Chapter 218 - 221

Chapter 218: Murasakibara’s Awakening Plan

Shuzo Nijimura’s hand pressed down on Daiki Aomine’s basketball.

The two began struggling for control in midair.

The moment the clash started, Aomine realized something was wrong.

Nijimura’s strength was actually greater than his!

Of course, a large part of that was because Aomine’s stamina had already been pushed past its limit, and his strength was steadily fading.

“AAAH!!!”

Aomine roared as he thrust out his other hand, using both hands to force the ball down.

Nijimura wanted to use both hands as well, but he couldn’t. His rushed jump had left him in an awkward position in midair, making it impossible to defend with both hands.

“AAAH!!!”

Aomine roared again. Behind him, the Black Panther opened its jaws and bellowed.

In the end, Aomine forced the ball into the basket with both hands!

BOOM!!!

After landing, Nijimura’s mouth twitched.

“That brat… really doesn’t hold back.”

Thud.

The sound of something heavy hitting the floor rang out.

Nijimura quickly turned to look.

Aomine had collapsed onto the ground, his face filled with pain.

At the same time, he had exited both the Zone and Animal Instinct.

“Aomine!” ×...

Everyone shouted at once and rushed toward him.

Aomine struggled to get up, but failed.

He gave a bitter smile.

“So… my stamina finally ran out…”

Nijimura ran over and scolded him.

“You brat! Playing like that, of course you’d burn through your stamina! Look at you now—flat on the ground!”

Aomine smiled helplessly and didn’t argue.

Soon after, Katsunori Harasawa called a timeout.

Shoichi Imayoshi and Kosuke Wakamatsu helped lift Aomine up and carried him off the court.

During the timeout, Satsuki Momoi, standing on Kirisaki Daiichi’s side, glanced toward Tōō High’s bench.

Then she made a decision.

The timeout ended.

Both teams returned to the court.

This time, both sides had made changes.

Every player on the court had been replaced—five substitutions each.

Momoi could tell that Tōō High had effectively conceded the game, so she also sent in Kirisaki Daiichi’s bench players.

But could Tōō’s substitutes really compare with Kirisaki Daiichi’s?

The score gap kept widening until the final buzzer sounded.

“Beep! Game over!”

The referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match.

Aomine sat on the bench with a towel covering his head, completely motionless, like a statue.

The Kirisaki Daiichi players didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they walked over to Tōō’s side.

Imayoshi and the others looked up in confusion.

Hanamiya looked at Imayoshi and smiled.

“Nice game, Imayoshi.”

As he spoke, he extended his hand.

Imayoshi paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and smiled before shaking it.

“That’s not what you were saying on the court earlier.”

Hanamiya looked at him with disdain.

“What are you, a masochist?”

Miyamoto walked over to Aomine with Murasakibara and the others.

“Daiki.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Aomine slowly lifted his head.

He… was crying.

“M-Miyamoto… I lost again…”

Years of effort.

Day after day of training.

All for the sake of defeating the person standing in front of him.

But reality was cruel.

He had lost.

And he had lost completely.

Miyamoto smiled and said calmly,

“Daiki, don’t be so depressed. It’s not like you’ve ever beaten me anyway.”

...

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Momoi covered her face, completely speechless.

Who comforts someone like that?!

Yet somehow, Aomine really did seem to feel better.

He paused for a moment, then started laughing through his tears.

“Yeah… I’ve never beaten you.”

“But next time, I’ll definitely win!”

As he said this, Aomine’s eyes became incredibly determined.

Seeing that, Miyamoto no longer worried. He patted Aomine on the shoulder and smiled.

“I’ll be waiting.”

He then looked around at everyone present and said,

“Alright everyone, the game’s over. Let’s go grab something to eat together.”

The Tōō players exchanged glances with each other.

In the end, Imayoshi spoke up.

“An invitation from the ‘Magic Cube’? Of course we won’t refuse.”

Miyamoto took both teams out for a meal, and afterward everyone went their separate ways.

With that, the qualifiers officially ended.

What awaited Kirisaki Daiichi next was the upcoming Summer Cup.

