Chapter 013: Mibayashi Kōji Was Shaken a Full Three Meters Away!
Mirai's heart tightened slightly. Though the ball had left his hands, he couldn't deny the momentary fluctuation in his focus.
As expected...
Clang!
The ball ultimately struck the back rim!
Bouncing off the hoop.
As for Kōji, his hand nearly brushed against Mirai's face but retracted at the last possible moment—not even touching a single strand of hair!
Mirai raised an eyebrow.
He had instinctively thought Kōji was really going to slap his face.
Mirai: "..."
Live and learn.
Missing this shot didn't discourage or frustrate Mirai in the slightest. After all, compared to the 80% "Almost Never Airballs" rate during Advance On-Demand, his current "Strive to Avoid Airballs" rate of 45% naturally couldn't guarantee every shot would go in.
...
On the next possession, Mirai once again faced Kōji's offensive drive.
Crossover dribble!
Drop step!
Half-spin...
Swish~!
Mirai abruptly reached out!
Kōji's heart jumped. Despite being extremely cautious, this guy still managed to touch the ball!
Damn!
Was it anticipation?
Regardless, his reflexes were incredibly fast!
Although Mirai made contact with the ball, Kōji's careful ball protection this time prevented a full steal. He scrambled to recover possession, barely maintaining control.
Soon after.
Kōji called for a screen from his team's big man, but still couldn't shake Mirai's "Spider Step." Forced to protect the ball with his back to the basket, he opted for a kick-out pass to the perimeter.
Iwaori, the power forward received the pass in time and sank a mid-range jumper.
The lead stretched back to 12 points.
Mirai inbounded the ball.
Ōdai advanced steadily upcourt. After coming off Shinshu's screen, Mirai positioned himself beyond the three-point line at the left 45-degree angle.
He stood sideways to the basket.
Behind him, Kōji fought through the defense, closing in relentlessly.
Masaya's pass was already airborne!
Mirai caught the ball.
At that moment!
Just as Kōji closed in, Mirai pivoted sideways and immediately spun back to accelerate past him!
Not blindingly fast!
Kōji reacted instantly, sticking to him like glue!
But the next second...
Tap!
The moment Mirai's front foot landed from the spin, he used it as a pivot point, transforming the fake drive into an immediate step-back!
And as always...
The entire sequence originated from beyond the three-point line!
So when the urgent dribbling sounds erupted!
From Kōji's perspective, the figure had already retreated far back—in the blink of an eye, stepping back a full stride beyond the arc!
Moreover...
The ball was already hoisted high, ready for release!
The air!
Froze instantly!
Leaving only...
The crisp, clean swish of the net!
"Damn it!"
Kōji glared fiercely.
Mirai simply spread his hands.
Pay no mind to Kōji's muttered complaints.
Meanwhile, Kōji felt his anger burning hotter by the second.
This year, Tsugawa Tomoki, who had advanced to his second year on the team, had recently guarded every player on the Iwaori squad. His defensive style—combining intense pressure with a provocative smile—proved highly effective.
Though he couldn't match Tsugawa's infuriating grin, he had developed his own version: trash talk mixed with subtle fouls, deliberately needling his opponents.
Once they lost their cool, their movements inevitably fell apart.
But this guy was different.
Not only did he show no anger, but he also mirrored Tsugawa's demeanor—smiling throughout the defense.
How disgusting!
...
On the next possession, the Iwaori point guard dribbled across half-court, his eyes locked on Kōji.
This time, Mirai didn't cling tightly to Kōji.
Instead, he kept a step's distance, occasionally glancing toward the perimeter on the other side.
Seeing this, the Iwaori point guard assumed he was guarding against a pass to the outside.
Reassured, he passed to Kōji—but in that instant, Mirai exploded into motion like a cheetah, his lateral speed unbelievably fast!
He leaped into the air, intercepting the pass mid-flight!
Only then did the Iwaori point guard realize he'd been completely fooled. Those glances to the perimeter were all an act—meant to make him think Mirai was distracted!
In truth, Mirai's focus had never left Captain Mibayashi for a second!
After stealing the ball, Mirai immediately pushed it up the court!
However...
Compared to his lightning-fast defensive footwork, his dribbling speed was noticeably slower. Already, a figure closed in from behind—
Mibayashi Kōji!
He shadowed Mirai relentlessly, like a hound locked onto its prey!
Without the defensive boost of the Spider Step on offense, Mirai's speed fell short. Just past half-court, Kōji caught up, reaching in from the side to fiercely disrupt his dribble.
"Don't even think about getting past!"
Mirai glanced sideways—Masaya had already sprinted into position. It was a perfect two-on-one opportunity, but under Kōji's suffocating pressure, he couldn't manage a one-handed pass.
Mirai: "..."
If that's how it is...
Then I won't pass.
Dribbling to just beyond the three-point line, he slammed on the brakes!
Whoosh~!
The air whistled!
His motion froze abruptly!
A sudden stop for a three-pointer in transition clearly caught Kōji off guard!
Gathering the ball!
Leaping up!
Kōji reacted too late, his view sinking lower and lower—until he was level with Mirai's knees, stumbling back over three meters away!
Thud~!
He landed hard, flat on his rear!
At the same moment, Mirai flicked his wrist and released the ball!
His form remained silky smooth!
The ball spun backward off his fingertips, arcing toward the basket!
Swish!
Nothing but net!
The lead shrank to 6 points!
The Ōdai students in the arena erupted in continuous applause and cheers!
Step.
Step.
Step.
Mirai strolled over to Kōji, looking down at his furrowed brow and stiff expression.
Kōji looked up and met Mirai's gaze. The moment their eyes connected, he clearly saw a faint glimpse of... unrestrained excitement and exhilaration in the other's eyes!
Seeing this, Coach Iwaori hastily called another timeout.
And only slightly over two minutes had passed since the last timeout!
The point gap had already shrunk from 12 points to 6!
This was in Ōdai Middle School's gymnasium. Once the opposing team gained momentum, it would be difficult to suppress it again. So when all of Iwaori's players gathered around, the coach pointed at Mirai from a distance and said to Tsugawa:
"You take the main defensive assignment against him!"
Hearing this, Kōji couldn't help but feel somewhat dejected. Clearly, the coach no longer trusted his defense. But thinking about it, it made sense—under his defense, that guy had just hit two consecutive three-pointers and contributed two steals.
In just two short minutes, he had been completely dominated.
If he were the coach, he would have made a substitution too.
Meanwhile.
Tsugawa glanced at Mirai from a distance, his signature 'Tsugawa smile' curling at the corners of his mouth as he nodded firmly.