"Things are looking a bit bad, Nash!" Nick took a sip of water and looked toward Nash.
"I'm afraid this isn't even his true strength yet," Shidou Ryusei said after thinking for a moment.
"Huh? Don't joke around, Little Shidou! This isn't it?" Jason Cibor looked at Shidou with disbelief.
"I think Shidou is right. That guy, Tylon, always gives me an uneasy feeling, but... we still have the lead, so there's no need to worry for now."
"Next up, Jason, get serious. You know the importance of this game! I can tolerate you messing around at other times, but this game... I don't want any accidents!" Nash looked at Jason Cibor with a serious expression; he was very dissatisfied with Jason's performance.
Jason didn't dare to talk back and nodded to show he understood.
Beep—!!!!
The timeout ended, and the game continued.
Backboard Breakers' possession.
However, after the timeout ended, the heavy thud of the basketball hitting the floor and the sight of Tylon bringing the ball up the court plunged the entire arena into an eerie silence.
Nash's pupils constricted slightly—this 2.10-meter giant was actually handling the ball past half-court as skillfully as a point guard?
"Are you kidding me..." Jason bared his teeth.
The two of them formed a one-on-one confrontation outside the three-point line.
And then, a hilarious scene unfolded.
Two centers over two meters tall were facing off outside the three-point line, while the two teams' point guards, Jason and Nash, were in the paint...
Tylon's dribbling rhythm was unexpectedly steady; the basketball seemed to shrink in his massive palm. When Jason closed in, Tylon suddenly performed a quick crossover—a move that should belong to a point guard—executed with fluid grace.
"Wha...?" Jason scrambled to slide laterally, only to see that Tylon had already completed a between-the-legs dribble, pulling the ball back to his side with his left hand.
Even more shocking was that his footwork was exceptionally nimble; a hesitation move followed by a crossover step forced open half a body's worth of space.
"Don't look down on people!" Jason roared as he pressed up again.
Tylon's right hand suddenly made a realistic pass fake.
The moment Jason's vision shifted, Tylon's right hand magically pulled the ball back while his body spun rapidly. Jason was left completely behind, forced to watch as Tylon took three large strides toward the paint.
"Stop him!" Nash shouted from behind.
Shidou Ryusei charged in from the wing, but at the moment of jumping, Tylon suddenly folded mid-air, his powerful body contracting incredibly. After dodging the block, he gently tossed the ball toward the backboard.
Tylon's floater was about to bank into the net—Bang!!
A deafening roar!
Jason's figure flashed like a ghost. His jump height was nearly terrifying, his right arm swinging down like a battle-axe.
The moment the ball was about to touch the board—
"Don't even think about it!!"
A brutal chase-down block—the basketball was slammed hard against the backboard, producing a teeth-gritting sound.
The whole arena went silent instantly. Everyone's eyes widened, and even their breathing stopped for a second.
Tylon stumbled two steps after landing and looked back in disbelief—Jason was holding the basketball with one hand, both feet firmly on the ground, his eyes terrifyingly cold.
"You thought..." Jason's voice was low like a beast's, "that because you shook me once, you could do whatever you wanted?"
Tylon's expression finally changed.
Jason didn't waste words; he threw the ball directly to Nash on the perimeter and strode toward the frontcourt. Every step he took seemed to carry a heavy sense of pressure.
"He was forced to activate his Wild Nature!" Shidou Ryusei whistled. "Now he's really getting serious."
Nash advanced quickly after receiving the ball. Before the Backboard Breakers could recover from their shock, Jabberwock's fast break swept in like a gale.
Tylon gritted his teeth and quickly retreated to defend, but this time, his eyes no longer held that previous ease.
Jason took his position in the frontcourt, meeting Tylon's gaze. Their eyes collided in the air, as if sparks could fly.
Tylon felt the violent aura coming from Jason.
Every step Jason took seemed like it could shatter the ground; his speed, power, and explosiveness were all pushed to the limit.
Tylon stayed tight on him, but his footwork still couldn't quite keep up.
"Roar!!!!"
Jason let out a low growl like a beast, suddenly leaping a step inside the free-throw line, his whole body soaring like a cannonball. His right arm held the ball high, as if he intended to tear the entire rim down.
Tylon gritted his teeth and jumped with all his might, but his height was clearly inferior.
"It's over!"
A fierce light flashed in Jason's eyes as his arm slammed down.
However—just as the ball was about to be smashed into the rim, Tylon's gaze suddenly changed.
"Stone Domain: No-Blind-Spot Block!"
