Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 59: You've Got Some Real Strength! (Patreon)

The clash between Masato and Nebuya instantly reignited an arena that had only just begun to settle down.

Plenty of spectators had barely taken their seats before shooting right back to their feet.

The roar of the crowd swelled so loudly it felt as though the roof might come off.

“That was brutal! He actually snatch-blocked Nebuya!”

“Seriously, Masato is ridiculous.”

“I thought Nebuya had the clear strength advantage, but after seeing that, I’m not so sure anymore!”

“So this is the Ruler of Kanagawa!”

“AAAAAH! My husband!!”

“...”

...

The Butai players were stunned when Masato ripped the ball out of the air.

But as a national-level powerhouse, their discipline kicked in immediately and they sprinted back on defense.

Masato did not push the fast break.

That gave Butai time to get back first and set up their half-court defense.

And that was exactly what Masato wanted.

He was waiting for Nebuya to get into position.

Masato wanted to beat him head-on and shatter Butai’s morale at its source.

Butai had trailed ever since the game began, but Nebuya’s eye-catching performance had kept their momentum high.

If someone judged the game only by the noise coming from their side, they might have thought Butai was the team in control.

What, did they seriously think beating up on Ishida a few times made this an even matchup?

Masato was about to drag them back to reality.

...

He advanced slowly, completely relaxed, like a tiger strolling through its own territory.

Butai’s defense was already set. Every player lowered his stance and locked his eyes on Masato as though facing the biggest threat on the court.

Every gaze in the arena gathered on him.

Everyone understood that when Masato slowed down like this, it usually meant something explosive was coming.

They were right.

The instant he crossed half court, all of that looseness vanished.

Masato planted his left foot and exploded forward like an arrow leaving the string.

Nebuya had deliberately left himself plenty of space to absorb the drive.

Masato erased that cushion almost instantly.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared on Nebuya’s right side.

But Nebuya was an Uncrowned King, not some ordinary role player.

His outstanding physical tools helped make up part of the speed difference.

He gritted his teeth and barely managed to get a shoulder into Masato’s path.

Masato had no interest in turning it into a wrestling match.

With his left arm protecting the ball against Nebuya’s waist and his right hand controlling the dribble, he flowed straight into a spin.

The movement was stripped down to its essence, refined by [Bible] into something brutally efficient.

One exchange was all it took.

Nebuya lost position.

Masato broke left with open space in front of him.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Nebuya and the rest of Butai collapsing toward him.

Suddenly, he changed his mind.

Masato slammed on the brakes and rose straight into a pull-up jumper.

The extra hang time from [Core Control] left him unusually calm in the air.

He could even see the panic in Nebuya’s eyes.

For a moment, everything around Masato seemed to slow down.

He released the ball, his body stretching smoothly through the air like a bird in flight.

The moment his feet touched the floor, Masato turned around.

“Swish!”

Behind him, the ball tore cleanly through the net.

...

The entire sequence had looked effortless, almost as though Masato were following a script written specifically for him.

That level of execution, combined with the confidence to turn away before seeing the result, left the arena stunned.

His teammates rushed toward him with exaggerated expressions, hands on their heads in disbelief.

On the sideline, Coach Nakamura and the Kawari bench shot out of their seats.

They crowded the edge of the court, waving towels and yelling.

“Masa, keep doing that! They can’t guard you!”

“Captain, run straight through them!”

“AAAAH! That’s Kawari’s ace!”

“...”

The reaction in the stands was even louder.

This basket was completely different from the raw violence of the earlier dunks.

Masato’s effortless control gave the crowd an entirely different kind of thrill.

Thunderous applause rolled through the arena again.

“He’s way too strong!”

“It’s like he’s playing a completely different game!”

“Exactly. His technique is elite!”

“Masato has the body and the skill. He’s basically a complete player with no obvious weakness!”

“No matter how many times I watch him, his style is still so unique!”

“God, he’s so handsome!”

“...”

The overwhelming noise inevitably began affecting Butai.

