Jason Silver slapped the ball away at a height nearly a forearm higher than Atsushi Murasakibara.
Shogo Haizaki stared in shock and blurted out,
"Murasakibara actually lost the jump ball?!"
Makoto Hanamiya's expression grew even more serious, a bad feeling creeping into his mind.
Murasakibara's pupils shrank as disbelief filled his face.
Clearly, even he couldn't believe it himself.
As for Shuzo Nijimura and Dicky Anthony…
No reaction.
They even looked a little pleased.
The ball landed in Nash Gold Jr.'s hands. Instead of pushing a fast break, he waited calmly for his teammates to set up.
More precisely, he was waiting for Jason Silver to get into position.
"Friend, are you the captain? Planning to pass on the first possession?"
"Is your captain just another decorative piece on the team?"
"Or are you here to support that big guy?"
Just as Nash prepared to pass, Hanamiya's mocking voice rang out.
Nash paused and looked at Hanamiya, who was standing in front of him and relentlessly talking trash.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Interesting. But that kind of provocation won't work on me."
With that, Nash passed the ball to Jason Silver, who had already established position.
In truth, every member of the Black Dragon Team had a high tolerance for pressure.
After all, they were constantly being yelled at by Victor during training.
Trash talk had long stopped affecting them.
Except for Jason Silver.
That guy was like a cat from Schrödinger's box.
Sometimes he had absurdly high tolerance for trash talk.
Other times he instantly turned into a raging maniac.
Sometimes he would even start arguing alongside Victor.
Other times he would just grin while Victor insulted him.
Even Nash couldn't quite figure him out.
On the court.
Jason Silver caught the ball with one hand, grinning as he stood with his back to the basket.
Behind him was Murasakibara.
At this moment, Murasakibara's face looked strained.
His arms were locked across his chest as he desperately held his ground against Jason.
Jason continued applying pressure while speaking.
"What's wrong, kid? Using all your strength just to hold me off?"
Zack couldn't help reminding him,
"Silver, they can't understand what you're saying."
Jason shrugged.
"Who cares? I'm just saying it for my own satisfaction."
Then he suddenly exerted force and backed down.
Boom!
A tremendous force erupted, instantly knocking Murasakibara back a step.
Jason seized the opportunity, spun around, and slammed the ball into the basket with a powerful two-handed dunk.
Boom!
After the dunk, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.
At the same time, some people started yelling insults at Kirisaki Daiichi.
"Hahaha! Told you they couldn't handle him! Just go home already!"
"They actually thought they could challenge Silver? That's hilarious!"
The other Kirisaki Daiichi players on the court didn't even pay attention to the crowd.
Because they were stunned themselves.
None of them expected Murasakibara to be pushed back like that.
Murasakibara's expression also changed.
He looked… angry.
"I'll crush you!"
Nijimura and Dicky Anthony exchanged a smile.
Perfect.
It worked.
Possession changed.
After dribbling past half court, Hanamiya immediately passed the ball to Murasakibara.
"Kid, looks like you're just a decorative piece on your team."
Nash said with a smile.
Hanamiya didn't react much.
Instead, he admitted it openly.
"That's right. I am a decorative piece."
Hanamiya expected Nash to freeze for a moment like most people did.
But to his surprise, Nash showed a look of appreciation.
"Seems you do have some self-awareness. You're weak, but at least you understand your place. I'll give you that."
Hanamiya turned his head angrily.
"You—!"
Nash simply smiled without speaking, quietly watching him.
But that silent gaze made Hanamiya feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Cold.
Terrifyingly cold.
Hanamiya's heart trembled.
Who the hell is this guy?
Meanwhile.
Murasakibara held the ball with his back to the basket, struggling.
Jason Silver laughed arrogantly.
"Hey Nash, translate for me!"
Nash sighed helplessly.
"What a hassle."
Jason laughed loudly.
"Kid, come try backing me down!"
Nash translated it for him.
Hearing that, Murasakibara grew even angrier and actually began backing him down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He couldn't move him.
"Hahahahaha! Kid, didn't you eat today?"
Jason's arrogant laughter echoed in Murasakibara's ears.
Murasakibara couldn't understand English.
But he understood the laughter.
It was mocking him.
Instantly, his anger exploded.
"Ah! I'll crush you!"
Murasakibara's expression turned ferocious, and his aura changed dramatically.
The atmosphere around him became chaotic and violent.
It felt dangerous.
Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared behind him.
A giant bear.
Everyone expected Jason and the others to be shocked.
But instead…
They showed no reaction at all.
Jason's grin only grew wider.
Hanamiya turned toward Nash and saw that strange smile still on his face.
He asked,
"Aren't you surprised?"
Nash looked back at him.
"Surprised? You mean that state the purple-haired guy activated?"
Hanamiya's expression changed.
"You've seen it before?"
Nash smiled mysteriously.
"You mean this?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted.
A shadow suddenly appeared behind him.
But it vanished the moment it appeared.
Only Hanamiya, who was closest to him, sensed it.
No one else noticed.
This time, Hanamiya was the one shocked.
Even though the shadow hadn't fully formed, the pressure it carried was overwhelming.
But Hanamiya quickly regained his composure.
His expression returned to calm.
Seeing this, Nash became slightly curious.
"You calmed down pretty quickly. Interesting."
Hanamiya sneered, recalling the black mist he once saw in middle school.
"I've seen Animal Instinct far stronger than yours."
Nash smiled strangely.
"What a coincidence."
"I've seen it too."
.......
...
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