"Shogo, how much stamina do you still have left?" Nash's voice was calm, but sharp. "Ahaha! Don't worry about that. I'll finish the entire game." Nash nodded without another word.
Haizaki Shogo had entered the Zone and was actively suppressing Levic. Nash understood better than anyone, Zone users burned through stamina at an extreme rate. Unless he's truly built differently.
Nash didn't press further. Instead, he shifted his focus to the rest of the team. "Jason. Third quarter, full output. Keep drawing their attention. Shogo and I will use that opening to widen the gap." "Got it!" Jason grinned. "Full throttle, right? I'll make that giant feel it." "Do it. No holding back."
Then Nash turned to Nick and Zack. "You two keep tight man-to-man defense. Force out whatever they're hiding." "Yes, Captain!" both answered at once.
Ten minutes passed in an instant. The arena was already in chaos. The crowd had long since erupted into a continuous roar. What they were witnessing wasn't just a match, it was a clash of monsters.
Even broadcasters and analysts looked stunned. This wasn't normal professional basketball anymore. It was something beyond that. And more importantly, they were all still teenagers. Rising stars. Future monsters. That was what made it terrifying.
Haizaki Shogo walked out of the locker room behind Nash. Jason followed. The moment they stepped onto the court, the arena exploded. "Nash! Nash! Nash!" "Haizaki! Haizaki! Haizaki!" "Jabberwock! Jabberwock! Jabberwock!" The sound shook the stadium.
Nick and Zack looked stunned, then smiled awkwardly. Jason laughed out loud. Shogo, however, only clicked his tongue inwardly. Seriously?
The third quarter began. Serbian Eagles had the first possession. Velia brought the ball up cautiously and passed it to David Russ. The moment he caught it, his presence changed. Violent aura, raw strength, explosive speed.
He drove through Zack like it was nothing and pulled up for a mid-range shot. SWISH. Two points.
Nash, Shogo, and Jason all narrowed their eyes. So that was it, a hidden card. "Animal Instinct," the beast-like awakening of a player, and it had just revealed itself.
Worse still, it targeted Jabberwock's weakest link. Nick and Zack. They found it, our soft spot. Shogo exhaled slowly. Things were becoming dangerous. And worse, Levic was still glued to him, meaning he couldn't freely use his long-range shots anymore.
Nash inhaled deeply. "Jason, it's on you. Break through that 'No Fly Zone.'" Jason grinned. "No Fly Zone, huh?" He clenched his fist. "Who the hell can stop me from flying in the paint?"
ROOOOAAAR!!! For a moment, it felt like the roar of a prehistoric beast echoed across the court. Jason's "Animal Instinct" had awakened. Tyrannosaurus Rex form. The atmosphere changed instantly. Even Serbian Eagles players felt a pressure like standing on a battlefield.
Nash dribbled forward. Shogo and Jason moved on both sides like twin blades. The pressure surged like a tidal wave.
Then Nash passed, but not to Shogo, not this time. The ball went to Jason. Everyone knew why. Jack was already in position under the rim, ready, waiting. His domain, No Fly Zone, was about to activate.
Jason charged into the paint, explosive, unstoppable. He slipped past the new substitute, Loren, and leapt. At the same time, Jack rose, massive, overwhelming, his hands coming down like falling steel, aiming to crush the shot.
But Jason saw it. There, another presence rising alongside him. Shogo. Rising at the same height. Jason smiled. Got you.
In mid-air, he twisted his body and passed the ball, not to avoid defense, but to complete it. Shogo arrived like a silver bolt of lightning and slammed the ball down with brutal force.
BOOOOOOM!!! The rim screamed under the impact. A perfect aerial connection between Jason and Shogo. The court went silent for a fraction of a second, then erupted.