A ferocious shark emerged behind Shuzo Nijimura.
The moment it appeared, it opened its jaws wide and began to sway slowly.
Shuzo Nijimura's body rose and fell in rhythm, lightly bouncing on his feet.
A shark never stops moving!
Seeing this, Miyamoto's lips curled upward slightly.
Nijimura-senpai... it looks like you've finally grasped the true essence of the shark.
...
Off the court.
From the Shūtoku side.
Shintaro Midorima watched Shuzo Nijimura's subtle bouncing, his eyes narrowing.
He murmured:
"Is he about to sync with his body?"
...
On the court.
Daiki Aomine frowned slightly. He could feel it—the oppressive presence of Animal Instinct emanating from Shuzo Nijimura.
This feeling...!
Daiki Aomine knew it well. This was something only someone more deeply attuned to Animal Instinct than himself could produce.
He had never truly encountered it before. The only time he had sensed something similar was faintly from Shintaro Midorima.
But since they had never faced each other in a match, he couldn't be sure whether Shintaro Midorima had actually awakened Animal Instinct.
After all, Midorima's Animal Instinct had never manifested.
Shuzo Nijimura kept bouncing, his feet shifting unpredictably back and forth, making it impossible to tell which side he was guarding.
Daiki Aomine could clearly feel it—Nijimura's defensive pressure was constantly changing.
The offensive plan he had in mind was already useless.
Now, everything depended on instinct.
"Come on, Aomine."
Daiki Aomine nodded, the black panther behind him lowering into an attacking stance.
Then he moved.
His hands blurred as he dribbled, the ball leaving faint afterimages.
But Shuzo Nijimura showed no concern. He simply continued bouncing, his stance shifting unpredictably.
Daiki Aomine tried attacking the front foot.
But every time he did, Shuzo Nijimura instantly adjusted his positioning.
Attacking the front foot was useless.
Damn it... the defensive pressure is insane!
Cold sweat began to bead on Daiki Aomine's forehead. He hadn't expected Nijimura's defensive intensity to rise so drastically in such a short time.
Still, he didn't give up.
He tried again and again.
Speed. Skill. Power.
Nothing worked.
Right now, Shuzo Nijimura was like an impenetrable wall.
With time running out, Daiki Aomine knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.
He exploded forward.
Speed and strength pushed to their absolute limits.
He drove hard from the left.
Shuzo Nijimura instantly adjusted and followed.
Daiki Aomine immediately initiated contact.
But Nijimura's body wasn't something easily overpowered.
Aomine's strength wasn't enough to break through.
Realizing that, he gritted his teeth and jumped, preparing to force the shot.
Shuzo Nijimura rose with him, arms sweeping to seal off his shooting angle.
Just as Daiki Aomine was about to force it—
A gentle voice echoed in his mind.
[Aomine, basketball isn't a one-man game.]
Daiki Aomine's eyes flickered.
He turned midair, scanning to his left.
Then he saw him.
Ryo Sakurai.
Aomine gritted his teeth and fired the pass.
"Sakurai!"
Ryo Sakurai instinctively caught the ball, then froze.
"Ah... huh?!"
Still, he quickly released the shot.
"Sorry."
Dicky Anthony hadn't expected the pass at all. The sudden play caught him off guard.
By the time he reacted and jumped, the ball was already gone.
His eyes widened slightly.
That release is fast!
Compared to most players, Ryo Sakurai's shooting speed was exceptionally quick.
The ball slipped past Dicky Anthony's fingertips and dropped cleanly through the net.
Three points!
Score: 2–3.
Ryo Sakurai stared at his hands in disbelief, murmuring:
"Aomine... passed to me?"
At that moment, Kosuke Wakamatsu ran over and smacked him lightly on the head.
"Move it, idiot!"
Ryo Sakurai stiffened immediately.
"S-sorry!"
Then he hurried back on defense.
Daiki Aomine jogged over and held out his fist.
Ryo Sakurai looked at him, confused. Aomine didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed forward.
Then he said calmly:
"Nice shot, Sakurai."
Ryo Sakurai paused, then broke into a smile.
"Yeah!"
He raised his fist and bumped it with Aomine's.
Behind them, Shoichi Imayoshi watched with a faint smile.
From this moment on, Daiki Aomine had begun to accept his teammates.
And... he could finally see them.
...
On the Kirisaki Daiichi side.
Shuzo Nijimura scratched his head, looking speechless.
"Man... I can't believe that brat Aomine actually passed."
Miyamoto walked up beside him with a smile.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Shuzo Nijimura chuckled.
"Yeah. Now that he sees his teammates, we don't have to worry about him suffering later."
Miyamoto waved a hand.
"Alright, our turn on offense. Nijimura-senpai, don't tell me you want to run point guard?"
Shuzo Nijimura immediately sprinted forward.
"Point guard's too important—you take it!!!"
Miyamoto sighed, rubbing his forehead, and gestured for Atsushi Murasakibara to inbound.
But then—
"Um... Miyamoto... can I do it?"
...
Possession change.
Kirisaki Daiichi ball.
Shoichi Imayoshi was ready to defend Miyamoto, but when he saw who was bringing the ball up, he froze.
"Hey, hey, you've got to be kidding me... Murasakibara handling the ball?!"
Daiki Aomine stared in disbelief.
"Murasakibara... dribbling...?"
Ryo Sakurai was just as stunned.
"This is... a... center?"
"No... it's... it's... a point forward!"
...
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