BOOM!
Aomine Daiki took the ball, and the entire pace of the game instantly sped up.
Feeling Aomine's terrifying focus and presence, Haizaki Shogo squinted. This guy is dangerous… really dangerous.
Aomine dribbled back and forth between his hands, then suddenly performed a between-the-legs crossover—the move Haizaki had been expecting.
But the ball rolling out from Aomine's legs didn't return to his hand, leaving Haizaki momentarily stunned.
Then came the SWISH of the net—the kind of impossible shot that made Haizaki's eyes twitch.
His mind replayed the shot over and over, and he realized: Aomine's rapid hand switches weren't meant to break through—they were increasing the ball's spin.
This… this is insane.
Haizaki immediately understood the principle behind the shot: a completely unpredictable, unstoppable basket.
In Fukuda Sogo's bench, everyone who had a clear view of the ball rolling in from Aomine's back wore expressions of disbelief. Even Shimizu Rena, who had seen Aomine play before, couldn't hide her astonishment.
In the stands, Midorima Shintaro and Kise Ryouta were equally dumbfounded, their minds racing with the terrifying thought: Can basketball even be played like this?
Even from a god's-eye view, Midorima couldn't fully understand it. He turned to Kise, who also had a talent for imitation.
"Mmm… Ryouta, what just happened with that shot?"
Kise, dressed in a neat miniature suit, didn't answer. He closed his eyes and replayed the move countless times in his head—but he still couldn't replicate it.
After a while, Kise opened his eyes, exhaling.
"Can't copy it… Watch again."
Midorima understood what Kise meant. They trusted that Haizaki, with his current skill, could "steal" and mimic the move if given the chance. They just needed to watch it once more.
Shogo received the ball, eyes on Aomine. This guy… he's going completely wild.
Aomine, sensing Shogo's dribble speed rising, seemed to understand something and stared at him expectantly.
Shogo dribbled back and forth, then executed a between-the-legs switch. The ball rolling out from his legs didn't return to his hand.
SWISH!
Another impossible shot landed. Ninety-nine percent of people would never understand how it went in.
Aomine's eyes lit up as he watched Shogo score. Joy and excitement grew with every moment. Nice, Shogo! Let's see just how high basketball can go!
In the stands, Kise Ryouta closed his eyes again, replaying Shogo's shot over and over in his mind.
Finally opening them, he sighed. Compared to them… I'm so far behind!
Midorima, beside him, asked again: "Well?"
"Got it. But I still can't do it. Those two… those freaks manipulate precise spin. The ball hits the ground behind them, spins, and then flies backward from their back, curving into the basket."
"What? Say again? I don't get it!"
Takao Kazunari asked the same question. He had no idea what Kise meant.
Midorima adjusted his glasses, squinting, then finally exhaled.
"I see now!"
"Midorima, what does that mean?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. You can't believe a person could have that kind of touch and feel for the ball."
Indeed, executing such a high-difficulty shot required extraordinary ball sense and hand feel—the core of the skill.
Kise added: "The ball hits the ground behind you, your body blocks the defender's view. The ball disappears, then scores. The defender has no clue. I still don't know how Haizaki could even imitate that."
Monster!
Even at the start, both teams were distracted, stunned by these two. What kind of monsters were they? Could humans really do that?
Tōō had the ball. Shogo closely guarded Aomine.
He passed to Sakurai Ryo. Sakurai, used to Fukuda Sasaki defending him, shot immediately before Sasaki could react.
SWISH!
A perfect three-pointer shrank Tōō's deficit instantly.
WHOOSH!
From Fukuda's half, a long pass was fired. A shadow sprinted across—it was Kimura Tosho.
Receiving the ball, Kimura leapt to dunk it.
SLAP!
A dark figure flashed—Shogo blocked the ball mid-air.
Kimura hit the ground and watched in horror as Aomine dribbled past, ball in hand.
This… how… is this possible… so fast? No… impossible… impossible…
Shogo shook his head with a hint of regret. That pass and cut were beautiful—if Aomine hadn't been on the court, it would have scored. Still, it was useful for letting his teammates experience the true Aomine Daiki firsthand.
Ignoring his stunned teammates, Shogo moved to Aomine's side, marking him closely.
Aomine twisted, jumped diagonally, and executed a right-hand hook—the ball went in.
Damn… less than three minutes in, and it's already 82–79. Tōō closes to a three-point gap.
Ishida Hideki dribbled into Tōō's half and passed to Shogo at the three-point line.
Shogo shot a quick three-pointer. SWISH! Six-point gap restored.
Tōō's players gaped at Shogo's familiar shooting rhythm.
Sakurai Ryo's long-range ability had been "stolen," leaving Coach Harasawa on the Tōō bench both shocked and sighing.
At this point, the match's outcome was nearly decided. Without Sakurai's three-pointers, a comeback was almost impossible.
Even if Aomine scored repeatedly, Fukuda's Shogo would catch up instantly. Even if Tōō had possession in the final moments, six points couldn't be overturned in one play.
The final five minutes were still fierce—both teams were scoring and defending frantically.
Both teams were elite scorers. Fukuda had a physical advantage in defense, though slightly less skilled—overall, a small edge.
When the final whistle blew, Aomine sank a clean three-pointer, leaving Tōō three points behind. Fukuda Sogo won the practice match.
The teams lined up and bowed respectfully.
Shogo looked at Aomine, calm yet radiating energy.
"See you in the national finals, Aomine!"
"Sure! I'm looking forward to it!"
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