"What's going on?"
Looking at the sudden roar of support for Seirin from the stands, the Seiho players were momentarily stunned.
"Looks like we've become the villains,"
Tsutomu Iwamura quickly realized his experience on the court telling him what was happening.
Unyielding faith, a fighting spirit that grew stronger with each challenge, and Teppei Kiyoshi pushing through an injury for friendship… everything Seirin displayed now was the very essence of a hero.
In contrast, Seiho, with their despair-inducing power and willingness to do whatever it takes, looked almost indistinguishable from a villainous overlord.
As the crowd gradually got swept up in the cheering, soon the entire arena was echoing support for Seirin.
In a daze, the Seiho players felt as if the whole world was against them.
"Can this really be happening?"
Coach Matsumoto Ikunosuke's expression darkened. Having been a former national player, he knew how much the crowd's support could affect a team.
Frankly, even he struggled to perform well in an opponent's arena during his professional career.
Audience support was part of a player's strength.
If even he couldn't ignore it, these high schoolers on Seiho were at a clear disadvantage.
Seirin, powered by the crowd, surged in morale, while Seiho's momentum began to wane…
"Kasuga-senpai, pass me the ball!"
At that moment, Akashi Asuka reached for the ball, launching a solo offensive against Seirin.
His face cold, a black aura emanated from him. As the crowd's cheers peaked, that aura grew even stronger.
"Stop him!"
Seeing Akashi charge alone, Seirin's entire team rushed to surround him.
Hyuga Junpei, Teppei Kiyoshi, and Kagami Taiga confronted him head-on, Shun Izuki circled from behind, and Kuroko Tetsuya waited for an opening…
Yet this time, even five against one, Akashi's pace never faltered.
The three in front poured everything into blocking him, but he bulldozed forward like a colossal beast across a plain.
Charging into the restricted area with raw power, he jumped right in front of them… and slam dunked!
BOOM!!!
The reinforced hoop trembled and swung in the air before crashing to the ground with a thud, the sound echoing through the arena.
Seirin's players, scattered by the impact, stared dumbfounded. They were frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
The cheering crowd fell silent, as if a flock of ducks had their necks snapped.
Even Seiho's teammates gaped. Akashi's strength in that moment was almost alien.
Akashi Seijuro, Aomine Daiki, Midorima Shintaro, Kise Ryouta, Murasakibara Atsushi… five players, plus their teammates and coach, all went silent.
·····
"…Teppei Kiyoshi… this is infuriating."
After the long silence, Akashi stepped over the shattered glass and glared at Teppei, whose left leg trembled on the floor. A rare impatience flashed across his eyes.
"Coming in injured, your best is only seventy percent. Do you really think seventy percent is enough to beat me? To beat Seiho?"
"Stories of heroes defeating the demon king only exist in games. In reality, demon kings are far stronger than any so-called heroes."
That dunk had shattered Seirin's heroic dreams.
One against five.
Such overwhelming strength left them in despair.
Even as they left the court, Seirin's players were dazed and disoriented.
·····
Four minutes later.
The new hoop was installed, and the game resumed.
After that dunk, over 99% of the crowd had lost hope in Seirin. Akashi's strength made resistance feel futile.
Yet a very few still believed, like Akashi Seijuro.
"If they can open that door… maybe Seirin still has a chance…"
Before he could finish, his expression froze. The game's situation had shifted again.
Eight minutes remained. The score: 97–62.
With a 35-point gap, Seiho adjusted their formation, tightening their defense.
More importantly, they deliberately slowed the game, running down the clock.
"…This is ridiculously meticulous!"
Even Akashi Seijuro, normally impeccable in strategy, was stunned.
At this rate, even if Seirin unlocked the second ZONE door, closing the gap seemed impossible.
Several veteran coaches twitched, watching Matsumoto Ikunosuke in Seiho's bench.
Calm as ever, he had clearly decided: winning was everything, and he would stop at nothing.
