"Did that guy… not even look at the ball just now?"
Outside the court, some spectators noticed something strange and spoke in disbelief.
But another quickly retorted, "Huh? What are you talking about? How could anyone defend without watching the ball?"
For most spectators, such a claim made no sense at all, and it was soon drowned out by the crowd's chatter.
Yet for some, it wasn't entirely impossible.
"The principle behind 'Vanishing Drive' is that in the split second before a breakthrough, the player uses something more attention-grabbing than the ball itself to lure the defender's gaze, temporarily diverting their attention."
"In a way, this move is even more unsolvable than 'Phantom Shot', because even knowing its principle doesn't guarantee you can stop it."
"After all, a person's line of sight isn't always under conscious control."
"There are roughly two ways to counter Vanishing Drive. One is through habit. Once an opponent becomes accustomed to Kuroko's Misdirection, the move's effect naturally diminishes."
"The other is to defend without looking at the ball. In the preliminaries, Aomine once blocked Kuroko's attack with his eyes closed."
In the stands, Yukio Kasamatsu explained this to Kise Ryouta.
Although Kise now surpassed Kasamatsu in basketball skill, his experience and court awareness still lagged far behind.
Even though Kaijo hadn't yet faced Seirin for a second match since the start of the season, Kasamatsu had long analyzed and understood these techniques from observing.
"Defending without watching the ball? I've heard of this, but not everyone can pull it off!" Kise said in astonishment.
"Exactly. Aomine could do it because he and Kuroko had a deep understanding from junior high. Even without watching the ball, he could predict Kuroko's movements.
"Seiho's players don't have that ability, so expecting them to ignore Kuroko completely is unrealistic…"
Kasamatsu paused, then looked at Kise intently and continued:
"But conversely, even catching just a glimpse, Seiho might be able to predict Kuroko's moves."
Kise's eyes widened. "Senpai… you mean…"
·····
"Just by looking at his feet, he can react this fast?" Hyuga Junpei exclaimed.
Watching the feet does bypass Kuroko's Misdirection.
But it's not that simple.
A player's movement starts from their feet, but judging the direction and rhythm of an attack purely by footwork is slower, at least a beat or two behind normal perception.
In a high-intensity game, a beat or two is more than enough to let the opponent create space.
"Have you forgotten what we excel at?"
Seeming to read Hyuga's thoughts, Omuro Yoshikasu smiled.
Hyuga froze, then realized:
Right! Seiho's specialty is footwork. What might take others a beat or two to react to could take them only half a beat.
And Kuroko's physical ability isn't particularly high. With Tsugawa's condition, he can easily catch up within that half-beat.
·····
With Vanishing Drive countered, Kuroko Tetsuya was momentarily surprised.
But as a junior high triple champion alongside the Generation of Miracles, in terms of experience and mental fortitude, only Kiyoshi Teppei could somewhat rival him at Seirin.
In just a split second, Kuroko regained composure and assumed the Phantom Shot stance.
At the same time, Kagami Taiga and Mizutobe locked down Akashi Asuka under the basket, preventing him from stepping in, since Akashi had previously stopped Phantom Shots.
This time, however, facing Kuroko's attack, Akashi smiled lightly.
"No need to worry. Kuroko is fully in Tsugawa's hands, so I won't interfere."
Akashi's casual attitude didn't relax Seirin, it tightened their nerves.
Kuroko released the ball.
Spectators were shocked: Tsugawa didn't advance to contest the shot; he took a slight step back instead.
That single step changed Seirin's expressions instantly.
Slap!
The muffled block stunned the court into silence.
Kuroko's previously unstoppable Phantom Shot, which had once broken Yosen's 'invincible defense', was slammed down by Tsugawa's precise block.
Hyuga grabbed the rebound and, coordinating with Akashi, launched a three-point counterattack.
39–27.
Seirin was utterly silent.
Even Kuroko, usually brimming with hope and fighting spirit, looked dim-eyed.
·····
"Phantom Shot… was countered?" Satsuki Momoi gasped, covering her mouth.
This counter was different from the previous Rakuzan match. Back then, Phantom Shot was blocked mainly due to Akashi Seijuro's raw ability.
Now, Seiho completely unraveled the secrets of Phantom Shot.
