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

Sakuragi held firm against Akagi's attack.

Although he staggered, the indomitable spirit in his eyes burned ever brighter.

On the other side of the stadium, it was an even more intense clash.

Rukawa is defending Linbei.

"How scary..." Haruko murmured to herself.

At this moment, Rukawa Kaede was completely different from usual.

He exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

Those narrow, almond-shaped eyes held no impurities, only a pure, breathtaking focus.

That aura was like a newly unsheathed demonic sword, so sharp that no one dared to look directly at it.

Yohei leaned against the doorframe and said in a low voice:

"Rukawa is very strong. Although everyone is highly motivated, but..."

"He seemed to be fighting desperately, as if something was chasing him from behind."

On the field.

Lin Bei had the ball, facing Rukawa's close marking.

"Oh? Your eyes have changed."

Lin Bei's lips curled slightly.

He could clearly feel that the intensity of the confrontation that Rukawa Kaede was providing had increased by more than one level.

This kid's been provoked.

Lin Bei didn't use any fancy dribbling techniques.

It was just a simple trial step, then suddenly accelerated.

Rukawa Kaede reacted extremely quickly.

He moved sideways like a cheetah to block Lin Bei, his chest slamming into Lin Bei with a dull thud.

In the past, Rukawa Kaede might have been bounced away.

But today, he gritted his teeth and refused to back down an inch.

The long arms, like a spider web, constantly interfered with Lin Bei's dribbling routes.

This suffocating defensive pressure sent chills down the spines of Miyagi and Mitsui, who were watching the game from the sidelines.

"Hey!! Master!"

"What are you doing?!"

Just then, Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had been pushed aside by Akagi, suddenly rushed over and shouted loudly.

"Pass the ball quickly! This genius is open!!"

Lin Bei caught a glimpse of Sakuragi's location out of the corner of his eye.

It is indeed a good opportunity.

He flicked his wrist.

The basketball seemed to have eyes, slipping past Rukawa's armpit and flying precisely towards Sakuragi.

"Hahaha! Watch this genius's super genius layup!!"

Sakuragi caught the ball, took three steps in two, and leaped high into the air.

He had even planned out his goal celebration, he had even thought of the exact movements.

however.

A dark figure appeared from the side like a ghost.

Without any warning, without the slightest hesitation.

The moment Lin Bei passed the ball, Rukawa Kaede turned and jumped, his explosive power reaching its physiological limit.

He caught up with Sakuragi in mid-air and slapped him hard with his right hand.

"Smack!!!"

A deafening roar, like a thunderclap.

The basketball was slapped hard by Rukawa Kaede, crashing into the backboard and bouncing far away.

A volleyball-style powerful block!

Sakuragi lost his balance and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone was so shocked by this scene that they were speechless.

This is just an intra-team scrim...

The force with which it was sealed was so strong it felt like it was going to kill someone.

"It hurts, it hurts..."

Sakuragi rubbed his backside and got up, instantly enraged, pointing at Rukawa's nose and cursing:

"You damned fox!! Are you insane?!"

"That's a sure goal from this genius!"

"Do you want to fight?!"

Rukawa landed, his chest heaving violently.

Sweat dripped down his chin and spread across the floor.

He stared coldly at Sakuragi, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a roadside stone.

"Let me make this clear from the start."

"I don't have time to take care of you."

"I don't have time to play house with you either."

Rukawa Kaede's voice was hoarse, carrying a chilling aura.

Sakuragi was stunned.

He had never seen Rukawa Kaede show such an expression before.

Although Rukawa Kaede was cold in the past, it was more of an indifference.

Now, however, there is a sense of urgency.

It's a feeling of being chased by something, having to run forward desperately, or else falling into an abyss.

Rukawa Kaede ignored everyone's reactions.

Coach Anzai's words and the tragic end of that man named Tanizawa kept echoing in his mind.

First, become the strongest high school student.

"Prove it to me first before you go to America."

If you don't cross this mountain and see the wider world, you'll die at the bottom of the well.

"Give me the ball."

Rukawa shouted at Kuwata on the sidelines.

Sang Tian shuddered in fright, as if he had received an imperial edict, and quickly threw the ball over.

Rukawa Kaede receives the ball, facing Lin Bei who has regained his position.

This time, he made no feints.

Lower your center of gravity and unleash a burst of power.

The first step was as fast as a black lightning bolt, tearing the air apart.

Lin Bei raised an eyebrow, and just as he took a step, Rukawa Kaede suddenly stopped abruptly while traveling at high speed.

Immediately following a sharp change of direction, he forcefully squeezed past Lin Bei on the right.

"Drink it!!"

Rukawa Kaede charged into the penalty area, showing no fear as he faced Akagi's cover.

He leaped off one foot, his body in the air resembling a fully drawn bow, exuding a violent beauty.

Akagi reached out and covered it, blotting out the sky and the sun.

But Rukawa Kaede froze in mid-air for a moment, unleashing his core strength to dodge Akagi's large hand.

Then, grabbing the ball with one hand, he smashed it hard towards the basket.

"Clang!!!"

A powerful, one-handed tomahawk dunk.

The basketball hoop groaned in pain, as if it were about to break at any moment.

Rukawa landed, let go, and turned around.

There was no celebration, no shouting.

There was only deathly silence.

He simply wiped the sweat from his face silently, his eyes still as cold as knives.

The entire stadium was completely silent, except for the "thump-thump" sound of basketballs bouncing on the ground.

Everyone was stunned by the power of that shot.

"This...this is Rukawa Kaede?"

"It feels like he... has really evolved."

At the doorway, Haruko clutched her chest with both hands, her gaze fixed intently on Rukawa Kaede's figure, unable to look away.

She was deeply attracted by Rukawa Kaede's focused, wild, and lonely demeanor just now.

That kind of brilliance, that willingness to do anything for one's dream, is so dazzling, it's practically unfair.

She remained silent, unable to utter a single word.

But his eyes were full of him.

It was as if everything around him had become a backdrop, leaving only that spirited young man.

This scene was witnessed by Lin Bei, who was standing to the side.

Lin Bei watched Rukawa Kaede's retreating figure.

He glanced at Haruko, who was staring intently at the door, and shook his head helplessly.

My foolish apprentice's love life is going through some rough patches.

……

The training continued until it was completely dark and the moon had climbed to the treetops.

Akagi Takenori looked at the group of people who were exhausted and collapsed on the floor, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good! Today's training is now over!"

"Oh……"

The group responded weakly, feeling as if their souls had left their bodies and were floating in mid-air.

Lin Bei suddenly perked up, as if he were fully charged, and jumped up, waving his hand.

"To celebrate the captain's return!"

"It's my treat tonight!"

"Let's go get some barbecue! All you can eat!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!!!"

Sakuragi, who had been like a corpse, was instantly revived.

He leaped to his feet, his eyes gleaming green, and drool was practically dripping from his mouth.

"Meat! Meat! Meat!"

"Master, you are such a kind person!!"

"Long live barbecue! Long live the master chef!"

The once lifeless Shohoku team instantly came back to life.

The cheers nearly lifted the roof off.

Only Rukawa Kaede was still quietly packing his things.

"Hey, Rukawa."

Lin Bei walked over and precisely placed a towel over his head.

"Stop holding back. You need to eat well to have the energy to be number one. Let's go."

Rukawa Kaede pulled off the towel, then paused.

In the end, he silently picked up his bag.

He gave a soft "hmm".