Shocking Fadeaway Jumper (Revised)

"My god, what kind of move was that?"

"Was that even a shot? It looked like he just tossed it."

"With that form, how did it go in? Did I just imagine that?"

The spectators rubbed their eyes in disbelief, unable to accept what they had just witnessed.

Aida Kenichi's fingers trembled as he pointed to the court below, his eyes wide with disbelief. He exclaimed, "Wh-what… what in the world was that? That shot was absolutely ridiculous!"

Koshino Hiroaki frowned, his expression grave. He slowly said, "This feeling… it's like I've felt it before."

Ikegami Ryoji was still in a daze, the unbelievable scene replaying in his mind. He muttered, "That didn't look like a jump shot, was it a hook shot?"

Sendoh took a deep breath, his face growing more serious. He said in a deep voice, "It seems my previous guess was correct. That guy is very good at that kind of shot."

"Fujima…" Hanagata Toru, shocked, instinctively turned to look at Fujima Kenji beside him, wanting to hear his opinion.

Fujima Kenji stared intently at Qing Junce on the court, his brow furrowed. After a long silence, he finally uttered three words: "Let's watch more."

Maki Shinichi's eyes narrowed into slits.

At that moment, his entire focus was on Qing Junce. He thought to himself, The tide of this game is about to turn. Shohoku's number 9… is a major problem.

He felt an inexplicable pressure emanating from Qing Junce just now.

It was the same feeling he got when facing strong opponents in the National Tournament.

He put himself in the defender's shoes. If he were guarding Qing Junce just now, he would likely be just as helpless as Nangou Koichiro, completely unable to stop him.

The thought itself startled Maki Shinichi.

How could this be?

That number 9 was just a first-year brat!

On the Shohoku side, the players were also stunned by Qing Junce's move, but they were mostly excited.

Miyagi Ryota snapped out of his daze. Though a little reluctant, he grudgingly complimented Qing Junce, "You've really got something."

Mitsui Hisashi recovered from his shock and then smiled slightly. "Even though he's just a first-year brat, I have to admit, that was a beautiful shot."

Akagi Takenori felt admiration too, but he couldn't bring himself to show it. Maintaining a stiff expression, he simply said, "Good shot."

As for Rukawa Kaede, his gaze towards Qing Junce burned with intense fighting spirit. If they hadn't been in the middle of a game, he probably would have already rushed over to challenge Qing Junce to a one-on-one.

Nangou Koichiro gritted his teeth in frustration, "Damn it! You just got lucky. It won't be that easy next time."

Slam… slam… slam…

Godai Tomokazu, though startled by Qing Junce's shot, recovered and began to clap. He then announced loudly, "Don't worry about it. We'll play steadily. The game has just begun."

Hearing their captain's words, the Tsukitake players also snapped out of their shock.

Now was not the time to be spacing out.

With the change of possession, Tsukitake initiated their next offense.

This time, they deliberately avoided Qing Junce, taking a longer route into Shohoku's paint.

With Godai Tomokazu's assistance, the ball was successfully passed to Nangou Koichiro.

Nangou Koichiro leaped high and successfully slammed the ball in for a dunk.

After landing, he deliberately glared at Qing Junce and said, "I told you, I'm going to beat you."

Qing Junce didn't even raise an eyelid, completely ignoring the provocation.

However, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Shohoku inbounded the ball.

This time, before the Tsukitake players could even double-team Qing Junce, the ball was successfully passed to him.

Bang…

Bang…

Bang…

Qing Junce dribbled the ball, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Tsukitake players.

He didn't rush into a fast break, instead slowly dribbling the ball as if he were strolling through a garden.

Seeing this, Mine Kenta immediately moved in to defend.

Qing Junce stopped as he looked at Mine Kenta in front of him.

The other Tsukitake players, seeing this, quickly intensified their defense on their respective targets, preventing Qing Junce from passing.

If Qing Junce knew what they were thinking, he would have scoffed.

Passing?

Sorry, not happening.

In an instant, an inexplicable aura, like ripples on a calm lake, spread outwards from Qing Junce towards the rest of the court.

The players from Tsukitake suddenly felt their bodies sink, as if they had been thrust into an environment with increased gravity. Every muscle, every bone, even the blood flowing through their veins, felt immensely heavy.

What happened?

What was this pressure?

Why did they have such an ominous feeling?

Their minds in turmoil, they subconsciously looked towards the source of this strange sensation, their gazes locking onto Qing Junce.

At this moment, Qing Junce's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes as calm as water yet as sharp as frost. An indescribable confidence and dominance seemed to envelop him, inspiring involuntary awe.

The Tsukitake players swallowed hard, a bead of cold sweat suddenly trickling down their foreheads.

While everyone on the court felt it, the spectators remained oblivious to the change.

They began to discuss amongst themselves.

"Why didn't he go for the fast break just now?"

"He's already being defended by an opponent, so a fast break is impossible now."

