Huff… huff…
Heavy breaths, mixed with wisps of white mist, escaped from Kise Ryouta's mouth and nose.
The fourth quarter was already more than halfway over. Although Kise wasn't injured like in the original story, constantly using the Generation of Miracles' skills had gradually drained his stamina to the brink.
Looking up at the scoreboard above the basket:
92:74
Kaijo's players' expressions slowly shifted from despair to relief, finally closing their eyes.
In truth, they had already guessed the outcome from the start. When Midorima faced Seiho earlier, the comparison had clearly shown the gap in strength.
But in competitive sports, one can't help holding onto a sliver of hope until the very end.
So when the result finally manifested, Kaijo's players felt both pain and a strange sense of release.
Only Kise Ryouta remained, staring at the scoreboard in shock for a long moment.
"I lost?"
"So it's true… I'm going to lose again!"
"Second time… no, third time already."
"High school is really tough! One strong opponent after another…"
"Forget it! Next time… no way!"
Kise tried to comfort himself, thinking that losing this match wasn't the end, there were still two years of high school, and plenty of future opportunities.
But in the end, he couldn't convince himself.
"Even if I get another chance, the seniors don't! For them, this is the final battle, how could I let them graduate with disappointment?"
At that thought, the light in Kise's eyes blazed brighter, his resolve burning hotter than ever.
Until finally, accompanied by crackling yellow sparks, his breakthrough speed suddenly skyrocketed…
SWISH!
Akashi Asuka, who had concentrated all his energy, blinked, and in that instant, Kise vanished from sight. By the time Akashi reacted, Kise was already hanging from the rim.
BEEP~
92:76
·····
"What just…"
"What happened?"
"Did Kise finally break through Akashi's defense?!"
The sudden twist widened the eyes of both teams' players and many in the stands.
Earlier, Kise had been completely denied even a single chance by Akashi. Now he had exploded with power, enough to be described as terrifying.
"Did it go in?"
This sudden change roused Murasakibara Atsushi, Aomine Daiki, and Midorima Shintaro. They were familiar with Kise's current capabilities.
Akashi, too, recognized it. He was only slightly surprised, then quickly regained his composure.
"So you intend to make it a last struggle, huh?"
He turned to face Kise.
At this moment, Kise was wrapped in an imposing aura, two golden sparks flickering in his pupils as he moved.
After entering [zone], Kise's presence became even more terrifying, leaving Akashi with no openings to attack under his defense.
Breaking through wasn't Akashi's specialty.
And in the [zone], Kise's mimicry improved further, approaching the original abilities of the Generation of Miracles.
If Akashi acted rashly, he was certain he would be blocked, or worse, lose the ball.
With the 24-second shot clock ticking down, Akashi sighed:
"Really… I was hoping to save some energy, but you guys really leave me no room to relax!"
Seiho still held a 16-point lead over Kaijo.
Even if Seiho used double-team defenses to limit Kise's scoring, victory was still very likely, but not guaranteed.
So Akashi planned the safest approach.
Following his instincts.
He took a deep breath, eyes closing, sinking his consciousness into the darkness, reaching the threshold of that "door," and then…
He reached out and pushed.
CRACKLE~
In an instant, Akashi reopened his eyes, and two ink-black sparks burst forth.
Kise immediately sensed the change, his heart shaken.
Although he had guessed Akashi could enter [zone] at any time, seeing it in person still stunned him.
One second.
Too fast…!
"I've said it before, my specialty is crushing others' hope."
In [zone], Akashi entered an almost absolute state of rationality. His words and actions were colder, more merciless than ever.
At that moment, he launched a three-point shot.
The simplified fadeaway three-pointer was already quick, but in [zone], the release became even faster.
Kise felt as if time had momentarily frozen.
One moment, Kise was dribbling in place.
Next, Akashi jumped and released the ball.
Even with Emperor Eye and Steal, Kise couldn't intercept him, the release was just too fast.
However, he didn't directly steal the ball, but…
CLANG!
The crisp sound of a miss echoed, drawing all eyes.
Normally, a missed three-pointer wouldn't be surprising; their success rate wasn't 100%.
But now? Akashi was in [zone]!
"Akashi… missed a shot in [zone]?!"
The shocked ones were Seiho's teammates. Such a thing seemed impossible.
"No, wait, he wasn't blocked by chance… Kise stopped him!"
Someone realized what had happened.
Indeed, Kise didn't steal the ball outright, but he touched it at the last moment, disrupting Akashi's handling.
Still, Akashi's expression remained calm. The ball bounced off the rim, while Tsutomu Iwamura, Kobori Koji, and Hayakawa Mitsuhiro readied themselves for the rebound.
But before they could act, a figure shot in from the perimeter like a cheetah, leapt to an incredible height, snatched the rebound, and slammed it into the hoop.
BOOM!
First, a deafening roar, then a CRACK, the reinforced summer tournament rim tore apart like plastic.
BEEP~~
The referee's whistle sounded.
The arena fell silent.