Chapter 77: Just a 'Smack,” Then a 'Whoosh”

The coach of Yamagata Middle School was currently at a loss. Their entire game plan hinged on Hayama Kotarō. If their ace couldn't explode like in past matches, they were in trouble. Going up against Teikō this year, no one could match them in depth or cohesion. The only way to win was to rely on a superstar. And now their superstar... wasn't enough. "Let's run pick-and-roll!" the coach quickly ordered. If Hayama couldn't beat Tendou one-on-one, they'd use picks to avoid him entirely. "Wait, coach, I still—" "Hayama!" the coach cut him off sharply. "Now's not the time to act on pride. Or do you really want to lose to Teikō again?" Of course he didn't. But... admitting defeat like this made Hayama feel sick. He'd already read in the papers that Shirogane Eiji had tried to recruit Tendou. Once they got to high school, they'd likely become teammates. And if he lost here, would that mean he'd forever be Tendou's sidekick? Hayama didn't believe anyone could refuse Rakuzan's offer. They were the kings of high school basketball—the team with the most wins, most championships, and nearly guaranteed entry into every national tournament. Play well there, and a pro career might not be a dream. That kind of platform could secure a future. But at the same time—he really, really didn't want to lose to Teikō. ... Meanwhile, Teikō's side was much simpler. Shirogane Kōzō didn't need to say a word—Tendou had already solved their biggest problem. "How did you do that?" Aomine rushed over when Tendou checked out of the game. "Do what?" "That move—your dribbling!" "Oh, that?" Tendou replied casually. "You just smack the ball down real hard, then whoosh—go past the guy. Easy." He pantomimed the motions with exaggerated gestures. "Smack. Whoosh. You get it?" The rest of the team stared at him, black lines practically drawn on their foreheads. You little—do you hear yourself!? 『HAHAHAHAHA!』 『"Smack and whoosh," I'm crying ????』 『Blackie really chose the right teacher when he asked Tendou to train him ????』 『Best lesson ever, I'm sold.』 『Look at Aomine's face—he's dying to punch this guy.』 『Same, man. I suddenly feel this overwhelming urge to beat him up too.』 While the audience burst into laughter, Coach Shirogane fell deep into thought. "He figured this out after watching two sequences of Hayama's Lightning Dribble?" That level of talent was terrifying. And he was sure of one thing—Tendou's dribbling was different from Hayama's. Whereas Hayama used his fingertips, Tendou's was pure speed. No tricks. Genius-level basketball IQ. It reminded him of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his unstoppable skyhook. Plenty of centers tried to replicate that move—some even dreamed of reaching half his level. But none succeeded. Instead, it was Magic Johnson, with his insane basketball intelligence, who created his own version: the mini-hook. And now, Tendou had done the same. Not copying—creating something entirely his own. When your basketball IQ was this high, the court was your playground. ... Back to the game. Barely half a quarter in, Tendou had already filled the scoring, assist, and steal columns. He was just short of rebounds and blocks. Yamagata's "Speed Demons" were losing their dignity. Tendou's fangirls jumped up and down, screaming. Fans roared. High school scouts scribbled like madmen. Yamagata on offense. Hayama used a teammate's screen to get past Midorima, attacked the paint, and scored a slick reverse layup even with Murasakibara contesting. With Wild Instinct, Hayama wasn't scared of these current Generation of Miracles-level players. But anyone paying attention could see—this basket wasn't easy. Teikō's defense still pressured him hard. "Already giving up?" "What? I just scored!" Hayama snapped. Still, in Japan, you didn't openly defy your coach. Discipline was everything. "This time, I'm locking you down." He focused completely. Last time, Tendou had caught him off guard. This time, he'd shut him down. If I can't get past you, then you sure as hell aren't getting past me. SMACK! Tendou's dribble hit the floor with such violence that it bounced up before the sound even echoed. "So this is what they were dealing with..." Hayama instinctively slid over. "Got you!" "Do you?" Hayama grinned. He thought he'd blocked Tendou. But then—a chilling sensation behind him. He turned his head. And saw a black humanoid creature grinning viciously at him. "What the hell is that?!" "Don't think you're the only special one." Tendou smacked the ball again, his body moving with the ball, and in the time it took to blink, he was already past Hayama's other side. This all happened in an instant. Cleave was never meant to be a one-time "slash," like some sword-draw technique. It could be used repeatedly, like a storm of slashes. THUMP! On the third bounce, Tendou had already left Hayama behind. "No you don't!" Yamagata's defense collapsed into the paint. Their center jumped up, arms high, walling off Tendou at the rim. But Tendou immediately recoiled his arm back, then flicked the ball to the corner where Midorima waited. "Crap!" "He's not done yet!" The Yamagata coach saw the pass and panicked—but Hayama had already recovered, leaping like a cheetah to intercept it. This was almost guaranteed to be a steal. But right then, Tendou turned his head and locked eyes with Hayama. The black creature stared directly into him. And then— WHAM! Tendou used his other arm to elbow the ball mid-air, deflecting it toward Nijimura's position instead. "Wait... what?!"