Burn, Sakuragi!

Just as Sakuragi and Rukawa Kaede's battle for the top rookie spot reached a fever pitch, Haruko suddenly arrived at the scene. Her arrival reignited the fighting spirit of Sakuragi, who had been suppressed by Rukawa Kaede, and restored his intense desire to win! Sakuragi swore to defeat the man standing before him!

"Looks like Sakuragi's testosterone is surging, hahaha!" Takayama teased.

Kawaguchi and Haruko, however, were in no mood for jokes. Both of them were worried sick for Sakuragi!

After Sakuragi got the ball, Rukawa Kaede continued using his previously successful defensive strategy. He kept a certain distance, left no openings, didn't rashly reach in for a steal, and maintained proper position! Like a matador facing a bull, he kept his distance and taunted it with a red cloth. Once the bull became impatient, it would reveal an opening. That was when the matador's chance came! He would strike its vital point and finish it with one blow!

With the ball in hand, Sakuragi saw that Rukawa Kaede's defensive approach hadn't changed and began dribbling. Though his dribbling still wasn't as smooth as Rukawa Kaede's, he wouldn't be stripped so easily. When he switched the ball to his right hand, he accelerated again. It was exactly the same move as before!

"Tch, this again." Rukawa Kaede looked down on Sakuragi's mindless drive.

"Does Sakuragi have no other options left?" Takayama also felt that Sakuragi's forced breakthrough showed he was out of tricks!

But this time, Sakuragi's drive had changed somewhat. He didn't lower his center of gravity too much, nor was he moving particularly fast. It seemed as though he was searching for a rhythm, neither hurried nor slow.

Seeing Sakuragi's dribbling posture rise higher and higher, practically pushing forward with his chest out, Rukawa Kaede decisively slowed down again and closed in on Sakuragi, preparing to steal the ball.

"Idiot, dribbling like that will definitely get the ball stolen. What is he thinking?!" Takayama was anxious for Sakuragi too.

Seeing Rukawa Kaede slow down to steal the ball, Sakuragi suddenly dropped his center of gravity. It was an extremely dangerous move. The two were very close, and if Sakuragi lowered himself any further, their heads would collide. At such high speed, the impact would be enormous. The head was especially vulnerable, and if they collided head-on, the consequences would be unthinkable!

"What is he doing?!" Takayama wished he could pull the two apart immediately.

"Sakuragi..." Haruko watched with total concentration, as though she had predicted what would happen next.

"Idiot, you—" Rukawa Kaede hadn't expected Sakuragi to make such a dangerous move just to protect the ball! But it was already too late for either of them to dodge!

Just as they were about to collide, Sakuragi's feet seemed to spring off the ground. He leaped into the air, gripping the basketball tightly with both hands, and made a wide circular motion in midair. It was like Rukawa Kaede's earlier move, except this time Sakuragi spun counterclockwise! He perfectly evaded Rukawa Kaede.

"Jump Step!" everyone cried out in amazement.

After landing, Sakuragi was already under the basket. He leaped again, held the ball in one hand, drew his body back like a bow, and viciously slammed the ball into the hoop. The rim trembled from Sakuragi's dunk, as though it too could feel his blazing fighting spirit.

"Whew, that was incredible! So everything Sakuragi did before was setting up that Jump Step. His casual-looking drive made Rukawa Kaede lower his guard, which lured him into making a rash steal attempt and created a gap in his defense! After that spectacular dunk, Sakuragi seems to have regained his confidence. He broke down Rukawa Kaede's defense and crossed a mental barrier as well. Now, let's see how Rukawa Kaede responds!" Takayama continued his analysis.

Just like before, the contest between these two was like a bullfight. Only this time, Sakuragi had become the matador, and the seemingly weaker Sakuragi had successfully brought down the bull!

"Sakuragi!" A smile gradually appeared on Haruko's face. Indeed, Haruko's arrival had set Sakuragi ablaze!

"How about that, you damn fox!" Sakuragi spoke with confidence now.

"Tch, idiot, you nearly crashed into me!" Rukawa Kaede still seemed wary of what had just happened.

Rukawa Kaede attacked. Score: Sakuragi was temporarily behind.

"Come on!" Sakuragi shouted, his fighting spirit growing fiercer by the second!

Rukawa Kaede seemed intimidated by Sakuragi's aggressive presence. He dribbled at midcourt, yet showed no sign of attacking, as though he were testing Sakuragi's patience on defense.

But Sakuragi's defense was extremely resolute this time. No matter how Rukawa Kaede dribbled, Sakuragi remained intensely focused! Like a cheetah hiding in the grass, ready to strike at any moment and hunt down its prey.

Seeing no change in Sakuragi, Rukawa Kaede took a few probing steps forward, then suddenly assumed a shooting form! Though he was at the three-point line, Rukawa Kaede had made threes before! Sakuragi wouldn't let Rukawa Kaede shoot as easily as before. After taking a step forward, Sakuragi leaped high, trying to block Rukawa Kaede's shot!