However, before the Summer Cup began, Miyamoto planned to help Murasakibara grow stronger.

Earlier, Miyamoto had already discovered something.

Murasakibara had already pushed the “Gate” open slightly.

Based on the original story, if Murasakibara were given an evenly matched opponent, the chances of him entering the Zone would increase dramatically.

And Miyamoto had already found the perfect opponent.

Jason Silver.

However, Miyamoto had no intention of letting Murasakibara know that Jason Silver was brought in specifically to help him enter the Zone.

Instead, he planned to set up a situation.

The day after the qualifiers ended.

Miyamoto arrived at the school basketball club and announced something to everyone.

“Since everyone worked so hard to make it to the Summer Cup, I’ve decided to take the whole team abroad for a little vacation!”

The moment he said that, the Kirisaki Daiichi players erupted in celebration.

After all, it meant going out to have fun.

Murasakibara wasn’t interested at first.

But when he heard Miyamoto’s next sentence, his interest instantly shot up.

“All expenses during the trip will be covered by me—including food!”

Murasakibara’s eyes lit up as he shouted happily,

“I love you, Miyamoto!”

Seeing that the effect had been achieved, Miyamoto continued,

“Unfortunately, something came up at home, so I won’t be able to go with everyone. This time, Nijimura-senpai will lead the team.”

Miyamoto had already discussed his plan privately with Nijimura and Dicky Anthony, so he wasn’t worried about them exposing it.

The Kirisaki Daiichi players didn’t suspect anything.

After all, Miyamoto’s family really was extremely powerful. It was normal for him to have family matters to deal with.

And just like that, the plan was settled.

The next day, Nijimura would take everyone to the United States.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto boarded a flight to the United States that very same day.

There were two reasons.

First, he wanted to check on the Black Dragon team and explain his plan to them.

Second…

His parents were preparing to come to Japan.

So Miyamoto also planned to go pick them up.

After landing, Miyamoto first went home to see his parents. After briefly explaining things, he immediately rushed to the Black Dragon team.

When he arrived at their gym, Miyamoto slowly walked inside.

The sound of basketballs pounding against the floor and loud shouts echoed through the gym.

Clearly, intense training was underway.

..........

Chapter 219: Me! Makoto Hanamiya! The Number One Trash Talker!

“Fuck! Jason! What’s with that soft-ass strength?! Did you jerk off all night or something?!”

“Nash! What kind of pass was that?! My grandma passes better than you!”

“And you, Nick! How many times have I told you?! Simple! Keep it simple! What’s the point of dribbling forever?!”

“Zack! The hell are you doing playing streetball again? Travel! That’s a travel!”

“And Allen! What the hell are you doing?! How many times have I told you?! No touching my ass on the basketball court!!”

The moment Miyamoto walked through the door, he heard trainer Victor’s furious roar.

It was truly earth-shaking.

Inside the Miyamoto family gym.

Jason Silver was currently locked in hand-to-hand combat with two burly men wearing full protective gear.

Don’t get the wrong idea.

They were fighting… not that.

Meanwhile, Nash Gold Jr. was practicing passing on the move, aiming at a small hole in the distance.

That hole was almost the exact same size as a basketball.

Nick and Zack were training together, with an assistant coach beside each of them using a long pole to interfere with their movements.

Allen, on the other hand, was doing one-on-one training with Victor.

But for some reason, every time Allen scored, he would slap Victor’s butt.

And sometimes it wasn’t just a slap.

He would even grab it!

Victor was absolutely furious.

More than once, he had suspected Allen might be gay.

But Allen’s three girlfriends clearly suggested his orientation was perfectly normal.

That contradiction only made Victor even more annoyed.

As soon as Miyamoto entered the gym, the others noticed him.

“Miyamoto!!!”

Allen was the first to shout, immediately charging over to give him a big hug.

After hearing about Allen grabbing butts, Miyamoto naturally had no intention of letting him get close.

“Jason! Stop him!”

Jason Silver, who had still been sparring, immediately turned his head when he heard the familiar voice.

The moment he saw Miyamoto, he didn’t hesitate.

