NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

Everyone on the court stood tense, their eyes instinctively drawn to Hayama. They all knew that Hayama was about to launch a fierce counterattack.

Without hesitation, the point guard passed the ball directly into Hayama's hands. In that moment, the fate of the entire team seemed to rest on his shoulders.

Aomine furrowed his brow, taking a deep breath, his eyes filled with wariness.

He knew better than anyone how difficult it already was to guard Hayama before—let alone now, with Hayama unleashing his Animal Instinct.

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The deafening sound of dribbling echoed across the court.

"Four fingers!" Hayama muttered under his breath as he made his move. With his wild mode activated, his already devastating Lightning Dribble evolved further—he was now capable of controlling the ball with four fingers simultaneously!

Hayama shot forward like a feral predator, his movements quick as lightning. The sheer pressure paralyzed everyone on the court—they couldn't move, stunned by his overwhelming presence.

Aomine, standing directly in Hayama's path, felt an unprecedented level of pressure. In just an instant, he lost sight of Hayama's form completely.

'Damn it!' Aomine snapped back to his senses, whipping his head around.

Just as Murasakibara leapt up to contest the shot, Hayama executed a perfectly timed switch-handed layup, using his incredible speed and flexibility to evade the block.

The ball bounced off the backboard and swished through the hoop.

The score was now 81:57, narrowing the lead to 24 points.

"That's insane..." Aomine muttered in awe, his gaze filled with admiration—and perhaps envy—for Hayama's Animal Instinct.

It was now Teiko's turn to attack, with Aomine leading the charge.

Akashi calmly passed the ball to Aomine, who wasted no time and exploded into action. He started with a right drag step, then shifted into a rapid crossover to the left.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation shot through Aomine's mind.

"Crap!" Aomine panicked, trying to close his grip on the ball—but Hayama was faster.

Smack!

With a sharp slap, Hayama stole the ball cleanly from Aomine's hands.

The point guard reacted instantly, grabbing the loose ball and passing it back to Hayama without hesitation.

Hayama took off, sprinting toward the basket with blinding speed.

Aomine pursued him relentlessly, refusing to give up.

But to his shock, Hayama in his Animal Instinct was just a fraction faster than him. No one could keep up with Hayama's pace now. He leapt toward the hoop like an arrow shot from a bow, dunking the ball with force.

The score changed to 81:59.

'So this is the power of the Animal Instinct...' Hayama whispered to himself, overwhelmed by the strength coursing through him.

The game raged on fiercely.

Since Hayama had unleashed his Animal Instinct, Aomine had been on the defensive, struggling to keep up. Teiko's once-fluid offense faltered, disrupted by Hayama's flawless performance on both ends of the court.

Meanwhile, Fukuyama's strategy continued to revolve around Hayama. The team's chemistry was on full display—they executed precision plays, tearing through Teiko's defense and scoring with deadly accuracy.

At the end of the third quarter, the score stood at 92:81.

Fukuyama had managed to cut the deficit to just 11 points.

The crowd roared with excitement.

No one had expected such a dramatic comeback at this late stage of the game. Fans lived for moments like these—when the outcome hung in the balance and a comeback seemed within reach.

On the Fukuyama bench, Hayama sat gasping for air, his body drained and exhausted. Activating his Animal Instinct had taken a serious toll on his stamina, leaving him barely able to move. He needed every second of rest to regain enough energy for the next challenge.

The Fukuyama players sat silently, fully aware that their hopes of victory rested squarely on Hayama maintaining his peak condition.

On the Teiko side, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. The substitute players sat in silence, stunned by how one player—Hayama—had single-handedly turned the game on its head.

Even Aomine, normally loud and brimming with confidence, was now unusually quiet. His head hung low as if lost in thought, but deep within his eyes burned a fierce, awakening light. It was the look of someone whose inner beast was stirring—a predator ready to emerge from its long slumber.

'Is he about to unleash his Animal Instinct too?' Shiro wondered, his sharp intuition catching the subtle change in Aomine. 'I didn't think it would happen this quickly… but I guess that's to be expected from Teiko's ace'

Shiro rose slowly from the bench, walking over to Coach Shirogane with a deliberate calm.

"Coach" Shiro whispered, leaning in close, "I don't think I need to go back on the court"

Shirogane blinked in surprise. He knew that if Hayama stayed in his Animal Instinct, Shiro was the only player who could effectively stop him. So why was Shiro voluntarily sitting out?

Seeing the confusion on Shirogane's face, Shiro's expression grew serious. "Coach, trust my instincts. I have a strong feeling Aomine is about to awaken his Animal Instinct. If I stay on the court, I might unintentionally hold him back. But if he's forced to fight through this adversity on his own, he'll unlock his full potential."

Shirogane mulled over the words, resting his chin on his hand.

After a moment's thought, he nodded.

As an experienced coach, he valued player development as much as victory. Besides, if things went south, he could always send Shiro back in during the final minutes. He trusted Shiro's judgment.

"Shiro, do you think Aomine's really going to be okay?" Momoi asked anxiously as she leaned in close to Shiro, concerned about her childhood friend's unusual behavior.

Shiro smiled softly. "Don't worry, Momoi. Aomine isn't the type to crumble under pressure. In fact, tough opponents only ignite his competitive fire. The only one who can beat him… is himself. Well, and maybe me!"

Momoi gave him an exasperated glare. "You're impossible! How can you joke at a time like this?" But even as she pouted, her tension eased a little.

Meanwhile, a twisted grin spread across Aomine's face as he sat on the bench, murmuring quietly to himself.

"Almost… almost there"