With that—
A savage, bloodthirsty, dangerous aura burst from Shogo Haizaki, sweeping across everyone on the court.
Yukio Kasamatsu and Shinya Nakamura began trembling uncontrollably, as if they had just encountered something extremely dangerous.
Yukio Kasamatsu muttered in a shaking voice,
"What… what the hell is this…?"
"Awooo!!!"
It felt as though everyone in the arena heard a wolf's howl.
That single howl seemed to drag them straight into the wilderness, forcing them to face a wolf in its natural domain.
In the stands.
Daiki Aomine sensed the aura instantly.
His expression stiffened for a moment before quickly turning into excitement.
'Animal Instinct! Haizaki—so you have it too!'
Of course Aomine knew exactly what it was. After all, he possessed it himself.
On Seirin's side.
Shinji Koganei asked slowly,
"Did you guys… hear a wolf howl?"
Hiroshi Fukuda stared wide-eyed, nodding repeatedly.
"I… I heard it."
Cold sweat streamed down Junpei Hyuga's face. He wiped his forehead, his voice tense.
"What on earth… is that?"
Taiga Kagami was just as shocked. He had never seen a state like this before.
Yet the moment he felt that aura, something inside him seemed ready to erupt.
The sensation made Kagami's heart pound with excitement.
'So… so strong! I really want to face him!'
An eager grin spread across Kagami's face. He couldn't wait to clash with Shogo Haizaki.
On the court.
Yukio Kasamatsu and Shinya Nakamura saw it most clearly.
They saw it—
Behind Shogo Haizaki, a gray-furred wolf materialized.
It stood tall, like the alpha of an entire pack.
Shogo Haizaki's Animal Instinct.
The Lone Wolf.
After activating his Animal Instinct, Haizaki felt power flooding through his body.
He laughed wildly and spoke to the two defenders in front of him.
"Watch carefully! I'll show you how I crush your hopes!!!"
The next instant—
Shogo Haizaki moved.
Without a single wasted motion, he slipped straight through the gap between them.
Like a lone wolf ripping apart the enemy's defensive line.
Once he entered the paint, Haizaki moved as if no one was there.
He slammed the ball down, gathered it, planted hard off his right foot, and soared into the air.
Behind him, the lone wolf lifted its head high.
Boom!
Haizaki thundered the ball into the hoop with overwhelming force.
The lone wolf behind him let out a triumphant howl, as if proclaiming its victory.
"Awooo!!!"
The rim shook violently, like prey trembling beneath the claws of a lone wolf.
The court fell into a deathly silence.
Aside from the sound of the ball hitting the floor and people sucking in sharp breaths, everything else faded away.
Two and a half seconds later, the stands exploded into cheers.
"My god! What was that?! A wolf howl?!"
"That was insane! Like a wolf charging into a flock of sheep—completely unstoppable!"
"Kirisaki Daiichi is taking the championship!!!"
The roaring cheers of the crowd stood in stark contrast to the silence on Kaijō's side.
Their hope seemed… truly shattered.
Yukio Kasamatsu stood there in a daze, doubt creeping into his mind.
Could he really… defeat this monster?
On the sidelines, Ryota Kise shot to his feet and shouted,
"Kasamatsu-senpai!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Yukio Kasamatsu snapped out of it.
He turned and met Kise's determined gaze.
In that moment, it felt as though something loosened inside him. He gave a self-mocking smile.
"Man… getting shown up by my junior again."
Then he lifted his head and shouted,
"Get it together! The game isn't over yet!"
Kaijō's players looked up at Kasamatsu, then at Kise.
And just like that, they let go of their hesitation.
That's right! If even the captain and their junior hadn't given up, what reason did they have to quit?
"Yes!!!"
They shouted in unison, their fighting spirit reignited.
Seeing this, Shogo Haizaki couldn't help but acknowledge Kaijō.
A team that refused to give up even in this situation truly deserved respect.
'In that case, I'll return that respect—by defeating you at my best.'
Seizing the moment, Haizaki intercepted Yukio Kasamatsu's pass.
He charged straight toward the basket with the ball.
The lone wolf behind him sprinted relentlessly, like a predator chasing its prey.
Kaijō's five players rushed back together on defense, trying to stop him.
Meanwhile, on Miyamoto Tokima's side, the other four players didn't move at all.
They stood quietly on their own half, with no intention of attacking.
With Shogo Haizaki's Animal Instinct active—and Ryota Kise still off the court—there was no need for them to do anything.
The current Haizaki couldn't be stopped by Kaijō's five players. At best, they could only slow him down.
And so, a strange scene unfolded.
Aside from Haizaki, all four players of Kirisaki Daiichi remained standing still in their backcourt.
Only Shogo Haizaki charged forward alone, facing Kaijō's five defenders.
In the stands.
"Hey, hey—why isn't anyone from Kirisaki Daiichi moving? Is only that gray-haired guy attacking?"
"No way! Is he really going one-on-five? That's Kaijō! They're not weak!"
Even Taiga Kagami couldn't believe it.
"He's going one-on-five? That's impossible!"
The rest of Seirin, a team built on cooperation, fell silent.
They couldn't imagine anyone taking on all five of Kaijō by themselves.
On Tōō's side.
Kosuke Wakamatsu spoke up immediately.
"No way. He can't possibly go one-on-five. This isn't streetball! Breaking through five defenders isn't that easy!"
Daiki Aomine shot him a sideways glance and scoffed.
"That's why your perspective is so narrow. Don't judge others with your limited viewpoint."
Wakamatsu bristled at once.
"What do you mean by that, Aomine?!"
Aomine shrugged indifferently.
"Nothing special. Just the truth."
On the court.
Shogo Haizaki deliberately slowed down, waiting for all five defenders to fall back.
Only then could he completely crush their hope—and force Ryota Kise to take the court.
Once all five were in position, Haizaki's lips curled upward. His dribbling sped up, his drive accelerating.
"Let me… shatter your hopes."
...
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