Next came Rakuzan High. As last year's Okayama Five stepped onto the court one by one, the roar of the crowd swelled like a tidal wave, threatening to drown the arena. And then, at last, the announcer's voice reached the final name.
"Number 4…!"
"Hagioka Kasayuki!"
The moment Hagioka's towering figure strode onto the court, the air froze—only to erupt the next instant in a cheer even greater than what Akihito Shigure had received.
"Hagioka!"
"Hagioka!"
"Hagioka!"
For once, Shigure and his teammates felt the rare weight of being on the weaker side of the crowd's cheers.
On the court, both teams—Rakuzan and Kaijō—lined up neatly at midcourt.
Fate's rematch was about to begin.
All eyes in the arena were locked onto these two teams.
Hagioka glanced briefly at Shigure, then turned his gaze to Nijimura Shuzo. As captain, he stepped forward first, hand extended.
"As I thought," Hagioka said quietly, "Kaijō's captain is still you."
"Yeah." Nijimura clasped his hand firmly. "Let's give it everything."
"Let's give it everything."
Beside them, Rakuzan's point guard, Todachi Kaoru, narrowed his eyes. Whenever someone mentioned the word "captain" from Teikō's generation, this was the man who came to mind—Nijimura Shuzo. Even here, he remained the most troublesome opponent.
Just like Hagioka…
A first-year.
Already the captain of a powerhouse high school team, even with Akihito Shigure on the roster.
Remarkable. That kind of calm authority meant one thing: they couldn't afford to focus all their attention solely on Shigure.
The announcer's voice rang out again.
"The match between Rakuzan High and Kaijō High… officially begins!"
As the words echoed through the venue, the stands erupted in thunderous cheers.
Rakuzan.
Kaijō.
The two most dominant high school basketball teams the nation had ever seen.
Stronger, far stronger, than any generation before them.
The air trembled with anticipation.
At center court, no surprise, the two jumpers were Akihito Shigure and Hagioka Kasayuki. The moment their eyes met, sparks seemed to ignite. The ball hadn't even been tossed yet, and already the atmosphere was taut, swords drawn, bows bent.
Tweet!
The referee's whistle blew.
Shigure and Hagioka launched into the air.
At that instant
Shigure: Wild Mammoth, ablaze with primal fire!
Hagioka: Fierce as fire, unyielding as the mountain!
In the blink of an eye, the two soared skyward like rockets igniting, their jump far surpassing an ordinary tip-off.
Boom!
Their raw power collided in midair.
One side saw a hellish mammoth wreathed in black flames.
The other saw mountains cloaked in fire, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Both felt it: the crushing force of the other, bearing down like a storm.
Shigure's eyes narrowed.
This guy… he's already reached this level?
Not surprising at all.
Instead, his focus deepened, his spirit plunging fully into the Zone. With the power of the Blazing Man amplifying him, his energy surged explosively. Lightning flashed in his gaze—and Hagioka's motion stuttered under the sudden surge.
"…Zone," Hagioka muttered.
To control it with such precision… incredible.
But if that's how you want to play—then see how I answer!
Hiss!
Hagioka's brow furrowed as he pressed down on the ball. Flames roared higher, spreading across the mountains in his vision. The weight of the mountain bore down stronger, fiercer.
"Wildfire on the Mountain!"
In that instant, they became the eye of a storm. Winds howled, black and crimson flames spiraling outward, making every player around them feel the shock of their clash.
Fukasaya Reiji muttered under his breath.
Kurokami Shinji's eyes widened.
This momentum… it's leagues beyond what they showed in junior high.
Are these really high schoolers?
And that height—someone can actually challenge Shigure in the air?!
In a flash, the entire gymnasium—Miracle Generation included—sat stunned. None had expected both aces to unleash such terrifying abilities right from the opening tip.
And their teammates knew even more clearly…
That single clash had already forced them to reveal half their strength.
But it wasn't over.
The next instant
Hagioka bore down with mountain-crushing weight, but as arcs of lightning flickered in Shigure's eyes, every Rakuzan player froze.
Bang!
Hagioka pressed the ball forward at the same time as Shigure, their bodies straining in midair. But in the blink of an eye, another hand—Shigure's other hand—snapped down with overwhelming force.
Lightning flashed, fire roared, the mammoth bellowed. Black flames engulfed the mountain.
To Rakuzan's shock, the one who faltered first was not Shigure, but Hagioka—the wildfire mountain dimming, as if smothered.
The ball shifted under their struggle, squeezed out of balance, and in that moment momentum swung hard in Kaijō's favor.
Slap!
Shigure pushed the ball past Hagioka's hand, sending it flying toward Nijimura.
Step—step—step!
Hagioka landed hard, his body driven back several steps by Shigure's raw power.
For one stunned heartbeat, the arena fell silent.
And then
Shigure's eyes narrowed.
Because he noticed something.
Hagioka, retreating under his force, used that very momentum to his advantage. As his feet skidded back, golden arcs of electricity lit beneath them.
And then, with a sudden pivot, Hagioka burst toward Rakuzan's backcourt.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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