Chapter 55: The Monster Moves Out

With that thunderous roar from Seihō's head coach, the tension in the arena cranked up to a new high. Tendou had just taken the ball from Nijimura when he flinched from the shout. He hadn't even done anything yet, and the other side was already screaming "We're the Kings!" and charging at him? "Geez, you're not young anymore—don't go full shounen protagonist on me," Tendou muttered internally as he refocused on Tsugawa Tomoki standing in front of him. Just like he remembered—this guy always wore that annoying smile on his face when defending. Before Tendou could even speak, Tsugawa grinned and said, "So you're finally on the court. But to be honest, I think your teammate might be even stronger." "His ability to learn is incredible. He copied our old-school martial arts style almost instantly—like magic! Can you do that too?" From the sidelines, Haizaki's face went dark. It's not magic, it's pillage! That kid made it sound like he was some circus act. And you could hardly blame Haizaki for wanting to punch the guy—Tsugawa had that kind of effect on people. Tendou took a step back to create space, calmly analyzing his opponent. He noticed right away: Tsugawa's stance was completely different from standard defensive posture. Normally, defenders spread their legs left and right to lower their center of gravity and react quickly to drives. But not Tsugawa. His feet were crossed, and his body tilted at a strange angle—classic Seihō "wave-stepping" footwork. This was the first time Tendou had faced it directly. No hesitation—he exploded forward in an instant, the moment his right foot hit the ground, like a nitro-boosted rocket. And Tsugawa moved with him. His tilted stance swung into action like a pendulum, body following through as he blocked the path. "He stopped it?" Even Shirogane Kōzō was stunned. Tendou had always been the one breaking opponents' mental states with steals, never the one getting stopped cold. It was... unfamiliar. On the court, Tendou didn't back down. Facing the block, he feinted with his left shoulder and went behind the back with a sharp crossover. "Nice one!" Tsugawa chimed, keeping pace and shifting over again. "You almost got me there!" No wonder he had a name in the fandom—even minor characters like him had the power to flex. Tendou was forced to retreat. This guy, who supposedly had Miracle Generation-level defense, wasn't bluffing. ... 『Nani?!』 『The king of flex is getting shut down?』 『No wonder—he's got The Teacher's Hairline. That's how you know he's strong!』 『Bald dudes in anime are always cracked.』 The comment section lit up. After all this time, the viewers finally had a worthy antagonist. By now, the audience was fully on Team Teikō. ... Tendou kept retreating, mentally noting Tsugawa's precise coordination and ridiculous wingspan. It extended his defensive zone beyond what was reasonable. "Great. A guy who was born to play Death Wrap Defense," he thought bitterly. "And then there's the wingspan... it's even better than mine. Golden ratio." "Hey, you're a model, right?" Tsugawa said again with that infuriating smile. "Lots of girls in my class like you." "If I beat you, maybe I'll get famous too?" Even Seihō's own players were creeped out. "Thank God Tsugawa's on our side," one muttered. "Yeah, I couldn't handle facing someone like that." Seeing Tendou getting stonewalled, the Seihō bench finally relaxed. If they could just double Nijimura, and Tsugawa could keep locking Tendou down, Teikō's twin threats would be neutralized. They had a real chance. ... Tendou exhaled slowly. "You showed up at the perfect time. Weaklings could never test this thing's limits." "Huh?" Tsugawa blinked in confusion. But the moment passed—and he saw it. Tendou's aura changed—an overwhelming pressure bursting from his frame. Tsugawa could swear he saw a monster, wreathed in black fire, flash behind Tendou's back. "What... is that?!" He finally lost his smile. "Let's go, Monster," Tendou muttered. Then— He stepped forward. And that single step carried with it a terrifying force, as if he'd poured all his strength into one move. His acceleration skyrocketed. Same motion as before—but Tsugawa now felt his life was in danger. He responded instinctively, shifting his center, legs crossing as he followed. And then—he saw it. The black Monster appeared behind him like a shadow demon. "Wait, is it telling him which direction is right?!" No hesitation. Tendou shoulder-feinted again, went behind the back again. Same combo as before—but this time, faster. Sharper. Cleaner. "Nani?!" Tsugawa gasped. As he tried to slide, his feet couldn't plant in time. Tendou had already blown by him. Their bodies brushed—Tendou skewered through his defense like a spear, gaining half a step. ... "Bakana!!" Seihō's coach shouted. He had never seen someone bypass Tsugawa's defense so easily. Tendou blitzed through the defense like a comet, the Monster following close behind. To the audience, it looked like half his face had merged with the Monster's, creating a terrifying split-form as he slashed through Seihō's line. ... 『HOLY— That looks sick!!』 Even the comment section froze—too stunned to type. Seihō's other defenders collapsed in on him from every angle, forming a suffocating wall. A perfect collapse defense—shields converging from all sides. "Where should I go?" "Oh... so it's there?" Tendou muttered to himself. No one knew what he meant. Only that, at the final moment before the defense could close, he whipped his right arm forward. With a sharp whoosh, the ball rocketed forward like a bullet, threading through the wall of bodies. A perfect seam. Murasakibara, completely unaware of what just happened, saw something flying his way. He instinctively reached out and caught it. "A ball?" He looked around—and realized he was alone. No defenders. "Boom!" He leapt and threw down a two-handed dunk. ... Silence. Both benches were stunned—Teikō and Seihō alike. Even Shirogane Kōzō's eyes widened. "Is this... the real Tendou?" For a moment, he could have sworn he saw a black-flamed monster behind Tendou. Its horrifying face stood in brutal contrast to Tendou's outrageously handsome appearance. Like a god—and a demon—merged into one. --- Vote with some power stones in this story. By using them on this book, you guarantee bonus chapters weekly.