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

Rukawa Kaede's voice remained completely calm.

Yet it carries a mocking and deadly power, capable of killing with a single blow.

Zebei's pupils contracted sharply, and he clenched his fists tightly at his sides.

The joints made a faint cracking sound.

A dangerous tension was spreading rapidly between the two aces.

After a brief pause, the whistle blew again.

On the Shohoku bench, everyone stood up and let out a unified roar.

"Go Shohoku! Get back on defense! Get back on defense!"

"Don't give Sannoh a chance to catch their breath!"

Kakuta Satoru took a deep breath, took a stride, and quickly ran towards his own paint area.

His task is very difficult.

He's going to take Sakuragi Hanamichi's place.

The player assigned to guard Sannoh Industrial's power forward, Masahiro Nobe, is known as the "Totem Pole".

The two players had just made contact at the edge of the penalty area.

Kakuta Satoru felt a terrifying sense of oppression, as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him.

"Bang!"

Muscles collided violently, producing a dull thud.

Kakuta Satoru quickly lowered his center of gravity to the lowest point, gripping the wooden floorboards tightly with both feet.

He used all his strength, pressing his hands firmly against Nobe's broad back.

but.

No matter how hard Kakuta gritted his teeth and exerted his strength, no matter how desperately he pushed.

The enormous mountain of flesh blocking their path didn't even budge.

"This...this person is amazing!"

Kakuta Satoru's heart trembled violently, and his forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat.

His tightly closed eyes trembled slightly.

"It can't be pushed or squeezed open."

"It's like a wall made of reinforced concrete, firmly embedded in the floor!"

Nobe Masahiro, who was easily positioned in front, didn't even bother to turn his head.

He only relied on the sensation in his back to slightly feel the feedback of the force coming from behind.

A contemptuous sneer appeared on Nobe's rugged face.

"Is this Shohoku's substitute...?"

Nobe secretly mocked himself, even finding it somewhat boring.

"This kid's strength is too weak."

"It's not nearly enough."

"You don't even qualify to warm me up."

At this moment on the sidelines.

Ayako stuffed a thick wad of toilet paper into Sakuragi Hanamichi's nostrils.

It looks utterly ridiculous.

But the nosebleed was finally stopped by force.

Sakuragi suddenly jumped up from the bench, stretched his shoulders, and started shouting.

"Boss Ayako, I'm completely healed!"

"Let me go on stage!"

"Change players! Change players!"

Suddenly, a frenzied cheer erupted from the audience behind them, as if the dome had been blown off.

"Waaaaaah!"

A sound like a tsunami swept in from all directions.

The entire floor of the Hiroshima Stadium trembled slightly from the shock.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was stunned for a moment.

He stopped, touched his chin, and grinned triumphantly.

"Hahaha!"

"It seems the audience has already felt the terrifying power of my genius."

"Even when I'm sitting on the bench, I can attract everyone's attention."

"The allure of genius is truly a sin!"

however.

The audience behind him were shouting his name at the top of their lungs, but it wasn't his name at all.

"It's Sawakita! Look, Sawakita's going for a one-on-one!"

"Sawakita's one-on-one show is finally about to begin!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi's smile froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place.

He turned his head sharply, following the fervent gazes of the entire audience, and looked towards the stadium.

At this moment, the right wing of the field seemed to have been cleared out by an invisible hand, creating a vast arena.

The other four players from Sannoh Industrial tacitly spread out to the other side, drawing away all the defenders.

Only Eiji Sawakita remained standing outside the three-point line.

Zebei gripped the basketball with one hand, his body slightly lowered.

Standing before him, arms outstretched, staring intently at him in a tense standoff, was none other than Rukawa Kaede.

A tangible aura, visible to the naked eye, collided and compressed wildly between the two.

All the noise seemed to be forcibly removed at this moment.

Whether it's the other players on the field or the coaches and players on the bench.

Everyone's eyes were fixed intently on the scene.

The press box on the sidelines immediately erupted into a frenzy of commotion.

"Quick! Focus the lens!"

"Open the aperture to its widest setting!"

"We need to capture those moments of their duel perfectly!"

In front of the Shohoku bench.

Kogure Kiminobu pushed up his slipped glasses, his palms already clenched with cold, damp sweat.

He looked at Zebei on the field, his voice filled with undisguised shock.

"At this moment, the entire audience's attention was focused on them."

Even though no action has been taken yet.

"Just by standing there, I can completely control the atmosphere and rhythm of the entire stadium."

"Truly a heavyweight in high school basketball... the number one high school player, Eiji Sawakita."

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood on the sidelines, his hands clenched into fists.

He looked at the short-haired monk on the field, gritted his teeth, and cursed angrily.

"Arrogant little monk... what are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty!"

Sakuragi paused, his gaze shifting to Rukawa on the defensive end with a complex expression.

Although Rukawa Kaede, that sly fox, is nothing in my eyes.

I always hoped he would make a fool of himself.

but.

The oppressive aura emanating from Zebei now is several times more terrifying than that of Maki Shinichi, the former emperor of Hainan.

If the two of them were to fight head-on...

I'm actually a little worried for that sly fox, Rukawa Kaede.

On the field.

Rukawa Kaede lowered his center of gravity and stretched out his arms.

Like a lone wolf lurking in the shadows, ready to deliver a fatal blow to its prey at any moment.

He breathed very softly, his gaze fixed intently on Zebei's shoulders and waist.

Sudden.

Rukawa Kaede and Sawakita's eyes collided fiercely in mid-air.

Those were eyes that were absolutely cold, absolutely confident, and even revealed a hint of cruelty.

There was no extra emotion in Zebei's eyes.

In that instant their eyes met.

Zebei's eyes glanced to the right very naturally.

This is a subtle movement.

But for top players, a shift in their gaze often means a shift in their center of gravity.

Rukawa Kaede's nerves immediately tensed up, and his body's muscles instinctively shifted to the right in a defensive anticipation.

However, the next second!

Sawakita Eiji's left shoulder suddenly sank downwards.

The basketball slammed into the floor on the left with tremendous force.

The soles of the shoes made a screeching sound as they rubbed against the wooden floor.

Zebei actually managed to break through from the left!

Still as a virgin, swift as thunder.

He started moving at an absurdly fast speed, even leaving a blurry afterimage in the air.

Inside the Hiroshima Arena, a collective gasp of shock erupted from the entire stadium.

"So fast!"

"There was absolutely no unnecessary preparation; what level of explosive power is that!"

Just as Zebei was about to pass by Rukawa and completely break through the defenses.

Rukawa Kaede let out a furious roar in his heart.

"Don't even think about it!"

"I will not let you get away with this!"

boom!

Deep within Rukawa Kaede's pupils.

A bewitching and fierce red light flashed by.

The beast dormant within him was completely awakened by a strong sense of crisis.

Wild Red Fox!

Fully operational!