His eyes locked onto the rim. With a powerful swing of his right arm, he flung the ball out in a wide, hooking motion.

This time, even Miyamoto reacted a fraction too late.

Clang!

The ball struck the front rim, bounced up—

—and dropped through the net.

Miyamoto turned his head and smiled.

“Aomine, nice shot.”

Aomine laughed loudly.

“So? Didn’t disappoint you, did I, Miyamoto?”

Miyamoto nodded.

“Not at all. You actually surprised me.”

Aomine’s growth compared to the original storyline was on an entirely different level.

Back then, he couldn’t even sustain Zone for long before running out of stamina.

Now, he had stacked Animal Instinct on top of Zone Mode.

Possession switched.

Kirisaki Daiichi ball.

As expected, the ball went straight to Miyamoto.

He dribbled slowly past half court, meeting Aomine’s razor-sharp gaze.

This time—

Miyamoto decided to show a bit more of his strength.

In Aomine’s eyes—

Miyamoto had entered the No-Self State.

His entire body radiated a soft, milky-white glow, exactly like the No-Self State he had displayed back in middle school.

Off the court—

The members of Seirin stared in confusion. It was the first time they had seen this form.

Taiga Kagami spoke up bluntly.

“What is that? Why’s he glowing white? Is that Zone too?”

Riko Aida kept biting her finger, equally puzzled.

Then she turned to the one person who should know.

“Kuroko, do you know what state that is?”

Tetsuya Kuroko shook his head.

“I don’t. This is the first time I’ve seen Miyamoto-kun in this state as well.”

Miyamoto had only activated the No-Self State twice in middle school—once in a one-on-one against Haizaki, and once against Fukuda Middle School.

Kuroko hadn’t been present for either game.

Kaijō High was just as confused.

Even Ryota Kise had never seen this before.

On the court—

Miyamoto dribbled up to Aomine, bouncing the ball steadily on his right side.

In that position, a defender could easily attempt a steal with a quick reach.

But Aomine didn’t dare.

Not because he was kind—

But because he was wary.

If he reached and missed, Miyamoto would seize that instant to blow past him in a single step.

And at that speed, there would be no recovering.

So Aomine held his ground, eyes fixed on Miyamoto’s movements.

Miyamoto thought the same way.

If Aomine went for the steal, he would break past him without hesitation.

Since Aomine stayed put—

Then he would attack head-on.

Before making his move, Miyamoto spoke calmly.

“Ready?”

Aomine’s defense tightened instantly.

His focus sharpened to the extreme—no distractions, no slack.

Then—

Miyamoto moved.

With no wind-up, his right hand slammed the ball down. In the same instant, he burst left like a streak of lightning.

Aomine reacted immediately, sliding to cut him off—

But just as his center of gravity shifted, Miyamoto snapped the ball back from his left hand to his right with tremendous force.

The ball struck the floor with a loud crack.

‘Damn!’

The sudden second crossover threw Aomine off balance, creating a sliver of space.

And Miyamoto didn’t hesitate.

He shifted gears and accelerated—

Blowing straight past Aomine’s defensive line in an instant.

...

Chapter 203: Daiki Aomine Caught in the Net

After Miyamoto broke through Daiki Aomine’s defense, the rest of Tōō Academy’s players could only stare in stunned silence.

It had happened far too fast. None of them had time to react. All they could do was watch as Miyamoto gently laid the ball into the basket.

Seeing this, Daiki Aomine muttered to himself:

“An unprepared… [Lightning Dribble]…”

Off the court.

“Damn it! And twice!!! Back-to-back!!”

Ryota Kise couldn’t help but curse out loud.

Everyone knew that [Lightning Dribble] normally required a long wind-up. Skipping that wind-up would place tremendous strain on the knees.

And this was a double crossover without any wind-up at all.

Don’t forget—when Ryota Kise himself used the Lightning Dribbling double crossover before, his legs had practically locked up afterward!

Over on Shūtoku’s side.

Shintaro Midorima’s gaze sharpened as he stared at Miyamoto on the court, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

At the same time, a faint phantom seemed to flicker behind him.

On the court.

While running back on defense, Miyamoto spoke to Aomine.

“So, Aomine… found a way to deal with it yet?”

Aomine clicked his tongue, replying stubbornly:

“Of course. Next possession, I’ll shut down your [Lightning Dribble]!”

Miyamoto only smiled faintly.

“Good. I’m actually looking forward to that.”

“Beep! Kirisaki Daiichi requests a timeout!”

The referee suddenly blew the whistle.

The Kirisaki Daiichi players walked off the court with confused expressions, momentarily unsure what was going on.

After all, they currently had complete control of the game.

Even Aomine looked puzzled.

Kirisaki Daiichi called the timeout???

After stepping off the court, Miyamoto asked:

“Momoi, what’s wrong? Something happen?”

He really couldn’t figure it out. Satsuki Momoi had suddenly called a timeout without warning.

Momoi smiled slightly and began to speak...

...

“Beep! The game resumes!”

Both teams’ starting lineups returned to the court.

But this time, the moment play resumed, Aomine clearly noticed that the way Dicky Anthony looked at him had changed.

There was a hint of… pity in his eyes.

Possession switched.

Tōō High School ball.

As usual, the offense ran through Daiki Aomine.

Once Aomine had the ball, the rest of Tōō’s starters seemed to become nothing more than supporting characters.

They had virtually no involvement with the ball.

In Aomine’s eyes, there were no teammates—only opponents.

Seeing this, Miyamoto couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

“The will of the world really never stops correcting things.”

Miyamoto hadn’t expected it.

Aomine had clearly changed a lot compared to before… yet his tendency to ignore his teammates had somehow grown even stronger.

What was this supposed to be?

Setting the stage for Taiga Kagami and Tetsuya Kuroko?

Did those two absolutely have to defeat Aomine together first?

If things still followed the original storyline, how strong would Kagami need to become?

Opening the second great gate of Zone right at the start of the Winter Cup?

Impossible.

Even a top-tier prodigy like Ryota Kise only gained a short-lived power-up much later, during the match against the Jabberwock-level opponents.

There was no way Kagami could reach Finals-level strength right at the beginning of the Winter Cup.

So no matter how Miyamoto thought about it, he simply couldn’t see how Taiga Kagami and Tetsuya Kuroko could defeat the current Daiki Aomine.

Entering Zone and awakening Animal Instinct alone was already enough to leave countless basketball prodigies far behind.

But unfortunately…

Being a genius is merely the qualification required to stand before me.

On the court.

Aomine ignored his teammates’ open positions and launched directly into a fierce attack.

His eyes were locked onto Miyamoto’s feet as he constantly tried to manipulate Miyamoto’s defensive positioning and shift his center of gravity.

But he quickly discovered something.

Miyamoto simply couldn’t be baited!

No choice.

He’d have to rely on his old trick again.

Surprise!

