"So it really isn't easy to break through, huh?"
On the sidelines, Araki Ayano clenched her teeth. Though yesterday's footage had already shown Seiho's defense was strong and difficult to penetrate, seeing Akashi block Okamura Kenichi's shot so effortlessly left her in awe.
Even though Okamura's movements were slightly sluggish, at his height, not just anyone could block him!
"A monster can only be fought with a monster!"
Yosen served again. This time, Fukui Kensuke passed the ball from the perimeter to Murasakibara Atsushi.
"Watch me crush you with one swing!"
Murasakibara's face twisted with ferocity. Receiving the ball, he didn't even dribble, he leaped straight up, sending a violent aura surging around him.
Thor's Hammer
Tsutomu Iwamura and Omuro Yoshikasu, defending under the basket with Akashi, were blasted backward without any chance to resist the force.
Seiho's players were dumbfounded.
They had expected this from Omuro, maybe, but Iwamura's strength was top-tier even on a national level. And now, facing Murasakibara, he was literally thrown away as if it were a fairy tale.
"Huh? Murasakibara seems really motivated today!"
Not just Seiho, Yosen's players were equally surprised. Even they seemed to witness Murasakibara going all-out right at the start for the first time.
For them, though, it was good news. While outsiders saw him as primarily defensive, Yosen knew full well that Murasakibara's offensive power would be even more terrifying.
So far, no one had stopped his ultimate move, Thor's Hammer.
When Yosen saw him use it, if their coach hadn't stopped them, they would have started retreating, convinced the point was already theirs.
Yet, everyone overlooked one thing, why was Murasakibara, who usually didn't give full effort, showing such strength right from the start?
BOOM!!!
Without warning, like two beasts clashing in the jungle, like two elephants locking horns on the plains, or like thunder splitting the horizon…
Everyone's thoughts froze at that instant.
A moment of sheer shock!
As brains resumed functioning, a scene unfolded that left the entire arena in awe.
Murasakibara's Thor's Hammer met Akashi head-on. The two colossal figures collided in midair, and the basketball trapped between them seemed ready to deform under the pressure.
After a fraction of a second…
Murasakibara faltered first. His hands shifted slightly, and thwack! The ball slammed into the backboard, rebounding far across the court.
But that was only the beginning. As the ball flew, both Akashi and Murasakibara lost balance.
Akashi stumbled forward slightly.
Murasakibara accidentally grabbed the rim, and then…
CRACK!
The entire hoop was ripped down by Murasakibara.
The arena fell silent.
What seemed like a slow-motion clash between Akashi and Murasakibara had actually happened in an instant. By the time the hoop fell, many hadn't even registered what had occurred.
When the crowd finally realized, an uproar erupted, like a tidal wave crashing over the arena.
"Ahhhhh…"
"What?! He actually pulled down the hoop?"
"Unbelievable. Are these two monsters really high schoolers?"
Midorima Shintaro and Kise Ryouta, watching from the stands, shared horrified expressions.
"This… I knew it'd be intense, but not to this extent!" Kise exclaimed.
"This isn't intensity, it's absurd! Even the most intense human can't do this in a game!" Yukio Kasamatsu muttered.
The hoops used in the nationals were higher quality than their school hoops, and Murasakibara didn't even dunk; it was a mere accident. The monster's strength was beyond imagination.
"The key isn't even Murasakibara!"
Midorima spoke up. "If Murasakibara showed that strength and Akashi still blocked him, that means Akashi's power might surpass even Murasakibara's!"
============
With one hoop destroyed, the game was temporarily paused.
In Yosen's bench area, Okamura and the others realized they were sweating profusely.
"I can't believe it… Murasakibara lost to him? Is that even a human?"
Murasakibara was unusually silent. From the start of his basketball career, he had experienced wins and losses, but to fail in a direct power clash was a first.
He felt a mix of frustration and a strange thrill.
Soon after, the game resumed.
The nationals' staff had prepared well; replacing the hoop took hardly any time.
Both teams returned to the court.
After a cautious first round, both sides looked far more serious than before.
They had realized their opponents were stronger than expected.
Seiho started the second round. Though Akashi had blocked Murasakibara in the last round, Murasakibara had touched the ball last before it rebounded.
Kasuga Ryuhei dribbled past midcourt and passed to Akashi just beyond the three-point line.
"Watch out! #11 can attack online, step up and defend!"
Okamura's pupils shrank instantly. He shouted urgently.
In the last round against Tōō Academy, Akashi had nearly maintained an 80–90% three-point accuracy throughout. Any rational Yosen player wouldn't dare leave him open outside.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria