Sakuragi gritted his teeth and braced himself against Akagi's relentless power.
Though his footing was shaky, the fire of defiance burning in his eyes only grew brighter.
Meanwhile...
On the other side of the court, an even fiercer clash was unfolding.
Rukawa Kaede was guarding Makino Juro.
"So scary..." Haruko murmured.
The current Rukawa was nothing like his usual self.
An icy killing intent radiated from his entire body, warning everyone to stay away.
His long, narrow eyes contained no distractions.
Only pure, suffocating focus.
He was like a demon blade that had just been unsheathed.
Its edge was so sharp that no one dared look directly at it.
Leaning against the doorway, Mito Yohei spoke quietly,
"Rukawa's always been strong."
"Everyone's fired up today..."
"But..."
"He's fighting like his life depends on it."
"It's as if something is chasing him."
On the court...
Juro dribbled the ball while facing Rukawa's suffocating, full-court pressure.
"Oh?"
"Your eyes have changed."
A faint smile appeared on Makino Juro's lips.
He could clearly feel it.
The defensive intensity Rukawa was bringing had increased by more than an entire level.
Something lit a fire under this kid.
Makino Juro didn't rely on any flashy dribbling.
Just a simple jab step...
Then he exploded forward.
Rukawa reacted instantly.
Like a hunting cheetah, he slid sideways to cut him off.
Bang!
His chest slammed into Makino Juro's.
Normally, that impact would have sent Rukawa flying backward.
But today...
He clenched his teeth and refused to give an inch.
His long arms spread like a spider's web, constantly disrupting Makino Juro's dribbling lane.
The suffocating pressure of that defense made even Miyagi and Mitsui, who were watching nearby, feel their scalps go numb.
"Hey!! Master!!"
"What are you doing?!"
At that moment...
Having just been bullied out of the paint by Akagi, Sakuragi Hanamichi suddenly charged over while yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Pass me the ball!"
"This genius is wide open!!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Makino Juro glanced toward Sakuragi.
It really was a good opportunity.
With a flick of his wrist...
The basketball seemed to grow eyes.
It slipped beneath Rukawa's arm and flew perfectly toward Sakuragi.
"Wahahaha!"
"Watch the Super Genius Layup of the Great Genius!!"
Sakuragi caught the pass.
One...
Two...
Three steps.
He soared into the air.
He had already imagined how he would celebrate after scoring.
He'd even planned the pose.
However...
A black shadow suddenly emerged from the side like a ghost.
There was no warning.
No hesitation.
The instant Makino Juro released the pass...
Rukawa spun around and exploded upward.
His athleticism reached its absolute limit.
He caught up to Sakuragi in midair.
His right hand came crashing down.
SMACK!!
The explosive block echoed through the entire gym.
The basketball was swatted away with terrifying force.
It slammed into the backboard before flying halfway across the court.
A brutal volleyball-style rejection.
Sakuragi completely lost his balance and crashed onto the hardwood with a heavy thud.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Everyone was stunned speechless.
This was only an internal practice game...
Yet that block...
It looked as if Rukawa wanted to kill someone.
"Ow... ow... ow..."
Rubbing his sore backside, Sakuragi climbed to his feet.
Instantly furious, he pointed at Rukawa and exploded.
"Damn Fox!!"
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"That was a guaranteed basket for this genius!"
"You wanna fight?!"
Rukawa landed heavily.
His chest rose and fell violently.
Sweat dripped from his chin, splashing onto the hardwood.
He looked coldly at Sakuragi.
His gaze was so indifferent...
It was like looking at a rock lying by the roadside.
"Let me make one thing clear."
"I don't have time to babysit you."
"And I definitely don't have time to play house."
His voice was hoarse.
Every word carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Sakuragi froze.
He had never seen this expression on Rukawa before.
The old Rukawa had always been cold...
But it was the coldness of indifference.
This...
Was urgency.
The urgency of someone being relentlessly chased.
Someone who had to keep running forward with everything he had...
Or be swallowed by the abyss.
Ignoring everyone's reactions...
Rukawa's mind replayed Coach Anzai's words.
