A player who could shoot from anywhere on the court—just how much defensive pressure did that bring?
The moment Fukui Kensuke realized this, he was crushed beneath the sheer weight of it.
On the other side, watching that terrifying arc leave Midorima Shintarō's fingertips, only Murasakibara Atsushi and Araki Masako managed to stay composed.
The rest of Yōsen… were completely stunned.
Even the first-years stood frozen.
"You've gotta be kidding me… he can really shoot a three-pointer from that far?"
"..."
Silence spread like a fog.
Then—Yōsen's turn on offense.
At a glance, it was clear: their attack heavily favored the inside.
And that meant Murasakibara could finally play freely. He didn't even need to step out to the free-throw line to defend like before—on Midorima's cue, he pulled back straight into the paint.
Under the basket, Yōsen's twin towers stood ready.
By all logic, with both big men collapsing on him, Murasakibara should've been forced back.
But when their captain and center, Okamura Kenichi—two full meters tall and built like a tank—caught the ball and tried to drive inside, Murasakibara twisted his body once and instantly shoved Liu Wei aside.
Thud!
The teammate who took over trying to hold off Okamura—who weighed over a hundred kilos—barely managed to brace himself before being forced back.
"Damn it!"
"This guy… is he made of iron?!"
"He's not even budging?!"
Okamura could feel it clearly—the body pressed against him was like solid steel. His entire frame strained, but the other man didn't even flinch.
He quickly tried to look for his partner Liu Wei for a pass—but Midorima had already rotated over, cutting off the passing lane with surgical precision.
"If that's the case…"
"Then I'll just take the shot here!"
Pivot
Okamura spun on the paint's edge and went for a close-range turnaround jumper.
To his credit, he was quick—one of the fastest post players in Yōsen's lineup.
Midorima raised an eyebrow slightly.
But
"So slow."
"You move like a turtle~"
Murasakibara's lazy voice drifted out—and then, without even stepping closer, he just jumped.
BOOM!
The floor cracked with the sound of both feet pushing off!
Then—SMACK!—a massive palm sent the ball flying!
Okamura Kenichi: "..."
That reaction speed…
Just how fast was this guy?!
And that leap—combined with such power—it was absurd.
If not for the weight of that inhuman strength behind him, Okamura might've thought this wasn't a center at all… but a small forward!
Meanwhile
Midorima already had the ball.
He raised into a textbook triple-threat stance, eyes blazing as he stared at the towering Liu Wei in front of him.
195 centimeters versus 203.
At that moment
Behind his lenses, Midorima's gaze lit up with intersecting lines—horizontal, vertical, and deep into the Z-axis—cutting the space in front of him into countless layers.
Height… wingspan… leap… max reach… movement speed…
The data streamed through his mind—until, finally, the nodes locked on Liu Wei's head and converged into a single number: 15%.
"Among everyone on Yōsen, you have the highest chance of blocking my shot," Midorima said coolly. "By the way—what's your zodiac sign?"
Liu Wei: "Huh? I don't know… but my birthday's July 19th."
Midorima nodded. "Same as me. Cancer's the top-ranked sign in today's horoscope—but I've brought my lucky charm."
"That means your chance of touching my shot just dropped by another five percent."
"So… ten percent."
The words had barely left his mouth before
Whoosh!
"My shots, as long as my form isn't broken, will always go in. A perfect release equals a 100% hit rate. Given your jump timing… you'll have to move first."
Midorima took a long stride forward, using his shoulder to create space, then snapped his waist and raised the ball.
Liu Wei: "!"
Whoosh!
Just as Midorima lifted the ball high—Liu Wei jumped!
And then
It was a fake!
Midorima instantly drove past him—his speed erupting like a coiled spring released!
As he broke through, the matrix of light in his mind shifted again. Midorima smiled faintly at a new number.
"When you jump, your chance of being beaten…"
"Becomes 100%."
Yōsen's starting shooting guard lunged in to help—but Midorima countered with a textbook crossover.
Too fast!
The defender tried to shift, but his body couldn't keep up. Midorima's eyes gleamed—another motion change!
In-out… spin move!
A fluid, seamless turn sent the defender flying. His chain of movements was lightning-quick—so smooth it was almost… silky.
"H-how?!"
Even Araki Masako's eyes widened in shock.
She had expected Midorima to grow stronger, yes—but this much?
His style now carried the maturity of a professional.
Even with her exceptional emotional control, she was momentarily stunned.
The Generation of Miracles…
The more she saw, the deeper her fascination grew.
On the court
The Yōsen shooting guard cursed under his breath and tried to recover, chasing after Midorima's back.
But right then
Midorima suddenly stopped at the three-point line!
Everyone noticed it—especially when he waved his arm, and Murasakibara casually walked up to the arc, as if preparing for a screen.
Except…
That's not what happened.
Midorima
Passed the ball!
Murasakibara caught it
And instead of moving, he just stood there, holding it up high with one hand like a statue.
The next instant
Gasps erupted around the gym.
"Wait—huh?!"
"Am I dreaming?"
"What are they?"
"What kind of coordination is this?!"
The moment those words fell
Midorima, who had passed just a second earlier, leapt up again!
He snatched the ball directly from Murasakibara's raised hand in midair
and fired it in one fluid motion!
Swish!
A perfect nothing-but-net!
END OF CHAPTER
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