Animal Instinct and Zone activated simultaneously.

A violent, bloodthirsty aura burst out of him as he charged forward like a top predator.

In an instant, he appeared in front of Allen and blocked him.

After stopping Allen, Jason Silver immediately exited both Zone and Animal Instinct.

Yes.

Jason Silver could activate Animal Instinct even while in the Zone.

Once the crisis was over, Miyamoto finally took a good look at Jason Silver.

His muscles were incredibly well developed.

Compared to the original story, Jason Silver’s physique now looked even more powerful, overflowing with raw strength.

Nash Gold Jr. also set down the basketball in his hands and walked over.

“Miyamoto, you’re back?”

Miyamoto turned his head and looked at Nash Gold Jr.

Nash was smiling, his golden hair giving him a slightly wild and arrogant aura.

His eyes carried a strange charm, as if they could easily draw people in.

But it had no effect on Miyamoto.

The others also ran over to greet him.

“Miyamoto! You’re back?”

Zack asked with a grin.

Miyamoto smiled and chatted with them for a while.

During the conversation, he also explained his plan.

Nash Gold Jr. naturally didn’t refuse Miyamoto’s request and agreed immediately.

Seeing that, Miyamoto nodded and didn’t stay any longer.

He turned and went home.

Because there were still some things to take care of.

Meanwhile, the Black Dragon Team began discussing the plan for the next day.

...

The next day.

The Kirisaki Daiichi players in Japan boarded a plane and flew to the United States for their trip.

After arriving, they first went to eat, then prepared to head to an amusement park.

On the way, Nijimura spoke.

“You guys go ahead. My stomach’s acting up—I need to use the restroom.”

After saying that, Nijimura gave Dicky Anthony a meaningful glance.

Dicky Anthony immediately said in broken Japanese,

“I… also go… bathroom.”

Then the two left the group and hurried toward the restroom.

The Kirisaki Daiichi players didn’t think much of it.

After all, nature calls.

Once the two left, the others continued chatting.

“This is my first time going to an amusement park in the United States. I’m actually kind of excited.”

Haizaki looked around, clearly in a great mood.

Hanamiya also smiled like a cheerful young man.

“I’ve gotta say, the girls here are really—”

“Ugh. This tastes awful.” Ptooey.

Before he could finish, Murasakibara’s voice interrupted him.

He was eating an American ice pop.

But the flavor clearly didn’t suit his taste.

Thud.

Murasakibara suddenly bumped into someone.

Out of politeness, he immediately said,

“Sorry.”

But the person he bumped into replied with a string of words he couldn’t understand.

“*&^%$#”

Murasakibara turned his head in confusion.

Standing there was a heavily muscular black man.

He had white hair, sunglasses over his eyes, and a look of disdain on his face.

He was even a head taller than Murasakibara.

This person was Jason Silver.

Beside him stood four others.

Nash Gold Jr. and the rest.

Nash stepped forward and spoke in Japanese.

“Japanese?”

Haizaki looked surprised.

“Huh? You speak Japanese?”

Nash gave a disdainful smile.

“Is it difficult?”

Haizaki clearly sensed the contempt in Nash’s tone, and his expression changed slightly.

“What… do you want?”

The moment Haizaki finished speaking, Jason Silver began rattling off a long string of English.

Out of everyone present, only Hanamiya understood him.

Hanamiya’s face darkened.

He immediately responded in English.

“Are you introducing yourself?”

Jason Silver froze.

Because what he had just said was full of extremely dirty insults.

For a moment, Jason Silver actually laughed out of anger.

He immediately fired back in English.

Hanamiya responded without hesitation.

The two argued more and more fiercely, their insults becoming harsher with every exchange.

By the end, Jason Silver’s face was practically red with rage.

Meanwhile, Hanamiya looked completely fine.

Nash Gold Jr. and the others were stunned.

Damn it.

Miyamoto never said there was a professional trash talker on his team.

Seeing things getting out of hand, Nash quickly stepped in.

“Stop arguing!”

Jason Silver immediately shut his mouth.

But Hanamiya didn’t.

He kept going.

