Kaede Rukawa's Challenge!

Kaede Rukawa's challenge was like a massive boulder thrown into a tranquil lake, once again stirring up towering waves.

The atmosphere in the entire gym was instantly set ablaze again!

"Kaede Rukawa... wants to challenge Shirakawa?"

"My god! What day is it today? Is this a battle between immortals?"

"One is a dark horse who seized a starting position through sheer strength, and the other is a super rookie who was already famous throughout Kanagawa in middle school! This... this is going to be good!"

Every player widened their eyes, afraid of missing a single detail.

The 1v3 siege just now had been shocking enough, but it had not been a fair showdown.

But now, what Kaede Rukawa had initiated was the purest, hottest kind of one-on-one duel between men!

This was the true meaning of ace versus ace!

The moment Hanamichi Sakuragi heard that Kaede Rukawa wanted to steal the spotlight, he immediately objected, pointing at Kaede Rukawa and shouting, "Hey! You stupid fox! Why do you get to go first? If anyone's fighting, this genius should be the one teaching that white-haired brat a lesson first!"

However, no one paid him any attention.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Shirakawa and Kaede Rukawa.

Takenori Akagi frowned, just about to say, "Training ends here for today," and put a stop to this clash of pride.

But Coach Anzai waved a hand at him from the sidelines, his "ho ho ho" smile returning to his face.

"Akagi, let them play." Coach Anzai's voice was full of anticipation. "I also want to see which of Shohoku's two geniuses is truly superior."

Since even Coach Anzai had spoken, Akagi could only let it go.

He stepped back to the sidelines, watching the two men about to face off with a grave expression.

This showdown might determine who would be Shohoku Basketball Team's true ace for a long time to come!

Shirakawa looked at Kaede Rukawa, whose fighting spirit was blazing, and found it rather amusing.

As expected of Kaede Rukawa. There was nothing in his head besides basketball.

Still, that was fine.

If he wanted to truly establish himself at Shohoku, claiming a starting spot alone would not be enough.

He had to defeat this universally acknowledged "super rookie" in a one-on-one match and make everyone accept it wholeheartedly!

"Sure."

Shirakawa agreed without hesitation and tossed the basketball to Kaede Rukawa.

"You attack first."

Kaede Rukawa caught the ball. Without another word, he lowered his center of gravity and began dribbling experimentally.

Unlike Ryota Miyagi's dribbling, which was full of rhythm and deception, Kaede Rukawa's dribbling was simple, efficient, and sharp. Every movement was brimming with aggression.

Shirakawa could feel a fierce aura rushing straight at him.

This guy... really is a genius, Shirakawa thought.

Although he possessed Daiki Aomine's template, Kaede Rukawa's innate basketball talent was equally impossible to underestimate.

Suddenly, Kaede Rukawa moved!

With an incredibly quick crossover, he burst past Shirakawa's right side like a cheetah!

He was unbelievably fast!

But Shirakawa reacted even faster!

Having fused with Aomine's template, his neural reaction speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Almost the instant Kaede Rukawa launched himself forward, Shirakawa had already slid into position and firmly cut him off.

"Hm?"

A flicker of surprise flashed through Kaede Rukawa's eyes. He had not expected his first step to have no effect at all.

But he did not pause for even a moment. While moving at high speed, he smoothly dribbled behind his back and sharply changed direction to the left!

The transitions between his movements were flawless!

"What a beautiful move!" Ayako could not help crying out from the sidelines.

Yet just as everyone thought Shirakawa was about to get shaken off, his body moved as if he had seen it coming. He slid sideways again and blocked Kaede Rukawa's path once more!

"He kept up again?!"

"His defense... is so strong!"

The players were dumbstruck.

Against Kaede Rukawa's attack, anyone else on the team—including Miyagi—would have been completely beaten.

But Shirakawa was like an insurmountable barrier, always standing in front of him.

After having two consecutive changes of direction stopped, Kaede Rukawa's offensive rhythm was disrupted.

He did not force another drive. Instead, he abruptly stepped back to create distance from Shirakawa, then leaned back and rose for a shot!

It was an extremely difficult fadeaway jumper!

His form was picture-perfect!

"Don't even think about it!"

Shirakawa's reaction was astonishingly fast. The instant Kaede Rukawa stepped back, he lunged forward as well, leaping high into the air and stretching out his arm to block the basketball!

His fingertips nearly touched the ball!

But at that moment, Kaede Rukawa's body displayed astonishing hang time and flexibility in midair.

He forcibly stayed in the air for a fraction of a second longer, evading Shirakawa's block before flicking his wrist lightly.

The basketball flew from his fingertips.

It traced a perfect arc.

Swish!

Nothing but net!

The shot went in!

"Waaaaah! Kaede Rukawa! Kaede Rukawa!"

The girls from the Rukawa Fan Club at the sidelines immediately erupted into deafening screams.

"Wh-what a shot!"

"That was incredible! He still made it under that kind of defense!"

The players could not help cheering for the basket as well.

Shirakawa's defense had already been pushed to its limit, but Kaede Rukawa's individual ability had been even better!

After landing, Kaede Rukawa gave Shirakawa a cold look and spat out two words.

"Nothing special."

The meaning was obvious: so that so-called monster strength of yours was nothing special after all.

But Shirakawa smiled when he heard that.

He picked up the basketball and dribbled as he walked toward Kaede Rukawa.

"Done warming up?"

A playful smile rested on Shirakawa's face.

"Then next..."

His gaze instantly sharpened, like a sword drawn from its sheath!

"It's my turn!"

Before the words had even faded, his entire presence abruptly changed!

A wild, domineering, intensely aggressive aura erupted from him!

If Shirakawa on defense had been a steady mountain just now,

then Shirakawa on offense was a tsunami about to destroy everything...

Kaede Rukawa's expression immediately turned grave as well.

He could feel it. The opponent before him was about to get serious!