Chương 23: [23] How Dare You Use My Move Against Me?
"Shinichi, are you okay? Didn't sleep well?" Hiori asked curiously, noticing Shinichi's dark circles and constant yawning.
Over the past few days, Shinichi's condition had visibly deteriorated—his eye bags grew heavier by the day, and he couldn't stop yawning.
Shinichi, usually the first to go to bed and get a full night's rest, seemed completely off.
Just last night, Hiori had intentionally stayed up two extra hours to see if Shinichi was doing anything unusual, but he found Shinichi sound asleep.
Yet his performance was clearly affected; in the match against Team W, despite playing almost the entire game, Shinichi only managed to score five goals—far below his usual standards.
Shinichi was well aware of his subpar condition, but since it involved the system, he couldn't explain it. With a helpless shake of his head, he let out another massive yawn. "Haaa~ It's nothing. I've just been having nightmares lately."
Nightmares, Shinichi thought with a sigh.
That's exactly what they are.
Dealing with Haizaki Shougo and his cocky "I'm the best after God" attitude has been pure hell.
The guy's like a loose cannon, and of course, he had to provoke Kobe.
Naturally, Kobe didn't take it lying down, but somehow, I'm the one paying the price.
His mind drifted back to that chaotic night—the absurd brawl that unfolded in his dream space.
It had started simply enough.
Kobe had possession first, casually performing a crossover.
With effortless precision, he left Haizaki in the dust, finishing with a smooth reverse layup.
"Is anyone even guarding me? Hey, kid, is this the best you've got? Summoning someone as useless as this to train you?" Kobe taunted, turning to Shinichi with a smirk. "I told you, summoning me was the luckiest thing you've ever done. This guy isn't even on par with 13-year-old me."
"What… what the hell was that speed?" Haizaki muttered in shock, but as the initial surprise faded, an unsettling grin spread across his face.
"Good. This is great. I can't wait to take everything from you, Blackie."
"What did you just say?!" Kobe's expression turned fierce, and he stepped forward, fists clenched. "Didn't your mama teach you to keep your mouth clean?"
Haizaki's choice of words had struck a nerve, and Kobe looked ready to pummel him into the ground.
It took every ounce of Shinichi's persuasion to calm him down, repeatedly explaining that Haizaki was just an ignorant jerk with no cultural awareness and didn't understand the implications of his words.
"He's not being discriminatory—he's just an idiot. Pure and simple."
After much effort, Shinichi managed to defuse the situation, throwing in a stern warning to Haizaki for good measure.
However, Kobe's anger was far from quelled.
With a dark expression and his sharp snake-like eyes locked onto Haizaki, he radiated pure menace.
"Kid," Kobe said coldly, tossing the ball at Haizaki with enough force to make him stagger. "I was planning to take it easy on you since you're just a punk, but as an adult, it's my duty to teach you a lesson. Actions have consequences."
Kobe's tone was icy, his words brimming with restrained fury. "Come on, you're on offense. Don't say I didn't give you a chance—if I don't, you might not touch the ball all night."
It was painfully clear what Kobe intended.
Shinichi could immediately tell that Kobe, with his NBA-honed tricks and overwhelming physicality, was planning to utterly humiliate Haizaki on defense.
Not that it's surprising.
That snake holds grudges tighter than anyone I know.
"Still… this might actually be interesting," Shinichi thought, his curiosity piqued.
Haizaki's ability to steal skills was formidable, but it also had its limitations.
While he couldn't replicate the abilities of the Generation of Miracles, Shinichi wondered if Kobe's skills might also fall outside Haizaki's reach.
Settling into his seat, Shinichi sat up straight and focused, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to analyze every movement on the court.
'If Haizaki can't use his ability against Kobe, it'll prove how limited he is.'
'And if that's the case, then I'll just chalk this up to bad luck and stop wasting time on him entirely.'
"Ha! You asked for it," Haizaki sneered, lowering his center of gravity and gripping the ball tightly. His smirk widened as he added, "Now let me show you how I'll take every single thing you have!"
