NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

As the halftime break ended, the Teiko Junior School players strolled confidently out of the tunnel, their faces relaxed and cheerful.

In stark contrast, every member of the Fukuyama team wore grim expressions, their eyes fierce and locked onto the Teiko players, particularly Shiro. They looked like a pack of starving beasts, ready to pounce and tear their prey apart at any moment.

"This game is already in Teiko's pocket" someone in the stands murmured.

"Yeah, they're leading by 27 points" another spectator chimed in, drawing nods of agreement from the crowd.

The third quarter began, with Fukuyama taking possession. On the court, Hayama stared at Aomine standing in front of him. Frustration and confusion flickered in his eyes as he glanced toward Teiko's bench, fixing a furious gaze on Shiro.

'Damn it! They sent him to guard me? This is an insult! Fine, I'll crush him and make them regret it!'

Aomine, unfazed, grinned provocatively.

"Bring it on, man. Let's see what this 'The Lightning Beast' hype is all about. Just don't bother passing, alright?"

Hayama scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Do you think I'll let some random player disrespect me? Three fingers Lightning Dribble are all I need."

With that, Hayama unleashed his signature technique—Lightning Dribble. He shot forward like a bolt of electricity, moving so fast that he left Aomine stunned in his wake.

Aomine stood momentarily frozen. "It's so fast!"

Even with his own extraordinary speed, which surpassed most—including Shiro's—Aomine lacked the defensive instincts Shiro possessed. Stopping Hayama's relentless offense was proving difficult.

Snapping back into focus, Aomine pursued Hayama, closing the gap inch by inch. Just when it seemed Aomine might catch him, Hayama anticipated the challenge and abruptly took a jump shot.

Swish!

The ball sank cleanly through the net. Aomine could only watch as the perfect shot glided in.

The score was now 67–42.

"Damn impressive! Akashi, give me the ball—I'm going right back at him!" Aomine demanded, his competitive spirit ignited.

Akashi handed over the ball without hesitation. With such a commanding lead, there was little risk in giving Aomine free rein.

Aomine signaled to his teammates to spread the floor, creating the space he needed. He was determined to answer Hayama's challenge and reclaim his pride.

Facing Hayama's defense, Aomine wasted no time, launching into a swift, flashy double crossover.

Hayama felt the surge of power and speed, causing a flicker of alarm, but he stayed close, refusing to back down. However, Aomine's movements were too fluid, like a wild windstorm, and he slipped past Hayama with ease.

Not giving up, Hayama immediately stuck to Aomine again, relentless in his pursuit.

Then, Aomine executed a flawless behind-the-back dribble, the ball moving as naturally as water. Hayama scrambled to adjust his stance and restore his defensive footing, anticipating a move to the left.

But Aomine played unpredictably—he suddenly yanked the ball back to his right side.

Caught off-guard, Hayama hesitated, his momentum slightly thrown off. Even so, he gritted his teeth and lunged right, desperate to recover.

It was too late. With a sly grin, Aomine spun effortlessly, his entire body rotating like a cyclone.

In that instant, Hayama lost his grip on the situation, forced to watch helplessly as Aomine slipped past him and charged toward the basket.

"Impossible!" Hayama's eyes widened in disbelief.

He never imagined Aomine could handle the ball with such finesse, dismantling his defense so easily.

Sensing the danger, Hayama bolted after Aomine with all his might.

Meanwhile, Fukuyama's center stepped forward, determined to block Aomine and restore some pride for his team.

But Aomine, unfazed by the looming challenge, stormed ahead and began a classic three-step layup.

The Fukuyama center leapt into the air, arms stretched wide in an attempt to block Aomine's shot.

However, Aomine, with perfect timing, switched tactics mid-air and released a high-arching floater.

The ball soared upward, its trajectory seemingly off-target. For a moment, it appeared destined to miss entirely.

But then, like an eagle soaring through the sky, Murasakibara launched himself into the air. His massive hands seized the ball, and with a thunderous force, he slammed it into the hoop.

Boom!

The basket rattled violently under the impact, groaning as if in pain from the monstrous alley-oop dunk.

The scoreboard now read 69–42, with Teiko restoring their 27-point lead.

For the next half-quarter, the game devolved into an explosive showdown between Aomine and Hayama, with both players scoring at will. Neither could lock down the other, and the gap between the teams hovered around 20 points.

Beep!

The sharp sound of the referee's whistle interrupted the fierce back-and-forth as Fukuyama's coach called for a timeout.

Hayama sat silently on the bench, his head bowed, gasping for air as if all his strength had been drained from his body.

"You've done your best, guys" the coach said heavily. "Let's rotate in the bench players"

"No! Coach!" Fukuyama's point guard protested, unwilling to accept defeat. But the coach waved him off.

"Don't push yourselves any further."

At that moment, Hayama stirred. He slowly raised his head, a determined glint in his eyes. A strange, powerful energy began to radiate from him, his body glowing with a faint yellow aura, intensifying by the second.

"Coach…" Fukuyama's coach looked at Hayama in shock, struggling to comprehend the sudden shift.

Hayama stood tall, his voice resolute "Coach, I can still play"

On Teiko's bench, Shiro frowned, sensing something unusual. His gaze sharpened as he focused on Fukuyama's bench.

"This feeling…" Shiro muttered, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

"Is that… Animal Instinct?" Aomine murmured, equally taken aback by the aura surrounding Hayama. Both players sensed the surge of raw energy emanating from their opponent.

'No wonder… He's one of the 'Uncrowned Kings' after all" Shiro thought, impressed but calm 'Let's see how you handle this, Aomine'

Shiro didn't seem worried, though. Instead, he encouraged his teammates to stay alert.

"Stay sharp, guys" he advised, mentally calculating how best to respond. Though Shiro had no intention of stepping in, he was confident that Aomine could handle the challenge.

The referee's whistle blew, signaling the end of the timeout. Both teams rose from their benches, ready to resume the battle.

"Our turn to attack" Hayama whispered, his fierce gaze locked on Aomine.