Aomine suddenly exploded forward, accelerating toward the right side.

He had expected Miyamoto to immediately chase him.

But after breaking through, he realized Miyamoto hadn’t followed at all—instead, he was already sprinting toward the frontcourt!

Knowing Miyamoto’s personality, Aomine instantly understood.

There’s a rat waiting!

Sure enough, in the very next moment, a hand suddenly reached in and slapped toward the basketball.

It was Shogo Haizaki.

After realizing that Aomine truly had no intention of passing the ball, he had decisively abandoned his defensive assignment and quietly slipped behind Miyamoto, waiting to ambush him.

But Aomine reacted instantly, switching the ball to his left hand.

Suddenly—

“Tsk tsk… Aomine, you got careless.”

A voice sounded from Aomine’s left.

It was Shuzo Nijimura.

Aomine’s pupils instantly shrank.

No way!

SMACK!!!

The basketball was slapped loose.

Aomine immediately rushed forward, trying to recover the ball and regain possession.

But…

Dicky Anthony had already been waiting there.

Dicky grabbed the loose ball and immediately fired a long pass to Miyamoto.

Miyamoto finished the play with a clean layup.

After the basket went in, Aomine didn’t look at Nijimura, who had stolen the ball.

He didn’t look at Haizaki either.

Instead, he turned his head and looked straight toward Satsuki Momoi off the court.

Clearly, this entire play had been planned by her.

Only she could predict so many possibilities.

Momoi noticed Aomine looking at her. She simply nodded once, without any extra reaction, before turning her attention back to Miyamoto.

And Aomine’s guess was correct.

That timeout had been specifically called by Momoi.

It was meant to set a trap for Aomine.

The moment Momoi saw Aomine activate Animal Instinct within Zone Mode, she knew her earlier judgment had been correct.

The first quarter and the first half of the second quarter had already allowed her to completely understand Aomine’s offensive habits.

So she didn’t hesitate.

She called that timeout and laid out the defensive plan for Kirisaki Daiichi.

And clearly—

Aomine had fallen right into the net.

A net personally woven by Satsuki Momoi.

However, this spiderweb wasn’t meant to restrict Aomine.

It had another purpose entirely.

After all…

Did they really need tactics to contain Aomine?

Aomine sighed softly and muttered:

“Man… it’s scary having a strategist like that on the team.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept across every member of Kirisaki Daiichi.

“Haizaki… Nijimura… Murasakibara… the Terrorist… and… Miyamoto.”

The more names he listed, the more unbelievable it felt.

Kirisaki Daiichi already had an absurdly powerful lineup.

And now they had a strategist too.

This… this kind of team…

“…is just way too exciting!”

Aomine grinned widely as his fighting spirit flared up once again.

This is Daiki Aomine.

The stronger the enemy, the more excited he becomes.

And the more excited he becomes, the stronger he gets.

So—

The stronger the enemy, the stronger he becomes!

He grows stronger when facing the strong!

....

Chapter 204: A Shaken Daiki Aomine

Possession changes.

Tōō High has the ball.

The moment Shoichi Imayoshi received the pass from Kosuke Wakamatsu, Daiki Aomine immediately raised his hand.

“Imayoshi! Ball!”

Imayoshi glanced over, then passed the ball to Aomine.

After all, Aomine was their ace.

In fact, Imayoshi had already noticed something strange. The other players from Kirisaki Daiichi seemed to be deliberately leaving space for him and the others, almost as if they were intentionally giving them open shots.

This puzzled Imayoshi, because he had no idea that everything happening now was part of Miyamoto’s preparation for Aomine.

The goal was simple—make Aomine learn to pass, and learn to trust his teammates.

Right now, Aomine was far too selfish.

So selfish that it was as if his teammates didn’t even exist in his eyes.

After receiving the ball, Aomine pushed forward into the frontcourt.

This time, he didn’t immediately force an attack. Instead, he glanced around at the positions of the Kirisaki Daiichi players.

That single glance made him frown.

Because at this moment, every Kirisaki Daiichi player had deliberately left space for Tōō’s other players—including Kosuke Wakamatsu.

Atsushi Murasakibara had even given up the area under the basket entirely, standing in front of Wakamatsu as if to say: the paint is yours.

Aomine frowned.

Even though his teammates were in great positions, he still had no intention of passing.

But forcing a play now wasn’t going to be easy.

Setting aside whether he could break through Miyamoto, the help defense from the others alone would be enough to give him trouble.

Nijimura and the others were already collapsing toward him.

His offensive space had become painfully small.

After weighing his options, Aomine finally made his decision...

Shoot.

Without hesitation, Aomine jumped into the air, leaning backward as he flicked the basketball forward with his right hand.

Miyamoto looked at the scene speechlessly.

He truly hadn’t expected this.

Even now, he still wouldn’t pass.

What, is the ball welded to your hand?

While complaining internally, Miyamoto jumped as well. His left hand precisely tracked the ball and slapped it.

Aomine’s heart skipped a beat.

He got it!

He hadn’t expected that even such a sudden shot could still be reacted to by Miyamoto.

That level of reaction speed was honestly terrifying.

After being touched by Miyamoto, the ball veered off course.

It landed right in Shogo Haizaki’s hands.

Haizaki caught it and immediately passed it to Miyamoto.

He remembered very clearly—this possession belonged to Miyamoto.

Miyamoto didn’t launch a fast break after receiving the ball. Instead, he slowly dribbled toward the frontcourt.

His eyes locked onto Aomine.

“Aomine, tell me something.”

“Why don’t you want to pass?”

Aomine froze for a moment, then replied bluntly:

“What’s the point of passing? They can’t score.”

“Right now, the only one who can score… is me.”

Aside from his lack of confidence when facing Miyamoto one-on-one, Aomine’s confidence in everything else was overflowing.

After hearing that, Miyamoto finally understood.

There was only one reason Aomine refused to pass.

He didn’t trust his teammates.

Because he believed they couldn’t score, he kept the ball firmly in his own hands.

As long as he was strong enough to score, that was enough.

That logic wasn’t entirely wrong.

But…

What if you couldn’t score either?

On the court.

Miyamoto thought for about two and a half seconds before replying:

“I see.”

After saying that, he looked at Aomine again and asked coldly:

“Are you ready?”

Aomine paused.

He suddenly felt that Miyamoto had changed somehow.

More pressure.

More oppressive.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

Aomine nodded.

“Come on, Miyamoto!”

The next second—

Aomine suddenly saw Miyamoto jump for a shot.

He immediately jumped as well, preparing to block it.

But the moment he reached the air—

Miyamoto was gone.

Aomine’s eyes widened.

A fake?!

At the same time, he shouted:

“Help defense!!!”

Imayoshi and the others immediately rushed to rotate.

Wakamatsu even abandoned his favorable position to join the help defense.

But Miyamoto didn’t panic at all when facing two defenders.

Out of the corner of his eye, he scanned the court.

