"This is as far as you go, Yu!"
Nash's approach had changed—simpler, more efficient.
Of course.
This didn't mean his style now resembled Yuuto's. Rather, Nash had stripped away every unnecessary movement, returning to traditional basketball.
He'd experienced battlefields these monkeys couldn't imagine.
A situation of this intensity barely qualified as adversity for Nash.
"How..."
Many faces changed. They'd thought this was Nash's full power, never imagining he could get even stronger.
"Is this real? That monster can still level up?"
Himuro's eyes went wide.
"Momoi?!"
"Yes. Before joining Jabberwock, Nash was a prep player just like Yu—also a five-star recruit."
"He didn't start with street ball. He only picked that up after joining the Jabberwock club."
No one had expected Nash to have such a backstory.
"So you're saying... this is Nash's true face?"
Kagetora felt a chill down his spine.
He'd been careless.
Launching this revenge match without fully understanding their opponent was practically suicidal.
"This just got much harder. Who knew there was more to him."
Akashi lifted his jersey collar to wipe away sweat.
He approached Yuuto. "With this, your Correction will probably have to restart. It'll take longer. Let me help buy you time."
Without question, Nash was the biggest obstacle to defeating Jabberwock—a mountain they had to climb.
But with Yuuto and himself working together, they might just be able to stop him, or at least disrupt him.
Yet Yuuto declined. "No need. From here on, leave him to me."
"Hm?"
Everyone around was taken aback, including Midorima and Aomine.
By any measure, Yuuto and Akashi teaming up was the optimal choice.
"It's fine. The main reason I came back was for Nash anyway."
Yuuto's gaze shimmered with confidence.
Nash was the chosen one, a star of tomorrow.
He just lacked one crucial element for becoming a true superstar.
His mental fortitude wasn't up to par.
But make no mistake—his talent was elite. Defeating him would prove that Yuuto could establish himself in the NBA.
As he spoke, the aura around him intensified.
Was Yuuto about to power up too?
Akashi and the others thought of Angel Mode, but this didn't quite fit.
"Understood. If you need us, we'll support you anytime."
"Mm."
...
The game continued.
Having discarded his complex, flashy moves, Nash's strength had actually risen another level.
Even Kise in Zone plus Perfect Copy couldn't match him—a terrifying revelation.
But then.
Snap—
Yuuto caught Akashi's pass on the right side of the arc.
Everyone immediately cleared out, giving him maximum operating space.
"In the world of basketball, never say never."
Yuuto faced Nash head-on, the aura emanating from him growing heavier.
It was a subtle sensation—invisible, yet palpable.
Nash snorted. "That's just an excuse from people who can't accept losing."
"Wrong. It's the motivation to keep pushing forward."
BANG—
The moment he finished speaking, Yuuto made his move.
Still that same minimalist playing style—but compared to before, something was subtly different.
Nash's eyes narrowed as he shifted his body to close in, applying pressure.
Almost simultaneously, Yuuto spun quickly, using his back to deliver a powerful bump.
BANG—
Their bodies collided. Not as explosive as Jason Silver versus Murasakibara, but far more shocking.
Because Nash, with his Demon King's Eye, somehow failed to evade. He was knocked back half a step.
Yuuto seized the opening, continuing his spin move. The instant Nash recovered and lunged to contest, Yuuto stopped and elevated.
"What is this?!"
Many couldn't articulate what was different. Yuuto's playing style had barely changed.
And yet?
They watched as Nash, fully committed to contesting, leaped with his long arm extended—and couldn't reach Yuuto's shot.
SWISH—
Yuuto flicked his wrist, releasing quickly. The ball whispered through the net. Three points.
"He perfectly controlled the timing!" Akashi's expression was one of astonishment.
From Yuuto, he witnessed the beauty of exploiting time.
Soccer and basketball were alike in this regard—both were competitions of time and space.
Whether using technique to beat defenders for scoring chances, or running plays to create shooting room.
Traced back to its essence, it was all about time and space differentials.
This had never been a secret.
What Akashi and the others couldn't understand was how Yuuto could do it so effortlessly.
"Akashicchi?" Kise approached to ask.
His brain had just undergone an intense storm of analysis.
Then he realized that even his Perfect Copy couldn't replicate Yuuto's current style.
This had never happened before.
"He's gotten stronger. No—this is who he really is. Just like Nash, Yuuto has only now revealed his true form." Akashi felt somewhat helpless.
He'd thought earlier was Yuuto's full power. He never imagined that, like Nash, he'd been holding back.
The gap between them and world-class was even larger than imagined.
Nash naturally felt the change in Yuuto too.
He'd underestimated this rising star. Like himself, Yuuto had been holding back—toying around this whole time.
"Damn!" Nash cursed internally. This feeling was terrible. "But even so, you won't beat me."
He exploded forward, colliding head-on with Yuuto.
HUM—
Golden and crimson rings intertwined once more. The two had actually elevated to yet another level.
His offense rained down like a torrential storm, seemingly endless.
Having shed the flashy moves for fundamentals, every action now served only one purpose: scoring.
The current Nash was at least twice as dangerous as before.
And Yuuto?
His defense somehow kept pace—airtight, every step landing precisely where it needed to.
Someone exclaimed, "He did it too!"
He'd done exactly what Nash had—been playing around all along, even though his previous level was already monstrous!
"Yu's fundamentals got even stronger!"
Momoi's beautiful eyes didn't blink, fixed on Yuuto.
It seemed miraculous. Could fundamentals at his level actually keep improving?
Of course they could.
Yuuto's Basic Fundamentals talent had already evolved.
Through countless simulations and material fusion, every movement had become textbook-perfect, seamlessly integrated into live competition.
This was his new red-tier talent: Truth.
Every step he took revealed basketball's truth, returning to the sport's essence.
TAP—
Just one step forward blocked Nash's path like a mountain standing in his way.
But it still wasn't enough. Nash's offense grew fiercer, the opportunities his Demon King's Eye could find multiplying.
He accelerated forward—a behind-the-back crossover—then pulled up at the free-throw line.
Another mid-range pull-up.
Yuuto spun, loaded, and leaped to contest.
No use.
The ball swished through. Nash could similarly exploit the time differential in Yuuto's closeout.
"As expected, he's strong. This is NCAA-level."
Why not NBA?
Because Nash had experienced plenty of failures in college.
There existed certain freaks he could never defeat, no matter how hard he tried.
Yuuto's mind began churning, replaying the sequence, rapidly analyzing to find the flaws in his own defense.
Moments later, his eyes opened. His body hadn't changed, but his brain had already issued commands—every cell prepared to respond.
...
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