Chapter 118: The Jackets… Scoreless.
After learning that Shuzo Nijimura’s conviction was scoring, Miyamoto Tokima felt genuinely happy for him.
That was because a conviction centered on scoring was relatively easy to strengthen. In other words, it meant that entering the Zone a second time would be much easier for Shuzo Nijimura.
For example, Miyamoto Tokima could simply have Jason Silver and Shuzo Nijimura play one-on-one. Under Jason Silver’s oppressive defense, Shuzo Nijimura would inevitably erupt with an intense desire to score. That desire alone would be enough to carry him into the Zone for a second time.
Once the second entry into the Zone was achieved, everything afterward would be much simpler. With proper training, entering the Zone would no longer be such a daunting challenge.
After all, the hardest part of the Zone was the second entry.
On the court, Shuzo Nijimura was extremely fired up, relentlessly attacking the rim.
Nash Gold and the others deliberately fed him the ball, letting him continue to attack.
Zack suddenly felt a bit of regret and said to Nick beside him,
“Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged that kid.”
Nick laughed and teased him,
“What, scared he’ll take your starting spot?”
Zack sighed, his gaze following Shuzo Nijimura as he ran across the court.
“Yeah. But I’m not someone who can’t accept losing. If Shuzo Nijimura can beat me, I’m willing to give up my starting position.”
Nick burst out laughing, punched Zack on the shoulder, and said,
“Hey, you idiot—since when did you become so noble?!”
And just like that, the first quarter ended with an absurd score of 48–0.
The Jackets… had not scored a single point.
“Th-this is too terrifying… The Jackets… zero points.”
“Am I dreaming? The Jackets, who are so strong around here, didn’t score a single point against the Black Emperor Dragon Team…”
“The scariest part is that Tokima only took one shot!”
“Who would’ve thought the Miyamoto Family could find six players this strong?”
The crowd gasped nonstop, clearly shaken by the fact that the Jackets hadn’t scored at all.
The Jackets might not be the strongest street team in the area, but they were definitely among the top-tier.
Yet even such a powerful team had failed to score a single point against Miyamoto Tokima’s Black Emperor Dragon Team.
On the court.
Shuzo Nijimura sat on the bench, gasping for breath, as he exited the Zone state.
The moment he left the Zone, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion swept through his body. Even standing up felt like a luxury.
Nash Gold observed Shuzo Nijimura’s muscle changes with the Belial Eye.
He saw that after leaving the Zone, all of Shuzo Nijimura’s physical indicators dropped sharply—clear signs of severe overexertion.
Nash Gold had never seen a state like this before and couldn’t help feeling curious.
What kind of state could turn someone seemingly weak into a player stronger than even Zack and the others in an instant?
Not understanding, he asked directly,
“Tokima, what was Nijimura just now…?”
Shuzo Nijimura, still panting heavily, pricked up his ears, wanting to hear whether Miyamoto Tokima’s explanation matched what he himself was thinking.
Zack was also a little curious.
“Yeah, Tokima, what exactly happened to Nijimura just now?”
Miyamoto Tokima looked around at everyone and explained calmly,
“The Zone. Shuzo Nijimura just entered the Zone.”
Nash Gold pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up in shock.
“Tokima, you mean that state every basketball player dreams of?!”
Miyamoto Tokima nodded and briefly explained the Zone’s abilities and entry conditions.
“Simply put, the Zone allows a player who normally can only use about eighty percent of their ability to instantly unleash one hundred percent—or even more.”
“Only those who truly love basketball and possess extremely high talent can enter it.”
Zack stared at Shuzo Nijimura in amazement and blurted out,
“Damn… if that’s the case, then Nijimura… haha, looks like I’ll be his substitute.”
Nash Gold frowned deeply. He still felt that something about Shuzo Nijimura was off.
Miyamoto Tokima seemed to notice his concern and explained how Shuzo Nijimura had entered the Zone—and how difficult it was to enter it a second time.
Everyone was stunned after hearing it.
Zack turned to Shuzo Nijimura and asked quickly,
“Nijimura, did you enter the Zone just now because of your belief in scoring?”
Shuzo Nijimura slowly raised his head and recalled what had happened during the game.
He realized that at the time, his mind really had been filled with nothing but the thought of scoring.
Suddenly, he remembered something—the dark shadow!
“Tokima, before I entered the Zone, I saw a door!”
Miyamoto Tokima nodded.
“That was the door to the Zone. Only those who push it open can enter.”
Shuzo Nijimura continued immediately,
“That’s the problem. I tried pushing it by myself, but I couldn’t open it.”
Nash Gold frowned and said,
“So something helped you push the door open, right?”
Shuzo Nijimura nodded seriously.
“A dark shadow. That shadow helped me push the door open.”
Miyamoto Tokima thought for a moment. Shuzo Nijimura’s situation was completely different from the original story.
In the original, there was also a shadow—but that was the gatekeeper, Tetsuya Kuroko.
And Tetsuya Kuroko was only the gatekeeper for Taiga Kagami and Daiki Aomine. He couldn’t possibly be Shuzo Nijimura’s gatekeeper.
Moreover, the gate Kuroko guarded was the second door, not the first.
Since the shadow wasn’t Tetsuya Kuroko, there was only one possibility left.
The shadow was Shuzo Nijimura’s conviction—born from his desire to score.
That was why it helped him push open the door to the Zone.
“It seems that shadow was your conviction, Nijimura,” Allen said.
Jason Silver thought it over and found no issue with Allen’s explanation, so he agreed,
“Allen’s probably right.”
Nash Gold thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with anything else, so he stopped dwelling on it.
“Alright. Allen, switch in for Nijimura. Win this game, and we’ll go out to eat afterward.”
Miyamoto Tokima called out loudly.
Everyone nodded in unison.
“Yes! Tokima!”
The second quarter began, and Nash Gold’s five-man lineup returned to the court.
The original Exploding Neck Dragon starting five officially reunited here, now fighting under Miyamoto Tokima.
Shuzo Nijimura watched their backs and asked quietly,
“Tokima… is it really… that hard for me to enter the Zone a second time?”
Miyamoto Tokima didn’t turn around. Watching the game unfold on the court, he replied softly,
“No. It won’t be.”
“Because… I believe in you.”
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