BANG!
With a heavy clash, Kise Ryouta was sent flying backward even faster than during his attack.
Two failed offensive attempts in a row left Kise's face pale as death.
Outside the court,
Aomine Daiki's eyelids lowered, as if he had anticipated it:
"As expected… that guy won't leave the opponent even the slightest hope."
"Why say that? The game just started! Even if Akashi stopped one of Kise's attacks, that doesn't necessarily mean Akashi is stronger!"
Satsuki Momoi spoke, while on the court, Akashi Asuka already held the ball and launched a counterattack.
But this time, his three-pointer was blocked for the first time.
Using Akashi Seijuro's Predictive Steal + Aomine Daiki's Formless Drive, Kise intercepted the ball before Akashi could shoot.
[Perfect Imitation]
This was Kise Ryouta's hidden trump card. When activated, he could perfectly mimic the abilities of all the Generation of Miracles.
In this state, Kise was arguably the strongest among them.
However, this skill wasn't flawless. Mimicking the Generation of Miracles placed an enormous physical burden on Kise, so maintaining all their abilities simultaneously could last only about five minutes.
That's why Kaijo had to reveal this hidden card only in the final quarter, not because they wanted to hide it, but because they had no choice from the start.
"It's not a question of strength…"
Aomine watched the duel between Kise and Akashi, his expression unchanged, calmly saying:
"Do you remember how Seiho defeated Ryo in the summer tournament?"
"Of course. How could I forget?"
Satsuki Momoi rolled her eyes at Aomine. That had been their first defeat since entering high school, and in her opinion, Ryo had suffered its most crushing loss there.
"Do you think if we had switched places with Seiho back then, I would have made the same choice as that guy?"
"Impossible."
Momoi didn't even hesitate:
"With Ryo facing such a huge advantage, Aomine's personality would probably have him not even participating in the game!"
"Exactly."
Aomine didn't deny it:
"That's the biggest difference between me and him. Not just me, even the other members of the Generation of Miracles would likely make the same choice as I would."
"Even though Teiko's philosophy was 'Victory above all,' nowadays we hardly notice the weak."
"But that guy is different. Even against the weakest team, he would crush them completely, leaving no chance for a comeback."
"In fact, he might fight even more ruthlessly for victory than any of us, the Generation of Miracles."
Hearing this, Momoi began to understand.
In the fourth quarter, Akashi didn't need to be stronger than Kise; he just had to ensure he wasn't weaker.
Because Seiho held a full 24-point lead.
Seiho's strategy wasn't complicated, even a bit old-fashioned. The same tactic had been used against Ryo before.
Yet this old trick had become the final straw crushing Kaijo.
Aomine was right.
Akashi would never leave the opponent even a single opportunity, especially against a terrifying player like Kise Ryouta.
When Kise activated Perfect Imitation, his offense and defense were frightening.
Perhaps a single skill could never match the original.
But Kise could combine abilities to compensate for each other.
Akashi Seijuro's Ankle Breaker + Aomine Daiki's Formless Drive formed the ultimate breakthrough technique.
Murasakibara Atsushi's Defense + Aomine Daiki's Defense extended Kise's defensive range even further.
And then there was Midorima Shintaro's Full-Court Three-Pointers, ready at any moment.
Facing Kise in this state, even Akashi had to remain extremely vigilant, using full-court man-to-man defense to prevent Kise from breaking through Seiho's line.
·····
"By the way, if Kise can mimic all the Generation of Miracles' moves, can't he mimic Akashi's abilities too?" High Tail Kazunari suddenly asked from the stands.
"Theoretically, yes. But not right now," Midorima replied.
"Why not?"
"Kise's imitation isn't unlimited. The stronger the ability, the harder it is to mimic. Ordinary skills he can copy at a glance, but powerful ones require observation and study over time before he can replicate them."
"But you guys…"
"We're different," Midorima said, anticipating the question.
"We used to be teammates, so Kise has studied the Generation of Miracles' playstyles countless times during practice. Once he breaks through his limits, he can imitate us quickly."
"Akashi, however, is different. As an opponent, Kise hasn't observed him enough to replicate his abilities."
"Even the 'Uncrowned Kings' moves Kise mimicked before were mastered only after watching games, analyzing footage, and special summer training."
High Tail nodded, enlightened:
"Ah, I see!"
Midorima continued:
"Even if Kise fully understood Akashi's abilities, he'd struggle to perfectly mimic them. Imitation relies on foundational physical traits."
"Among the Generation of Miracles, Kise's physique is most similar to Aomine's, so Aomine's skills are easiest for him to mimic. Next would be me and Akashi. Murasakibara's moves are the hardest for him."
"No matter how he compensates, he can't mimic Murasakibara's height and strength."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria