Daiki Aomine sprinted toward the paint and leaped high into the air.
At the exact same moment, Tetsuya Kuroko slapped the ball forward.
The basketball streaked through the air toward Daiki Aomine, leaving a white trail behind it.
It looked exactly like an alley-oop.
Atsushi Murasakibara's presence erupted violently.
He bent his knees and launched himself upward.
His purple hair whipped wildly through the air, and his expression turned fierce.
No one except Miyamoto Tokima was allowed to dunk over him!
Atsushi Murasakibara raised his right hand directly into Daiki Aomine's expected dunking path.
The moment Daiki Aomine caught the ball, Atsushi Murasakibara would be able to stuff it immediately.
But then Daiki Aomine suddenly flashed him a mysterious smile.
Atsushi Murasakibara frowned in confusion.
What was that supposed to mean?
The next second, Daiki Aomine pulled both hands back and began descending.
Atsushi Murasakibara looked up.
The basketball was still in the air, about to sail over both of their heads.
Was it a mistake?
No.
That wasn't it!
Atsushi Murasakibara's pupils suddenly contracted.
That pass had never been meant for Daiki Aomine!
It was meant for...
"RAAAAGH!"
A furious roar erupted from behind Atsushi Murasakibara.
He whipped his head around in shock.
Taiga Kagami was already soaring high into the air, his expression deadly serious.
Smack!
Taiga Kagami caught Tetsuya Kuroko's pass with his right hand and pulled the ball back.
In midair, his arm looked like an axe being drawn back before a devastating swing.
"Don't underestimate us!"
Taiga Kagami roared and brought his right arm down with tremendous force, like a giant axe crashing toward the ground.
BANG!
Reo Mibuchi's mouth fell open.
He didn't even know how to describe what he had just seen.
It wasn't only Tetsuya Kuroko who had become a dazzling "Light."
Daiki Aomine had done the same.
One after another, the two of them had drawn Reo Mibuchi's attention as brilliant "Lights," all to conceal the final "Light."
It was a three-man combination play!
On the court, the impact struck Atsushi Murasakibara from the side.
Even though his balance had been perfectly stable, he lost it again and staggered several steps sideways.
Daiki Aomine wasn't much better off.
He stumbled backward two steps before dropping onto the floor.
After landing, Taiga Kagami walked over and held out a hand.
"Hey, hey, hey." Daiki Aomine got back up and patted off his shorts, looking thoroughly exasperated. "You seriously didn't think about me being there too?"
Taiga Kagami scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry, sorry. I wasn't thinking that far ahead."
Daiki Aomine rubbed his forehead helplessly, unsure what to say.
Then both Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami suddenly stiffened.
Their eyes shifted to the side at the same time.
Atsushi Murasakibara stood there with his head lowered.
A purple-white glow was beginning to radiate from his body.
A powerful yet oppressive presence spread from Atsushi Murasakibara, making both Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami shudder.
Atsushi Murasakibara slowly raised his head.
Faint white light seemed to flicker in his eyes.
His expression had become ferocious, like an enraged giant bear.
"ROAR!"
A massive white bear appeared behind Atsushi Murasakibara.
"White?!" Daiki Aomine exclaimed.
"Wasn't it brown before?" Taiga Kagami asked in equal disbelief.
Atsushi Murasakibara's Animal Instinct had always manifested as a brown bear.
So why had it suddenly turned white?
On the sideline, Satsuki Momoi watched with a puzzled expression.
"Hm?" she murmured. "Is this the same kind of change in Animal Instinct that happened with Anthony? Did it evolve... or mutate?"
Satsuki Momoi pulled out her notebook and picked up a pen, preparing to record what she was seeing.
After all, this development had been completely outside her expectations.
Back on the court, Atsushi Murasakibara activated his Animal Instinct and slowly locked eyes with Taiga Kagami.
Then, in a low and heavy voice, he said,
"I'll crush you."
A chill immediately ran down Taiga Kagami's back.
He had the distinct feeling that something very bad was about to happen.
...
Possession changed.
Kirisaki Daiichi's ball.
After Miyamoto Tokima reached the frontcourt, he flicked his wrist and sent an accurate pass straight into Atsushi Murasakibara's hands.
Miyamoto Tokima wanted to see just how far this altered Animal Instinct, whether it had evolved or mutated, could take Atsushi Murasakibara.
The moment Atsushi Murasakibara caught the ball, he immediately backed into Taiga Kagami.
Fortunately, Taiga Kagami had been ready for it and managed to withstand the first impact.
But he noticed something right away.
Atsushi Murasakibara had gotten stronger.
A single collision had already thrown Taiga Kagami's breathing out of rhythm and made him stumble.
Even worse, before Taiga Kagami could properly regain his footing, Atsushi Murasakibara slammed into him again.
It wasn't just his strength.
He had gotten faster too.
Just as Taiga Kagami braced himself to be sent flying, someone stepped in front of him.
BANG!
"Ugh! Pfft!"
Daiki Aomine barely got half a grunt out before the impact knocked the air straight out of him.
He hadn't managed to take a full breath before rushing over.
And he hadn't expected Atsushi Murasakibara's strength to be this overwhelming.
That single collision made Daiki Aomine feel as if his entire body was about to fall apart.
Seeing Atsushi Murasakibara preparing to ram into them again, Daiki Aomine immediately shouted,
"Help me out!"
He quickly sucked in a short breath and raised both hands to brace himself.
Taiga Kagami hurriedly stabilized his footing, took a deep breath, and joined Daiki Aomine in resisting Atsushi Murasakibara.
The next second...
BANG!
A tremendous force crashed into Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami like a violent tidal wave.
"Pfft!"
"Pfft!"
Neither of them could withstand it.
The impact knocked the breath out of both of them and completely disrupted their breathing.
Daiki Aomine and Taiga Kagami were driven backward at high speed, retreating all the way out of bounds before finally managing to steady themselves.
On the sideline, Ryota Kise shot to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.
"How is that possible?! Aomine and Kagamicchi together still couldn't stop Murasakibaracchi?!"
Ryota Kise could hardly believe it.
Two people had failed to withstand the strength of one man.
"Their breathing was already too disrupted. They never had a chance to recover properly," Kōzō Shirogane said with a frown. "And Murasakibara's attacks are coming too quickly. Most people simply can't keep up with his rhythm."
On the court, after overpowering Taiga Kagami and Daiki Aomine, Atsushi Murasakibara let out an angry roar.
A violent whirlwind seemed to erupt beneath his feet.
His entire body rose like a tornado.
After turning halfway through the air, he slammed the ball through the hoop with both hands.
[Thor's Hammer]!
...