Bang. Swish!
The basketball slammed against the rim and dropped in.
Nick was momentarily stunned. It was his first time seeing someone shoot so casually.
The problem was, it still went in.
Possession switched.
This time, Nash Gold passed the ball to Jason Silver.
Jason Silver caught it and felt the force coming from behind him. His expression shifted slightly.
'His strength increased?'
'Looks like it's active again.'
Jason Silver assumed Murasakibara was simply releasing his full power like before, so he didn't think much of it.
He immediately backed down twice.
Bang!
Bang!
Something's off. Seriously off.
Jason Silver quickly turned to face Murasakibara.
With the five-second back-to-the-basket rule in play, he couldn't afford to stay in a post-up for too long.
He studied Murasakibara carefully, then turned his back again.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!!!
After three consecutive backdowns, Jason Silver turned around again. This time, his expression completely changed.
Shock filled his face.
Allen looked stunned.
"My God, Jason can't even move that purple-haired guy."
Zack frowned, the familiar aura coming from Murasakibara becoming clearer.
Could it be...
Zack's body trembled.
That was it.
He finally realized what that familiar feeling was.
Animal Instinct.
Animal Instinct fused into the body.
Once it merges with the body, it becomes much harder to detect when activated. That was why Jason Silver and the others hadn't noticed it right away.
Realizing this, Zack immediately shouted:
"Jason! That kid has fused Animal Instinct into his body!"
Jason Silver snapped back to his senses and cursed.
"Fuck, no wonder his strength shot up!"
After that, he carefully sized up Murasakibara.
Murasakibara's eyes were blood-red, his face filled with ferocity. There was none of his usual sluggish innocence left.
Right now, he looked like a true beast.
Jason Silver clicked his tongue and muttered,
"I really hate you guys who fuse Animal Instinct."
Zack wiped sweat from his forehead.
What are you even saying? You just can't push through him right now.
The basic requirement for fusing Animal Instinct is overwhelming stamina. After that, it depends on talent.
Some people can fuse with it once they meet the physical requirement. Others, even with insane stamina, still can't achieve it.
There's no predicting it.
Now that he knew Murasakibara had Animal Instinct within his body, Jason Silver stopped holding back.
Murasakibara's Animal Instinct was a bear. Once fused, his strength would be terrifying.
Jason Silver tensed his entire body and drove into him again.
Boom!
Boom!!
Boom!!!
Three full-force collisions pushed Murasakibara back each time.
That alone showed just how monstrous Jason Silver's strength was.
Even so, it wasn't easy.
"Damn it, you guys with Animal Instinct inside you are all sneaky."
Zack shrugged helplessly.
"Since when is Animal Instinct sneaky?"
......
Jason Silver drove forward with another full-force shove, forcing Murasakibara back a step. He immediately spun, faced the basket, and jumped for a dunk.
Murasakibara reacted instantly, leaping up with a fierce expression and slamming both hands onto the ball.
They clashed midair, neither able to overpower the other at first.
Jason Silver knew that if he didn't finish it now, the possession was over.
He roared.
"Get out of my way!"
A violent, terrifying aura swept across the court. The roar of a Tyrannosaurus echoed through the arena.
The moment it appeared, Jason Silver's strength surged past Murasakibara.
He forcefully dunked the ball right over him with overwhelming power.
Boom!!!
Murasakibara couldn't withstand the impact. He lost his balance upon landing and fell to the floor.
Jason Silver landed heavily, his entire body radiating a terrifying pressure.
Like a true beast.
He looked down at the fallen Murasakibara and grinned.
"Kid, the game's only just starting. You better keep me entertained."
........
Possession changed.
Makoto Hanamiya had just brought the ball beyond the three-point line when he saw Murasakibara reaching for it.
Jason Silver and Nash Gold made no move to stop him. It was obvious they wanted Hanamiya to pass it to Murasakibara.
Hanamiya understood their intention.
They wanted a direct clash between Murasakibara and Jason Silver.
You want that? I don't.
A spiderweb spread out beneath his feet once more.
Shogo Haizaki seemed to grasp something and began moving.
Shuzo Nijimura did the same.
Not wanting to waste time on Hanamiya, Nash Gold activated the [Belial Eye].
He carefully observed Hanamiya, Haizaki, and the others.
Finally, as Nijimura and Haizaki crossed paths, Nijimura used Murasakibara to set a screen.
Nick, who was trailing Haizaki, was blocked, giving Haizaki a brief opening.
Nash Gold locked his gaze on Hanamiya and saw him suddenly fling the ball out.
The ball arrived first. The player followed.
Nash Gold focused completely on Haizaki.
Only when he noticed the spiderweb spreading beneath Haizaki's feet did he finally understand.
After Haizaki sank the shot with [Formless Shot], Nash Gold spoke.
"I see."
Hanamiya, who had just started to run back on defense, froze.
Nash Gold smiled, his pale green eyes with golden rings gleaming as he looked at Hanamiya with amusement.
"I have to admit, you're a genius."
"And that gray-haired guy is a genius too."
Hanamiya seemed to realize something and hesitated.
"You..."
Nash Gold let out a cold laugh.
"I have to say, your teamwork is excellent. You use the spiderweb as your eyes to read the court, then rely on your past coordination to execute your plays."
"That gray-haired guy seems to know it too. You must have trained together."
"As for Nijimura, he's relying purely on experience to keep up with your rhythm."
"Your coordination is impressive. One glance is enough to understand each other."
"But..."
"You're underestimating me."
Nash Gold slowly stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Hanamiya and making his skin crawl.
Hanamiya gritted his teeth and forced himself to meet that gaze.
Nash Gold nodded in satisfaction.
"Good courage. Sharp eyes. But unfortunately..."
"It's useless."
......
...
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