"Could he be out of stamina?"

The audience lamented Qing Junce's missed opportunity for a quick offense.

But in the next second, Qing Junce moved.

He suddenly executed a crossover dribble, the move coming unexpectedly, though not as fast as one might imagine.

Still can keep up.

Mine Kenta quickly spread his arms wide, his eyes bulging like copper bells, intently tracking Qing Junce's every move.

However, in a flash, with a "whoosh," Mine Kenta felt a flash of red light before his eyes and a gust of wind hit him. When he looked again, Qing Junce had vanished from his sight.

What?

Mine Kenta's eyes widened as if they would pop out of his head, his mind frozen in disbelief and astonishment, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

He... disappeared.

It wasn't until his reflexes finally caught up that he followed the sensation of the gust of wind and spun around. But all he saw was Qing Junce's retreating back, rapidly increasing the distance between them.

So fast, what kind of speed is this? His initial burst is incredible! Mine Kenta's heart churned like a stormy sea, leaving him too stunned to speak.

The Tsukitake players, witnessing this scene, instantly changed their expressions, gasping involuntarily, their eyes filled with shock.

In the stands, Fujima Kenji, Hanagata Toru, and Maki Shinichi all wore expressions of disbelief.

Having watched countless games, they had never seen anyone cross half the court in the blink of an eye, especially while dribbling and sprinting.

Is he even human?

That's probably the speed of the final sprint in a track and field race!

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...

A series of rapid, dense dribbling sounds exploded like firecrackers.

Before the Tsukitake players could even react, Qing Junce, like a red lightning bolt, had already reached the three-point line in an instant.

Only then did the Tsukitake players belatedly turn their heads, staring in horror at the monstrous figure.

Nangou Koichiro was the first to snap out of his daze. Seeing Qing Junce up close, he reacted instantly.

He lunged forward, spreading his arms wide like a wall, blocking Qing Junce's path, and shouted, "Watch this, I'll block your shot!"

Qing Junce's gaze remained as calm as water, his movements fluid and unhesitating.

He drove into the paint, his toes nearly brushing Nangou Koichiro's, then stopped abruptly and jumped. The entire sequence was executed flawlessly, as smooth as silk.

"You think scoring against me is easy!" Seeing Qing Junce suddenly leap, Nangou Koichiro refused to back down. He stomped his feet and jumped high as well.

He stretched his arms out with all his might, like two giant brooms, completely obscuring the path of Qing Junce's shot.

But in the next second, the confidence on Nangou Koichiro's face froze. His expression shifted like a kaleidoscope, from bewilderment to a hint of surprise, then to astonishment, followed by fear, and finally settling on utter disbelief.

It wasn't just him. Everyone in the stands, from the Tsukitake players on the court to the bench, even the entire Shohoku team, everyone in the gymnasium, slowly opened their mouths, their eyes wide, their faces etched with shock, awe, and disbelief, as if they had witnessed a fantastical, unbelievable sight.

Sendoh's eyes widened, his face a mask of disbelief. He blurted out, "This... you've got to be kidding me!"

Aida Kenichi was completely stunned and exclaimed subconsciously, "My goodness!"

Uozumi's mouth hung open, and he shook his head repeatedly. "No way! That guy..."

Fujima Kenji's brow furrowed into a knot as he muttered to himself, "How could this possibly happen?"

Hanagata Toru was so shocked he couldn't form a complete sentence, only managing to gasp out, "This..."

Although Maki Shinichi remained silent, his tightly knitted brows and solemn gaze clearly revealed his inner astonishment.

On the court, the situation suddenly froze.

The members of Shohoku who had intended to go support Qing Junce, as well as those from Tsukitake rushing back on defense, all stopped in their tracks as if under a paralysis spell. Their gazes were locked onto Qing Junce and Nangou Koichiro, who were in a standoff.

More precisely, their eyes were solely on Qing Junce.

In mid-air, Qing Junce's body slowly leaned back at an unbelievable angle, back, and further back, until he was almost parallel to the ground, as if he were simply lying flat in the air.

Yet, even in this position, he held the basketball steadily, delaying his shot.

Just then, Qing Junce's lips curved into a knowing smile. "You really jumped high, but... that's all you've got."

As his words fell, he forcefully swung his arm, releasing the ball. It traced a slightly high arc through the air, passing precisely over Nangou Koichiro's outstretched hand and heading towards Tsukitake's basket.

Amidst Nangou Koichiro's utter unwillingness to accept it and disbelief, a crisp swish of the net echoed from behind him.

Swish...

The ball went in.

Bang... bang bang... bang bang bang...

The ball hit the floor and slowly rolled to the side.

On the electronic scoreboard, the score quietly changed.

Shohoku 8, Tsukitake 10.

For a moment, the entire venue was silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After an unknown period, with a "boom," it was as if a nuclear bomb that had been dormant for years detonated instantly within the stadium.