Haizaki opened with a simple triple-threat position, but it was ineffective against Kobe, who didn't so much as shift his balance.
Kobe's eyes, cold and calculating, stayed glued to Haizaki, as if daring him to make his move.
Haizaki was clearly not the type to patiently wait for an opening.
True to his brash nature, he immediately dropped the ball to the floor and spun, aiming to bypass Kobe with sheer force and speed.
But Kobe, with years of NBA experience, anticipated the move perfectly. He stepped in and used his body to block Haizaki's path, cutting off his momentum.
From Shinichi's vantage point, he caught a subtle yet unmistakable movement—Kobe's hand briefly jabbed into Haizaki's waist as he defended.
"Did he just pinch him? This guy..." Shinichi thought, both amused and incredulous.
Kobe wasn't just using his superior skill and physicality—he was also deploying the little tricks and dirty plays honed over countless battles on the court.
Haizaki grunted in frustration, momentarily losing his balance from the unexpected contact. Kobe smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.
"What's wrong? Too fast for you to keep up, or are you just not used to grown-ups playing real basketball?"
Haizaki's movements faltered slightly after Kobe's pinch, but he stubbornly pushed through with a half-spin move.
Sensing an opportunity, Kobe aggressively lunged forward, trying to strip the ball.
Haizaki, however, managed a shaky behind-the-back dribble, leaving Kobe overcommitted and momentarily falling behind him.
"Gotcha!" Haizaki laughed triumphantly.
But Kobe, with his relentless determination, quickly recovered.
Using his superior physicality, he fought through Haizaki's slight lead, applying body pressure to slow him down.
In just two steps, Kobe closed the gap, his relentless defense forcing Haizaki back into his grasp.
Watching this, Shinichi grimaced.
'That's terrifying. In terms of pure speed, I can already leave Kobe in the dust. But when it comes to physical contests like this, his ability to maintain or even surpass his pace is unreal.'
It was a stark reminder.
Basketball and football—like many contact sports—weren't just about raw attributes. It was about how well you could execute under pressure and against resistance.
Shinichi reflected on the stark difference between himself and Kobe: Experience.
That's the gap.
Kobe's understanding of the game and his ability to use every aspect of his body give him the edge.
And it's not just him.
'Every world-class player I'll face in the future will have this kind of experience.'
"But now for the real test," Shinichi thought, snapping back to the moment.
The focus wasn't just on Kobe's skill—it was on Haizaki's ability to adapt and counter.
To Shinichi's surprise, Haizaki showed no fear of the encroaching Kobe.
His shoulders swayed, and he sent the ball flying wide to the right, faking a pass.
Kobe, momentarily shifting his weight in response to the feint, gave Haizaki just enough space to yank the ball back, barely regaining his balance as he slipped past Kobe with a staggered crossover.
With an unsteady sidestep, Haizaki raised his hand for a layup.
Crossover!
Shinichi's eyes widened.
Haizaki had just used Kobe's signature move against him.
But before the ball could kiss the backboard, a loud smack reverberated through the court.
The ball, redirected by a massive block, spun wildly through the air, landing squarely in Shinichi's arms at the sideline.
Kobe stood firm, his hand still raised from the block, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Nice try, kid. But not even close."
"You've got some guts, kid, trying to use my move against me," Kobe said, his expression a mix of annoyance and amusement.
Haizaki's usual cocky demeanor cracked for a moment, replaced by genuine shock. "You managed to block that? What the hell are you made of?" His disbelief was palpable—he couldn't believe he'd run into someone who could counter his copied move so effortlessly.
'No way… don't tell me this guy is on the same level as those freaks from the Generation of Miracles,' Haizaki thought. But then, as the gears in his head turned, his smirk returned, cocky and defiant.
'No, that's not it. I managed to copy his move. He must just be a defense specialist.'
"Well," Haizaki sneered, his tone regaining its usual arrogance, "you got lucky this time. But next time, you won't be so fortunate."
He paused, letting the tension hang for a moment before flashing a wolfish grin.
"Oh, and by the way, I've already stolen your move. Your precious scoring technique? It's mine now."
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