"Whoosh—!"
That three-pointer that pierced straight through the heart, accompanied by the crisp swish of the net, rang out like heavenly music through the deathly silent Teikō gymnasium, pounding against everyone's heart like a heavy hammer!
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Then came a roar like a volcanic eruption!
"Whoa—!!!"
"It's in! It's in! We're tied!"
"Bai Ze You! Bai Ze You! Bai Ze You!"
The stands erupted completely! Incredulous cries, fanatical shouts, and thunderous applause swept through the entire arena like a tsunami! That 360-degree Spin into an extreme fadeaway three-pointer, completed under the double-team of Aomine and Sannō, had surpassed the limits of comprehension. Its shock value even exceeded Aomine's earlier violent dunk! Because what it displayed was an almost artistic level of skill and willpower—the ultimate ability to turn the impossible into the possible!
Bai Ze You landed, his body swaying slightly from the explosive burst of power and extreme backward lean, but his steps remained exceptionally steady, as though rooted to the court. He did not look at the frenzied crowd, the glaring word "TIE" on the scoreboard, or even the teammates beside him, whose eyes were filled with shock, elation, and complicated emotions.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the uproar toward the gymnasium's lofty dome. A spotlight happened to fall on him, enveloping him in a halo of light. He drew in a deep, lengthy breath and slowly exhaled. It was deep and prolonged, as if he were expelling every bit of foul air that had built up in his chest—the suffocating feeling Aomine had brought him, the oppression caused by Teikō's frigid atmosphere, and the confusion accumulated from facing his own limits—completely and without holding anything back!
As he exhaled, an unprecedented, crystal-clear and powerful sensation instantly filled