Then his right hand flicked.

The basketball flew outward.

Imayoshi’s expression changed.

A pass?!

Looking toward the perimeter, he saw Shogo Haizaki catch the incoming ball.

Haizaki smirked, crouched slightly, and raised the ball as if preparing to shoot.

Then he jumped.

“No way!”

Aomine, with Zone and Animal Instinct activated, rushed over at incredible speed to contest.

But Haizaki showed no panic.

Mid-air, he gave Aomine a mysterious grin.

Then—

He passed.

The ball flew once again, this time to Shuzo Nijimura standing near the baseline.

Nijimura caught the ball, lightly adjusted his footing, and released the shot.

“Ah… open shots really do feel nice.”

Because Aomine had already been baited into jumping by Haizaki, there was no way he could recover in time.

All he could do was watch as Nijimura knocked down the three-pointer.

After the ball went in, Nijimura casually added:

“Aomine, teammates matter.”

But judging from Aomine’s expression, it was obvious.

He hadn’t heard a single word.

...

Possession switches.

Aomine still controlled the ball, his eyes fixed solely on his opponents.

He repeatedly attacked—dribbling, breaking through, pulling up for shots.

But no matter what he tried, he simply couldn’t break through Miyamoto’s defense.

Most of his shots were blocked outright.

Even when Miyamoto occasionally let him get past, Nijimura and Haizaki would immediately collapse inside to help.

Sometimes even Dicky Anthony would join in for good measure.

Aomine found himself playing under enormous pressure.

On the other side, Kirisaki Daiichi was flowing smoothly.

When Miyamoto held the ball, he could attack or pass at will.

If Aomine gave him even a sliver of space, Miyamoto would release the ball with his almost absurd shooting speed.

If a teammate was open, Miyamoto would deliver a perfectly accurate pass straight to them.

You could say the entire Kirisaki Daiichi offense was flowing through Miyamoto’s ball movement.

Kirisaki Daiichi exploded offensively.

Meanwhile, Tōō fell into a scoring drought because Aomine simply couldn’t score.

With less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter,

the score had already reached 64–38.

Aomine looked at the ticking clock and the brutal scoreboard.

He fell into deep thought.

Did I… really do something wrong?

For the first time, doubt appeared in Aomine’s heart.

He wasn’t sure anymore whether he should pass the ball.

And the biggest reason for that hesitation…

went all the way back to his middle school days.

...

Chapter 205: The Gate Shrouded in Black Mist

Back in middle school, after Seijuro Akashi said the words, “If you want to attack, then steal the ball yourself,” Teikō gradually fell into a style of constant one-on-one play.

It was around that time that Daiki Aomine became extremely selfish with the ball.

After entering high school, that tendency only grew stronger.

Because his teammates weren’t strong enough.

If I pass the ball and they can’t score, then why should I pass?

That thought gradually took root in Aomine’s mind, and from then on, he stopped passing the ball.

On the court.

Aomine had finally reached a conclusion.

If even I can’t score, how could you possibly score?

Aomine closed his eyes and ultimately decided to keep playing solo.

Although Kirisaki Daiichi had been constantly moving the ball and playing as a team, Aomine understood something very clearly.

The reason Kirisaki Daiichi played so smoothly was because their players were strong.

They could score on their own, so their passing naturally flowed well.

But his teammates couldn’t.

Maybe they could handle other opponents, but against Kirisaki Daiichi…

Absolutely not.

“Beep! Tōō High requests a timeout!”

The referee blew the whistle, and both teams returned to their benches to rest and discuss tactics.

After stepping off the court, Shuzo Nijimura watched Aomine’s back and asked:

“Miyamoto, do you think that brat Aomine will understand?”

Miyamoto shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

To be honest, even he couldn’t guarantee anything now.

Aomine’s refusal to pass was even more extreme than in the original story.

In the original version, Aomine might still pass occasionally when cornered.

But now…

It was hard to say.

Miyamoto turned to look at Satsuki Momoi—his girlfriend and also the strategist of the team.

“Momoi, do you think Aomine will change?”

Momoi shook her head firmly.

“Aomine won’t pass.”

Nijimura frowned in confusion.

“Why? They’re already in a desperate situation. Aomine can’t even score right now.”

“And we even left his teammates open. He should pass, shouldn’t he?”

Momoi shook her head again.

“No.”

“Right now Aomine is probably trapped in a misunderstanding… no, more like a dead end.”

Haizaki looked puzzled.

A dead end?

“Miss Momoi, what dead end?”

Momoi continued explaining:

“Aomine’s habit right now is playing solo. In his mind, there’s probably a closed loop of thinking.”

“And that idea is…”

“If I can score, why should I pass?”

“And if I can’t score, then what makes you think you can?”

The moment those words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Yeah.

That was completely in line with Aomine’s personality right now.

If I can score myself, why should I pass?

And if even I can’t score, why would passing to someone weaker help?

Nijimura sighed helplessly.

“Looks like we’ve got a long way to go.”

“I seriously don’t know what’s gotten into that brat Aomine. He’s gotten this stubborn.”

Haizaki still had a question.

“Nijimura-senpai, Aomine is already that strong. Why are you all so determined to make him pass?”

Nijimura smiled mysteriously.

“Haizaki, remember this sentence carefully.”

“It’s important.”

Haizaki immediately straightened up and listened attentively.

Nijimura smiled and said:

“Basketball is a five-man sport.”

...

“Beep! Timeout over! Both teams back on the court!”

Both teams stood up and returned to the court.

This time, Aomine’s eyes looked even more determined.

It was obvious he had already convinced himself that his style of play wasn’t wrong.

Miyamoto smiled helplessly and asked:

“Aomine, still planning to play solo?”

Aomine nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, Miyamoto.”

“After all, I don’t think they can score against you guys anyway.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but every teammate behind him heard it clearly.

Kosuke Wakamatsu, unusually, didn’t rush forward to argue. He simply gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

Ryo Sakurai looked aggrieved, muttering quietly:

“Sorry, sorry, sorry…”

There was no helping it.

Even though Aomine’s words were blunt, they were the truth.

They simply couldn’t beat the other players of Kirisaki Daiichi.

Miyamoto took in the expressions of Tōō’s players.

With a sigh, he patted Aomine on the shoulder and asked:

“Tell me, Aomine.”

“Have you already stood before the second Gate?”

Aomine froze.

Then he asked in shock:

“Miyamoto… you know about the second Gate?”

“Does that mean you…”

Miyamoto smiled mysteriously.

“Find the gatekeeper.”

“Otherwise, you’ll never be able to push open the second Gate.”

After saying that, Miyamoto turned and walked away.

Aomine was left standing there, muttering to himself.

“Gatekeeper… gatekeeper… gatekeeper!”

“Where the hell is a gatekeeper supposed to be?!”

Just as Aomine was wondering how a gatekeeper could even exist, his vision suddenly went dark.

