章 38: Chapter 38: Trust
Aizen's teammates had unconditional trust in him. Even if the opponent was a monster from the "Miracle Era," they believed in Aizen's ability to prevail. Because of this, when Shota saw Aizen defending Kise, he was confident that Aizen could limit him.
As expected, Aizen jumped to block Kise's shot, and Shota felt assured. He sprinted towards the opponent's basket with all his strength. The basketball passed smoothly into his hands, as it always did when Aizen was involved. There was no defender in front of Shota, and he was sure this shot would score.
He had already stepped into the restricted area and leapt for a dunk, a smile forming on his face. The so-called "Miracle Era" seemed unimpressive to him. The purple-haired man opposite him appeared to be half-asleep. Shota was about to score when a gust of wind blew past him, and a massive shadow blocked out the light. Before he could react, he was knocked to the ground.
"Bang!" Atsushi Murasakibara completed the block from behind! His strong body knocked Shota off balance, sending him to the floor.
The audience fell silent. No one noticed how Murasakibara suddenly appeared; it felt like he had teleported. The crowd had expected a certain score, but instead, they witnessed a dramatic reversal.
"This..."
"When did he appear?"
"His speed is incredible."
"Yes, a center moving that fast!"
The stunned audience began murmuring in disbelief.
Aizen, however, was now focused. He looked at Murasakibara and realized his talent was extraordinary. If based purely on physical talent, Murasakibara might be the strongest in Teikō. Aizen regretted passing the ball as soon as he did it. Initially, he saw from his God's perspective that Murasakibara was far from Shota. In most games, no defender could catch up in that situation. Unexpectedly, Murasakibara reacted almost instantly to the pass and burst into action.
Murasakibara demonstrated an impressive combination of nerve reaction, speed, strength, and bounce, making him a formidable opponent. Aizen realized he needed to abandon his previous game experiences; these monsters could not be judged by common sense.
Atsushi Murasakibara dribbled the ball, and Shota quickly recovered from his shock. After all, it was still a game, and there was no time to dwell on surprises. Shota, now more aggressive, tried to steal the basketball from Murasakibara.
Murasakibara glanced at him, "Oh, it's troublesome." Although Murasakibara's skills weren't very refined, it was impossible for Shota to steal the ball. Murasakibara accelerated, leaving Shota behind, and took the ball back to half-court. Kise hurried forward to ask for the ball, saving Murasakibara from having to attack himself. Murasakibara passed the ball to Kise and said weakly, "Come on." He knew Kise wanted to defeat Aizen and encouraged his teammate before returning to the basket.
Kise held the ball again, his face a bit grim. Although he had the possession, he didn't look happy. He was still thinking about Aizen's defense against him. It felt like Aizen had seen through his movements, which made Kise feel pressured. However, he knew he couldn't let negative emotions affect him now. Shaking his head vigorously, Kise bent down, assuming an offensive posture, and stared at Aizen.
Seeing him so tense, Aizen couldn't help but smile and spread his hands. "Relax a little, anyway, you have such a strong backing, what are you afraid of?"
Aizen's words pierced Kise's ears, riling him up. Kise, like a child, could always be provoked into action. He started his attack directly, his offense fiercer than before. His rhythm, speed, and movements were impressive, drawing awe from the audience. However, Aizen smiled, confident that Kise hadn't analyzed his defensive tactics from the last round. Using the same strategy, Aizen played his trick again. The sequence on the court mirrored the previous round. Kise attempted to break through, jumped to shoot, and Aizen followed to block the shot. This time, Aizen just managed to touch the basketball with his middle finger.
The ball flew towards the basket, and Aizen, confident it wouldn't go in, called out, "Rebound!" Taiga and Shota, hearing Aizen's shout, prepared to fight for the ball. As expected, the basketball hit the rim and bounced up. Shota and Taiga both leapt high, determined to get the ball. "Take it." "Mine!" But their efforts were in vain.
"Bang!!" Atsushi Murasakibara was the first to catch the basketball and scored directly in the air. The scene was almost abstract, like an adult teasing two children.
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