Still firing.

Still firing.

Jason Silver clenched his fists, barely suppressing his anger.

Nash Gold Jr. was starting to get annoyed as well.

His expression darkened.

“Friend, have you had enough?”

Hanamiya knew it was about time to stop.

But before ending it, he added one final line.

“Keep your dog on a leash.”

That single sentence almost made Jason Silver charge at him on the spot.

Zack had a listening device on him.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto, who was listening in from the side, couldn’t help twitching his lips.

This Hanamiya…

He really was the number one trash talker.

...

Chapter 220: Provocation!

Jason Silver was already furious when he heard Makoto Hanamiya mutter another insult under his breath, calling him a dog again.

Beating him up was obviously out of the question—after all, Hanamiya was Miyamoto’s teammate.

But on the basketball court?

If he crushed him there, there would be nothing Hanamiya could do about it.

So Jason Silver chose not to say anything further and simply waited for Nash Gold Jr. to act.

A strange smile appeared on Nash’s face.

“Friends, you seem to be basketball players.”

“If that’s the case, why not settle our conflict on the court?”

Makoto Hanamiya didn’t agree immediately.

Something about this felt suspicious.

Then Nash added,

“Or… are you scared?”

Those words were directed straight at Atsushi Murasakibara.

Murasakibara immediately got annoyed.

“You’re the one who’s scared!”

For someone like Murasakibara, childish provocation was often surprisingly effective.

Seeing that it worked, Nash immediately continued,

“There’s a street court nearby. Let’s play there.”

“Oh, and a game without stakes would be boring.”

Hanamiya narrowed his eyes.

Just as I thought. They’re up to something.

Nash deliberately added fuel to the fire.

“If we lose, we’ll kneel down and apologize to you.”

“But if you lose…”

“Then you’ll call yourselves clowns and apologize to us.”

The moment he finished speaking, the people behind Nash burst out laughing.

It was obvious they didn’t take Kirisaki Daiichi seriously at all.

This time, even Hanamiya felt a surge of anger—not just Murasakibara.

“Let’s go.”

Nash gave a wicked smile and turned, preparing to lead everyone to the nearby court.

“Wait!”

Hanamiya suddenly shouted, stopping them.

He wasn’t about to be led around by Nash.

Even though they had Murasakibara, the other side clearly didn’t look like ordinary opponents.

So Hanamiya decided to wait for Nijimura and Dicky Anthony before making any decisions.

After all, Nijimura was the one leading the group.

“Yo, what’s going on here?”

Nijimura’s voice suddenly came from ahead.

Everyone turned and saw Nijimura and Dicky Anthony walking toward them.

Hanamiya immediately said,

“This is our leader. If you have something to say, talk to him.”

Nash smiled and nodded.

Then, where no one else could see, he gave Nijimura a subtle look.

Nijimura instantly understood.

He walked up to Hanamiya and asked,

“What happened, Hanamiya? Who are these guys?”

After Hanamiya briefly explained the situation, Nijimura put on a serious expression and turned to Nash.

“Are you guys looking for trouble?”

Nash replied in Japanese,

“So you’re the leader of this bunch of clowns? You look… pretty weak.”

“Since you’re here now, let’s go. See you on the court.”

“One quarter will be enough.”

After saying that, Nash turned and walked toward the basketball court.

Kentaro Seto walked up to Nijimura.

“Nijimura… are we really going?”

Before Nijimura could answer, Haizaki spoke first, his face dark.

“These bastards are already stepping all over us. Are we just supposed to let it slide?”

“Don’t forget what we represent.”

Seto fell silent.

Nijimura quietly gave Haizaki a mental thumbs-up.

Nice assist.

...

On the basketball court.

The court had already been cleared by Nash.

The people who had been playing there were now standing around the edges, watching as spectators.

The reason everything had been arranged so smoothly was simple.

All of them had been set up by Miyamoto.

The purpose?

Mockery.

Mockery.

And more mockery.

The pressure had to be pushed to the absolute limit.

Only then could Murasakibara grow under that pressure.

The moment Nijimura and the others stepped onto the court, the crowd immediately started shouting insults.