When his sight returned, he found himself standing in front of a solemn, towering Gate.

Aomine’s pupils shrank violently.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Because the place that originally had only one Gate…

now had two.

Two Gates.

One black.

One blue.

The black Gate was surrounded by thick, swirling black mist, completely hiding its true appearance.

Through the fog, you could barely make out the outline of a Gate.

And standing before that black mist…

was a person.

Or rather, a figure entirely made of mist.

The most terrifying part was above the figure’s head.

There was a massive cloud of mist.

And at the center of that mist, a faint red glow flickered—as if it could swallow everything whole.

However, Aomine had no idea what it was.

All he knew was that the moment he glanced at the black mist Gate, his legs began to lose control.

With great effort, Aomine forced himself to turn his head away so he wouldn’t look at it anymore.

After turning away, he began breathing heavily, cold sweat soaking through his back.

He hadn’t expected that simply standing in front of a Gate could make him break out in sweat like this.

After a while, Aomine finally felt control return to his body.

He couldn’t help muttering a curse.

“What the hell is that thing…?”

Taking several deep breaths, Aomine steadied himself and turned to look at the other Gate.

This Gate looked completely normal.

It was identical to the second Gate he had seen before.

The only difference was that this time, someone was standing in front of it as well.

A shadowy figure.

So indistinct that the only thing Aomine could clearly make out…

was the figure’s height.

And that height…

wasn’t tall.

...

Chapter 206: The “Brilliant Pass”

Daiki Aomine frowned. The figure in front of him felt strangely familiar, yet he couldn’t quite place who it was.

“Find… the gatekeeper?”

“Where the hell am I supposed to find one? Miyamoto, stop being such a damn riddler!”

Aomine complained helplessly.

But since he was already here… he might as well give it a try.

With that in mind, Aomine walked toward the second Gate. But just as he reached it and was about to push it open—

He was stopped.

The thin shadow stepped forward and blocked his path.

No matter what Aomine tried, the shadow refused to let him move even half a step closer.

After spending so much time around Miyamoto, Aomine had also picked up the habit of complaining.

“Damn it! What the hell is this thing?!”

Aomine was speechless.

Before, when there wasn’t any gatekeeper, he could at least touch the Gate.

Now that there was one, he couldn’t even get close!

“Miyamoto! You screwed me over!”

Aomine looked like he was about to cry.

Miyamoto, why the hell did you have to mention a gatekeeper?!

With no other choice, Aomine could only leave that place and return to the court.

When he opened his eyes again, the look he gave Miyamoto was filled with resentment.

Miyamoto suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Turning his head, he saw Aomine staring at him with a deeply aggrieved expression.

Miyamoto shivered.

Crap… Aomine isn’t about to switch teams on me, is he?!

...

The game continued, with Tōō in possession.

Aomine still controlled the ball alone, standing in front of Miyamoto with an unmistakably resentful expression.

Miyamoto swallowed and asked cautiously,

“Aomine… you’re not…”

Aomine cut in fiercely,

“Miyamoto Tokima…”

Before he could finish, Miyamoto quickly interrupted.

“Wait a second. Don’t call me by my full name right now—it sounds a little weird.”

Aomine froze for a moment, but went along with it. After all, he had something more important to ask.

“Why did you talk about a gatekeeper?”

“You didn’t have one?”

“I do!”

“Then that settles it. Go find that gatekeeper.”

“The problem is it only appeared after you said it! It wasn’t there before!”

...

For a moment, the air fell completely silent.

After a few seconds, Miyamoto asked uncertainly,

“There wasn’t one before?”

Aomine nodded and said through clenched teeth,

“There is now.”

Miyamoto gave an awkward laugh.

Who would’ve thought Aomine didn’t have a gatekeeper yet?

In the original story, Aomine had encountered the gatekeeper very early.

But now, even this late, there still hadn’t been one. That left Miyamoto somewhat puzzled.

“Whatever. That’s not important right now.”

“More importantly, your offensive time is almost up.”

Miyamoto waved his hand to remind him.

Only then did Aomine glance at the shot clock.

Eleven seconds remained.

So the usually carefree Aomine stopped thinking about the gatekeeper and prepared to attack.

Crack!

Aomine instantly activated Zone.

Then he unleashed Animal Instinct once more.

With both states active, Aomine once again reached his peak condition.

“Gotta admit, Aomine. Your stamina’s pretty impressive.”

Aomine replied immediately,

“Miyamoto, I haven’t skipped a single day of training.”

Now that Miyamoto had confirmed Aomine wasn’t… well, that, he stopped worrying about the way he was being addressed.

Instead, he focused completely on defense.

Aomine’s eyes sharpened.

The basketball shot forward from his hands as he burst toward the paint.

Miyamoto’s body emitted faint white light as he locked tightly onto Aomine, preventing him from entering the lane.

At the same time, Shuzo Nijimura and Shogo Haizaki collapsed toward the paint, ready to ambush Aomine at any moment.

Dicky Anthony stood near the arc, keeping an eye on the players along the sidelines.

Atsushi Murasakibara even gave up the best position in the paint, standing instead along the opposite side of the free-throw line.

His purpose was to help defend against Tōō’s other players.

Even so, with Dicky Anthony and Murasakibara guarding the interior rotations, Tōō’s other four players were completely open.

Wide open.

But Aomine acted as if he hadn’t seen them at all.

He stubbornly refused to pass, continuing to attack Miyamoto again and again.

Haizaki and Nijimura exchanged a glance and smiled.

Without hesitation, the two rushed forward.

The three of them completely trapped Aomine.

He couldn’t dribble anymore and was forced to pick up the ball to protect possession.

Aomine held the ball tightly with both hands, his back to the basket while scanning the three defenders with the corner of his eye.

Miyamoto and the others all wore faintly mischievous smiles, their eyes gleaming sharply.

“Miyamoto, that’s dirty!”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a one-on-one?!”

Haizaki spoke first.

“Hah. Aomine, basketball is a five-man sport.”

“If you want one-on-one, come challenge us at Kirisaki Daiichi after the game.”

“Right now, this is five-on-five.”

As he spoke, Haizaki reached out repeatedly to harass the ball, making sure Aomine didn’t dare loosen his grip.

Nijimura did the same, smiling as he interfered constantly.

“Aomine, now you understand that one man can’t beat everything, right?”

Aomine gritted his teeth, clutching the ball tightly.

Surrounded by three defenders, there was no way he could pass or shoot.

Meanwhile, the shot clock continued to tick down.

Kosuke Wakamatsu saw the time running out and realized this couldn’t continue.

He decisively ran to the free-throw line and shouted loudly:

“Aomine! Ball!”

Aomine naturally heard the shout.

But in his current situation, how could he possibly pass?

Suddenly, the pressure on his left side disappeared.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something.

Haizaki had deliberately shifted slightly, leaving a passing lane open.