Nebuya’s expression shifted too.

Their head coach saw his team slipping and immediately called a timeout.

Only when the whistle sounded did Butai’s players finally loosen up slightly and walk back to the bench in silence.

...

Nebuya dropped onto his seat and pulled a towel over his head.

He was breathing hard. Battling Masato had clearly taken a toll.

Seeing their captain like that made the rest of Butai sink even further.

The morale Nebuya had worked so hard to raise seemed to vanish in an instant.

The atmosphere around the bench turned strange and heavy.

Their coach could not allow it to spread.

“Eikichi, don’t let him control your rhythm! Play your game and impose yourself!”

“Remember, you’re one of the Uncrowned Kings. You’re a genius among geniuses. This team...”

The coach kept trying to fire Nebuya up.

Truthfully, he had run out of tactical answers. At this point, all he could do was keep his ace from collapsing mentally.

If Nebuya gave up too, they might as well surrender on the spot.

“That’s enough, Coach.”

Nebuya, who had been sitting with his head lowered the entire time, finally ripped the towel away.

He raised his head, showing a full row of white teeth as he grinned at his worried teammates.

“What the hell are you all so worried about?”

“I’m your captain. Don’t you dare look down on me.”

Nebuya stood.

“Show some damn spirit. Don’t let them see you scared!”

“I’m burning everything I have in this game to protect your pride...”

With that, he ignored the emotion spreading across his teammates’ faces and turned back toward the court.

The game resumed.

...

Butai looked completely different after the timeout.

If anything, the pressure coming from them was even stronger than before.

Masato was genuinely surprised. This was not what he had expected.

Then his eyes met Nebuya’s.

The determination there told him everything.

This was a team with a real soul.

Until the final buzzer, Butai was going to keep fighting back with everything it had.

Masato immediately abandoned the idea of crushing their morale.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“If that’s how it is, then come on.”

...

For the rest of the game, Masato stayed matched up with Nebuya.

Nebuya was clearly outclassed overall, but he clung to the fight through brute strength and sheer willpower.

On defense, even when he fell, he would still throw himself into Masato’s path and make every step difficult.

Naturally, that kind of defense came with a price.

Nebuya took more than a few elbows from Masato’s off arm while Masato protected the ball.

Every hit made his already dark expression turn even uglier from the pain.

Yet he never stopped fighting.

Masato’s use of his body was legal. He was simply shielding the ball and answering Nebuya’s physicality with physicality of his own.

Under Masato’s control, the pace of the entire game accelerated.

The spectators became more and more absorbed in the battle.

Time flew by.

...

Before long, the fourth quarter was nearing its end.

Masato had the ball, and Nebuya stepped up to guard him yet again.

Looking at him, Masato could not help feeling impressed.

Nebuya had been running on empty for a long time, but he was still out there.

Masato understood how much this game meant to him, and Nebuya had shown qualities worthy of respect.

So Masato would return that respect properly.

He broke through Nebuya’s defense and threw down another dunk.

Nobody could even remember how many times he had dunked by then, but the crowd still erupted for it.

And at this point, those cheers were no longer for Masato alone.

They were for Nebuya too.

His refusal to quit had moved everyone in the arena.

...

“BEEEP!”

The final buzzer sounded.

The score stopped at 130 to 80.

The gap was enormous, but the crowd still gave Butai generous applause and cheers.

They had fought until the final second without embarrassing themselves.

On the court, Nebuya finally reached his limit.

He collapsed onto his back, utterly exhausted, chest rising and falling like a broken bellows as he dragged in air.

The emotions he had suppressed throughout the game finally broke loose.

Tears blurred his vision, turning the bright arena lights above him into hazy circles.

He knew his junior high career was over.

While Nebuya lay there lost in that grief, a hand appeared in front of him.

“You’ve got some real strength.”

Nebuya’s vision was still blurry. He wiped at his eyes and finally saw who was standing over him.

Masato smiled.

“Want to go watch Teiko’s game together?”