With a tighter defense, Seiho's scoring dropped, but Seirin's offense slowed too. Time ticked faster.
Yet Seirin, unaware, maintained their rhythm. Slowly, their play became smoother, more coordinated…
Kagami Taiga: "We cannot lose!"
Hyuga Junpei: "This is the last chance. We cannot let him leave with regrets."
Shun Izuki: "Stay calm. Critical moments require calmness."
Teppei Kiyoshi: "Whatever happens, fight to the very last second!"
Kuroko Tetsuya: "The door…"
Time passed.
The five players' will fused into a single belief.
"We will win!"
When their minds connected, like a bolt of lightning in the night, the sound of a door opening echoed in their hearts.
Bang!
Pop!
Boom!
Pass, catch, slam dunk.
From the free-throw line to the basket, less than a second had passed.
Seiho's defenders only saw a blur. Before they could react, Kagami hung from the rim.
Crackle~
He landed, turned slowly, crimson sparks flashing in his eyes.
·····
Kasuga Ryohhei dribbled forward.
Shun Izuki approached to defend. Kasuga instinctively switched hands, but Kuroko appeared, stealing the ball.
Despite no prior signals, their timing was flawless, shocking everyone.
Seirin counterattacked.
Akashi guarded the rim. Izuki passed to Teppei, who jumped for a slam. Akashi blocked, but the ball immediately flew to Kagami.
BOOM!
Alley-oop dunk.
No! More accurately, a double-team alley-oop.
No matter whom Akashi blocked, the other was ready.
Score: 97–66.
·····
"Is this… the Team Coordination ZONE?"
Iwamura wiped sweat from his brow. Calm outside, his twitching eyelids betrayed his shock.
"Yeah." Akashi nodded.
"Absolutely insane," Iwamura said, patting his shoulder.
Even having seen it before, nothing could prepare someone for the Team Coordination ZONE.
In short: if the 'Generation of Miracles' was sci-fi basketball, this was real sci-fi basketball.
Seiho felt like they were nothing but wooden posts against Seirin's cooperation, almost superhuman.
·····
Next play.
Seiho attacked; Akashi grabbed a rebound.
Score: 99–66.
Seirin attacked again. Izuki passed to Kagami at the three-point line. Teppei set a screen on Akashi.
Three-pointer: clean.
Score: 99–69.
Time ticked down…
With 4:30 remaining, Matsumoto finally called a timeout.
Score: 103–83.
"Three minutes, fifteen points… these high schoolers are insane!"
Even Matsumoto couldn't comprehend Seirin's performance. Such opponents were beyond his professional experience.
Looking at Kuroko in Seirin's bench, he thought: if this anomaly allowed Seirin to open the second ZONE, maybe it would make sense.
But the players' stamina, already overdrawn, couldn't possibly sustain it. Yet they persevered. Their determination was extreme.
"Anyway… we'll focus on defense…"
Though baffled, Matsumoto calmly rearranged tactics. Seiho still held a 20-point lead, giving him confidence.
Meanwhile, Akashi spoke: "Coach, can I have one minute?"
"Huh?"
Matsumoto looked up. Eyes met.
After a long pause: "Alright, no problem."
·····
One minute later, the timeout ended. Players returned to the court.
Akashi exhaled deeply, glancing at Seirin.
If their previous battle against Rakuzan had heat and passion, now they seemed… forcibly "powered-up."
"Having such a high level of world-class talent isn't always good…"
Akashi sighed, sinking his awareness deeper into the darkness.
The game continued, but without him on the court, Seiho struggled more against Seirin.
The gap shrank rapidly: 105–85… 105–87… 105–89…
Without Akashi anchoring the team, the other four Seiho players couldn't find a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Akashi delved into the deepest part of his ZONE.
In that watery realm, he glimpsed the second ZONE door and its guardian.
But he looked away. His goal wasn't to open the door alone, without Kuroko, it was impossible.
He would continue to push his potential.
Akashi's gaze shifted downward…
·····