For a moment, Aomine hesitated.

Should he shoot… or pass?

Four seconds remained.

Just as he was still hesitating, Wakamatsu’s furious yelling erupted again.

“Aomine, you idiot! Pass the damn ball already!”

Aomine gritted his teeth.

Fine! Whatever!

Based on the direction he had heard earlier, he flung the ball outward.

...

Are you serious?

Haizaki looked down awkwardly at the basketball that had slammed straight into his chest.

He fell silent.

Miyamoto glanced at him and gave a subtle signal.

Haizaki immediately understood.

Before Aomine could turn his head, Haizaki casually tossed the ball behind him.

The ball landed in Wakamatsu’s hands.

Wakamatsu caught it, confused.

For a moment, he also fell silent.

At that moment, Aomine turned around and saw the ball in Wakamatsu’s arms.

Damn it!

That idiot wasted my perfect pass!

Aomine roared furiously.

“Attack already, you moron!!!”

I finally pulled off such a stylish pass and you’re just standing there spacing out?!

Unforgivable!!!

 ...

Chapter 207: Contradiction

Kosuke Wakamatsu was completely confused, but there wasn’t much time for him to stay confused.

So he immediately turned and took the shot.

Don’t ask why he didn’t drive for a layup.

There wasn’t enough time.

That’s right… there simply wasn’t enough time.

Atsushi Murasakibara yawned as he watched Wakamatsu release the ball.

Then…

Clang.

The ball bounced off the rim and dropped right into Murasakibara’s hands—while he was still yawning.

Catching the unexpected ball, Murasakibara instinctively muttered,

“Huh? It didn’t go in?”

Seeing this, Daiki Aomine immediately shouted,

“Damn it! Wakamatsu! Are you an idiot?!!”

Wakamatsu shot back without hesitation,

“Aomine, shut up! That was a mistake!!”

Their heated argument left Miyamoto and the others momentarily unsure what to say.

Murasakibara walked over to Miyamoto with an innocent expression.

“Miyamoto-chin, I already let him shoot, but he just couldn’t make it.”

Miyamoto rubbed his forehead helplessly.

How should he put it…

He had already done everything he could.

But Aomine’s teammates…

Well… it was hard to describe.

Kirisaki Daiichi organized their final possession, and Miyamoto finished it with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

With that, the first half came to an end.

Both teams headed toward their locker rooms.

...

Off the court.

Riko Aida stared at the scoreboard, falling into deep self-doubt.

The score read: 79 to 38.

You could say that in the last few minutes, Tōō hadn’t scored a single point.

The player most likely to score…

had failed to do so.

Junpei Hyuga’s expression was grave as he said in a low voice,

“Tōō… is actually struggling this much.”

Shun Izuki’s face was just as serious.

“Even Aomine is being suppressed.”

Taiga Kagami clenched his fists tightly.

He couldn’t even defeat Aomine in his normal state.

So just how strong was Miyamoto, who could suppress Aomine even when he had both Zone and Animal Instinct activated?

Perhaps…

Suddenly, an excited smile appeared on Kagami’s face.

“This is getting interesting!”

The atmosphere at Shūtoku and Kaijō was equally tense.

But the most oppressive atmosphere belonged to Yōsen.

At that moment, the Yōsen players were all silent, creating an extremely strange tension.

Masako Araki gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Damn it! Where the hell did these guys come from?! Why is every single one of them like a monster?!”

“And you guys! Didn’t you all say you’d teach Kirisaki Daiichi a lesson? Why is everyone suddenly quiet?!”

The Yōsen players looked at each other.

None of them dared to boast anymore.

There was no helping it.

They really couldn’t beat them.

Masako Araki knew that too.

But she just couldn’t swallow her anger.

“Damn it! When we get back, everyone doubles their training!!!”

There was no other choice.

They could only train harder.

Play dirty?

They couldn’t win that way either.

...

On Tōō High’s side.

Aomine walked alone at the very back of the group, a towel covering his head so no one could see his expression.

Ryo Sakurai looked at him worriedly.

He wanted to say something, but in the end only managed to whisper,

“Sorry.”

There was nothing they could do.

The rest of Tōō simply couldn’t provide Aomine with any help.

Shoichi Imayoshi’s expression was also extremely serious.

Because he had figured something out.

He realized that Kirisaki Daiichi had deliberately left them open.

Their purpose was probably to force Aomine to pass the ball.

In fact, Imayoshi had already suspected it when Kirisaki Daiichi started leaving them open.

But after personally seeing Haizaki pass the ball to Wakamatsu, he became certain.

Kirisaki Daiichi…

was deliberately trying to make Aomine pass.

But what was their real goal?

Even now, Imayoshi still couldn’t figure it out.

Aomine walked at the back, adjusting his breathing as he moved.

As expected, the only person I can rely on is myself.

After seeing Wakamatsu miss that shot, Aomine’s determination to play solo only became stronger.

If you can’t score even when I pass to you, why should I pass?

Only by keeping the ball in my own hands…

can we win.

...

Back in the locker room, Katsunori Harasawa looked at the team and spoke.

“You all did your best in the first half. But the game isn’t over yet, so don’t give up.”

“I’ll arrange our strategy for the second half. Also, Aomine, you could try passing—”

Before he could finish, Aomine interrupted him in a low voice.

“Is that necessary?”

Harasawa narrowed his eyes.

“Hm?”

Aomine raised his head, his tone cold.

“Do I need to pass?”

“If I pass to you guys and you still can’t score, what’s the point of passing?”

“Can you beat Murasakibara? Can you beat Nijimura-senpai?”

“Or can you score against Haizaki and that terrorist?”

“Can you?!”

The last sentence was shouted.

Wakamatsu had a fiery temper and immediately exploded.

“Aomine, you bastard! What the hell are you saying?!”

As he spoke, Wakamatsu stood up and rushed toward Aomine.

Imayoshi quickly shouted,

“Stop it, Wakamatsu!”

But Wakamatsu didn’t listen at all.

He charged straight at Aomine and threw a punch at his face.

Aomine snorted coldly, grabbed Wakamatsu’s arm, and smoothly executed a shoulder throw.

Bang!

“Ugh…”

Wakamatsu groaned and lay on the floor, unable to get up for quite a while.

After all, landing flat on your back like that…

“Aomine!”

Imayoshi and Harasawa immediately rushed forward and grabbed Aomine to stop the situation from escalating further.

Aomine didn’t struggle and simply let them hold him.

“Coach, Imayoshi, I’m not impulsive.”

“You saw it yourselves. That was self-defense.”

Harasawa understood, but still warned him.

“Aomine, don’t cause trouble.”

Aomine waved his hand dismissively.

“I know, Coach.”

“But in the second half, I won’t pass.”

As he said this, Aomine slowly walked toward the locker room exit.

At the doorway, he turned his head slightly and said,

“If you want to run offense and play teamwork…”

“Then steal the ball yourselves.”

