On the basketball court, Murasakibara Atsushi and Himuro Tatsuya stood frozen, staring at Haizaki Shogo after his three-pointer sank cleanly through the net. Shock flickered in their eyes.
A double team.
The two of them had defended together, yet he had broken through so effortlessly?
Haizaki's basket pushed the score to 33:26, giving Fukuda Sogo a seven-point lead. He turned and jogged back on defense without sparing the stunned pair a second glance. That was fine. Haizaki had already made up his mind. He would keep scoring, keep attacking, and keep crushing the confidence of the two defenders standing in his way. He would shoulder the pressure himself, giving his teammates room to unleash everything they had.
Yosen inbounded the ball. Himuro received Liu Wei's pass and brought it across half court, immediately drawing Haizaki's attention. Unable to create an opening, Himuro passed out, and the ball soon reached Yosen's point guard, Fukui Kensuke.
Fukui floated a high lob toward the basket.
Murasakibara exploded upward.
An alley-oop.
Then came a savage dunk.
BOOOOM!!
Suzuran Karasu had jumped to contest him, but the monstrous force transmitted through the ball rebounded into his body, sending him crashing to the floor. This was his first time clashing head-on against a Generation of Miracles player. His first confrontation with Murasakibara.
And the result was obvious.
Complete defeat.
Haizaki reached down and pulled Suzuran Karasu to his feet.
"You okay?"
Suzuran Karasu rubbed the back of his head and let out a bitter smile. "I'm fine. He's insanely strong. We're not even on the same level."
Haizaki nodded. "Then learn from him. He actually has plenty of strengths."
"Captain, I understand."
Haizaki nodded again, took the ball, and began running.
No.
Not running.
Charging.
He had already decided. He would tear open the game. Violently. Brutally. He would smash apart Yosen's defense and carve a path straight through the heavens for Fukuda Sogo.
Haizaki inhaled deeply.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The rhythm of the basketball suddenly accelerated. His dribble quickened, and then his speed erupted instantly to its maximum. Himuro had barely stepped forward to defend when he felt a gust of wind brush past him.
Haizaki disappeared.
Gone from his sight.
Inside Yosen's paint, Liu Wei's blood ran cold as fear swallowed him whole. In his eyes, Haizaki looked like a demon descending from the sky, as though he were walking through the air itself. Both knees rose toward Liu Wei's face.
Death.
Liu Wei felt death rushing toward him.
Haizaki descended with an overwhelming aura, carrying enough force to shatter mountains and split seas.
Then...
BOOOOOOOM!!!
A monstrous dunk.
The Death Dunk.
Completion Rate: 100%.
Liu Wei collapsed instantly.
Not because Haizaki had knocked him unconscious.
He had been frightened unconscious.
Yosen High's 203-centimeter small forward, No. 11 Liu Wei, had literally fainted from terror.
Haizaki landed lightly, and silence swept across the arena. The entire venue fell into absolute silence. Even a pin drop could have been heard. Haizaki could hear nearby heartbeats, and time itself seemed to slow.
Ten seconds.
Maybe twenty.
No one knew.
But Haizaki didn't stop. He simply turned and ran back on defense. Only afterward did the referee's whistle finally sound. Moments later, four medical staff members rushed onto the court and carried Liu Wei away toward the infirmary.
The court remained deathly silent.
Then, all at once, it exploded into waves of discussion.
==========
On Fukuda Sogo's bench, Shimizu Rena covered her mouth with both hands.
That dunk...
It was terrifying.
No ordinary player could withstand that.
Yet Haizaki stood there calmly and expressionlessly, as though nothing had happened at all. Today, Haizaki had shown everyone another side of himself.
His violent side.
His savage side.
High above, Akashi Seijuro activated his Emperor Eye. For a brief moment, he felt death itself brush against him, and every hair on his body stood on end.
At center court, Aomine Daiki narrowed his eyes as shock rippled through him.
So when you said you'd become invincible... I didn't believe you. Now I do, Shogo.
Across from him, Kise Ryouta clenched his fists. Then his shoulders suddenly slumped as a wave of helplessness washed over him.
How am I supposed to catch up to something like that...? A Death Dunk like that...
The delayed whistle sounded, and the game resumed. Murasakibara and Himuro stared blankly at Haizaki in the distance.
What... did we just witness?
In the front row, Alexandra Garcia had seen every expression on their faces. She sighed helplessly.
Yosen was in trouble.
Haizaki's aura had reached its peak. He had begun giving off the feeling of someone standing above all others.
Alexandra turned and stared at him.
Why does a player like this exist in Japan? Even in America... there aren't many at this level. My two students... compared to him, the gap is simply too large.
Himuro brought the ball forward. The moment Haizaki closed in to defend, Himuro passed.
Captain Okamura Kenichi received it and attempted a dunk.
Suzuran Karasu stopped him.
But then...
Murasakibara grabbed the rebound.
His aura surged.
Violent power erupted.
That posture.
That pressure.
Without question...
Thor's Hammer.
Haizaki slowly exhaled.
Then he kicked off the floor.
In an instant, he arrived beneath the basket and jumped.
SMACK!!
He slapped the ball away.
Hard.
Haizaki landed and immediately accelerated after it, but someone had moved even faster. Seizing the opportunity, Kimura Tosho caught the ball with one hand and slammed it into the basket.
Who else could capitalize on opportunities like that in Fukuda Sogo?
Meanwhile, Yosen's players remained rooted in place. Their minds were blank.
Did... Atsushi's Thor's Hammer just get stopped?
Impossible...
No way...
He's too strong...
All four players on the court felt despair clawing at their hearts. First, the Death Dunk had taken Liu Wei out of the game. Now Haizaki had blocked Thor's Hammer head-on.
Who was left to stop him?
And it wasn't only Yosen.
Aomine Daiki.
Midorima Shintaro.
Kise Ryouta.
All three stood up simultaneously, their eyes locked onto Haizaki.
That arrogant bastard... he can even do this now?
How is this possible? Has Haizaki-kun reached this level already?
He's stronger. Way stronger than last time.
Those were the thoughts racing through Aomine, Kise, and Midorima. Every one of them was stunned.
Shocked.
High above, Akashi silently narrowed his eyes. The Emperor Eye remained active, and no one knew what he was thinking. Behind him, the Rakuzan players didn't dare speak. The atmosphere had become suffocating.
After a long silence, Akashi finally breathed out.
"Interesting."