Kawamoto Kazuki calmly watched Hanamichi Sakuragi, whose eyes were already beginning to lose focus.
"Two more baskets."
His voice broke the silence.
As though he were reading out a predetermined ending.
Sakuragi abruptly snapped out of it and shook his head hard.
He tried to shake off the humiliation of being blown past in an instant.
He stared fixedly at Kawamoto, his chest still heaving from his earlier futile pursuit.
Dribbling, Kawamoto said slowly, "The fourth basket: a contest of strength."
"This should be your strong suit."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Sakuragi's taut muscles. "I hope you won't be as easily beaten as you were on the first three baskets."
"This time, I won't use any technique. Just strength."
Those words were like a shot of adrenaline straight into Hanamichi Sakuragi's nearly shattered confidence!
Strength!
When it came to technique and speed, he had been completely outclassed.
But in pure strength, he, Hanamichi Sakuragi, had absolute confidence!
Ever since he was little, he had never lost to anyone his age in strength!
Even against that terrifying gorilla, Takenori Akagi, he was confident he would not lose an inch in a contest of pure strength!
"Hmph!"
Sakuragi's fighting spirit reignited, and a low growl rumbled from his throat.
He spat hard on the ground, his legs planted like massive pillars.
He lowered his center of gravity as far as he could and spread his arms, taking a textbook defensive stance.
A fire of defiance burned in his eyes. "Come on! Let me show you this genius's strength!"
The Sakuragi Gang on the sidelines grew animated again.
Nozomi Takamiya rubbed his chin. "Hmm... if it's just a contest of strength, Sakuragi shouldn't lose, right?"
Chuichiro Noma nodded in agreement. "That's right. That guy's a monster. He's frighteningly strong."
Although Yohei Mito said nothing, a trace of anticipation appeared in his eyes too.
They knew Sakuragi all too well.
In brute strength alone, there probably wasn't anyone in all of Shohoku who could beat him for sure.
Not even Takenori Akagi!
Kawamoto said no more.
He dribbled deftly with his left hand, drawing his right arm in slightly with his elbow pointing outward.
At the same time, he turned his entire body sideways, like a heavy tank about to start moving.
Step by step, he closed in on the paint Sakuragi was guarding.
No changes of direction, no fakes, only the most direct application of strength!
A fierce glint flashed in Sakuragi's eyes as he braced for the impact.
He was confident that even if the gorilla himself came, he wouldn't easily budge him an inch!
However-
The instant Kawamoto's body made contact with his...
All of Hanamichi Sakuragi's confidence and preparation, like a castle made of paper...
Came crashing down!
An overwhelming surge of force came from Kawamoto's shoulder, back, and side.
It slammed squarely into his chest!
"Urgh!"
Sakuragi felt as though the earth beneath his feet had suddenly lost its gravity, his entire lower body uprooted!
He fought with all his might to steady himself, but his feet left the ground against his will.
His whole body was like a scarecrow swept up by a gale.
He staggered back several steps before barely managing to regain his balance without landing on his backside!
His face instantly turned deathly pale, his pupils contracting in utter shock.
Th-this strength... what on earth was going on?!
The strength he took such pride in was this helpless against his opponent?!
The image of Kawamoto taking off from the free throw line that day involuntarily surfaced in his mind again.
That dunk had sent the entire basket support shaking violently...
So that hadn't been a fluke at all!
Kawamoto did not press his advantage and continue attacking. Instead, he stopped where he was.
Looking at the still-shaken Sakuragi, he asked flatly, "Is this all the strength you're so proud of amounts to?"
"You bastard!!"
Humiliation and anger instantly overwhelmed his fear.
His eyes bloodshot, Hanamichi Sakuragi roared and closed in again like an enraged lion!
This time, he almost forgot he was playing basketball.
Using the kind of force he would in a fight, he pressed his entire body tightly against Kawamoto.
He even wrapped his arms around him, trying to stop his advance with body weight and brute force.
But it was all futile.
Kawamoto was like an immovable mountain, no matter how Sakuragi strained or clung to him.
His advancing steps remained steady and firm.
