(Note: I made some changes to Chapters 17, 18, and 19. You can reread those parts of the story.)
Shōhoku's bench.
"Super-high-speed dribbling." Shimizu Kanon focused her gaze and seriously explained it to everyone. "This was A-Ce's original playing style, and it's also one of his abilities."
Super-high-speed dribbling?
Qing Junce's original playing style?
One of his abilities?
Everyone from Shōhoku wore a blank expression, their eyes filled with confusion. It was as if the familiar game of basketball had suddenly become strange to them.
Ayako could not help being the first to speak. With curiosity written all over her face, she asked, "Kanon, you said this was Qing Junce's original playing style? What exactly does that mean?"
The others around them also fell silent, casting expectant looks toward Shimizu Kanon as they waited for her answer.
Shimizu Kanon organized her thoughts briefly before slowly saying, "A-Ce has played on street courts since he was little. That environment cultivated a playing style in him that was completely different from orthodox basketball."
Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had still been pestering the coach, also quieted down. He widened his dead-fish eyes, interested in hearing Shimizu Kanon continue.
Shimizu Kanon continued explaining, "A-Ce's style isn't bound by any rules or forms. He does whatever he wants. On the court, he's like a free dancer. Any movement can become a way for him to dribble, and any moment can become the instant he takes a shot, just like that seemingly casual shot A-Ce made earlier. Super-high-speed dribbling combined with his Unorthodox Style shots—that's A-Ce's true playing style."
The moment her voice fell, the entire Shōhoku bench sank into absolute silence.
The corners of Kogure Kiminobu and the others' mouths twitched uncontrollably, while their eyelids kept jumping.
Following Shimizu Kanon's description, they imagined Qing Junce using super-high-speed dribbling and Formless shots at the same time.
Hiss...
A moment later, everyone could not help sucking in a cold breath. What a shocking, exaggerated scene that would be!
Recalling Qing Junce's astonishing dribbling on the court just now, everyone felt a jolt in their hearts.
Holy crap.
What the hell was that?
Everyone thought to themselves in secret. Just imagining it made their backs prickle with cold, and fear welled up inside them.
Fortunately, though, such a powerful player was a member of Shōhoku.
Coach Anzai had also quietly listened to Shimizu Kanon's explanation.
The gaze behind his lenses grew deeper and wiser.
The dribbling skills Qing Junce had just displayed had truly shocked him.
He had never seen such a way of dribbling. He had to admit that he had still underestimated Qing Junce's talent.
He had never expected this young man to be such a monster.
In that era, street basketball had yet to rise in popularity. Thus, it was easy to imagine how stunning and shocking the super-high-speed dribbling Qing Junce had displayed was.
On the court, the players from Tsukitake stood frozen in place as if under a binding spell. Their eyes were dull and numb as they stared straight at Qing Junce.
A foolish grin actually appeared on their faces without their realizing it.
Heh heh heh heh...
That laughter was hollow and powerless, as if they were hypnotizing themselves.
I must have seen things just now.
It was an illusion. It definitely had to be an illusion.
Am I dreaming? Yes, I must be dreaming!
They consoled themselves over and over in their minds, trying to make themselves believe that what they had just seen was not real.
Nangou Koichiro, sprawled on the ground, had completely forgotten the pain in his body.
His eyes stared blankly as he looked at the upright figure beneath his team's basket, and deep fear surged in his heart.
A devil. I saw a devil.
He screamed inwardly, and his confidence began to totter and gradually crumble at that very moment.
The people from Shōhoku also looked at Qing Junce with faces full of disbelief, their eyes filled with lingering shock.
They knew Qing Junce was very strong, but they had never imagined he could be so outrageously powerful.
What kind of joke was this?
Could basketball really be played like that?
They cried out inwardly, their faces filled with incredulity.
Akagi Takenori furrowed his brows tightly and thought to himself, "What kind of monster joined the Basketball Club?"
Mitsui Hisashi's mouth hung slightly open as he muttered, "What exactly is that thing?"
