Chapter 91: Breaking Through [Heaven]
Before Tetsuya Kuroko could even get into proper defensive position, Rakuzan’s small forward had already burst inside.
After blowing past Kuroko, the Rakuzan small forward pulled up sharply and rose into a jump shot, cleanly sinking the ball.
He was Rakuzan Middle School’s most reliable mid-range shooter—and their second-leading scorer.
Possession changed.
Miyamoto Tokima dribbled the ball across half court. Ripples spread outward from beneath his feet in layered waves, instantly enveloping the entire court.
Recognizing the familiar technique, the crowd erupted, unable to contain their excitement.
“It’s here! Tokima’s skill— the all-seeing [Eye of Truth]!”
“Every time I see that ability, it feels unreal!”
“Can Rakuzan really withstand Tokima’s offense?”
On the court, the ripples swept across all five Rakuzan players in an instant. A chilling sensation of being completely seen through spread through their bodies.
Reo Mibuchi’s pupils trembled slightly, his body shuddering against his will.
‘This… this must be what Kiyoshi was talking about…’
It was the first time Rakuzan had ever experienced something like this. Their bodies stiffened instinctively—because any movement at all would get them exposed.
That sensation alone was enough to make them hesitate.
As the five Rakuzan players froze, Daiki Aomine took a deep breath. A faint blue glow spread across his entire body.
Daiki Aomine entered his Animal Instinct.
With his intuition and speed skyrocketing, Aomine didn’t hesitate for even a second. He shot forward like a bolt of blue lightning, tearing straight into the paint.
Miyamoto Tokima noticed the movement instantly. With a flick of his right hand, the basketball became a streak of white light, arriving in Aomine’s hands in the blink of an eye.
Rakuzan’s center snapped out of it and rushed to stop him.
Expressionless, Aomine caught the ball, leapt high, and smashed it through the hoop over the center’s outstretched arms!
Bang!
Next possession.
As Rakuzan’s point guard prepared to pass, another ripple washed over him, causing his movement to stiffen for a split second.
Miyamoto Tokima had already read it. He burst forward and intercepted the pass cleanly.
The instant Tokima moved, Aomine moved as well—abandoning his defensive assignment and sprinting straight toward the frontcourt.
Just as Tokima was about to throw a long pass after the steal, Reo Mibuchi stepped in front of him.
Reo’s expression was fierce as he shouted, “Don’t even think about it!”
Tokima halted, turned his head—and after spotting someone, gave Reo a faint smile.
Under Reo’s puzzled gaze, Tokima passed the ball to the left.
Reo’s eyes followed the ball, only to realize there was no one there. His confusion deepened.
Then it hit him.
‘This is bad!’
Tetsuya Kuroko appeared out of nowhere. Left foot forward, right foot back, right hand drawn to his waist as he gathered power.
The ball flew toward him, and Kuroko thrust his right hand forward with force.
His palm collided with the ball, a deafening slap echoing across the court.
Slap!
The ball visibly deformed under the impact before rocketing downcourt like an arrow released from a bow.
Aomine didn’t even look back. With a sideways lift of his left hand, he caught the blazing-fast pass behind him.
One dribble—then he exploded upward, spinning into a full windmill motion midair before slamming the ball through the hoop.
Rakuzan’s point guard swallowed hard, staring wide-eyed as he muttered, “Th-this kind of pass… it’s terrifying…”
Rakuzan’s small forward stepped beside him, voice heavy.
“Isn’t the one who can casually catch a pass like that… even more terrifying?”
After landing, Aomine let out a deep breath and turned to get back on defense.
Possession changed again. This time, Rakuzan’s point guard chose not to pass. He forced a shot over Kuroko—but it clanged off the rim. Atsushi Murasakibara secured the rebound.
The moment the ball was controlled, Aomine once again took off downcourt at full speed. Rakuzan’s small forward and power forward chased after him desperately.
Watching Aomine sprint, Shuzo Nijimura muttered under his breath, “That idiot… does he seriously not care about his stamina at all?”
Aomine didn’t care what Nijimura thought. All that existed in his mind was the fast break.
Kuroko quickly snatched the ball from the still-dazed Murasakibara.
Murasakibara blinked as the ball disappeared from his hands.
“Huh?”
Cradling the ball with his left hand, Kuroko thrust it forward with his right, launching it straight downcourt.
Still without turning his head, Aomine took several long strides and leapt high, catching Kuroko’s pass midair and finishing with a powerful alley-oop dunk.
Bang!
After the basket, Aomine’s breathing grew visibly unsteady. Rakuzan’s small forward and power forward, who had just arrived, noticed immediately.
They relayed this to Reo Mibuchi, who finally realized something was wrong.
Aomine’s breathing had become rapid and uneven—clear signs of exhaustion.
His relentless fast-break style was already draining enough, and maintaining Animal Instinct only accelerated the stamina loss.
Just as Reo had expected, halfway through the second quarter, Aomine finally collapsed onto the floor, forcibly dropping out of his Animal Instinct.
Kōzō Shirogane reacted at once, substituting Shogo Haizaki in for Aomine.
The score stood at 58–49, Teikō leading by nine.
During those few minutes, however, Reo had managed to recover some of his stamina and was ready to strike.
Catching a pass from Rakuzan’s point guard, Reo faced Miyamoto Tokima’s defense without hesitation. He rose high into the air and released a shot using [Heaven].
Seeing this, a first-year Rakuzan substitute shouted excitedly, “Reo-senpai used [Heaven]! This one’s definitely going in!”
Tokima smirked slightly. He took a short step forward, drove off hard with his right foot, and seemed to take flight—swatting Reo’s [Heaven] cleanly out of the air.
Reo’s expression changed completely, disbelief written across his face.
‘H-how… is that even possible?!’
The first-year students’ excitement instantly froze, turning into panic as they muttered in shock.
“Reo-senpai’s [Heaven]… was broken…”
Author's Note
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