"Honestly, that floating shot of Kaneki's is really hard to imitate," Daiki Aomine said, looking at Kotaro Hayama with a mix of relief and provocation. "Looks like I got lucky, Hayama Little Blondie. If that's all you've got, you'd better not rush into challenging Kaneki."
"Hey, you dark-skinned guy, my name's Kotaro Hayama," Kotaro Hayama grumbled. "And you should be calling me senpai!"
"Like I care." Daiki Aomine rolled his eyes dismissively. He didn't even bother acknowledging the red-faced Kotaro Hayama, heading straight to the free-throw line instead.
"Keisuke, what should we do?" During Daiki Aomine's free throws, Kazuhiko Yamanaka went over to Keisuke Kobayashi. The nominal vice-captain had become his anchor. "Do you think you can score a couple of baskets?"
"I'll try." Keisuke Kobayashi looked serious. "The guy guarding me seems tough to deal with. He's quick on his feet and keeps sticking close."
"Want me to set a screen for you?" Daisuke Narumi offered.
"No. You and Wei Liu protect the rebounds inside." Keisuke Kobayashi shook his head, then turned to Kazuhiko Yamanaka. "Captain, set a screen for me."
"Got it." The others nodded, accepting Keisuke Kobayashi's plan.
"Swish~" Ignoring the Shibuya First Junior High players whispering nearby, Daiki Aomine sank the free throw with ease. The ball went to Shibuya First Junior High.
"Don't panic! Stay steady and get us a basket!" Keisuke Kobayashi brought the ball calmly across half court. Seeing his teammates growing anxious after failing to break through, he reassured them in a firm voice.
"A leader who chooses his words carefully?" Watching Keisuke Kobayashi speak for the first time since the game began, Shintaro Midorima's eyes shifted behind his glasses. He closed in at once.
"This guy's pressure is incredible!" Feeling the pressure radiating from Shintaro Midorima, Keisuke Kobayashi grew even more serious.
"Keisuke!" Seeing Keisuke Kobayashi unable to make any headway against Shintaro Midorima's defense, Kazuhiko Yamanaka hurried forward to set the screen as planned. Keisuke Kobayashi used the opening to shake off Shintaro Midorima, but before he could catch his breath, Shuzo Nijimura came smiling toward him.
"Honestly, you rookies are almost too capable," Shuzo Nijimura said with a grin. "Were you worried about bringing all those rookies over? It's a little insulting to underestimate me like this. You're putting me in a tough spot."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shuzo Nijimura thrust out his long arm and knocked the ball from Keisuke Kobayashi's hands. While Keisuke Kobayashi was off balance, he took firm control of the ball. After losing possession several times and getting hit by a few fast breaks, Shibuya First Junior High had learned its lesson. They got back on defense quickly and gave Teiko Junior High no chance to launch a fast break.
"That kid's all about the way of the hegemon!" Kagetora Aida remarked from the sidelines, deeply impressed.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Dad? What way of the king and hegemon?" Reiko Aida looked at Kagetora Aida in confusion, not understanding why her father was saying something so cryptic again.
"After watching for so long, it's clear that this Teiko team belongs to Ken Kaneki," Kagetora Aida explained. "But the way that kid and Shuzo Nijimura lead a team is completely different."
"How are they different? They're both strong, and among the best in the prefecture." Reiko Aida pursed her lips, unconvinced.
"Shuzo Nijimura leads from the front. He sets an example and unites everyone on the team, bringing their strength together to beat their opponents," Kagetora Aida said with a sigh. "But that kid Kaneki first uses his overwhelming strength to bring everyone to heel, then takes their strength and makes it his own."
Kagetora Aida thought for a moment, then added, "A player like Shuzo Nijimura can adapt to the team for the sake of victory. But Ken Kaneki? He'd rather believe that he is victory itself and wait for everyone else to adapt to him."
"So what?" Reiko Aida asked, puzzled. "Don't they end up achieving the same thing?"