With that, Aomine walked out of the locker room, leaving the Tōō players standing there in silence.

...

On Kirisaki Daiichi’s side.

The group walked together toward their locker room.

Shuzo Nijimura walked beside Miyamoto and said,

“Miyamoto, are you still planning to let Murasakibara play in the second half?”

“Aomine is pretty strong right now. I’m worried Murasakibara might…”

Miyamoto smiled faintly.

“Nijimura-senpai… did you forget?”

“Only under pressure and in desperate situations…”

“can people awaken the power hidden within them.”

...

Chapter 208: Murasakibara's Turn

Shuzo Nijimura paused, his expression stiffening as he looked toward Miyamoto.

“You’re not thinking of…”

Miyamoto continued walking forward without stopping, a faint smile on his lips.

“Don’t you want to see Aomine and Little Murasakibara go head-to-head, Nijimura-senpai?”

Shuzo Nijimura thought about it for a moment.

…Yeah, he actually did.

“Alright then. Looks like Murasakibara’s about to feel some pressure.”

“But Miyamoto, should Haizaki and I still step in to support later?”

Miyamoto replied calmly,

“Of course. Aomine’s habit of playing solo hasn’t been fixed yet, after all.”

...

The break ended quickly.

Players from both teams gradually returned to the court.

Off the court, Junpei Hyuga watched the two teams walk in and said in a low voice,

“They’re coming.”

The rest of Seirin looked toward the court.

At that moment, the atmosphere within Tōō Academy was strangely tense. Ryo Sakurai kept repeating, “Sorry, sorry.”

Kosuke Wakamatsu glared at Daiki Aomine with obvious resentment.

There was no communication within the team at all. The air was heavy and oppressive.

In contrast, on Kirisaki Daiichi’s side—

Miyamoto walked at the front, leading the team onto the court, and the players behind him showed almost no signs of nervousness.

The difference between the two teams’ states was stark.

Miyamoto also noticed Tōō’s condition and frowned slightly.

They didn’t… start arguing, did they?

Both teams took the court again.

Daiki Aomine walked up to Miyamoto and asked,

“Miyamoto, who’s my opponent this time? Nijimura-senpai?”

His tone was full of excitement, completely different from the cold attitude he had shown during the argument in the locker room earlier.

Kosuke Wakamatsu clenched his fists when he saw this.

Shoichi Imayoshi placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice restrained.

“Calm down. This is a match.”

Kosuke Wakamatsu reluctantly loosened his fists.

Even if he couldn’t beat Aomine, it still pissed him off.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto told Aomine who his opponent for this quarter would be.

Atsushi Murasakibara.

Aomine tilted his head slightly and looked toward Murasakibara, who was standing under the basket in a daze.

“Still the same as always… lazy as hell.”

Miyamoto followed his gaze and smiled.

“He is a little lazy. But that’s exactly what makes Little Murasakibara who he is.”

Murasakibara seemed to notice Miyamoto looking at him and flashed him a smile.

It looked surprisingly cute.

Miyamoto smiled back, then turned to Aomine.

“Alright, Aomine. Get ready. Little Murasakibara might give you a surprise later.”

Aomine waved his hand casually.

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

...

“Beep! The third quarter begins! Players to the court!”

On Tōō’s side, nothing had really changed.

Since they had basically been running back and forth the entire first half without controlling the ball, their stamina hadn’t been drained much.

But Kirisaki Daiichi made a substitution.

Dicky Anthony was taken out.

Makoto Hanamiya stepped onto the court.

Hanamiya wore a dark smile as he adjusted his jersey before slowly walking forward.

On the court, Shintaro Midorima frowned and glanced toward Satsuki Momoi, who was sitting on the bench.

What exactly are you planning, Momoi?

...

On the court.

Shoichi Imayoshi also noticed the substitution, and his expression changed slightly.

Still, he walked forward and greeted him.

“Well, well. Long time no see, Hanamiya.”

Hanamiya grinned.

“It’s only been a few days, Imayoshi.”

Imayoshi froze for a moment, then continued smiling.

“Please take care of me.”

He even extended his hand, intending to shake Hanamiya’s.

Hanamiya glanced at the outstretched hand and sneered.

Smack!

A crisp slap rang out as Hanamiya slapped Imayoshi’s hand away and mocked,

“Take care of you? Not likely. You won’t even get the ball anyway. In your team, you’re nothing more than a useless accessory. Hahaha.”

Hanamiya laughed loudly as he walked toward the backcourt.

On the sidelines, Momoi stared at Imayoshi. When she saw his darkened expression and silence, she nodded slightly.

“Hanamiya did pretty well.”

On the court, Miyamoto smiled faintly to himself.

Hanamiya really is good at stirring up emotions.

The game resumed, with Tōō in possession.

Kosuke Wakamatsu inbounded the ball.

After receiving it from the referee, Wakamatsu’s first glance went to Aomine.

When he saw that Aomine wasn’t asking for the ball, he cursed inwardly.

Good. Even if you did ask, I wouldn’t pass it to you.

He then passed the ball to Imayoshi, who was ready to receive it.

Suddenly—

A shadow flashed across the court.

The ball was intercepted mid-air.

It was Daiki Aomine.

Wakamatsu immediately shouted,

“Aomine! What the hell are you doing?!”

Aomine caught the ball and dribbled as he replied coldly,

“I already said it. If you want to attack, go grab the ball yourself.”

With that, he charged toward the frontcourt.

Murasakibara knew this quarter was his turn.

So he decisively stepped out to the perimeter, preparing to defend Aomine.

As for Kirisaki Daiichi’s center this quarter…

It was Miyamoto.

Aomine quickly arrived in front of Murasakibara.

Looking at the tall purple-haired boy who still seemed somewhat absent-minded, Aomine asked,

“So… you’re the one playing this time?”

Murasakibara didn’t answer.

Instead, unlike his usual lazy demeanor, he lowered his stance seriously, clearly preparing to stop Aomine’s drive.

Aomine smiled slightly.

“You suddenly getting this serious… feels kinda weird.”

“But anyway… here I go.”

His eyes sharpened.

The basketball pounded rapidly against the floor as his body began swaying left and right.

This time, he didn’t enter the Zone.

He didn’t activate Animal Instinct either.

The reason was simple—saving stamina.

After all, in Aomine’s mind, Murasakibara simply couldn’t keep up with him.

Murasakibara kept shifting along with Aomine’s movements, his gaze fixed on the basketball in Aomine’s hands.

Finally—

After a quick feint that threw off Murasakibara’s balance, Aomine instantly accelerated, blowing past him and driving toward the paint.

Seeing this, Shuzo Nijimura muttered helplessly,

“That speed… Murasakibara’s really got it rough.”

As he spoke, Nijimura stepped forward to help defend.

Shogo Haizaki followed him as well.

The two formed the second defensive line against Aomine.