Along with the tragic fate of Tanizawa.
Become the strongest high school player first.
Prove it to me before you go to America.
If he couldn't climb over the mountain standing before him...
If he never saw the world beyond this one...
He would die at the bottom of the well.
"Throw me the ball."
Rukawa called toward Kuwata at the sideline.
Startled, Kuwata shuddered as though he'd received an imperial decree.
He hurriedly tossed the ball over.
Catching it...
Rukawa faced Makino Juro once more.
This time...
There were no fakes.
He lowered his center of gravity.
Then exploded.
His first step was so fast it resembled a streak of black lightning, tearing through the air.
Makino Juro raised an eyebrow.
The moment he shifted to react...
Rukawa suddenly stopped at full speed.
Then crossed over violently in front of his body, forcing his way past Makino Juro's right side.
"Haaah!!"
Rukawa stormed into the paint.
Even with Akagi rotating over to protect the rim...
There wasn't the slightest trace of fear.
He took off on one foot.
His body stretched through the air like a fully drawn bow, overflowing with explosive beauty.
Akagi reached up to block.
His giant hand blotted out the sky.
Yet Rukawa somehow seemed to hang in the air for an extra instant.
The strength of his core exploded.
He slipped past Akagi's outstretched hand.
Then...
Gripping the ball with one hand...
He brought it down violently toward the rim.
BOOM!!
A thunderous one-handed tomahawk dunk.
The rim groaned in agony...
As though it might snap apart at any second.
Rukawa landed.
Released the rim.
Turned around.
No celebration.
No roar.
Only deathly silence.
He simply wiped the sweat from his face.
His eyes remained as sharp as blades.
The entire gym was silent.
Only the rhythmic thump... thump... of the basketball bouncing on the floor echoed through the building.
Everyone had been overwhelmed by that dunk.
"I-Is..."
"Is that really Rukawa?"
"It feels like..."
"He's evolved."
At the entrance...
Haruko clasped both hands against her chest.
Her eyes never left Rukawa's figure.
She couldn't look away.
The intense concentration...
The wild determination...
The lonely resolve he had displayed...
It captivated her completely.
The brilliance of someone risking everything for his dream...
Was simply too dazzling.
It almost felt unfair.
She stood there in silence.
Unable to say a single word.
But her eyes...
Were filled with nothing except him.
Everything else around her had faded into the background.
Only that spirited young man remained.
Makino Juro quietly took in the entire scene.
He looked at Rukawa's back.
Then at the lovestruck Haruko standing by the doorway.
Finally...
He helplessly shook his head.
My idiot disciple...
Looks like your road to romance is going to be a rough one.
...
Practice continued until darkness completely swallowed the sky.
The moon had already climbed above the treetops.
Akagi Takenori looked at the exhausted players sprawled across the hardwood.
Satisfied, he nodded.
"Good!"
"That's enough training for today!"
"Ooooh..."
Everyone answered weakly.
Their souls seemed to have already left their bodies and drifted somewhere into the night sky.
At that moment...
Makino Juro suddenly sprang to life as though fully recharged.
He jumped to his feet and waved his hand grandly.
"To celebrate the captain's return!"
"Dinner's on me tonight!"
"We're having yakiniku!"
"Eat as much as you want!"
"WOOOOOO!!"
The Sakuragi who had looked like a corpse only seconds earlier instantly resurrected.
He shot up from the floor.
His eyes glowed green.
Drool nearly spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Meat!"
"Meat!"
"MEAT!!"
"Master, you're the greatest person alive!!"
"Long live yakiniku!"
"Long live Master!"
The previously lifeless Shohoku team instantly recovered to full health.
Their cheers nearly blew the roof off the gym.
Only Rukawa quietly packed up his belongings.
"Hey, Rukawa."
Makino Juro walked over and casually tossed a towel onto his head.
"Quit staying so tense all the time."
"You'll need a full stomach if you want to become number one."
"Come on."
Rukawa pulled the towel off his head.
His movements paused for just a moment.
In the end...
He silently slung his bag over his shoulder.
"...Mm."
He answered softly.
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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