On the court.
From the closing stretch of the third quarter onward, it became unmistakably clear to everyone in the stands
Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo were preparing to turn up the heat and finish this game properly.
And reality proved exactly that.
Whether it was Midorima,
or Murasakibara,
when facing Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo—especially with their stamina already lagging behind—after that alley-oop three, the sense of having exhausted every last trick only became more pronounced with each passing second.
Then
Fourth quarter.
3 minutes and 15 seconds remaining.
Kaijō vs. Yōsen.
93 : 72.
The score gap ballooned beyond twenty points in an instant.
On the court, for several consecutive possessions, Midorima—personally checked by Nijimura Shuzo—found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the mire as his physical strength drained away.
Haa…
Midorima drew a long, heavy breath.
Strangely enough
In a situation this desperate,
there was no hesitation left in his fighting spirit.
That indescribable force—hazy, indistinct, swaying deep within his heart—suddenly slipped free through his clenched fists, released in a joy separated from ecstasy by only the thinnest of lines.
He could feel it clearly.
At this very moment, the pressure his opponents brought down on him had instead pushed his mind into its best possible state—as if, so long as he remained on the court, he could enter an even deeper, farther-reaching world of basketball.
Boom
Within his heart.
That tiny light once ignited in middle school—when he chose the path of three-point shooting
Had now, on an entirely different road, lit up another flame.
And then
In that moment of intense focus
Crackle…
Crack—pop!
Snap!
Before Midorima himself even realized it, flecks of emerald-green lightning flickered briefly within his eyes.
Just an instant
But it was enough for both Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo to look toward him immediately.
"Oh?"
"Bit late—but you've reached this step after all, huh."
A beat later, the spectators—finally realizing what was happening—stared in disbelief.
"That aura is insane!"
"Zone, right?"
"Another one…"
"I heard Haizaki Shōgo and Aomine Daiki could already enter the Zone during the Tokyo qualifiers… and now Midorima Shintarō too…"
"Don't tell me the entire Generation of Miracles can do it?"
On Kaijō's side, No. 26—Kurokami Shinji—cast a doubtful glance at Murasakibara, who was now being taken over by Shigure.
This kid… could he enter it too?
On the other side, Fukaya Reiji looked at Midorima, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint curve.
At the same time
Something astonishing was unfolding on the court.
Having entered the Zone, Midorima did not turn into a reckless isolation monster like Aomine, shutting out the world.
Instead
With remarkable restraint, he chose a method that conserved stamina while remaining brutally effective.
Passing.
Extraordinary passing.
Within Yōsen's tactical formation, Midorima moved like a trumpet sounding the march—darting back and forth, constantly meeting return passes, forcing Yōsen's ball movement into blistering acceleration.
Liu Wei had barely received Okamura Kenichi's pass when Midorima's figure appeared in his vision.
Conditioned by countless grueling practices under Midorima's command, Liu Wei instinctively sent the ball back.
And many others made the same choice.
Tap!
Tap!
Driven by Midorima's high-speed movement, crisp, fleeting touches of the ball echoed through Yōsen's offense.
Then
Before anyone realized it
The ball was suddenly in Fukui Kensuke's hands!
Under Midorima's Zone-led rapid circulation, Kasamatsu Yukio's defense cracked open—and the shock on his face mirrored that of the spectators.
But really
There was nothing else that could be done.
At this speed, Midorima gave up possession entirely, plunging like a blade straight into Kaijō's defense—supplemented by those instant-release passes that boosted tempo, and the ever-present threat of his shooting.
Would he shoot?
Or pass?
There were simply too many variables.
And
Midorima's position ran extremely deep.
While drawing defensive attention inside, Yōsen's offense flowed without needing to adjust for him—because under Zone-level speed, Midorima alone filled every missing link of this ultra-high-speed system.
Then
Just like before
The ball came again.
Tap!
Tap!
The rapid-fire exchanges sounded like exploding firecrackers.