In that utterly improper grappling posture, the two of them...
Moved toward the basket step by step, yet inexorably.
Once beneath the basket, Kawamoto did not even glance at the rim. He merely held his left hand very low.
With a gentle flick of his wrist, he sent up a seemingly casual little hook shot.
The basketball flew into the air on an extremely high arc, rising several meters above the rim.
Only after reaching its apex did it begin to fall.
Everyone's heart rose into their throat along with the ball.
Swish!
Another utterly crisp sound of the ball passing through the net!
The basketball went through without touching the rim!
4-0.
Hanamichi Sakuragi let go, staggered back two steps, and stared blankly at the basketball that had fallen to the ground.
All his confidence...
All his pride...
Were crushed to pieces at that moment by Kawamoto's absolute strength.
His Dao heart had all but shattered under these repeated blows.
A deep sense of helplessness and despair gripped him. He no longer even wanted to continue to the fifth basket.
The gap was too vast, so vast he couldn't even summon the thought of catching up.
Kawamoto Kazuki seemed to see through his inner collapse.
He walked to the sideline, picked up the basketball that had rolled away, and returned to a spot near midcourt.
Looking at the utterly dejected Sakuragi, he spoke in the same calm tone:
"There's still one last basket."
He paused before continuing, "This time, it's shooting."
After saying that, he did not even give Sakuragi time to prepare.
He rose straight up for a jumper from near the center-court logo!
His movements were expansive and fluid, his wrist softly flicking the ball away.
The basketball traced an incredibly long yet exceptionally beautiful, sweeping arc through the air.
It spanned the entire half court like a rainbow!
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Everyone tilted their head up, their eyes following the orange ball, their hearts almost stopping.
This...
From so far away...
How was that possible...
Under everyone's disbelieving gaze, the basketball stayed perfectly on course, and finally-
Swish!
Nothing but net!
A logo shot!
An ultra-long-range three!
5-0.
The game was over.
Everyone froze!
Even those young street punks had their mouths open wide enough to fit an egg!
This had gone beyond their understanding of basketball!
Kawamoto Kazuki landed and let out a soft breath.
There had indeed been a great deal of luck in that shot.
But it had gone in, and this instructional game for Sakuragi had achieved the effect he wanted.
He walked up to the still-dazed Hanamichi Sakuragi and looked into his dull eyes.
He spoke slowly, his voice quiet, yet striking everyone's heart like a heavy hammer:
"Hanamichi Sakuragi, did you see that?"
"Dribbling, fakes, driving, physical contests, shooting..."
"These fundamentals you might find dull and boring..."
"But put these so-called fundamentals together, and that's basketball."
"Don't lose heart."
"You've only been playing basketball for a week."
At this point, for the first time, the faintest tremor entered Kawamoto Kazuki's voice.
It was no longer simple calmness. There was a certain weight within it.
He raised a hand and pointed at himself, yet seemed to be pointing toward some unseen distance.
He said clearly, each word distinct:
"But for me to master what you just saw..."
His gaze grew deep.
As though it pierced through time and space, seeing a figure sweating alone beneath dim streetlights on countless late nights.
"It took four thousand three hundred and eighty full days and nights of sweat and perseverance!"
Four thousand three hundred and eighty days and nights!
Twelve years!
Those words exploded like thunder across the empty court!
Not just Sakuragi-even Yohei Mito and the others were utterly shaken!
They finally understood that the terrifying ability of this seemingly aloof, mysterious guy before them had not come from nowhere.
It had been honed bit by bit over twelve long years!
Kawamoto Kazuki looked at Sakuragi, his gaze no longer holding disdain, but instead a trace of scrutiny almost like that of a senior. "You have excellent talent, Sakuragi."
"But talent needs to be watered with sweat."
"Do you still think Captain Akagi was wrong to make you practice the fundamentals?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi stood rooted to the spot, his mind roaring.
Twelve years of sweat...
Over four thousand days and nights of perseverance...
All his earlier grievances, all his aggrieved defiance, all his aggrieved complaints...
At that moment, they seemed so laughable and insignificant.