A second line that was just as solid…

...

Chapter 209: The Thor's Hammer!!

Daiki Aomine had clearly anticipated that the two of them would step up for help defense.

So the instant they moved in—before they had even fully set their positions—

CRACK!!!

The sound of lightning splitting the air echoed across the court, accompanied by the roar of a panther.

Shogo Haizaki’s expression immediately changed.

‘Damn!’

Shuzo Nijimura realized Aomine’s intention at the same moment.

He was planning to accelerate straight to the rim before the two of them could properly establish their defensive positions!

Sure enough—

The moment Aomine activated Zone and Animal Instinct, his speed multiplied several times over. In the blink of an eye, he blasted past them and charged straight inside.

Nijimura and Haizaki could only watch as Aomine entered the paint.

They had been careless!

Facing an unguarded rim, Aomine naturally showed no mercy.

He leapt high, raised the basketball with his right hand, and swung it down hard!

BOOM!!!

The rim let out a mournful groan, as if echoing Aomine’s mood.

After landing, Aomine let out a deep breath.

Damn it… all the frustration from the second quarter finally came out!

That felt amazing!!!

Aomine secretly reveled in the moment before quickly deactivating Zone and Animal Instinct.

Saving stamina was still the most important thing right now.

Although Tōō High was currently trailing by a large margin, Aomine showed no signs of panic.

Instead, he looked even more excited.

Desperate situations—

Those were exactly what Aomine loved!

After all, this was the strongest opponent he had faced in years. The thrill alone was enough to make his blood boil.

Nijimura scratched his head, glanced at Haizaki, and laughed.

“What happened there, Haizaki? How’d you let Aomine break through like that?”

Haizaki rolled his eyes and fired back,

“Didn’t Nijimura-senpai let him through too?”

Nijimura burst out laughing and slung an arm over Haizaki’s shoulder.

“That was an accident, an accident.”

As he spoke, Nijimura’s expression gradually became serious.

“But… didn’t you notice something?”

“That brat Aomine just got even faster.”

Haizaki nodded seriously.

“I noticed. So what are you getting at, Nijimura-senpai?”

A grin spread across Nijimura’s face.

“Aomine’s a panther, right?”

“Then let’s show him… what a shark and a wolf can do.”

Haizaki seemed to understand immediately and grinned.

“Sounds good…”

...

Kirisaki Daiichi’s possession.

Although Atsushi Murasakibara was the main offensive option this time, the responsibility for bringing the ball up and organizing the offense belonged to Makoto Hanamiya.

Miyamoto quickly took his position and matched up with Kosuke Wakamatsu.

The moment Wakamatsu realized Miyamoto was guarding him, his face instantly twisted like he had just swallowed something disgusting.

‘Damn it! Why is the [Magic Cube] playing center?! Is everyone at Kirisaki Daiichi this weird?!’

A shooting guard taller than a center.

A point guard built like a power forward.

And now that same point guard was playing center.

Meanwhile, the actual center had been moved to shooting guard.

Is this really how Kirisaki Daiichi runs their lineup?!

Why not just make the center play point guard too?!

Wait…

Isn’t the point guard already playing center right now?!

Wakamatsu looked around at the five players on Kirisaki Daiichi’s lineup.

Then he mentally shattered.

He… couldn’t beat a single one of them.

On the sidelines, Tōō High’s coach, Katsunori Harasawa, wore a very serious expression.

He looked at the players on the court, then glanced toward Kirisaki Daiichi’s bench and sighed inwardly.

Kirisaki Daiichi was truly terrifying.

Even their substitutes could easily be starters at elite schools.

Just how exactly did their coach convince all these players to come together?

Harasawa suddenly became extremely curious about Kirisaki Daiichi’s coach.

After all, there weren’t many people capable of keeping so many talented players under control.

Take himself for example—he couldn’t even manage a single Daiki Aomine.

Yet Kirisaki Daiichi’s coach managed to control an entire team full of monsters.

He must be some highly respected veteran coach.

...

On the court.

Hanamiya dribbled up to Shoichi Imayoshi.

Looking at his old schoolmate, he sneered.

“You look pretty miserable.”

“All that ability, yet you can’t even use it. Is that really your role on the team?”

“Oh right, I heard you’re the captain too.”

“Looks like you’re just like that guy from Kaijō—nothing more than a decorative accessory.”

“Honestly, someone who couldn’t even make the starting lineup in middle school… what could you possibly accomplish in high school?”

“Right, Imayoshi?”

Imayoshi visibly clenched his teeth.

But he quickly regained his composure.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he narrowed his eyes.

“Hanamiya, if you think that’s enough to provoke me, then you’re mistaken.”

“And when you speak, your micro-expressions are revealing your true thoughts.”

Hanamiya’s eyelid twitched slightly.

‘Psychology really is annoying.’

Since he had been called out, he stopped trash-talking.

With a flick of his right hand, Hanamiya passed the basketball toward the right side of the free-throw line.

It landed in Murasakibara’s hands.

Then he waited for Murasakibara to attack.

The moment Hanamiya shifted his attention elsewhere, Imayoshi’s fists immediately clenched and his expression darkened.

What “you can’t provoke me.”

What “micro-expressions.”

That was all bullshit.

He was absolutely furious right now.

The whole “micro-expression reading” thing was just an excuse.

In reality, Imayoshi hadn’t read anything at all.

Because when Hanamiya insulted people, his face didn’t change in the slightest.

He looked completely sincere.

It was so convincing that Imayoshi had nearly lost his composure on the spot.

Murasakibara caught the ball with his back to Aomine.

He slightly turned his head, observing the position of the basket, Aomine’s defense, and the other Tōō players.

While observing, Murasakibara noticed something strange.

None of the Tōō players seemed to have any intention of providing help defense.

Some of them were even looking at Aomine with resentment.

That person, of course, was Kosuke Wakamatsu.

That undisguised hostility didn’t escape Miyamoto and the others.

Watching Wakamatsu’s expression, Miyamoto thought to himself,

‘Looks like that break wasn’t peaceful after all.’

Hanamiya also noticed it.

After confirming that Wakamatsu’s gaze was filled with resentment and anger, a new plan immediately formed in his mind.

Provoking Imayoshi?

Who cares about that.

Wouldn’t provoking Wakamatsu—who was already on the verge of exploding—be far more interesting?

After finishing his observation, Murasakibara finally began his move.

He dribbled once and immediately started backing Aomine down.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Aomine braced himself firmly against Murasakibara.

But his body was still being pushed backward again and again.

Aomine’s expression twisted as he clenched his teeth tightly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Every time Murasakibara slammed into him, he had to take a deep breath and hold it.

Otherwise, he simply couldn’t withstand the force.

Even so, Murasakibara continued backing him down all the way into the paint.

And then—

Thor's Hammer!!!

BOOM!!!

...

