"This…!"
Akashi Asuka's defensive play didn't just shock Midorima Shintarou, everyone watching, including the other "Generation of Miracles" members on the sidelines and even Seirin's Hyuuga and others, couldn't help but widen their eyes.
But what stunned them wasn't just that Akashi stopped Shutoku's offense, it was the technique he used.
"This move… is… [The Demon King's Domain]? How… how is this possible? Isn't this supposed to require Zone activation?"
Their minds reeled. This technique was considered the ultimate defensive domain, leaving a deep impression on everyone.
After all, even Akashi Seijuro himself couldn't break through it in the Interhigh finals.
But soon, Seijuro shook his head and said, "No, this isn't the full [Demon King's Domain]. It's a weakened version. The defensive range and pressure are probably only about 70% of the original… Still, to evolve it this far is quite unexpected!"
·····
"What the hell…? He can stop it without even seeing the ball?"
Takao Naruse was dumbfounded. He'd seen some absurd defenses before, but nothing like this.
Until now, Shutoku's offense and defense had been flawless, with perhaps only one flaw: Midorima's stamina was draining faster than expected.
And yet, even this slight weakness was exploited, turning into a deadly threat.
Kimura Shinsuke went back to the baseline to inbound the ball.
Takao caught it and immediately saw Midorima beyond the three-point line, motionless, ready to shoot. His heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, Komi, now you're using that move? I'm not ready! Well… do or die, your choice."
The next moment:
Midorima jumped in place. Simultaneously, Takao passed the ball instantly.
SLAP!
A clean parabola formed midair, and with a crisp sound, the ball landed perfectly in Midorima's hands.
"Looks like luck's on our side today!"
Takao smiled, but it lasted barely half a second. Another sharper SLAP and his grin vanished.
BOOM!
A massive hand swung across. The ball just released from Midorima's hands was violently swatted to the ground.
"Counterattack!"
The sudden turn of events left Shutoku's entire team pale.
But before they could react, Tsugawa Tomoki had already scooped up the ball and sprinted toward Shutoku's court, launching a successful counterattack ahead of everyone.
74:68.
Midorima's eyes widened, completely stunned.
Akashi glanced at him and said, "Desperate shots like that might work on others, but not me. I'm disappointed, Midorima, you really made such a basic mistake."
Shaking his head, Akashi moved away.
To be honest, he had hoped Midorima would surprise him a little this game, but so far, he was still just short.
It wasn't Midorima's fault. In terms of raw ability, the gap wasn't that large.
But their attributes clashed so severely that, in some ways, Akashi countered Midorima even more than Hyuuga did.
·····
"It's over!"
From the viewpoint of Rakuzan's bench, Akashi Seijuro stood and began walking toward the stands.
From the back of the bleachers, Aomine Daiki turned and headed toward the player tunnel. Satsuki Momoi hurried after him.
"Daiki, where are you going? The game isn't over yet!"
"Just getting some air, that's all."
Meanwhile, Aida Riko, having watched for a long time, sighed.
"Shutoku is finished."
"Huh? Riko, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying this game is over."
"Impossible… Shutoku is only down by six points…"
"The score doesn't matter. Shutoku's main scorer is Midorima Shintarou. Even if the whole team works together, Midorima can't break through Akashi's defense. Continuing like this is nothing but slow death."
Aida Riko saw clearly: after Akashi's incredible three-point display in the first two quarters, Shutoku was already in crisis.
Perhaps they had planned other strategies before the game, but none of that mattered against absolute strength.
A 21/22 three-point rate, offensively, there was little difference from Midorima.
But defensively, Midorima and Akashi were fundamentally different.
In this situation, Shutoku either had to maintain overwhelming offense until the end, or display defense on par with Seiho.
Otherwise, the balance would break, and Shutoku would collapse entirely.
Maintaining defense was impossible; no matter how strong, Shutoku couldn't match Seiho's extreme defensive style.
The only hope was full-force offense.
But now…
Isn't there Zone? If Midorima enters Zone…
Hyuga Junpei trailed off mid-thought.
Indeed, Midorima could enter Zone, but couldn't Akashi also do so?
Remember: so far, only Akashi and Aomine Daiki can activate Zone at will.
·····
As predicted by Aida Riko, Akashi Seijuro, and Aomine Daiki, the game between Seiho and Shutoku ended in the third quarter.
Akashi, without entering Zone, deployed [The Demon King's Domain], instantly making Midorima's offense a hundred times harder.
Even though Shutoku still exerted energy to defend Akashi, Seiho's offense remained largely unaffected, merely reducing three-pointers to two-pointers.
The score gap slowly widened…
By the end of the third quarter, Seiho and Shutoku's score was 94:78.
The equilibrium maintained for two quarters collapsed instantly under Seiho's explosive third-quarter performance…