The moment the Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared, Jason Silver's speed exploded. He raced toward the frontcourt as if he were flying.
Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami did not immediately go for the steal. Instead, they planned to block Jason Silver when he went up for the dunk.
As if they had read each other's minds, both of them stayed right on his heels.
All three soon reached the frontcourt.
Then, under everyone's stunned gaze, Jason Silver planted his left foot behind the free-throw line and launched himself into the air.
Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami's eyes widened at the same time.
He had not taken off from the free-throw line.
This was a true free-throw-line dunk!
Neither of them backed down. They leaped after him, reaching both hands toward the ball.
But in the next instant, Jason Silver made a move that stunned everyone.
He swung the ball in a full circle through the air with both hands, like the blades of a massive windmill.
The motion knocked away the outstretched arms of both Taiga Kagami and Daiki Aomine!
Their eyes widened as they realized what was about to happen.
Jason Silver then slammed the ball through the hoop with both hands, producing a deafening crash.
Boom!
A windmill dunk from behind the free-throw line!
At the same time, the referee's whistle rang out.
"Beep! Number Five of the Dragon Slayer Team, shooting foul!"
After the whistle, Daiki Aomine stomped the floor in frustration.
"Damn it!"
Taiga Kagami's expression also darkened.
He had never expected Jason Silver to use a windmill motion to get around both of their blocks.
Worse still, he had drawn a foul from Daiki Aomine.
Taiga Kagami grabbed the hem of his jersey and wiped the sweat from his face, cursing inwardly.
'Every last one of them plays like a battle-hardened warrior, always choosing the most effective approach for the situation. A team like this...'
'They're way too terrifying!'
Jason Silver saw their expressions and grinned.
"I'm only just getting started! You'd better make sure I have some fun!"
With that, Jason Silver stepped up to the free-throw line.
Daiki Aomine gritted his teeth and struggled to suppress his anger.
At that moment, he almost felt like following Miyamoto Tokima's usual approach. Play basketball on the court, then beat people up off it.
After thinking it over, however, he gave up on the idea.
It was not because he could not win the fight.
He was simply showing Miyamoto Tokima some respect.
Yes, that was all. He was doing it out of respect for Miyamoto Tokima.
...
After Jason Silver made the free throw, possession changed hands.
The Dragon Slayer Team had the ball.
Seijuro Akashi dribbled into the frontcourt and glanced at the scoreboard. Their team had already fallen far behind.
Unless they found a way to close the gap soon, the game really would be over.
And the best way to make up points quickly was with three-pointers.
However, the team's most suitable three-point shooter was currently being completely locked down by a pair of eyes.
No.
He had not been completely shut down yet.
They still had that move!
With that thought, Seijuro Akashi looked toward Miyamoto Tokima. Seeing that Miyamoto Tokima was still guarding Daiki Aomine, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Daiki Aomine was on his left, while Shintaro Midorima was on his right.
That meant Miyamoto Tokima should not be able to intercept the pass.
In that case, there was no reason to hesitate.
Seijuro Akashi suddenly sent Shintaro Midorima a meaningful look.
Shintaro Midorima did not understand at first, but it soon clicked.
He calmly pushed up his glasses and nodded to Seijuro Akashi.
Then he ran to the right side of the three-point arc and suddenly began his shooting motion.
Zack, who was positioned near the baseline, stared at him in confusion.
"What's wrong with that kid? He doesn't even have the ball. Has he lost his mind?"
Nash Gold was equally puzzled, unable to understand what Shintaro Midorima was planning.
Just as he prepared to use the [Belial Eye] to observe the future, he suddenly encountered resistance.
The three seconds of future he could see were instantly reduced to one.
Nash Gold whipped his head toward Seijuro Akashi and found him staring back with his eyes wide open.
The glowing rings of the [Emperor Eye] flickered within his pupils.
While Nash Gold was still trying to understand what was happening, an image suddenly flashed through his mind.
The scene he saw left him utterly stunned.
"You... You're actually doing that?!"
In the next instant, Shintaro Midorima jumped.
At the same time, Seijuro Akashi fired the ball straight toward his hands.
Off the court, Kazunari Takao watched the familiar scene and let out a helpless laugh.
"I hate to admit it, but..."
On the court, the ball arrived perfectly in Shintaro Midorima's hands. Even the position of its seams was exactly right.
The moment Shintaro Midorima caught it, everything felt perfectly comfortable.
For Shintaro Midorima, a pass like this made his shooting even more formidable.
Without the slightest pause, he launched the ball high into the air. It streaked across the court like a beam of light.
Off the court, Kazunari Takao gazed at the scene with admiration and smiled.
"His passes... are so much better than mine."
On the court, Nash Gold and the others stared in disbelief as the ball dropped cleanly through the hoop.
Zack's mouth fell open.
"You can actually play basketball like that?"
Nick was stunned as well. He looked at Shintaro Midorima as though he were staring at a monster.
This was the first time he had ever seen anyone play this way.
Nick was also a shooting guard, but he did not rely entirely on three-pointers. He could drive to the basket and use all kinds of combinations and offensive methods.
But Shintaro Midorima was different.
He did not need to dribble.
He did not need to drive.
All he needed was shooting and defense.
Most terrifying of all, his shooting was absurdly accurate.
He could even make an alley-oop three-pointer!
Nash Gold stood rooted to the spot, staring at Shintaro Midorima's retreating back.
"A top-tier 3-and-D player... A natural-born shooter?"
Possession changed hands.
The Black Dragon Team had the ball.
After dribbling into the frontcourt, Nash Gold once again passed to Miyamoto Tokima and let him take control.
The instant Miyamoto Tokima caught the ball, Daiki Aomine appeared in front of him, accompanied by his signature Blue Lightning. He spread his arms wide and settled into a defensive stance.
Miyamoto Tokima smiled.
"So you're the one guarding me now, Daiki?"
Daiki Aomine replied, "That's right, Miyamoto. Since you're standing on the other side, there's no way I'm letting anyone else guard you."
Miyamoto Tokima gave a faint smile.
"Is that so?"
...
...
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