Jason Silver seemed to be enjoying this style of play. He laughed loudly.
"Good one, kid! That's more like it!"
Then he braced himself again to take Murasakibara's charge.
But even after so many collisions, Murasakibara still couldn't gain any advantageous position.
Even now, Jason Silver had only been pushed back a single step.
Even with the Animal Instinct within his body activated, Murasakibara was still no match for Jason Silver, who had also unleashed his own Animal Instinct.
In the end, Murasakibara tried to force a shot, but Jason Silver easily blocked it.
After swatting the ball away, Jason Silver grinned.
"Kid, your thinking's way too simple!"
Murasakibara gritted his teeth and said nothing.
Over the next few possessions, the game completely turned into a one-on-one battle between the two.
More precisely, it became a one-sided beating by Jason Silver.
On offense, Jason Silver kept backing him down, using pure strength to push Murasakibara aside before finishing with violent dunks.
On defense, he shut Murasakibara out entirely, not even letting him bring the ball into the paint.
Even when Murasakibara caught the ball inside, it would be swatted away in an instant.
It was a brutal scene.
After several exchanges like this, Murasakibara's mentality began to crack.
The usual absent-minded look on his face disappeared completely, replaced by anger and ferocity.
He was breathing heavily, like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
His fierce gaze locked onto Jason Silver as he muttered,
"I'll crush you..."
Jason Silver seemed to sense something. He turned his head, and what he saw made his eyes widen.
Crack!
Murasakibara had entered the Zone.
The ferocity in his eyes vanished, replaced by streaks of purple lightning.
At that moment, the aura around him became overwhelmingly oppressive.
Miyamoto Tokima, standing off the court as referee, revealed a faint smile.
Murasakibara's second Zone, the hardest one to achieve, was complete.
Shuzo Nijimura was just as pleased.
In the next instant, under everyone's gaze, Murasakibara slowly lowered his stance, like a runner preparing to sprint.
Boom!
Sure enough, he exploded forward, pushing off with his left leg and shooting ahead like an arrow.
Seeing this, Makoto Hanamiya reacted instantly and activated his Animal Instinct.
A massive spider seemed to appear behind him. His mind cleared, and his ability to read the court improved dramatically.
Hanamiya rushed forward, ready to deliver the pass.
Murasakibara charged ahead like a moving mountain.
Jason Silver shouted and chased after him.
Behind him, the Tyrannosaurus let out a violent roar, as if it had locked onto its prey.
Murasakibara drove all the way into the paint and only stopped when he met Jason Silver.
The two clashed again.
A fierce light flashed in Murasakibara's eyes, his entire body radiating wild aggression.
"I'll crush you!!!"
He surged with force and extended his right hand.
Seeing this, Hanamiya immediately lobbed the ball high.
Given Murasakibara's position, a high pass was the safest option.
Murasakibara caught the lob, his aura erupting once more.
Jason Silver grinned.
"Good, kid! Come on!"
Murasakibara clenched his teeth, gathering all his strength. His body trembled slightly as if he were about to release everything at once.
Then he drove forward, slamming into Jason Silver with terrifying speed and power.
The impact hit like a cannonball.
Jason Silver hadn't expected such explosive force. He hurried to steady himself, but was still pushed back a step.
That alone shocked him.
Ever since losing to Jason Silver in a strength contest, Murasakibara had focused almost entirely on strength training.
He barely worked on technique, spending nearly all his time building power.
His talent had never been lacking. Before, it was just laziness holding him back.
Now, after systematic strength training and entering the Zone, his power was nearly on par with Jason Silver in Animal Instinct.
Before Jason Silver could fully process it, Murasakibara's second collision came.
Jason Silver quickly braced himself.
Boom!!!
The force crashed into him like a tidal wave, pushing him back a step and a half.
Murasakibara pressed forward again.
Now that Jason Silver realized how much Murasakibara's strength had increased, he no longer held back. He steadied himself and resisted with full force.
The Tyrannosaurus behind him roared again.
Boom!!!
This time, he held his ground, only stepping back half a step.
At first, Jason Silver had assumed that even in the Zone, Murasakibara's strength would be the same as before.
He had not expected such a drastic increase.
That was why he had been pushed back repeatedly earlier.
Now that he understood, Murasakibara could no longer move him so easily.
Boom!!!
Another collision.
This time, Jason Silver only shifted slightly.
Just as he prepared for the next charge, Murasakibara suddenly moved differently.
He spun, then jumped into a shot.
The form was rough, even awkward.
But...
It went in.
Jason Silver, who had been ready to take another hit, froze.
He stood there for nearly two and a half seconds before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Nice one, kid! Didn't expect you to pull that out. Interesting. This is getting really interesting!"
He extended his hand with a wide grin.
"Kid, what's your name? You're worth remembering!"
At that moment, Jason Silver had truly acknowledged Murasakibara.
It had been a long time since he met someone this fitting to his taste.
Murasakibara didn't take his hand.
He didn't even look at him again, simply turning around and walking away.
Jason Silver's hand remained hanging in the air.
Allen stood nearby, covering his mouth, trying to hold back his laughter. But a sound still slipped out.
Jason Silver's face darkened as he turned and shouted,
"Allen!!!"
Allen quickly raised his hands.
"Sorry, Jason. I've had professional training. No matter the situation, I won't laugh."
"Unless..."
"I can't hold it in! Hahahaha!"
..........