In the end, Atsushi Murasakibara couldn't resist the temptation.
As much as he enjoyed facing Jason Silver, it still couldn't compare to a week's worth of meals.
Kagetora Aida rubbed his temples, feeling utterly helpless.
Once he had dealt with the gluttonous Atsushi Murasakibara, both teams returned to the court.
This time, Ryota Kise left the game for the Dragon Slayer Team, with Taiga Kagami taking his place.
The moment Taiga Kagami stepped onto the court, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
He looked toward the Black Dragon Team, his determination surging.
'Bring it on, Black Dragon Team!'
The Black Dragon Team had possession.
After crossing half-court, Nash Gold passed the ball straight to Jason Silver.
Jason Silver caught it near the free throw line, grinned, and began his attack.
The moment he made his move, Atsushi Murasakibara and Taiga Kagami closed in to double-team him.
Jason Silver paused his dribble and grinned again.
"You think two people are enough to stop me? How naive!"
With that, Jason Silver attacked.
Facing the double-team, Jason Silver first initiated contact with Taiga Kagami. Then, seizing the opening, he spun between the two defenders and broke into the paint.
He pushed off with both feet and slammed the ball through the hoop with both hands.
BANG!
Creak...
The rim groaned beneath the force of Jason Silver's dunk.
After landing, Jason Silver turned toward Taiga Kagami and Atsushi Murasakibara and laughed.
"Still not enough! Not even close!"
Taiga Kagami clenched his fists, his face filled with anger.
Possession changed hands.
The Dragon Slayer Team had the ball.
Seijuro Akashi advanced with the ball while surveying the entire court.
With Ryota Kise out of the game, their three-point offense had lost some of its firepower.
Taiga Kagami's accuracy still wasn't good enough, and his three-point shot was inconsistent.
At the same time, Jason Silver's presence in the paint placed tremendous pressure on their interior offense.
Daiki Aomine was being guarded by Zack, and even if he forced a three-pointer, there was no guarantee it would go in.
Seijuro Akashi therefore decided to create an opening himself and relieve some of the pressure inside.
With that thought, he stopped holding back.
A golden ring began rotating within one of his eyes.
[Emperor Eye]!
Activated!
With the [Emperor Eye] fully active, every movement of Nash Gold's muscles became clear to Seijuro Akashi.
Seijuro Akashi shifted his center of gravity several times with consecutive between-the-legs dribbles, then suddenly drove forward.
Nash Gold immediately stayed with him.
But in the next instant, Seijuro Akashi abruptly pulled the ball back, sending Nash Gold stumbling backward and down.
Nash Gold's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Seijuro Akashi to bring him down like that.
He had suspected from the start that Seijuro Akashi possessed those eyes.
After dropping Nash Gold, Seijuro Akashi charged into the paint.
Jason Silver stepped up to help defend, keeping his weight slightly back in case Seijuro Akashi suddenly passed to Atsushi Murasakibara.
Seeing this, Seijuro Akashi immediately pulled back and entered his shooting motion.
Jason Silver had no choice but to step forward.
Seijuro Akashi instantly passed toward Taiga Kagami, who was cutting into the paint.
But the next second...
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out as the pass was intercepted.
It was Nash Gold!
Nash Gold had cut off Seijuro Akashi's pass.
After securing the ball, Nash Gold fixed his gaze on Seijuro Akashi.
A pair of eyes encircled by glowing rings met Seijuro Akashi's gaze.
Seijuro Akashi's pupils trembled. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Nash Gold had activated the [Belial Eye].
He stared at Seijuro Akashi, the corner of his mouth rising.
"I knew it. You really do have those eyes too! Interesting. This is far too interesting!"
The next second, Nash Gold began dribbling at incredible speed.
Seijuro Akashi instinctively moved to defend him, but Nash Gold quickly sent him crashing to the floor.
Looking down at Seijuro Akashi, Nash Gold grinned.
"But those eyes of yours don't seem quite as powerful as mine!"
With an eight-second violation approaching, Nash Gold stopped advancing and fired the ball to Zack in the frontcourt.
Because Nash Gold had delayed for a moment, Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami were already waiting in front of Zack.
Of course, Zack wasn't alone.
Nick and Allen were also in the frontcourt.
Without hesitation, Zack used a change of pace to gain half a step on Daiki Aomine.
The moment Taiga Kagami shifted his center of gravity, Zack passed to Allen.
Allen caught the ball and immediately rose to shoot.
In his mind, there was no way Taiga Kagami could shift his weight back in time.
His shot couldn't possibly fail unless Taiga Kagami was also some kind of jumping monster.
"HAAAH!!! NOT A CHANCE!!!"
"ROAR!!!"
Taiga Kagami roared as an incredibly ferocious tiger appeared behind him.
The tiger threw back its head and bellowed, its roar shaking the mountains and forests.
Then Taiga Kagami shot upward like a rocket, instantly cutting off Allen's shooting path.
Allen froze.
Was this guy another jumping monster?
However, with Animal Instinct active, Allen reacted quickly and passed the ball straight back to Zack.
Zack caught it and immediately drove to the left.
Daiki Aomine moved to recover, only to find Nick blocking his path.
A screen!
Daiki Aomine's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Nick to react so quickly.
The moment Nick realized Allen couldn't shoot, he had already adjusted.
That kind of basketball IQ was far beyond an ordinary player.
Shintaro Midorima rotated over in time to help defend, but Zack used his speed and shifting rhythm to get past him.
Zack then finished with a layup.
The entire sequence unfolded at incredible speed, with every decision made in the blink of an eye.
Back in the backcourt, Seijuro Akashi slowly rose to his feet and locked eyes with Nash Gold.
Their gazes clashed like two volcanoes on the verge of erupting.
Nash Gold grinned.
"I hope those eyes of yours can get me excited!"
As he spoke, his expression turned wild, as though he had just discovered a fascinating new toy.
A trace of disgust crossed Seijuro Akashi's face. He genuinely thought Nash Gold was somewhat unhinged.
Still, he had to admit that seeing Nash Gold's eyes had truly shocked him.
Possession changed hands.
The Dragon Slayer Team had the ball.
...
...
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