(Disclaimer: Aomine currently plays as if he has no teammates, relying almost entirely on isolation even against multiple defenders. The goal here isn’t to weaken his individual ability, but to show that passing should also be an available option. At higher levels of basketball, refusing to pass makes a player predictable and easier to shut down. Basketball is ultimately a five-man sport, and teammates can also be used to reset or reorganize the offense rather than forcing every play alone.)

....

Chapter 210: And I Am the Strong One!

Atsushi Murasakibara scored with a [Thor’s Hammer].

Daiki Aomine stood near the sideline, repeatedly rubbing his chest with a pained expression.

“Damn it… when did his strength get this ridiculous?! What the hell has that guy been eating?!”

Even Aomine hadn’t expected Murasakibara’s power to become this outrageous.

The rest of Kirisaki Daiichi immediately turned to run back on defense.

Makoto Hanamiya, however, did not.

He stayed beside Kosuke Wakamatsu, a crooked smile on his face.

“Well, well… looks like our big man here got roughed up a bit.”

Wakamatsu was preparing to inbound the ball when he saw Hanamiya standing directly in front of him with his arms spread wide, clearly trying to intercept the pass—while continuing to provoke him.

“What’s wrong? Not passing?”

“Let me guess… trying to avoid Aomine?”

“Don’t bother. You can’t avoid him. After all, you were the one who just got beaten into that sorry state.”

Wakamatsu’s expression grew darker and darker with rage.

“Shut up!”

Hanamiya instantly knew he had guessed correctly.

So Aomine really did beat him up earlier.

Since he guessed right, he might as well pour fuel on the fire.

“Oh come on, it’s just a beating. Just beat him back.”

“Wait… don’t tell me… you can’t?”

Wakamatsu’s face flushed red with anger.

“You—!”

Before he could finish, Hanamiya cut him off.

“Oh? Getting mad now? Then why weren’t you mad when Aomine was beating you up?”

“Was it kindness?”

“Looks more like cowardice to me! Hahahaha!”

Wakamatsu completely lost control.

He hurled the basketball straight at Hanamiya.

Hanamiya naturally wouldn’t miss an opportunity like that.

He immediately caught the ball and hooked it toward the basket.

The ball went in.

The entire crowd was stunned.

“What’s going on with that Tōō player?”

“Did he just pass the ball to the opponent?”

“Wait… did he seriously give them the ball?! Is this some kind of act?!”

“What the hell just happened?!”

Seirin couldn’t hear what Hanamiya had been saying on the court due to the distance.

Taiga Kagami frowned.

“What just happened? Why did he pass it to the opponent?”

Junpei Hyuga shook his head.

“No idea.”

While Seirin was confused, Kaijō understood exactly what had happened.

After all, their captain had once been a victim.

“Damn it… Hanamiya’s at it again.”

Yukio Kasamatsu glared at Hanamiya viciously.

The rest of Kaijō looked equally serious.

They knew Hanamiya’s method well.

Trash talk.

Sure, most basketball players talked trash to some extent.

But someone like Hanamiya—who could insult people without changing expression and hit every nerve perfectly—was something else entirely.

While everyone was still discussing it, the situation on the court escalated again.

After scoring, Hanamiya continued rubbing salt in the wound.

“Oh wow, thank you.”

“You’re such a good guy. You even passed me the ball when I hadn’t scored yet.”

“That’s great. After the game, if you don’t come eat with us, we won’t even start the meal.”

“Thanks!”

Hanamiya spoke in a deliberately mocking tone, a dark smile on his face.

That was the final straw.

Wakamatsu completely exploded and charged forward.

“You bastard!!!”

Shoichi Imayoshi’s expression changed instantly.

“Wakamatsu!!!”

Imayoshi rushed forward and grabbed Wakamatsu around the waist to stop him from doing something reckless.

At that moment, the referee blew the whistle.

“Beep! Beep! Beep! What are you doing?!”

With the referee, coaches, and players intervening, Wakamatsu gradually calmed down.

However, he was also given a technical foul.

Kirisaki Daiichi received a free throw.

For the shot, Miyamoto had Hanamiya take it.

Hanamiya raised the ball and calmly sank the free throw.

After scoring, he looked at Wakamatsu again.

“Oh wow, another point.”

“Counting the one earlier that you assisted me with, that makes three.”

Then Hanamiya turned to Katsunori Harasawa and Shoichi Imayoshi.

“Oh right, remember to record my assistant’s stats.”

“His name’s Wakamatsu, right?”

“Make sure to give my assistant Wakamatsu two assists.”

“Don’t let your real star player feel unappreciated. Hahahahaha!”

With that, Hanamiya turned and ran back on defense under Wakamatsu’s furious glare.

Imayoshi immediately grabbed Wakamatsu’s arm.

“Calm down!”

Wakamatsu clenched his teeth so hard his jaw trembled.

His anger was barely contained.

“Imayoshi! Give me the ball!”

“Switch defense!!!”

Imayoshi’s pupils shrank in shock.

“Wakamatsu! Have you lost your mind?!”

Wakamatsu looked almost possessed, his voice dark.

“If Kirisaki Daiichi can do it, why can’t I?!”

“Idiot.”

A voice suddenly cut in.

Daiki Aomine.

He cursed first, then continued calmly.

“Do you think you have Miyamoto’s ability to play from point guard to center?”

“Or Murasakibara’s physical talent?”

“To put it nicely, you still need a lot more practice.”

“To put it bluntly… what ability do you even have?”

Wakamatsu had already been pushed to the edge by multiple blows throughout the day.

His voice came out hoarse with rage.

“Aomine!!”

Aomine shrugged indifferently.

“Only the weak get angry.”

“On the court, the ball does the talking.”

“It’s not about who shouts louder.”

“Remember this—if you want to attack…”

“Go take the ball yourself.”

After saying that, Aomine turned toward Yoshinori Susa.

“Susa-senpai, please take the inbound.”

“You’ve seen it too. Wakamatsu isn’t in a state to do it.”

Susa glanced toward the coach.

Seeing him nod, he stepped out of bounds to prepare the inbound.

Harasawa knew Wakamatsu had become a ticking time bomb.

But he had no choice.

If Wakamatsu was subbed out, the paint would become completely paper-thin.

It was already on the verge of collapsing—but not quite there yet.

However, if Wakamatsu left the court, the inside defense would shatter instantly.

So Harasawa could only try to calm him down.

...

After the conflict settled, the game resumed.

Susa inbounded the ball.

Aomine immediately stepped in front of him and extended his hand.

“Susa-senpai, you understand who’s running the game now, right?”

“You don’t want us handing this match away.”

“So give me the ball.”

Wakamatsu shouted angrily,

“Aomine! Didn’t you just say—if you want to—”

Before he could finish, Aomine cut him off.

“The strong don’t need to fight the weak for the ball.”

“Only the weak try to fight the strong for possession.”

“And I…”

“am the strong one.”

“You…”

“are not.”

...