Nash led the way as the team returned to the bench. Shogo followed behind him, while Jason Silver brought up the rear with the other three teammates.
Despite his usual reckless appearance, Jason Silver wasn't a fool. In fact, he was quite sharp. He had gone quiet, because he understood what he had just faced.
A "No Fly Zone." A restricted aerial domain belonging only to giants. Even though Silver stood at 210 cm, it was still a different world when the opposing "giants" routinely reached 225 cm or more.
That gap wasn't something you simply overcame with effort alone. It had to be broken. And Shogo knew it.
With his skills, Jason will eventually surpass it, if he keeps developing it. Not hope. Not encouragement. Just certainty in the ability itself.
"The body chosen by God himself" still hadn't been fully unlocked. If it had, Silver wouldn't be stuck at this level.
The teammates began speaking up. "Things are still okay. That last three-pointer from Shogo was huge!" "Nice shot, Shogo!" "Yeah, great shot!" "Perfect timing!" Their voices lifted the atmosphere again. That shot had kept Jabberwock from losing momentum.
Nash observed them all quietly. Then, as the three-minute break neared its end, he spoke seriously. "Shogo, you join the offensive rotation next quarter. We hit them before they adjust." "Alright," Shogo replied.
"Jason, keep drawing attention. Open space for me and Shogo." "Got it. We're crushing them."
Nash's tone was calm but razor-focused. He understood something clearly: if they didn't take control in the second phase, momentum would slip away completely. And once it slipped, recovery would be unlikely.
Everything depended on one thing. Haizaki Shogo.
Nash turned slightly. "Shogo, what do you need from us?" Shogo's eyes narrowed. "Force them to reveal everything they've got. I'll handle the rest."
"You serious?" Jason asked. "Yeah," Shogo said. "Allen, in the second quarter you don't need to stick strictly to No. 12 anymore. Help Nash with positioning, or score if you're open." "Got it!"
The break ended quickly. Players stepped onto the court again. Shogo walked beside Nash without speaking, but something was changing.
His presence was rising, slowly, like pressure building before an eruption. Nash noticed. "Can the Illusory Eye be copied?"
Shogo shook his head. "Too difficult. I don't have golden eyes. It's not happening." "What about lenses?" Nash asked casually.
Shogo froze slightly. "Huh?" For a moment, even he didn't know how to respond. Is this guy seriously suggesting contact lenses?
Shogo shook his head again. "That wouldn't work. The Illusory Eye isn't something you just replicate. It's not worth replacing my style for."
The whistle blew. Serbian Eagles brought the ball up. Velia crossed half court and passed to the interior, where Jack received it.
And with overwhelming force, BOOM! A two-handed dunk crushed the rim. Jason Silver landed with a grunt. "Hmph." Even he couldn't stop that cleanly.
Jabberwock inbounded quickly. The ball reached Nash. He was about to initiate offense, but Shogo raised a hand. Nash paused, then smiled faintly and tossed him the ball.
Shogo caught it. A faint, almost mocking smile formed on his lips. Let's see what happens when I go full speed. He gripped the ball at his waist.
Then, from below, in a smooth upward motion, he released it. The ball flew in a strange, unnatural arc, almost like it was bending the air itself.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ball hit the rim repeatedly, bounced, rolled, and finally dropped in. Swish. Silence hit the arena for a split second, then chaos.
Nash laughed immediately. "Haha! Nice shot, Shogo!" Jason Silver grinned. "Damn, you're insane!" Allen and Zack reacted at the same time. "What the hell did we just see?!" "That shot was unreal!"
But the Serbian Eagles didn't panic. At this level, surprise was normal. They quickly reset. Velia brought the ball up, and this time No. 12 took it.
He muttered under his breath. "Imitation, huh? Watch closely. This is the real Super Three-Point Shot." He mirrored the same motion. Waist position, upward release, same arc, same timing.
But, BANG! The ball slammed into the backboard. Miss. And the rebound fell directly into Shogo's hands.
He smiled again, that same strange smile. Now everyone on court had seen it. Nash, Jason, Allen, Zack, they all remembered it. That eerie expression, the "uncanny smile" of Haizaki Shogo.
Shogo held the ball again. Waist position, same motion, same release. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Another perfect arc, another impossible trajectory, another clean basket. Swish.
The gap tightened again. And this time, Serbian Eagles finally understood: this wasn't just shooting. It was dominance disguised as imitation.
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