He merely shifted his weight slightly upward, raising his arms to interfere, but his feet remained firmly planted on the floor, his eyes sharply judging the ball's trajectory.
He saw through it!
Or rather, he was betting that it wasn't a real bet.
Was the feint seen through?
Kawamoto's eyes remained expressionless, seemingly unsurprised.
There could be many variations in the process of Shammgod, but he made no adjustments or pauses.
Just as Maki shifted his center of gravity but hadn't fully jumped, he leaped up from the spot and launched a swift attack!
In order to maximize his speed and conserve energy, he didn't use his full strength in this jump, and his take-off height was much lower than usual.
"Don't even think about it!"
Maki roared in anger!
At the instant Kawamoto jumped, he used his amazing reaction and explosive power to leap with all his might, like a spring compressed to its limit.
This jump unleashed almost 120% of its potential, with its long arms straining forward to block the shot!
"When!"
A slight sound.
Maki's fingertips actually grazed the bottom of the basketball.
Although it was only a very slight touch, it was enough to change the basketball's spin and trajectory.
"Bang--!"
The basketball bounced high off the back of the rim.
Forging!
"Rebound!"
Maki roared.
With his superior positioning and rebounding instincts, Takenori Akagi outmaneuvered Takasago and firmly grasped the rebounding ball.
Kainan's defenses are rapidly shrinking.
Instead of attacking himself, Akagi saw an opportunity on the outside and immediately passed the ball to Kaede Rukawa had just moved into an open position near the free-throw line.
Kaede Rukawa received the ball, only to be met by Nobunaga Kiyota, who quickly came to cover.
Before Kiyota could close in on him, Kaede Rukawa took a mid-range jump shot!
His movements were swift, decisive, and efficient.
"Whoosh!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
34:36.
Shohoku is in the lead again.
Although Shohoku scored, this was the first time Kawamoto's three-point attempt had been successfully contested in the prefectural tournament.
The entire stadium wasn't discussing Kaede Rukawa's goal; instead, the discussion was focused on Maki's defense.
"Oh-!!!"
"We ran into him! We ran into him, Maki!"
"We defended against it! We really defended against it!"
The Kainan substitutes' bench and stands erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts.
The helplessness and fear that I had felt under Kawamoto's control seemed to be torn open with a sharp touch, releasing a vent.
Coach Riki Takato slammed his paper fan shut, and for the first time, his usually composed face revealed an almost sharp edge and intense excitement.
He stared intently at the field, his gaze burning.
"He did it—Mukharto did it!"
His voice was tinged with suppressed excitement. "Did you see that? Kawamoto's three-pointer isn't unstoppable. As long as you anticipate it accurately and give it your all, Maki's height, wingspan, and jumping ability make it entirely possible to interfere with or even block it."
In Riki Takato's eyes, this was more than just a successful defense.
This is an illuminated crack, a clear signal.
Maki has the ability to limit three-tenths of this monster's firepower!
The balance of the game seems to have begun to tilt slightly in Kainan because of this incident.
On the field.
As Maki landed, he felt the real touch on his fingertips, and a surge of heat flowed from his heart to his limbs.
If you can encounter it the first time, you can encounter it a second time!
The oppressive feeling of being at the mercy of the other party was fiercely dispelled by this possibility that he had personally touched.
He looked at Kawamoto, his eyes still heavy, but now filled with a newfound confidence that they could prevail.
However-
Just as the entire stadium erupted in cheers for this successful defense, Riki Takato was thrilled, and Maki's confidence was rekindled.
Kawamoto Kazuki, who had just missed a three-pointer, didn't look at the basketball that bounced off the rim.
He didn't go to see the Kainan players celebrating, nor did he even go to see Kaede Rukawa score the goal.
He slowly raised his head.
Those previously half-closed eyelids opened completely.
There was no anger, no regret, not a single emotional fluctuation.
Only a cold clarity born of extreme focus, like a dormant volcano shedding its surface snow to reveal the destructive energy hidden beneath.
Wherever that gaze swept, the air temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
His gaze calmly landed on Shinichi Maki, who was still brimming with excitement after completing a successful defensive play.
The moment that gaze met his, Maki's heart skipped a beat.
Something's not right.
Something's completely wrong.
The other party did not become angry or embarrassed at having their rhythm disrupted, nor did they show any surprise or seriousness at being restricted.
Her eyes were so calm.
It was as still as the sea before a storm, as still as the absolute silence before a bullet is chambered and the trigger is pulled.
That wasn't the look in the eyes of prey that had been stopped.
That was the hunter, his eyes recalibrating their aim.
It's as if it's saying, "Oh? You bumped into me? Interesting. Well then—let's see if you can bump into me a second time."
A chill, even deeper than before, crept silently up Maki's spine.
The entire stadium cheered for his performance.
Takato was thrilled by the possibility.
But at this moment, Maki clearly felt that the competition seemed to have truly entered a certain phase from this very moment on.
Even he hadn't anticipated this aspect.
Kawamoto said nothing, but simply withdrew his gaze, turned around, and silently ran back to his own half of the field to begin taking his defensive position.
But that icy, blade-like gaze that met his eyes when he opened them was etched into Maki's mind like a brand.
Kawamoto knew that the main reason for that last shot was that he deliberately lowered his jump height to conserve energy.
The result was due to Maki's extraordinary effort to block the Buddha's prayers after he saw through the Shammgod.
Kainan launched an attack, but Kiyota made a mistake during the pass, and Kaede Rukawa intercepted the ball and passed it to Kawamoto.
Kawamoto receives the ball outside the three-point line.
Maki's defense was once again relentless and unwavering.
This time, his posture was more composed, and all the muscles in his body remembered the sensation and rhythm of the successful interference.
He can defend against it!
At least it can interfere!
"Mu! Stay calm! Just like before!"
Coach Riki Takato's calm voice could be heard from the sidelines.
He even started gently waving the paper fan in his hand again, his face showing a calm and composed expression that indicated he had everything under control.
"Remember that feeling! Anticipate his jump, use your explosiveness and wingspan!"
"His three-pointers aren't invincible!"
Takato's words were like a reassuring pill, not only reaching Maki's ears but also seemingly injecting a powerful boost into all the Kainan team members and spectators.
Yes, I just ran into that.
One success means countless possibilities!
Maki took a deep breath and stared intently at Kawamoto's shoulders and knees.
He was completely focused, calculating the opponent's possible shooting motion, preparing to unleash an even faster spring speed the moment Kawamoto jumped, for the ultimate block and interference.
Kawamoto faced the prepared Maki, the renewed confidence of the entire Kainan team, and the all-knowing gaze of Riki Takato.
He moved.
It was just an extremely simple yet incredibly fast movement: bringing the ball together, bending the knees, and jumping.
However, just after his feet left the ground, a loud "What?!"
Maki's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints.
Riki Takato's hand, which was waving a fan, froze instantly.
The excitement on everyone's faces on the Kainan bench froze instantly.
All the cheers and shouts in the stadium seemed to be choked by an invisible hand.
high!
It was completely different from before; it was an absolute height that filled one with despair!