"Looks like the other side is finally getting serious!"
Fully unleashing his presence, Kise Ryouta moved like a starving beast, immediately alerting Seiho players, who all turned instinctively toward Kaijo's bench.
But it was only a surprise, no shock.
"If that's the case, it's time for us to settle this. Akashi, Kise is yours."
Matsumoto Yukinori looked at Akashi Asuka, continuing,
"A 24-point lead isn't completely safe. Even in the final quarter, no one can afford to slack off. Understood?"
"Understood!"
·····
The fourth quarter officially began.
Seiho had the first possession.
Akashi had already explained Kise Ryouta's hidden trump card to the team before the game, but at the Generation of Miracles level, mere words were insufficient to convey the full impact.
Only by experiencing it firsthand could one truly grasp what a monster was.
Kasuga Ryuhei was the first to feel it.
When Kise suddenly appeared in front of him, Kasuga froze, unable to comprehend why Kise had switched to guard him.
Even stranger was the aura radiating from Kise, it was eerily reminiscent of Akashi Seijuro.
This overwhelming unease left Kasuga with no desire to fight; the instant Kise appeared, he prepared to pass the ball to Akashi without hesitation.
Monsters can only be dealt with by monsters.
Kasuga had learned this well from his time with Akashi.
But the next second brought something he never expected.
Just as Kasuga was about to pass, Kise, as if anticipating the move, suddenly snatched the ball in a steal.
"Is this Akashi's signature move?"
Kasuga's pupils constricted. Before shock even fully hit him, Kise had grabbed the ball and dashed past Kasuga from behind.
"Stop him!"
Tsutomu Iwamura reacted immediately, shouting.
The closest player to Kise was Omuro Yoshikasu. Hearing Iwamura, Omuro rushed to intercept him, but before he could even plant his feet, Kise's speed skyrocketed. Like a gust of wind, he vanished from Omuro's vision.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Omuro.
From the stands, Satsuki Momoi covered her mouth in awe at the skill Kise had just executed.
In the blink of an eye, Kise reached outside Seiho's three-point line.
This distance was within Kise's scoring range, but he had to stop at the crucial moment because a massive, steady figure blocked his path, like Mount Fuji itself.
In the past, Kise might have abandoned the drive and passed.
But now, he wouldn't.
Because now, Kise Ryouta was invincible.
"No one can stop me! Not even Akashi! Get out of my way!"
He roared and accelerated, his dribbling filled with dazzling tricks.
"That's… Akashi's Ankle Breaker! Akashi, watch out!"
Kasuga immediately recognized the trap hidden in Kise's dribble and shouted.
But sound travels slowly on a basketball court.
Almost at the same instant, Akashi lost his balance, not enough to fall, but enough to create an opening that Kise instantly exploited.
Whoosh~
In a flash, Kise transitioned from Akashi's style to Aomine Daiki's, using Formless Drive to penetrate the defense, then released a Phantom Shot.
Without Akashi's Emperor's Eye, the power of Kise's Ankle Breaker was slightly weaker than the original.
But in sheer offensive capability?
This round of attack might have been scarier than Akashi himself.
Why?
Because Kise combined Akashi's Ankle Breaker with Aomine Daiki's abilities.
Together, no summer tournament defense, no matter how strong, could stop him.
But… that was only for the summer tournament.
SLAP!
A crisp slap echoed across the court.
The ball Kise had thrown flew away, and he was left stunned.
No one saw exactly how Akashi had struck.
In an instant, the ball returned to the court, and Kaijo's hearts plummeted from heaven to hell.
"Interesting move… seems like you can mimic all the Generation of Miracles moves now, huh? But you forgot one thing, the rest of the Generation of Miracles were all my defeated foes. Do you really think using their moves on me will win?"
Akashi turned, his body fully relaxed, entering a wild, feral state.
[Animal Instinct] + [Demon King's Paint]
This was the key to successfully stopping Kise's attack.
Kise's confident assault was blocked. His expression froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his fighting spirit, charging to retrieve the ball.
And he succeeded, regaining possession at the last second.
"No, it's not over. As long as we don't give up, this game still has hope!" Kise's eyes gleamed like never before.
But Akashi snarled,
"Hope? Perfect. My specialty is crushing my opponent's hope completely."
[Thor's Hammer]
Kise charged the paint, executing a dunk inspired by Murasakibara Atsushi.
Though lacking Murasakibara's size and strength, Kise used his sprint and jump momentum to replicate about 70–80% of the move's impact.
Against another player, 70–80% power could crush two or three defenders easily.
But…
"I already defeated Murasakibara. This inferior move? How could it possibly work?"