Like Vanishing Drive, Phantom Shot also uses Misdirection. The normal shot is from above the head, but Phantom Shot holds the ball at the chest.
Defenders' gaze instinctively drops when attempting a block, and Kuroko uses the momentary space to shoot from above their vision.
By stepping back, Tsugawa fully opened his perspective, exposing the trick entirely.
With both signature moves countered, even Kuroko was shaken and momentarily distracted.
Momoi, claiming to be Kuroko's girlfriend, nearly teared up at the thought of such a blow.
"Only he would pull a move that destroys the opponent's hope the moment he acts…"
Even Aomine Daiki, usually dismissive of tactics, had to admire Akashi's strategy.
"With this, Seirin is losing another pillar."
With both signature moves countered, Kuroko's weak presence vanished, and his Misdirection began losing effect.
At this point, Kuroko had no value left on the court.
Even if Aida Riko didn't want to sub him out, after Kiyoshi's exit, leaving Kuroko on the court was untenable.
Soon, Kuroko was replaced by substitute player Koganei Shinji.
"Whoa~~"
"Seirin has now subbed two main players consecutively. Is this really okay?"
"Seems he came off the bench against Rakuzan before, but didn't even score…"
At this stage, the difference between a top-tier and a second-year-only team became evident.
Substitutes.
For elite teams, substitutes are often nearly as skilled as starters. At Seiho, even if someone like Iwamura or Kasuga left, they had capable replacements.
But for a new second-year team like Seirin, the bench was, frankly, unbearable.
If Mizutobe was barely a competent "blue-collar" player, Koganei Shinji was a complete rookie.
Having only started basketball in high school, he had decent athleticism from tennis, but otherwise was unremarkable.
Mizutobe and Koganei became Seirin's defensive weak points. In the second half of the second quarter, Seiho ruthlessly attacked these gaps.
Beep~~~
By the end of the second quarter, the score widened to 48–31.
·····
During the ten-minute halftime, Seirin's locker room was deathly silent. Even some Generation of Miracles members in the stands were quiet.
Many had expected Kuroko to carry Seirin to victory.
But the situation clearly showed Seirin's chances were nearly gone.
Kiyoshi's injury might prevent him from returning.
Kuroko's two signature moves were countered, and his presence was neutralized. Even if he played in the second half, his impact would be minimal.
Three players alone could not hope to defeat Akashi-led Seiho. Not even "cheating" could change that.
"Seirin is a team full of 'miracles', so we cannot underestimate them in the second half."
From Seiho's locker room, Akashi's voice rang out, deafening.
Surprisingly, the person most confident in Seirin's potential wasn't Seirin themselves or their supporters, it was Akashi, the opponent.
As the saying goes: the one who knows you best is often your enemy.
With intimate knowledge of Seirin, Akashi knew they were cornered and likely to crumble in the second half.
Ten minutes flew by.
Soon, the third quarter of the second half began.
Just as Akashi predicted, Kagami predictably entered Animal Instinct immediately.
Animal Instinct grants instinctive, beast-like anticipation of opponents' movements, without enhancing basic physical ability.
Oddly, Kagami's physicality steadily improved while in this state.
His jumping ability, in particular, surged.
Previously, his full jumps nearly reached Akashi's, but still fell slightly short.
With Akashi's 84-point jumping stat and 210cm height, he had always maintained the edge.
Now, after entering Animal Instinct, Kagami's jumps approached Akashi's ball height each time. The third jump almost touched the ball.
"Tsk~~ I don't know who's got the advantage now," Akashi muttered, attacking for the fourth time.
He finally understood what Midorima had once felt, watching an opponent improve in real time, inching closer, was unsettling.
"But…"
"Too bad, you're still a bit short."
Akashi exhaled, relaxed his arms, entering a calm state.
Animal Instinct: Mammoth
The moment Akashi entered Animal Instinct, the fully immersed Kagami was jolted by a sudden chill.
Though both were in Animal Instinct, Akashi's was at a higher level. This wasn't a difference in beastliness, but in depth of development and instinctual mastery.
Akashi's Animal Instinct: Mammoth came from the skill Brutality in his previous world, his experience far exceeded Kagami's.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria