When two levels of Animal Instinct collide, the result is instinctual suppression.
Animal Instinct draws out the beastly instincts within a human, granting a player animal-like intuition, but it also forces the body to obey natural law.
In other words: survival of the fittest.
Facing Akashi Asuka's higher-level Animal Instinct, Kagami Taiga's instincts immediately sensed the threat.
Humans aren't fully ruled by their beastly instincts, but a single moment of hesitation was enough, Akashi moved instantly.
Without any preparatory motion, Akashi suddenly launched a three-point shot from his spot…
"No, don't let him score."
Kagami's heart jolted. He jumped to block it, his fourth jump. This time, his leap was even higher than before, almost reaching Akashi's release height.
However…
First, Kagami's reaction was still slightly late.
Second, just as he was about to reach Akashi, the basketball seemed to pull away from him.
It was Akashi's fadeaway three-pointer.
Even with Kagami's jumping ability, blocking Akashi was difficult enough, but now, with Akashi's attack even more powerful, desperation flashed in Kagami's eyes.
All he could do was watch the ball roll off Akashi's fingertips…
Swish!
Another three-pointer.
The score now stood at 60–36.
·····
"Damn it!"
Seeing the scoreboard update again, Kagami let out a frustrated shout.
"This guy is way harder to deal with than Murasakibara."
Though physically similar, Murasakibara Atsushi excelled only inside the paint and mostly relied on raw talent. After losing to Akashi previously, Murasakibara had trained his post game that summer, but even so, true mastery couldn't be gained in just one season.
Akashi, however, was different.
Even during the summer preliminaries, his post game rivaled top national centers. Now, he had fully reached the level of an "uncrowned ace."
In other words, even without his monstrous physique, he could match, or surpass, Kiyoshi Teppei under equal physical conditions.
And Kiyoshi wasn't even at his peak.
This alone was a huge headache for Seirin.
In reality, Akashi possessed not only a more monstrous body than the Generation of Miracles, but excellent post skills and the ability to score easily from the outside.
"Right now, Akashi-kun can probably be called the best high school player in the nation."
Aida Riko watched with complicated eyes. She had witnessed Akashi's growth and was likely the first to recognize his talent. Yet even she hadn't expected him to become Seirin's greatest obstacle to the championship.
The game intensified.
Kagami, driven by desperation, began awakening his potential, gradually increasing his strength.
Yet, no matter how much he improved, he still lagged behind Akashi.
"Is relying on Kagami alone really too much?"
Aida Riko stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Previously, against Murasakibara and Akashi Seijuro, Kagami's full power had already hit a ceiling. Even in zone, he was completely dominated.
If he couldn't beat Murasakibara or Akashi Seijuro, it was obvious he couldn't defeat Akashi Asuka in a one-on-one.
"Coach! Let me in!"
Just as Aida Riko's thoughts were stuck, a voice came from behind.
Turning around, she saw it was Kuroko Tetsuya.
Aida hesitated, she couldn't easily waste this secret weapon. But in the current situation, Kuroko's entry might not change much.
Reading her thoughts, Kuroko added, "Future problems can wait. What matters is now. This time, we cannot lose."
His gaze was unwavering. Seeing his determination, Aida fell silent.
Right. Future problems could wait. For Kiyoshi, this might be his last chance to play in high school alongside everyone.
"All right, I'll leave it to you, Kuroko."
"I understand!"
·····
Beep~~~
Kuroko raised the substitution sign.
The spectators murmured as Kuroko re-entered, now slowly becoming a "star player" in the Winter Cup.
"Take care of this, Kuroko!"
"Yeah!"
Koganei Shinji passed him the ball.
"Little Kuroko is in."
"But isn't it too early? His misdirection probably hasn't fully recovered yet."
"Does he have a new trick?"
Many of the Generation of Miracles were puzzled. With Seirin trailing by nearly 30 points, substituting Kuroko now could backfire if it didn't work.
"Does he still have a hidden move?" Satsuki Momoi wondered.
Her guess was quickly shut down by Aomine Daiki: "No, he doesn't have a new trick. All of Kuroko's moves are based on misdirection. Since that hasn't recovered yet, even a new move would be ineffective now."
"Then why…"
"But he does have that one move. It has side effects, yes, but now is the perfect time to use it!"
·····
Back on the court, Kuroko immediately drew the attention of all Seiho players.
As the Phantom Sixth Man, he commanded caution.
That caution perfectly set the stage for activating a special skill.
Kagami dribbled and drove forward.
Akashi stepped up to defend, but as he reached him, a flash of light seemed to cross his eyes. By the time he realized it, Kagami had already scored from behind.
"This…"
"How is this possible?"
"Akashi didn't move a step!"
Even Akashi was stunned by the bizarre sight.
Other Seiho players and spectators were equally shocked.
Though it was only one missed defense, Akashi's skill was undeniable. Up to now, Kagami hadn't won a single one-on-one against him without teammate support.
Yet now, even with Kagami's drive, Akashi didn't move, horrifying.
Iwamura and Kasuga, seasoned players, quickly recovered from the initial shock.
"Could this… be that move?"
For nationwide viewers, it was Seirin's first time using this. Those who watched the Tokyo preliminaries saw it for the second time.
Reverse Misdirection
Kuroko and Kagami swapped their light and shadow positions. Using himself as a focal point, the other four players momentarily vanished as shadows, disappearing from the opponents' sight.
This instantly amplifies the team's offensive power.
But the cost is heavy: overusing misdirection on oneself will drastically reduce its effect in future games.
Even a total loss against Seiho in future matches isn't impossible.
Yet now, Seirin had no choice.
"Everyone, focus full offense on Seiho's inside!"
Tsutomu Iwamura immediately reacted to Reverse Misdirection.
Akashi had already briefed Seiho on the move, so they prepared countermeasures.
"Damn! Can't they be slower?!"
Hyuga's face darkened. He knew Seiho's intelligence system was good, but this response was too fast, leaving them no chance!
Aida frowned, biting her nails. Even knowing Seirin might anticipate it, the speed was shocking.
Sigh~~ This is what a real elite team looks like… Their foundation is extraordinary!
Thanks to Iwamura's warning, the rest of Seiho reacted. In the next play, they abandoned outside and mid-range shots, driving directly to Seirin's inside.
Reverse Misdirection works on offense and defense: it can make teammates "vanish" offensively, and misdirect defenders to cause errors.
The distraction mainly affects mid- and long-range shots. You can't mislead someone on a dunk.
BOOM!
Iwamura smashed the ball into the hoop. Seirin scored back: 69–43.
·····
"This won't work if it continues."
Seeing Seiho's rapid counter, Aida realized this Reverse Misdirection couldn't match its previous effect.
She stood and shouted: "Don't overcommit on defense! Focus on offense, decide this with threes!"
Hearing the coach, Hyuga's eyes sharpened.
Reverse Misdirection lasts only a short time. If they kept trading twos, they couldn't close the gap.
The only hope was threes, as Seiho couldn't counter with them yet.
Pressure was heavy, but as captain, Hyuga had trained a "clutch three-pointer."
"Pass it to me!"
He received the ball and, under Omuro's tight defense, unleashed a Barrier Jumper.
Omuro had adapted to its weight shift from previous plays, normally enough to block Hyuga.
Yet just as Hyuga released, a flash of light appeared before Omuro's eyes. By the time he reacted, Hyuga had created a significant distance, almost like teleportation.
Swish!
Three-pointers scored. 69–46.
Watching the feet works against Kuroko's Vanishing Drive, but with Reverse Misdirection, it's ineffective. A half-beat delay is enough for the shot to land.
This move was nearly impossible to defend.
Seiho abandoned defense, engaging Seirin fully in close combat.
71–46.
71–49.
73–49.
73–52.
Using threes, Seirin slowly narrowed the gap to around 20 points.
Yet their faces showed no joy, the pace was far too slow.
Aida checked the clock.
The game was nearing the end of the third quarter. At this rate, Seirin would still enter the final quarter down at least 18 points.
"We must stop Akashi's attack, even once," thought Aida, and so did the rest of the team.
But how?
One-on-one was impossible.
Zone defense wouldn't work.
Akashi's power was too obvious; sheer numbers couldn't contain him.
Then, suddenly, the overlooked Kuroko Tetsuya made a move nobody expected.
"Hey! Hey! Hey~~"
"What's he doing?"
"Is he crazy? He can't be trying to block the Demon King with his own body!"
Kuroko's action shocked the entire arena. He stepped behind Akashi, preparing to stop the unstoppable force with himself.