“Boo! Where did these clowns come from? Get lost! You’re not welcome here!”

“Hahaha! You actually think you can challenge Nash and his crew? Did you grow up dreaming?”

“Hey look at that tall guy! Jason’s gonna beat him so badly he won’t even recognize himself!”

The wave of ridicule instantly filled the Kirisaki Daiichi players with anger.

Even Hanamiya, who was usually calm, suddenly had the urge to punch someone.

Nash stood on the court, casually spinning a basketball in his hand.

When he saw them arrive, he smiled with obvious contempt.

“Well, you finally made it. We’ve been waiting.”

Nijimura’s face was cold.

“Let’s start.”

Nash waved his hand casually.

“Okay, okay.”

Both teams quickly changed clothes on the spot and prepared to start the game.

Yes.

Neither side warmed up.

Because their blood was already boiling.

While changing, Hanamiya and the others were still being mocked by the surrounding crowd.

Haizaki got furious and started arguing with them.

But there were simply too many people.

Even he couldn’t out-talk them all.

Seeing this, Hanamiya stopped him.

“The other side are probably some of the best players in the local streetball scene.”

“Be careful.”

“And you can’t out-trash-talk them alone. Even I might not be able to.”

There were simply too many people.

Hanamiya was confident he could win a one-on-one exchange.

But one against ten… or a hundred?

That was a different story.

And if the arguing kept escalating, it might even turn into…

Haizaki clenched his teeth and nodded.

As for the referee, Nijimura randomly picked the quietest spectator nearby.

That person turned out to be a professional referee.

Black Dragon Team lineup:

Center — Jason Silver
Power Forward — Zack
Small Forward — Allen
Shooting Guard — Nick
Point Guard — Nash Gold Jr.

Kirisaki Daiichi lineup:

Center — Atsushi Murasakibara
Power Forward — Shuzo Nijimura
Small Forward — Shogo Haizaki
Shooting Guard — Dicky Anthony
Point Guard — Makoto Hanamiya

After changing clothes, both teams stepped onto the court and took their positions.

They were ready for the jump ball.

As he stood at center court, Jason Silver finally took a closer look at the person he was supposed to deal with.

Atsushi Murasakibara.

Murasakibara gave him only one impression.

Slow.

Where did Tokima-san find someone this… pure?

While Jason was still thinking, the referee walked over with the ball.

Then he tossed it into the air.

Murasakibara and Jason jumped at the same time.

Smack!!!

...............

...

Chapter 221: Animal Instinct? You Mean This?

Jason Silver slapped the ball away at a height nearly a forearm higher than Atsushi Murasakibara.

Shogo Haizaki stared in shock and blurted out,

“Murasakibara actually lost the jump ball?!”

Makoto Hanamiya’s expression grew even more serious, a bad feeling creeping into his mind.

Murasakibara’s pupils shrank as disbelief filled his face.

Clearly, even he couldn’t believe it himself.

As for Shuzo Nijimura and Dicky Anthony…

No reaction.

They even looked a little pleased.

The ball landed in Nash Gold Jr.’s hands. Instead of pushing a fast break, he waited calmly for his teammates to set up.

More precisely, he was waiting for Jason Silver to get into position.

“Friend, are you the captain? Planning to pass on the first possession?”

“Is your captain just another decorative piece on the team?”

“Or are you here to support that big guy?”

Just as Nash prepared to pass, Hanamiya’s mocking voice rang out.

Nash paused and looked at Hanamiya, who was standing in front of him and relentlessly talking trash.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Interesting. But that kind of provocation won’t work on me.”

With that, Nash passed the ball to Jason Silver, who had already established position.

In truth, every member of the Black Dragon Team had a high tolerance for pressure.

After all, they were constantly being yelled at by Victor during training.

Trash talk had long stopped affecting them.

Except for Jason Silver.

That guy was like a cat from Schrödinger’s box.

Sometimes he had absurdly high tolerance for trash talk.

Other times he instantly turned into a raging maniac.

Sometimes he would even start arguing alongside Victor.

Other times he would just grin while Victor insulted him.

Even Nash couldn’t quite figure him out.

On the court.

Jason Silver caught the ball with one hand, grinning as he stood with his back to the basket.

Behind him was Murasakibara.

At this moment, Murasakibara’s face looked strained.

His arms were locked across his chest as he desperately held his ground against Jason.

Jason continued applying pressure while speaking.

“What’s wrong, kid? Using all your strength just to hold me off?”

Zack couldn’t help reminding him,

“Silver, they can’t understand what you’re saying.”

Jason shrugged.

“Who cares? I’m just saying it for my own satisfaction.”

Then he suddenly exerted force and backed down.

Boom!

A tremendous force erupted, instantly knocking Murasakibara back a step.

Jason seized the opportunity, spun around, and slammed the ball into the basket with a powerful two-handed dunk.

Boom!

After the dunk, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.

At the same time, some people started yelling insults at Kirisaki Daiichi.

“Hahaha! Told you they couldn’t handle him! Just go home already!”

“They actually thought they could challenge Silver? That’s hilarious!”

The other Kirisaki Daiichi players on the court didn’t even pay attention to the crowd.

Because they were stunned themselves.

None of them expected Murasakibara to be pushed back like that.

Murasakibara’s expression also changed.

He looked… angry.

“I’ll crush you!”

Nijimura and Dicky Anthony exchanged a smile.

Perfect.

It worked.

Possession changed.

After dribbling past half court, Hanamiya immediately passed the ball to Murasakibara.

“Kid, looks like you’re just a decorative piece on your team.”

Nash said with a smile.

Hanamiya didn’t react much.

Instead, he admitted it openly.

“That’s right. I am a decorative piece.”

Hanamiya expected Nash to freeze for a moment like most people did.

But to his surprise, Nash showed a look of appreciation.

“Seems you do have some self-awareness. You’re weak, but at least you understand your place. I’ll give you that.”

Hanamiya turned his head angrily.

“You—!”

Nash simply smiled without speaking, quietly watching him.

But that silent gaze made Hanamiya feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Cold.

Terrifyingly cold.

Hanamiya’s heart trembled.

Who the hell is this guy?

Meanwhile.

Murasakibara held the ball with his back to the basket, struggling.

Jason Silver laughed arrogantly.

“Hey Nash, translate for me!”

Nash sighed helplessly.

“What a hassle.”

Jason laughed loudly.

“Kid, come try backing me down!”

Nash translated it for him.

Hearing that, Murasakibara grew even angrier and actually began backing him down.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He couldn’t move him.

“Hahahahaha! Kid, didn’t you eat today?”

Jason’s arrogant laughter echoed in Murasakibara’s ears.

Murasakibara couldn’t understand English.

But he understood the laughter.

It was mocking him.

Instantly, his anger exploded.

“Ah! I’ll crush you!”

Murasakibara’s expression turned ferocious, and his aura changed dramatically.

The atmosphere around him became chaotic and violent.

It felt dangerous.

Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared behind him.

A giant bear.

Everyone expected Jason and the others to be shocked.

But instead…

They showed no reaction at all.

Jason’s grin only grew wider.

Hanamiya turned toward Nash and saw that strange smile still on his face.

He asked,

“Aren’t you surprised?”

Nash looked back at him.

“Surprised? You mean that state the purple-haired guy activated?”

Hanamiya’s expression changed.

“You’ve seen it before?”

Nash smiled mysteriously.

“You mean this?”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted.

A shadow suddenly appeared behind him.

But it vanished the moment it appeared.

Only Hanamiya, who was closest to him, sensed it.

No one else noticed.

This time, Hanamiya was the one shocked.

Even though the shadow hadn’t fully formed, the pressure it carried was overwhelming.

But Hanamiya quickly regained his composure.

His expression returned to calm.

Seeing this, Nash became slightly curious.

“You calmed down pretty quickly. Interesting.”

Hanamiya sneered, recalling the black mist he once saw in middle school.

“I’ve seen Animal Instinct far stronger than yours.”

Nash smiled strangely.

“What a coincidence.”

“I’ve seen it too.”

..........