Tylon's body adjusted eerily in the air. His jumping height, which had already reached its limit, actually rose again. Even more terrifying, his blocking range seemed to expand in an instant; no matter what angle Jason tried to shoot from, he couldn't avoid the defense.
Bang—!!
A block that shook the entire arena! Tylon's palm accurately slapped the basketball, forcibly stopping Jason's certain-score dunk.
The ball was swatted away, hitting the floor hard and bouncing toward the sideline.
Jason stumbled two steps after landing and looked up in disbelief.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Tylon landed steadily, his breathing slightly rapid, but his gaze remained as steady as a rock.
"I told you..." his low voice rumbled like thunder, "under the basket, this is my domain."
The entire arena fell silent; everyone was so shocked they were speechless.
"Tylon!! Tylon!!"
Nash Goldo narrowed his eyes, his expression turning solemn.
"'Stone Domain'?"
Jason stared fixedly at Tylon, his fists clenching with a cracking sound. Soon, a wild smile slowly curved at the corners of his mouth.
"Good... very good!" His voice was low and dangerous. "This makes things interesting!"
Tylon didn't respond, only silently returning to defense. His eyes alone told everyone—don't even think about scoring in his paint.
"Are you okay?" Nash asked.
Jason shook his head. "For a moment just now, I felt like all shooting angles were blocked, like I was being imprisoned..."
"Shidou, the next attack is yours!" Nash said.
"Okay!"
Backboard Breakers' Jason held the ball and passed it to Aiden.
Aiden looked at Shidou, who was reaching out with his large hands and exuding an overbearing aura, and felt a bit horrified.
This guy... his defensive range is even larger than before.
Aiden dribbled left and right, shifting constantly. Although Shidou's center of gravity moved, he didn't lose his defensive position.
Aiden accelerated to break through to the right but was blocked by Shidou's rapid lateral movement.
Aiden's expression grew more serious.
In an instant, his focus intensified.
His speed and explosiveness suddenly increased.
The burst of acceleration left Shidou unable to keep up.
After breaking past him, Aiden went straight for a runner.
Allen leaped up for help defense, attempting to block the shot.
Seeing this, Aiden adjusted mid-air for a scoop layup.
Jason jumped again, trying for a second block, but the ball hit the top of the backboard and bounced into the rim.
After landing, Aiden immediately turned back to defend.
"Tsk... looks like things are getting troublesome," Nash said as he took the inbound pass. "That guy's concentration..."
"Flow!" Shidou said excitedly.
"Huh? Flow?" Jason looked confused.
"Yeah... it's a state of extreme concentration where one's abilities exceed normal limits."
Nash raised an eyebrow. "So... you want the ball?"
He dribbled past half-court and passed to Shidou.
Shidou caught it one-handed, faced Aiden, and licked the corner of his mouth.
"I didn't expect you could enter Flow too. But... can you stop yourself?"
Aiden was still processing his words when—
Shidou exploded forward.
Aiden quickly recovered and blocked his path, but Shidou flicked his wrist.
The ball hit the ground and bounced strangely toward the basket, banking in.
Shidou spread his hands mockingly.
"Your spin is only so-so..."
Aiden gritted his teeth, anger rising.
Possession changed.
Jason dribbled past half-court, ignored Aiden's reach, and passed to Tylon in the paint.
Tylon caught the ball mid-air, switched hands behind his back to avoid Jason, and dunked it.
Jabberwock's possession.
Nash brought the ball up. Jason called for it, and Nash, seeing they still had the lead, let him take control.
However, Tylon's "Stone Domain" wasn't just about blocks—it covered steals as well.
He snatched the ball ahead of Jason and launched a quarterback-style pass to Charles sprinting upcourt.
Charles stopped outside the three-point line and shot.
Nick rushed to contest from behind.
"Don't, Nick!" Nash shouted.
Too late.
Nick's hand struck Charles's arm just as he released the shot.
The ball bounced twice on the rim before dropping in.
The crowd erupted.
Despite the pressure, Charles remained calm and made the shot. Even with a bit of luck, this three-pointer was crucial.
Beep—!!!!
The referee signaled: foul on Jabberwock No. 6. Basket counts. One free throw.
Nick clutched his head in frustration.
He walked toward Nash to apologize. Nash simply patted him.
"Don't let it happen again."
Nick nodded.
Charles took the ball, bent his knees, and made the free throw.
Jabberwock 23 — Backboard Breakers 24
Backboard Breakers completed the comeback.