Kuroko’s Basketball: Before Generation Miracles, I Already Crowned

From both Nijimura's actions and his words, Shigure Akihito could see how differently he treated Haizaki. That patience alone was rare.

Probably...

He saw a glimpse of his past self in Haizaki.

Even though the two of them looked nothing alike now.

But given the way "Boss Nijimura" carried himself on this court, not to mention the rumors of him stealing motorcycles and his violent past, maybe, just maybe, Nijimura had once been the kind of guy Shigure couldn't have even imagined before he joined Teiko.

As for Haizaki Shōgo, he clearly wasn't appreciative of Nijimura's "unconventional guidance." His expression was twisted in fury, the veins on his face visibly twitching in anger.

This bastard!

Talks way too much!

Who the hell does he think he is, standing there like some all-knowing authority? It's disgusting!

At this moment,

Pressed by Nijimura's suffocating defense, Haizaki had no choice but to back down to the three-point line, holding the ball with his back to the defender. Still, he grit his teeth and stubbornly searched for a way to attack.

But Nijimura Shuzo...

"Held onto the ball too long. Missed the window to move the offense…"

"Should've passed it already…"

"Like this."

Smack, !

Nijimura suddenly lunged forward and expertly swiped the ball from Haizaki's hands. But instead of passing it to a teammate, he directed the ball toward the interior of Haizaki's own team's side,

To Shōin High's senior player.

Shigure Akihito: "…"

Well damn…

Nijimura…

But…

That was kinda cool.

On the sidelines,

Shōin's corner man, unaware that Nijimura had deliberately created this "teaching moment," thought it was a lucky mistake and shouted excitedly, "Go for it, Ōta!"

Crush them with a slam!

Let these junior high punks know what real high schoolers are made of!

Ōta from Shōin roared, planting one foot and loading up his legs. Shigure's earlier dunk had curved his body like a bow in midair, but Ōta clearly didn't have the kind of aerial control to do that. Instead, he simply raised the ball overhead and leapt up powerfully.

But while he was still thinking about pulling off a flashy move, maybe even tearing down the rim for good measure, he had no idea of the reality unfolding in front of him.

He didn't yet know,

What level of defense Nijimura Shuzo really operated at.

Step,

Step-step,

A rapid flurry of footsteps, so fast they were a blur.

A lion on the hunt.

Predator unleashed.

Boom, !

That overwhelming presence, the sheer aerial dominance, Ōta's eyes widened in horror as Nijimura stormed in from the edge of his vision. The sheer pressure threw him off mid-air.

Ōta: "…"

Damn it…

He's strong as hell!

Ōta's dunk didn't form a perfect arc, but in that instant of mid-air collision, his body was forcefully bent like a cooked shrimp.

Then,

Smack!

A crisp sound rang out,

It was Shigure Akihito, simulating a "full-range defense," who went for a blind-side block from behind, a move he dubbed the "Pursuit Block: Close-Quarters Snatch."

He was aiming to steal the melon Nijimura had ripened.

But Nijimura didn't give him the chance.

The moment Shigure's hand touched the top of the ball, Nijimura twisted his grip from below. Shigure blocked from above, Nijimura swiped from underneath, sandwiching the stunned Ōta between them like dough in a rolling pin.

Thump, !

Smack!

The ball popped out, bounced off the backboard,

And ricocheted.

Nijimura landed, then jumped again, grabbing the rebound with a swift twist of his body.

That burst of help defense, the aerial suppression of a high school big man, and the elegant counter-movement on the block, all of it combined to showcase Nijimura Shuzo's elite skill and experience.

To Midorima Shintarō, he looked like an absolute monster.

Even,

Even when it came to experience and instant judgment, Shigure Akihito couldn't top him.

On the side,

Inoue Natsuki stared at the scene, heart pounding.

A complete, seamless skill set…

It...

It completely captivated him.

And beneath the hoop,

After grabbing the ball, Nijimura raised a brow teasingly at Shigure, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Nice one~"

Off-court,

"Boss Nijimura's going in?!"

"Let's go!"

"Nijimura!"

Zoom, !

Nijimura exploded into motion the second his feet touched the ground!

Roar, !

The lion was awake.

That first step was blindingly fast!

For those on the court who hadn't seen Nijimura's recent form, it was a speed they'd never witnessed before, no, perhaps…

Even while controlling the ball, he was only a fraction slower than Shigure Akihito's off-ball defense earlier.

"That fast?!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Defend!"

Behind Nijimura, a shimmering mirage of a lion followed his every move, carving out a vivid image of the hunt in the air.

His normally cold expression,

When he looked at his opponent,

He was like a lion gazing down at prey.

On this court,

A king had descended.

"Let me teach you first-years something…"

"To savor the thrill of victory, you must first become truly powerful!"

Nijimura surged across half-court. Though he wasn't wearing the Teiko jersey, the shirt tucked at his waist fluttered wildly in the wind, outlining his powerful waistline.

In the distance,

Shigure Akihito was still standing idle at half-court like a lazy version of Murasakibara. He had no intention of joining the play.

But watching the fired-up Nijimura…

If he didn't see lightning around him, he'd swear the guy had just entered Zone.

Absolutely savage.

So,

He strolled forward to join the action.

"Stop right there!"

"Nijimura…"

"You bastard!"

Haizaki Shōgo sprinted furiously after him, but he couldn't catch up. Not only that, the gap kept widening!

From far behind,

He could barely hear Nijimura's voice echoing back:

"Haizaki Shōgo…"

"I'm sorry to say this…"

"Among Teiko's first-years, you're probably the weakest."

