TWEET!
The game ended.
Seihō ultimately defeated Akita's powerhouse Yōsen—the team known for their Absolute Defense—by 15 points.
Though Yamashita Shigeo had pulled all the starters midway through, letting Yōsen claw back some points, they still lost by double digits.
Okamura and the others felt only regret, not resentment. The loss was too thorough for any such emotions.
"Thank you for the game!"
"Thank you for the game!"
Both teams gathered at center court for the closing bow.
As captain, Yuuto shook hands with Okamura, displaying appropriate sportsmanship.
No extra words. Yuuto had won. He turned and led his team to gather their things and leave, leaving the court to Yōsen—the losers.
This was an unwritten rule of the Winter Cup.
After every elimination game, the defeated team was given some time.
Soon, thunderous applause erupted throughout the arena.
Nearly 30,000 spectators rose to their feet, applauding both teams.
Some was for Seihō, but the greater portion was for Yōsen's third-years.
Thanking them for the spectacular performances they'd delivered over the past three years.
Of course, not every team and player received such treatment.
Japan respected strength. To earn their respect, you had to demonstrate ability.
In that regard, Yōsen's players, as members of a powerhouse program, absolutely qualified.
Okamura and the other third-years bowed at the waist, surveying the arena one final time, eyes brimming with reluctance.
"Don't act like it's all over. We still have college. Or are you planning to quit basketball?"
"Of course not. I'll keep playing forever!"
Okamura reached out, pulling Fukui Kensuke, Liu Wei, and the others into an embrace.
He definitely wasn't quitting in college.
Because basketball was just too much fun!
...
Meanwhile.
Seihō returned to the locker room, packed up quickly, and boarded their bus.
Defeating Yōsen meant they had now beaten every team with a Generation of Miracles member.
An incredible achievement.
Now they only needed to defeat Seirin to reach the finals and chase the Winter Cup championship after their Inter-High title—a grand slam.
Though Seirin was strong, rivaling the Generation of Miracles' teams, Seihō had already beaten them once. Their psychological advantage was substantial.
As for Yuuto, he was staring at his status panel the moment he got on the bus.
Looking at Demon Mode and Zone—these two talents.
Logic told him the fusion would have a higher success rate if he waited for his next simulation.
But another part of him felt it couldn't possibly get any worse.
Having both Zone and Demon Mode didn't give him any additional benefits.
Both talents could unlock his body's full potential. Having both didn't stack.
Moreover.
He had an intuition that the Zone was the key to evolving Demon Mode into Angel Mode.
Honestly, even if Demon Mode evolved into Angel Mode, the upgrade wasn't that dramatic.
He wasn't Kirihara Akaya. He could already control Demon Mode. His powerful will let him suppress its violent emotions.
What Yuuto wanted was Concentrated Burst.
Something that had happened during the U-17 World Cup.
In a doubles match between Japan and the Juggernauts, Kirihara Akaya had produced a technique that lasted only ten seconds yet rivaled Pinnacle of Perfection.
He let Demon Mode and Angel Mode erupt simultaneously within his body, forcing the two powers to clash, then manifested that conflict externally.
The result of their collision: for ten seconds, Kirihara could match Pinnacle of Perfection.
Concentrated Burst!
That was why Yuuto craved Demon Mode's evolution.
A technique achieved by holding your breath, performing activity in an anaerobic state to push focus to its absolute extreme.
True breath-holding concentration, giving everything to a single task.
But humans can't stop breathing, so Kirihara's Concentrated Burst was limited to ten seconds.
Within those ten seconds, he feared nothing—not even Pinnacle of Perfection.
Later, he awakened Blue Eyes, mastering the demon and angel residing within him, breaking the ten-second limit to freely activate Concentrated Burst.
And the Zone let Yuuto skip that step entirely.
Because the Zone's focus surpassed even what holding your breath could achieve—a true, ultimate state of concentration.
"Angel Mode... Zero!"
Yuuto muttered to himself, then tried activating his new talent.
HISS!
Instantly, massive clouds of white steam erupted from his body.
The Seihō players in the bus all jumped, not understanding what Yuuto was doing.
Nobody had provoked him, yet he suddenly went into Demon Mode.
Before they could ask, the white steam dissipated as quickly as it had appeared.
"Why'd you suddenly go Demon Mode?" Kasuga Ryuhei waved the steam away.
He was about to ask what was going on, but as the mist cleared, he saw Yuuto's hair was still snow-white.
He hadn't left Demon Mode—no, that wasn't quite right either.
Though the steam was gone, a faint white glow radiated from Yuuto's body, enveloping him completely, giving him an almost... holy appearance?!
"What is this...?"
The bus fell silent. Everyone, including Yamashita Shigeo, stared at Yuuto in stunned silence.
His current state was strange—simultaneously projecting both savagery and sanctity.
Like... half demon, half angel!?
"Don't tell me... he evolved again?"
None of them had witnessed it before, yet Iwamura and the others sensed that Yuuto now was even stronger.
The aura emanating from him was more intense than anything they'd ever felt.
"Could this be why Yuuto rejected the Zone?" Yamashita Shigeo's pupils contracted sharply.
He'd seen the Zone's limits—unlocking 100% of the body's potential.
Yuuto's Demon Mode could do the same thing.
But Yuuto in this state felt even stronger than in Demon Mode.
"Did he... break through the 100% limit?!"
...
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