The outcome of Seiho vs. Kaijo didn't really surprise anyone.
But the Seirin vs. Rakuzan match far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Especially for the members of the Generation of Miracles.
If the current trend continued, the finals might not even feature a single Generation of Miracles player.
This situation was even worse than the Interhigh.
Sure, most Generation of Miracles members didn't care much about the title itself.
But not caring about a title is one thing, competitive spirit is another.
No!
It wouldn't be accurate to say none were left.
Seirin still had one Generation of Miracles member. The only difference was that no one had ever thought he would end up victorious.
As for Kagami Taiga… even Akashi Asuka found his existence absurd.
A talent on the same level.
Yet his potential awakened at least two years later than the Generation of Miracles.
And in just one Winter Cup, he surged to the forefront of the talent awakening race.
This terrifying speed of evolution, even Akashi Asuka, who considered himself a prodigy, couldn't keep up.
On the court.
The Seirin vs. Rakuzan match had entered its final moments.
Just now, Seirin, using [Team Synergy Zone], scored again, shrinking the gap to two points.
Only eight seconds remained.
Rakuzan had possession.
If it were Seiho, they would have run down the clock, never attempting to score, leaving Seirin no chance to respond.
As for "kingly dignity" or the like…
They had long discarded such notions after seeing Shutoku lose to Seirin last semester.
But Rakuzan didn't think that way.
Even after losing to Seiho previously, they refused to learn their lesson. Just delaying the last eight seconds would have guaranteed their victory.
Yet for the sake of "imperial dignity," they launched an aggressive attack in the final eight seconds.
"The protagonist aura is terrifying!"
Akashi Asuka thought to himself.
From his perspective, Akashi Seijuro shouldn't be acting so irrationally. Raised in a wealthy family, he should understand simple calculations of risk and reward. No rational person would sacrifice a certain victory for a fleeting sense of "dignity."
The fact that this was happening, there was no way it could be without the influence of a "stupidity aura."
But luckily, I won't be affected by the stupidity aura, Akashi thought. Otherwise, the final match would be over before it even started.
Perhaps due to the system, while Akashi couldn't block the positive influence of the protagonist aura, he could ignore its negative effects.
In other words:
He couldn't stop Seirin from getting stronger, but he could ensure they didn't weaken their strength or intelligence.
This was crucial.
After all, it's not gods you should fear, it's teammates who act like pigs.
He didn't mind Seirin getting a boost, but he worried about the "world will" forcibly weakening him, that would make things impossible.
Since Rakuzan launched an irrational final attack, Seirin naturally seized the opportunity without hesitation.
At the final critical moment…
Shun Izuki made a lightning steal, cutting off Akashi Seijuro's Perfect-Rhythmed Plays.
Outrageous.
Even Akashi Asuka felt like yelling when he saw this.
The crowd gasped, wondering how Akashi could make a mistake at such a critical moment.
But to Akashi Asuka, was it really a mistake?
What is a Perfect-Rhythmed Plays? Explain.
A true Perfect-Rhythmed Plays isn't just about making the receiver comfortable. Timing, rhythm, position, and avoiding steals, all must be flawless.
Given Akashi Seijuro's skill, even a failed pass could only be intercepted by a player of "Uncrowned Kings" caliber.
Moreover, all Generation of Miracles members get stronger in desperate situations.
If this were second-persona Akashi, it would be understandable, he was mentally unstable. But now, first and second personas had merged.
In a clutch moment like this, do you think he'd mispass? Not a chance.
·····
After that steal, Seirin launched a counterattack.
Kagami Taiga led the charge, sprinting desperately toward the Rakuzan court, but even at full speed, he was a step behind Akashi Seijuro.
No surprise.
In [zone], Kagami alone couldn't match Akashi.
Though only 1.7 meters tall, Akashi's short-range explosiveness was unmatched, probably only Aomine Daiki could surpass him nationwide.
Even Akashi Asuka struggled to match him.
Big-bodied players have disadvantages in starting speed, but once distance exceeds ten meters, it's a different story.
"This ends here, Kagami!"
The Full Version: Emperor Eye activated. In an instant, Kagami was locked, finding no way through.
Less than three seconds remained on the clock.
Time was almost up.
And then…
That man appeared.
Yes.
The real protagonist.
No one knew why he suddenly showed up, at the start of this game, Kuroko Tetsuya's presence had been completely overshadowed by Akashi Seijuro.
Or rather…
It wasn't that Akashi broke Kuroko's "golden body."
Kuroko had willingly abandoned his greatest weapon.
In previous battles, he had used Phantom Shot, Vanishing drive, Reverse Sight Guidance, moves only a "light" player could perform.
A shadow is only dangerous when hidden; exposed in the light, it's almost nonexistent.
Though he temporarily regained presence through strategy, in the latter half of the match, Kuroko's abilities were severely weakened.
But unexpectedly, at the very last moment, he inexplicably returned.