Those words froze Haizaki in place, his body paralyzed by the harsh reality in Nijimura's voice, and the impossible-to-catch back he left behind.

Two of Shōin's high school players stood in Nijimura's way.

"Block him!"

"Ōta!"

"No matter what, don't let this one through…"

Because,

If he broke through them, it would be a one-man breakthrough.

Nijimura's body suddenly halted, but not because of their defense. No, at this moment, the lion's roar was only growing stronger!

He cast a cold glance at the two players in front of him.

His eyes…

Were a glacial storm of killing intent.

"As high schoolers…"

"You're such a disappointment."

"You two…"

"Aren't even on par with Teiko's first-years…"

"Trash."

Shigure Akihito's expression twisted slightly. When Nijimura burned with that kind of wild energy, he always started spitting words like "trash", just like he did when he first joined the team as a first-year last year.

But…

That side of him hadn't been seen in a while.

As the Teiko captain now, and with fewer worthy opponents to challenge him, he rarely had a reason to go all-out anymore.

And so…

Seeing this wild, unhinged Nijimura now was such a sharp contrast to his usual calm, it made Shigure strangely nostalgic.

"Incredible athleticism, sharp reflexes, full control over his body, and an unyielding will to win… You guys have none of it."

"You've been playing for years more than middle schoolers, yet what have you even been doing?"

Smack!

Smack!

Just as his words landed, Nijimura burst into a storm of ferocious crossovers,

Breakthrough!

Boom, !

"Just watching your pathetic excuse for defense…"

"Already pisses me off!"

With that brutal drive, Nijimura tore through the double defense like a beast ripping through flesh!

Behind him,

The two high school defenders were knocked off balance, their massive 185+ cm frames sprawled across the floor.

The image was so violent, so clean-cut, that everyone on the court, except for Shigure, was completely stunned!

Now, only one person stood in his way,

Aomine Daiki, face tense and focused.

He didn't dare give Nijimura space, afraid of a sudden pull-up jumper. He carefully backpedaled, using Nijimura's speed to time his gap-closing while slightly crouching, ready to leap and block at any second.

But,

Against Aomine Daiki, Nijimura didn't bother with any feints!

He charged straight in,

Direct drive!

From the lion,

A flying pounce!

SLAM, !

Nijimura crushed the ball into the hoop, with Aomine hanging off of him!

As he hung onto the rim, he looked down at Aomine, who had been knocked back under the hoop.

"Nice defense…"

"But the difference in strength is just too wide…"

"Keep growing, "

"Aomine."

For a brief moment, the entire gym went silent.

Everyone was stunned by Nijimura's 1v4 destruction.

It took a few seconds for reality to catch up.

"Woooo!!"

"Boss Nijimura just crushed the court!"

"He's way too strong…"

"Those high schoolers are a joke…"

On the court, Midorima Shintarō stared at Nijimura, then shifted his gaze toward Shigure Akihito, who looked like he was just watching a show.

After that offensive play… and the defense before it…

Did they…

Did they even need teammates?

With Nijimura and Shigure at full power, even with no teammates, they could do everything.

That was the reality Midorima just witnessed.

The Twin Stars of Teiko,

Their strength had made everyone else on the court… irrelevant.

Meanwhile,

Shigure glanced at the dumbstruck Haizaki Shōgo, then looked at the stunned Midorima and Inoue.

Suddenly, he spoke:

"Why aren't you moving off the ball?"

"Huh…?"

"You two don't seriously think you're on the same level as me, do you?"

"N-No, senpai…"

"You missed your chance earlier, didn't you? Were you frozen by Nijimura's presence? But maybe…"

"Maybe, in that moment, he was actually waiting for the perfect pass…"

"Too bad…"

"Because you both stopped moving, he went in alone."

"That's on you."

Midorima's face twisted in frustration.

"..."

"…Sorry."

"Senpai."

…

"C'mon, c'mon, Reo-neesan! It's been ages since we've seen Shigure Akihito and that Nijimura guy. Can't you move any faster?"

"Kotarō…"

"We're not gonna lose them. But first, we need to make sure we're in the right spot."

"Teiko said it's somewhere around here~"

Near the overpass, Hayama Kotarō was rushing behind Mibuchi Reo, urging her forward, but Reo seemed more concerned with getting the location right.

At that moment,

Mibuchi spotted a pink-haired girl.

Hmm…

She was wearing a Teiko uniform.

"Excuse me, is there a basketball co, "

Before she could finish, she followed the girl's gaze to the scene in the distance,

And froze.

"Kotarō…"

"Looks like we came at just the right time."

Hayama darted out from behind her, his nearly Aomine-level movement speed even made Momoi blink in surprise.

They were…?

Hayama Kotarō of Chōgen International and Mibuchi Reo of Senzan Junior High.

"Eh?"

"They're really here~"

"Those two are still playing after school?"

"They must be pretty close, huh?"

But…

That score?

45 to 6?

On the court,

Haizaki Shōgo was gasping for air, drenched in sweat.

Nijimura Shuzo had completely stopped guarding him and now focused entirely on Aomine, defending him with absolute focus the moment he touched the ball!

As for Haizaki,

He'd been left wide open…

But in reality,

Shigure Akihito, radiating wild intensity near the free throw line, had him completely locked down.

After surveying the situation, Mibuchi Reo frowned slightly.

Ever since last year's Nationals, he had been keeping a close eye on Teiko.

He knew exactly how strong Nijimura and Shigure were now.

But still…

Who the hell…

Could make Nijimura go this hard?

A junior high student?

Could there really still be someone like that?

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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