Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Inside the car, the air pressure was so low it was suffocating.

The street scene outside the window was stretched into a blurry band of light, rushing backward.

Ayako gripped the seatbelt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the effort, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

"Lin Bei... Coach... what if he...?"

Her voice was choked with sobs, a testament to her fear of the unknown.

Coach Anzai is more than just a coach; he is the pillar of Shohoku High School and the "father" of these problem children.

If the pillar collapses, the sky will fall for Shohoku.

"Shut your mouth, don't scare yourself."

Lin Bei rubbed the steering wheel with one hand while rapidly shifting gears with the other.

His face was expressionless, but there was a fierce glint in his eyes.

"He just fainted; the old man's tough as nails."

"But... in your phone call just now..."

What they say on the phone is not important.

Lin Bei interrupted her, his voice as deep as iron.

"I have money, lots of money."

"I will hire the best doctors in the world and use the most expensive medicine."

He glanced at Ayako, who was still sobbing, and softened his tone slightly, with a hint of awkwardness as if he were coaxing a child.

So, wipe away your tears.

"You're the butler of Shohoku High School. When you get to the hospital, you need to stay calm and handle things properly. What kind of behavior is this, crying and sobbing like this?"

Ayako paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at Lin Bei.

This guy, who is usually lazy and full of witty remarks, now has a profile as sharp as a granite block.

That kind of composure, remaining unmoved even when Mount Tai collapses before you, inexplicably brings a sense of peace.

"Um……"

Ayako hastily wiped her face and took a deep breath.

"I see."

……

The other side of the world.

Orlando, USA.

The sun was scorching, and the air was filled with dry, sweltering heat.

Inside a top-tier rehabilitation center, Takenori Akagi was lifting weights, his brow beaded with sweat.

The massive machine made a dull thud in his hands.

"Ninety-eight...ninety-nine...one hundred!"

Akagi let out a low growl, threw down his equipment, and sweat dripped down his resolute chin onto the floor.

Thanks to the "money power" treatment arranged by Lin Bei, his ankle has improved a lot.

"Great job!" The Black trainer gave a thumbs up.

Akagi grabbed a towel to wipe his face and was about to drink some water.

Sudden.

"Thump!"

It felt like my heart was being squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

A sudden, unexpected feeling of palpitation exploded within me.

The water bottle slipped from my hand and shattered with a "crack," splashing water everywhere.

"Hey, are you okay?" The trainer was startled.

Akagi didn't say anything.

He clutched his chest; the panic he felt didn't stop, but instead rose higher and higher like a tide.

It's as if something extremely important is being forcibly stripped away.

He subconsciously looked up at the window.

The sky in Orlando is so blue it looks unreal.

But in Akagi's eyes, it was shrouded in a layer of gray, deathly aura.

"What exactly happened?"

Akagi muttered to himself, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"I need to make a phone call."

Akagi didn't even bother to wipe his sweat before turning around and rushing towards the locker room, his back view showing a hurried frantic movement.

……

Kanagawa Prefectural Gymnasium.

The battle here has entered its final countdown.

All the noise was swept away, leaving only the "thump-thump" of the basketball hitting the floor and the players' panting breaths.

The red lettering on the scoreboard was glaringly obvious.

80: 82.

20 seconds remain. Hainan has possession.

A desperate situation. A truly desperate situation.

"Defense!! Hold the line!!"

On the sidelines, Shigeichi Taoka had gone mad; his tie was askew under his armpits, and his voice was hoarse from shouting.

If we can defend against it, there's still a chance!

However, the one with the ball is Shinichi Maki.

The man who was once called "Emperor".

"Huff... huff..."

Sendoh Akira supported himself on his knees, sweat pouring down his face.

My vision started to blur; the side effects of Zone state were backfiring violently.

Across from him, Shinichi Maki still stood like a towering mountain.

Although he was panting, his purple eyes were filled with a despairing calmness.

"It's over, Sendoh."

Shinichi Maki dribbled the ball, not in a hurry to attack. He was wasting time.

If Hainan can finish these 20 seconds, they will be the champion.

"Want a ball?"

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Amu's mouth as he turned to the side, sticking his butt out and using his broad back to firmly hold his position.

"Come and get it."

This is both an open conspiracy and an insult.

Sendoh gritted his teeth and tried to pounce, but Maki Shinichi's strength was too abnormal; every confrontation felt like hitting a wall.

15 seconds... 12 seconds...

Despair grew wildly in the hearts of the Ryonan team members like poisonous weeds.

Just when everyone thought the game was about to end in garbage time.

An inconspicuous shadow moved.

Lingnan No. 6, off-road Hongming.

As a tool player, he was practically invisible on the offensive end, and even the people from Hainan didn't bother with him.

But at this moment, this invisible man has transformed into a ghost on the court.

He crept along the baseline and silently crept up behind Maki Shinichi.

Shinichi Maki devoted all his energy to Sendoh.

In his eyes, everyone else was just background.

However, it was this very backdrop that revealed its true colors.

Just as Amu was about to switch hands and dribble to show off and win the game.

A hand emerged from under his armpit like a ghost.

Swift, accurate, and ruthless! A strike from the top-tier sixth-ranking officer!

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

The ball that was originally stuck to Maki Shinichi's hand was cut off!

"What?!"

Maki Shinichi's pupils dilated in shock, and his composure in complete control shattered instantly.

The whole place erupted in chaos!

"It's intercepted!! The ball has been intercepted!!"

"Holy crap! When did that sixth guy sneak over there?!"

The basketball rolled toward the center circle.

There was a blue figure there, faster than anyone else.

Sendoh Akira!

He anticipated it the moment he made his move.

This is the tacit understanding between teammates, and also the intuition of a genius.

"Well done, off-road!"

Sendoh picked up the ball, and his legs, which had felt like lead, suddenly surged with a final burst of power.

"Counterattack—!!"

Sendoh roared and sprinted with the ball.

5 seconds!

"Don't even think about running!!"

A loud shout came from behind.

Maki Shinichi's red color has warmed up.

To have one's home raided is a disgrace to an emperor!

He burst forth with terrifying speed, chasing after the car like a runaway heavy truck.

The two, one after the other, instantly crossed the halfway point.

close!

4 seconds!

Sendoh steps into the free-throw line and takes off!

His body stretched out in the air, catching the ball with one hand—it was a final, desperate gamble.

At the same time, a dark shadow loomed behind them, obscuring the sun.

Shinichi Maki jumped up too!

Higher! Stronger!

That large hand completely blocked all of Sendoh's dunking angles.

"Get down here!!"

Maki Shinichi roared in the air, determined to block this shot!

On the sidelines, Coach Gao Tou vigorously fanned himself with his folding fan: "We won! Maki's positioning was perfect!"

If it's the usual way of immortals.

If it were Sendoh, the one who prioritizes the overall situation and loves to pass the ball.

Faced with such a deadlock, they will definitely pass the ball.

Fukuda Kichijo's flank is now empty!

"Pass it on, Sendoh!!" Fukuda shouted in his heart.

Shinichi Maki in the air thought the same thing.

His hand instinctively veered an inch toward Fukuda, preparing to intercept the pass.

Just one inch.

But for geniuses, this is the boundary between life and death.

The immortal in the sky noticed this slight change, and a carefree smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

The smile had lost its gentleness, replaced by a wild, untamed energy.

I'm sorry.

I'm not passing this ball.