Miyagi Ryota widened his eyes, his face full of astonishment. "What did I just see?"
A hint of hesitation flashed through Rukawa Kaede's eyes, and he could not help wondering, "Should I still challenge him one-on-one when I get back...?"
Time passed second by second.
As the game continued, Qing Junce fully displayed his terrifying strength, showing everyone what a truly unstoppable scoring king was.
Although he still had not used the larger movements of his super-high-speed dribbling, nor had he used those incredibly difficult Formless shots, his performance so far had already left the spectators and players dumbfounded and speechless. Even fear began to grow in the depths of their hearts.
That was right—fear, the awe and dread that arose involuntarily when facing absolute strength.
Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
Beneath Tsukitake's basket, the sound of the basketball striking the floor rang out repeatedly.
Qing Junce and Nangou Koichiro faced each other once again.
Without the slightest hesitation, Qing Junce jumped high with the ball.
In midair, he raised the ball in one hand, taking on the appearance of someone about to dunk.
Seeing this, Nangou Koichiro thought Qing Junce was going for a dunk. He immediately leaped up and stretched out his hand to block him with all his strength.
At that critical moment, an eerie smile curled at the corner of Qing Junce's mouth. He lightly flicked his wrist, and the basketball traced an uncanny arc, shooting past Nangou Koichiro's palm at a strange angle.
Nangou Koichiro hurriedly reacted, but he was a step too slow. His entire hand slammed heavily into Qing Junce's arm.
Toot...
At the same time, the referee's sharp whistle rang out.
Swish...
The basketball went cleanly through the net.
Immediately afterward, the referee's voice rang out clearly. "Tsukitake No. 15, reaching-in foul. The basket counts, plus one free throw."
"Damn it!" Nangou Koichiro's face was filled with frustration, his heart overflowing with unwillingness.
Qing Junce, meanwhile, stood calmly on the free-throw line. He raised the ball and shot in one smooth motion.
With a swish, the basketball easily went through the net, making the free throw.
Similar scenes continued to play out during the rest of the game.
Qing Junce and Nangou Koichiro faced off once again, still beneath Tsukitake's basket.
Qing Junce leaped into the air in front of the free-throw line.
"Ah..." Nangou Koichiro roared and jumped after him to block the shot.
Qing Junce raised the ball with both hands and drew a circle from right to left, top to bottom, deftly avoiding Nangou Koichiro's palm before smoothly releasing the ball.
Realizing something was wrong, Nangou Koichiro hurriedly tried to change his movement and block him. In his panic, his elbow accidentally brushed against Qing Junce's arm.
Toot...
The referee's sharp whistle rang out again.
Swish...
As expected, the basketball dropped into the hoop.
At the same time, the referee's voice rang out once more. "Tsukitake No. 15, defensive foul. The basket counts, plus one free throw."
Nangou Koichiro's eyes widened. Unwillingness and despair filled his gaze as he stared at the referee in disbelief.
Why? Why is this happening? he roared furiously in his heart.
Yet no one could ever predict how their own ending would turn out.
Qing Junce dribbled again, charging toward Tsukitake's basket like a red bolt of lightning.
Nangou Koichiro desperately chased after him.
Almost there. Almost there. I'm about to catch up, he silently repeated.
Finally, just as Qing Junce jumped, Nangou Koichiro entered blocking range.
He poured all his strength into a powerful leap.
He deliberately glanced at the distance between them and secretly rejoiced. This time, there was no foul.
He let out a sigh of relief and thought, This time, you won't be scoring again.
Hmph...
Qing Junce gave a soft snort. He hooked his wrist beneath the ball and threw the basketball straight toward the backboard.
The ball struck the backboard and quickly bounced back, coincidentally colliding with Nangou Koichiro's palm.
Borrowing the rebound from striking Nangou Koichiro's palm, the basketball bounced out again and somehow fell squarely into the hoop.
Swish...
The basketball went through the net.
The crisp, pleasant sound of the ball brushing the net sounded like thunder in Nangou Koichiro's ears.
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