Everyone could feel it.
Yuuto was closing in on Akashi and his Emperor Eye.
After a half-time of adjustments, Yuuto, as a team of one, was nearing perfection.
And as the person directly facing Yuuto, Akashi felt that bone-deep pressure more than anyone.
At first, it was a gale, then a rainstorm...
Now, that giant net had tightened into a suffocating cage. The Teiko bench felt the tension of standing in the eye of a storm.
I will lose?
Such a future has never existed!
Just like the rampage of the basketball club that day, just like the evolution of Murasakibara and the others.
No matter how far their talents awakened, he would always reign above the Generation of Miracles.
He opened his eyes wide. A golden ring rapidly expanded from his left Emperor Eye, capturing Yuuto's entire figure within its vision.
"This is your limit. This is your future."
"No matter how many times you try, no matter how many futures you extend, the one standing before you at the finish line will always be me, Seijuro Akashi!"
He roared.
The immense pressure he felt in his heart needed to be released.
Since the day he faced Atsushi Murasakibara's awakening, he hadn't felt this kind of sensation.
No...
It was stronger than the time with Murasakibara. At this moment, fans across the nation were watching him.
So he had to win. Yuuto must be crushed by him!
Regardless of the reason, Akashi's intense desire for victory made him erupt with a combat power stronger than ever before.
The Emperor Eye was pushed to its absolute limit.
Having undergone multiple corrections for weaknesses, the near-perfect Yuuto could no longer be easily crushed by the Emperor Eye.
His brain, his thinking, his body—all had adapted to this duel.
Yuuto and Akashi.
The two silhouettes constantly intersected at the three-point line.
Akashi used his eyes time and again to find the gaps in the defense.
And Yuuto, time and again, corrected himself after those gaps were found.
The "future" Akashi spoke of was seized repeatedly, but each time, it failed to knock Yuuto down because he kept extending more "futures."
Or perhaps it was that after being knocked down, he "got up" again, repeating this cycle endlessly.
Until he found that road to victory.
Then.
With less than 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Yuuto's center of gravity was destroyed by Akashi once again.
His body seemed to lose balance, swayed by Akashi until he lost his center of gravity, spinning out of control.
"Yuuto!" Momoi clenched her hands tight, her palms sweaty.
"I don't need you to worry about me yet."
Yuuto's mind was as still as water, his focus highly concentrated. The flame inside him, ignited long ago, was now burning furiously.
"A soul that once sank into depravity due to realization and fatigue has managed to walk this far today... this in itself is the greatest miracle."
Thud.
The body that seemed about to fall planted a foot heavily on the ground at that moment.
He hadn't been shaken down; he had stepped back in advance, anticipating Akashi's next move.
Yuuto's eyes were crimson, his body coiled like a hunting leopard.
Finally.
His left hand shot out like light piercing the dawn, going straight for the basketball.
BOOM!
It didn't sound like a hand slapping a basketball; it sounded more like a bomb detonating.
Under the gaze of the entire arena and the fans nationwide.
Yuuto, who appeared to have been finished off by Akashi, executed a fierce spin. Leaning half his body against Akashi, his left arm sliced the ball from the enemy's hands like a scalpel.
"What?!!"
The thing they wanted to happen least finally happened.
Teiko's head coach dropped his tactical board to the ground. He subconsciously moved closer to the sideline, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Finally...
"Yu-chan... surpassed Akashi-kun!" Momoi covered her mouth with both hands.
Even more shocked than them was Akashi himself.
His eyes were trembling.
This wasn't just the ball leaving his control; the entire game was slipping from his grasp.
"Limit?"
"Today, I have no limits, Akashi!"
Yuuto roared. Immediately after the steal, he turned and exploded into a sprint toward the other half of the court.
At the same time.
Haizaki and Kise rushed toward the loose ball's landing point.
The two ran almost side-by-side, but the one who won the race was Haizaki.
That madman really did it!
Coming to Okukozome, coming to Suiken Academy, agreeing to go with Yuuto to screw over the Generation of Miracles...
In Haizaki's heart, he had never truly fantasized that they could actually do it.
That was impossible!
Only those who had played at Teiko understood just what kind of monsters that group was.
But Yuuto did it. This madman dragged the high-and-mighty Akashi down.
This orphan, a poor kid from the countryside, was defeating the carefully cultivated heir of the Akashi conglomerate.
What about me?
Too many memories swept through Haizaki's mind. The first half was terrible, but the second half was all about Okukozome.
He realized that after coming here, aside from eating and sleeping, he did nothing but basketball.
Every day after school, he had to train at the basketball club. If he didn't show up, Yuuto would personally drag him there.
That wasn't all. At night, he didn't even have time to chat with girls; he was dragged to that dilapidated court for extra practice.
Even during his most relaxing time—skipping class on the roof—he would hear Yuuto talking endlessly about basketball.
Basketball, basketball, and more basketball.
His time had been completely filled by this round object.
Then... since I've put in so much, I should win something too!
"Get the hell out of my way, Ryota!"
Haizaki roared while sprinting alongside Kise, secretly throwing an elbow.
The honest Kise took the hit and fell behind instantly.
Haizaki seized the opportunity to pick up the ball and threw it toward the front court.
"Yuuto!"
He shouted, his voice trying to hide it, but still revealing a palpable expectation.
Expecting Yuuto to do the thing he wanted to do but never could.
Snap!
Yuuto caught Haizaki's pass.
At this moment.
In front of him was still the carefully nurtured heir of the Akashi financial group.
He had chased back at maximum speed and once again stood in Yuuto's path.
One failure proved nothing; even tigers nap sometimes.
"Don't be so arrogant, peasant!"
Akashi's emotions fluctuated violently, showing on his face as he gritted his teeth.
"I am the one who led Teiko to two consecutive national championships! I am the one who commands the Generation of Miracles!"
"My existence is absolute!"
Looking at the slightly hysterical Akashi before him.
Yuuto recalled himself from last year, the one who could only smash lockers in the changing room.
Right now, their positions had somewhat reversed.
Yuuto's expression was terrifyingly calm.
The dual-personality shooter talent was activated, but his aggression hadn't disappeared; it was just hidden under that freezing cold expression.
"Too many. I have experienced far too many failures in the past."
Looking back, there was no scenery worth reminiscing about.
Even during the simulations, he encountered failure after failure, losing to the same opponent countless times.
"But these failures have meaning!"
"Every failure means I take a step forward!"
"Even if it's a small step, a simple step, it brings me closer to the finish line!"
Brilliant golden light erupted from Yuuto's body.
He looked straight at Akashi, gathering all his strength to charge forward.
"I can say it as many times as needed. That meaningless future of yours—I will twist it with my own hands, Akashi!"
Step.
Yuuto stepped into the domain of Akashi's Emperor Eye.
In this moment, Akashi could do whatever he wanted.
The future was still clear.
Utilitarian to the extreme, concise to the extreme, a change of direction fast to the extreme.
"Nonsense! To defy me to this extent... simply defeating you is no longer enough to prove my existence!"
"Fall down, Yuuto!"
Akashi's arm shot out swiftly, knocking away the basketball in Yuuto's possession.
However.
Eagle Spear.
Almost simultaneously, Yuuto, who was prepared, reached back to grab the dislodged ball.
He smoothly transitioned into a behind-the-back dribble, feigning a change of direction, but his body only swayed slightly before returning to his original path for a straight breakthrough.
"It's useless! No matter how many futures you extend, the future is in my hands!"
...
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