"Not good, it's a fake!" Takayama saw through Rukawa Kaede's intention.

Before Takayama could finish speaking, Rukawa Kaede pulled his body back, bringing down the ball that had been raised above his head. It really was a fake. An utterly convincing fake!

His full jumping preparation and his unwavering gaze at the hoop had completely fooled Sakuragi. Or rather, Sakuragi had instinctively jumped at that very instant!

"You fell for it, idiot!" Rukawa Kaede's fake had succeeded.

"You're the one who fell for it, damn fox!" As soon as Sakuragi finished speaking, he landed—and in his hand was the ball that had been in Rukawa Kaede's hand two seconds earlier!

"Tch." Rukawa Kaede was annoyed after Sakuragi stole the ball from him!

"Hahaha! This really is a battle of wits and courage! After getting fooled by Rukawa Kaede's fake, Sakuragi reacted instantly. As his body came down, his right hand swung out like a raised broadsword! This match has truly reached its boiling point!"

"It really is amazing. We're so lucky today!"

The players began discussing it again!

Sakuragi attacked!

With the ball, Sakuragi was just like Rukawa Kaede had been earlier—extremely decisive, dribbling with great rhythm. But he suddenly stopped, as if he were about to shoot. He was one step inside the three-point line. With such a casual shot, he probably wouldn't even hit the rim! Could it be another fake?

"It's not a fake! It's a real shot!" Takayama once again saw through his intention.

But Rukawa Kaede thought it was a fake. He merely took a symbolic step forward and didn't jump to block it.

And just as Takayama had said, Sakuragi merely rose onto his toes and shot the ball as though taking a set shot. The motion was incredibly casual, giving off an amateurish feeling! Rukawa Kaede had no time to block it and could only pray!

The ball didn't spin much, and its arc was flat. It struck the front of the rim, bounced off the backboard, and rolled into the basket!

"Haha, even luck is on Sakuragi's side now!!" Takayama exclaimed.

"Tch." Rukawa Kaede said disdainfully.

"Damn fox, are you scared of me now? Hahahaha!!!" Sakuragi became playful.

"That's great, Sakuragi! You actually managed to tie with Rukawa Kaede!" Haruko was thrilled.

"Rukawa Kaede... you need to do your best too!" Haruko felt conflicted as well.

"Bring it on, Rukawa Kaede! I'll stop this one too!" Sakuragi's fighting spirit rose ever higher. This time, he was truly burning!!

Rukawa Kaede attacked.

But this time, Rukawa Kaede accelerated directly. Sakuragi had clearly already established his defensive position, yet Rukawa Kaede charged straight at him as though he were going for an open layup, without slowing down at all.

"Hey!!!!! Are you going to force your way through???" Sakuragi couldn't make sense of Rukawa Kaede's move.

"Could it be... that move..." Takayama noticed something again.

Just as Rukawa Kaede dribbled up to Sakuragi, he suddenly changed direction to the left and forcefully slammed the ball forward with his right hand.

"Ah!!! A Nutmeg Dribble!!!" Only then did everyone understand, and they cried out in amazement!

As though controlled by Rukawa Kaede, the ball struck perfectly between Sakuragi's legs. After bouncing up, it didn't touch Sakuragi's body at all, slipping cleverly through his legs. Once the ball passed through, Rukawa Kaede circled around from the side. All he needed to do now was make an open layup!

Only after watching the ball pass through his legs did Sakuragi realize he had been tricked. When he turned around, the ball and Rukawa Kaede were about to meet! But because Sakuragi's defensive stance was so low, the ball didn't bounce very high after passing between his legs! Rukawa Kaede also had to bend down to pick it up. And at the very instant Rukawa Kaede prepared to bend over for the ball, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

"It's not over yet!!!" Like a swimmer diving into a pool, Sakuragi threw himself forward in a flying dive. His entire body was nearly parallel to the floor as he shot toward the ball like a bullet. Just before his body crashed onto the court, he grabbed the ball with both hands!

Bang!!! Sakuragi's body slammed heavily onto the floor, both hands gripping the ball tightly. A few seconds later, Sakuragi rolled over.

"You can't get past me! My turn!!" Lying on the floor, Sakuragi grinned foolishly.

"That guy is terrifying! He actually threw his body sideways through the air!!"

"Yeah, yeah, it's my first time seeing a move like that!!"

"He's completely risking his life!!"

Everyone began discussing it in shock once more.

"Sakuragi!" Seeing Sakuragi fight so desperately, Haruko grew worried.

"You..." Rukawa Kaede said as he extended a hand to pull Sakuragi up.

"How could a genius like me... what's happening, my body... ah~~~~" Sakuragi lay on the floor as a sudden, bone-piercing pain shot through him.

"Could it be... Oh no!" Takayama immediately rushed over.