"Beep! Timeout over! Both teams, take the court!"
After they returned to the court.
Shuzo Nijimura looked at Kotaro Hayama, who was matched up against him, and said what he was thinking.
"Your coach made a mistake sending you to guard me."
"A pseudo-Zone is still not the real Zone."
As Shuzo Nijimura's words fell, his presence changed instantly, sharp as a blade drawn from its sheath!
The next second!
Crackle!
Lightning suddenly flashed in Shuzo Nijimura's eyes!
Zone!
With the Zone activated, Shuzo Nijimura smiled and said:
"Let me show you what the real Zone is!"
Kotaro Hayama clenched his teeth and said nothing, because he knew very well that once Shuzo Nijimura entered the Zone, there was no way he could beat him.
And of course Eiji Shirogane knew that too.
Eiji Shirogane was worried that after being roasted by Makoto Hanamiya, Kotaro Hayama might lose control and lash out. If that happened, Kotaro Hayama would definitely be ejected.
If Kotaro Hayama was ejected, Rakuzan High School would lose another offensive weapon.
That was why he had no choice but to switch Chihiro Mayuzumi and Kotaro Hayama's positions, at least to help Kotaro Hayama calm down.
As for Chihiro Mayuzumi getting his mentality broken by Makoto Hanamiya's trash talk, Eiji Shirogane had never considered that possibility, because he trusted Chihiro Mayuzumi's composure.
After a few possessions, Makoto Hanamiya's trash talk really did have no effect on Chihiro Mayuzumi.
Chihiro Mayuzumi completely ignored Makoto Hanamiya, making Makoto Hanamiya feel as if he were punching cotton.
Meanwhile, Kotaro Hayama finally understood what the real Zone was!
In front of Shuzo Nijimura's true Zone, his pseudo-Zone was like paper, ready to tear at the slightest touch!
Shuzo Nijimura broke through him at will.
On offense, Shuzo Nijimura used changes in rhythm combined with the boost from the Zone, leaving Kotaro Hayama completely lost.
On defense, Shuzo Nijimura also showed Kotaro Hayama what steel defense truly meant.
Even when Kotaro Hayama kept using the five-finger [Lightning Dribble], he still could not break through Shuzo Nijimura!
Seijuro Akashi also realized that Kotaro Hayama was no longer working, so he immediately shifted his focus.
He shifted the offensive focus onto Eikichi Nebuya.
At the same time, he often passed the ball to Chihiro Mayuzumi and had him move the ball around.
But very soon, Seijuro Akashi realized that Chihiro Mayuzumi had nowhere to move the ball!
There was only one person he could pass to, and that was Eikichi Nebuya!
Reo Mibuchi and Kotaro Hayama could not get going at all. Miyamoto Tokima and Shuzo Nijimura had them completely shut down.
The only one who could score was Eikichi Nebuya!
The ridiculous part was that if Atsushi Murasakibara had not been injured and taken off the court, Eikichi Nebuya probably would not have been able to score either!
Once Seijuro Akashi understood that, his expression instantly turned cold.
"A bunch of useless trash!"
On the next possession, Seijuro Akashi passed the ball to Chihiro Mayuzumi again.
But this time, Chihiro Mayuzumi did not pass. He hugged the ball and stopped in place.
His expression stiffened a little, and he turned to look at Seijuro Akashi as if questioning him.
Seijuro Akashi only glanced at him and gave no response.
That left Chihiro Mayuzumi even more stunned.
Because he did not understand why Seijuro Akashi had passed him the ball at all!
Right now, the only person he could pass to was Eikichi Nebuya, and if the ball was going to Eikichi Nebuya, Seijuro Akashi could do that himself.
There was no need for him to act as the connector.
Wait!
Chihiro Mayuzumi suddenly trembled as a startling thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be... Seijuro Akashi wanted him to...
Become the Light?!
Just like Tetsuya Kuroko in the previous match?!
Thinking of that, Chihiro Mayuzumi gritted his teeth and decided to try scoring once himself!
It was only one shot anyway. If he had misunderstood, he could just go back to being the shadow!
So Chihiro Mayuzumi did not hesitate at all and immediately jumped up to shoot.
Makoto Hanamiya quietly watched the scene without making any move.
Swish!!!
After the ball went in, Seijuro Akashi did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately turned and went back on defense.
Chihiro Mayuzumi ran over and asked:
"Akashi, you..."
Seijuro Akashi did not turn around. He only said coldly:
"Senior Mayuzumi, before, the team needed you to become the Shadow. Now, the team needs you to become the Light."
After saying that, Seijuro Akashi ignored Chihiro Mayuzumi.
Chihiro Mayuzumi gritted his teeth, his expression shifting again and again.
One moment, he wants me to become the shadow. The next, he wants me to become the light.
Akashi, what exactly are you trying to do?
On the other side.
After Seijuro Akashi finished all of that, the primary personality's voice appeared in his mind again.
"Is it really right to treat Senior Mayuzumi this way?"
The secondary personality, Seijuro Akashi, gave a cold snort in his mind and replied:
"For the sake of the team's victory, everything is right!"
"Even the Kuroko you found had that kind of resolve. I'm sure Chihiro has it too!"
The primary personality, Seijuro Akashi, remained silent for a long time. After a while, he gave a faint sigh.
"Sigh. I hope you can do what you promised."
...
The game continued.
Under Seijuro Akashi's passing guidance, Chihiro Mayuzumi also entered the pseudo-Zone!
After entering the pseudo-Zone, Chihiro Mayuzumi also took up the offensive banner.
Because of his unique nature, Makoto Hanamiya could not properly target Chihiro Mayuzumi. In fact, he was even being led around by him!
Rakuzan High School's ball.
With lightning flashing in his eyes, Chihiro Mayuzumi dribbled up to Makoto Hanamiya.
Makoto Hanamiya's expression turned serious, and he activated his Animal Instinct!
A spider slowly appeared behind Makoto Hanamiya.
The instant the spider appeared, a spiderweb slowly began to spread beneath Makoto Hanamiya's feet.
Those strands of web gradually crawled toward Chihiro Mayuzumi.
But Chihiro Mayuzumi did not care at all. His gaze casually flicked toward Seijuro Akashi, and his hand lifted slightly.
Seeing that movement, Makoto Hanamiya's attention instinctively shifted toward Seijuro Akashi.
The next second!
When Makoto Hanamiya turned his attention back, he discovered that Chihiro Mayuzumi had disappeared!
Thud!
Swish!!!
The sound of the basketball dropping cleanly through the net came from behind Makoto Hanamiya.
Makoto Hanamiya turned around with an ugly expression and saw Chihiro Mayuzumi brushing past him.
At that moment, Makoto Hanamiya's face was so dark it looked like water could drip from it.
"Damn it!"
Makoto Hanamiya did not care about Seijuro Akashi or Kotaro Hayama breaking through him.
Because even if those two broke through him countless times, he could still roast them until their mentality collapsed.
But Chihiro Mayuzumi was different...
...
...
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