And Midorima
Was the fuse.
Burning himself, while dragging every teammate around him into that dazzling, roaring detonation.
Kurokami Shinji was guarding Okamura Kenichi—but this time, he was the one whose defensive rhythm was disrupted.
Because after Midorima released the ball, it passed twice more—
And then Midorima split man and ball, slicing effortlessly through the paint
Only to receive it again.
Inside the key.
Right then
"Reiji…"
"Watch that exchange student."
Fukaya Reiji's attention had been drawn by one of Midorima's rapid pass-throughs—but at Nijimura's warning, he immediately turned to pressure Liu Wei.
But
Whoosh!
Boom!
Okamura Kenichi—gorilla-style alley-oop dunk!
"Ah…?"
"OOOOOOOOH!!!"
"What a pass!!"
"Midorima—you!"
As Okamura went in for a high-five, he met Midorima's gaze
Those deep green eyes, flames and lightning flickering beneath the surface.
"…!"
What terrifying presence.
So that was it
To make those instantaneous, pinpoint passes at that speed…
Zone, combined with tactical divination.
Incredible.
…
Kaijō's possession.
Facing Midorima in the Zone, Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo remained calm.
Neither chose to enter the Zone.
"Keep up, Nijimura."
"You too, Shigure."
Yōsen half-court.
Nijimura advanced with the ball, Shigure right beside him.
Tap
Nijimura passed to Shigure—and charged straight into the paint.
Shigure lightly redirected the ball into open space ahead.
Murasakibara bit on the pass—just a fraction too slow
While Shigure flowed through a seamless give-and-go, dazzling everyone.
Whoosh!
Midorima and Nijimura moved almost simultaneously.
With Zone-enhanced speed, Midorima did not fall behind
But
Running fast wasn't enough.
Passing was faster.
Tap
Another instant-release pass—from Nijimura—sent the ball back to Shigure crossing through.
Shigure leapt
Tap!
Another feather-light touch
The ball redirected to the opposite side of the rim.
BOOM!
Nijimura slammed it home over Midorima—alley-oop dunk!
The arena exploded.
"Kaijō!"
"Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo are absurdly fast! Just like Midorima last possession—one-touch every time!"
"But Yōsen only has Midorima doing this alone—Kaijō has two. Their combined speed is easily twice as fast!"
"That kind of instinctive passing off crossing routes… that chemistry…"
…
"Defense!"
"Defense!!"
Tap!
Tap!
Even with only Midorima accelerating the system, Yōsen's ball movement remained terrifyingly fast.
Nijimura frowned.
"Not a shot—final pass goes to Murasakibara!"
As Murasakibara touched the ball—he himself was startled.
Just by following Midorima's flow, he'd found space right in front of Shigure.
But
Space didn't guarantee success.
Murasakibara attacked the rim.
Shigure was a beat late
But in the air, they reached the same height.
BOOM!
"Didn't eat enough Umaibō snack before the game, Murasakibara~?"
SMACK!
Like a volleyball block, Shigure crushed the ball—slapping it straight into the backboard.
Murasakibara frowned.
Not enough…
I need to be stronger.
…
Later
With time draining away, Yōsen fought on.
But
No one on Kaijō entered the Zone.
Until
The final moments.
Shigure Akihito exploded
Appearing at the rim in the blink of an eye.
Midair catch.
Back turned.
Murasakibara chased—veins bulging
But
This was the moment.
Shigure Akihito entered the Zone.
BOOM!
A reverse dunk
CRASH!
The acrylic backboard shattered.
The rim was torn down.
Silence.
Fragments raining down
The ball bounced among the debris
Rolling to a stop at Midorima's feet.
Frozen.
"…Hah…"
"…Ha…"
Midorima looked up
At the score.
At the lightning blazing in Shigure and Nijimura's eyes.
The final straw.
"Just as I thought…"
"In the end… I couldn't escape the morning fortune after all…"
END OF CHAPTER
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