"Not at all," Kagetora Aida said with a smile. "A king might spend more time dealing with a stubborn enemy, choosing a gentler approach. But a hegemon prefers to crush them head-on with sheer force. People revere the way of the king, but they fear the way of the hegemon. Look, here he comes."
"Kaneki! Take it!" As if to prove Kagetora Aida's point, Shuzo Nijimura passed the ball straight to Ken Kaneki, who had established his position in the paint.
"Relax, Old Liu." Feeling Wei Liu tense up behind him the moment he caught the ball, Ken Kaneki turned his head with a casual smile. "It's not like I'm some kind of bad guy."
"Easy for you to say..." Wei Liu swallowed. Ken Kaneki blocked the overhead lights, making Wei Liu feel as if he were standing in the shadow of a Prehistoric Giant Beast. "You're a lot more terrifying than any bad guy..."
Ken Kaneki chuckled at that and said nothing. He simply lowered his body and drove forward. Wei Liu was sent stumbling backward like a leaf caught in the wind, and Daisuke Narumi hurried over to help on defense.
"Two of you?" The moment he forced Wei Liu back, Ken Kaneki gathered the ball and leaped. He spun 180 degrees in midair, his body bending into a C shape. His jersey fluttered beneath his ferocious aura, though there was no wind. Ignoring Daisuke Narumi and Wei Liu as they tried to block him, he slammed the ball into the hoop with a thunderous crash.
"Crack~" While the players were still stunned that Ken Kaneki had overpowered two defenders and sent them crashing away, a sound from the tempered-glass backboard drew everyone's attention. A tiny crack quickly spread until the backboard finally shattered. The entire court fell silent.
"Daisuke Narumi, want to dance too?" Ken Kaneki looked down at the two players from above, like an emperor passing judgment on ants. "Haha, what an interesting attempt."
The referee reacted at once and blew the whistle. "Tweet-tweet~ Equipment change! The game is paused!"
The whistle split the air like lightning, breaking the silence. The crowd erupted.
"What?! You're telling me he's a thirteen-year-old middle schooler?"
"No way! He shattered the backboard with a dunk! Did he grow up eating dynamite?"
Gasps and exclamations rose from the stands, and the players on the court were just as astonished. Though the referee had already blown the whistle to pause the game, both teams still stood beneath the basket, staring at the wrecked backboard, reluctant to leave.
"Hey, hey, Kaneki, you've really done something huge this time!" Even Daiki Aomine, who was usually as thick-skinned as they came, couldn't keep his voice from trembling.
"Alright, stop standing there and getting in the staff's way. Come back, all of you." Kōzō Shirogane was an experienced coach. It didn't take him long to calm down, and he steadily ushered the players off the court.
"Hey, Ken-chan." Ken Kaneki had barely taken a couple of steps when Atsushi Murasakibara, still standing beneath the basket, called out to him. "I want to learn that. I have to learn it."
"You want to learn it? Call me Brother Ken, and I'll teach you." Ken Kaneki joked as he looked at Atsushi Murasakibara.
"Brother Ken!" Atsushi Murasakibara called out without hesitation. "If you teach me that, I'll give up all my chips—ummm, half of them!"
"You don't need to learn it, Murasaki. You'll be able to do it someday." Ken Kaneki looked at Atsushi Murasakibara, whose expression had never been more serious, and gently patted him on the shoulder. "For now, don't be a picky eater. Eat more, don't stay up late, get enough sleep, and work hard on your fundamentals."
"Ken-chan's advice makes a lot of sense, but something about it feels a little off." After hearing Ken Kaneki out, Atsushi Murasakibara didn't dwell on it.
"Hey, hey! Brother Ken when you need something, Ken-chan when you don't, huh?!" Ken Kaneki couldn't help laughing as he vigorously ruffled Atsushi Murasakibara's hair. "You opportunist!"
At that moment, a reporter sitting by the court watched Ken Kaneki walk away and murmured, "That's the Absolute Hegemon Lion of the Lion Teiko!"
Before you continue