Akashi's Dead Spot appeared, like a gem made of blood, fixed in mid-air, glowing and shining.
It wasn't the weak point seen in Atobe Keigo's World of Ice, but a true Dead Spot, possessing irreversible effects.
Furthermore.
This Dead Spot had red threads connecting to the entire Rakuzan team.
This meant that when Yuuto reached that position, Rakuzan's entire defense would be destroyed by him.
For this moment.
He had waited too long.
Like having to understand death before witnessing it.
His correction ability had allowed him to grow so much. He had played four of the Generation of Miracles; only the talent monster Murasakibara Atsushi remained.
At this moment, Yuuto's understanding of basketball had reached a height far surpassing his age.
Yuuto moved, not letting this opportunity slip.
The entire audience watched him, holding their breath, watching carefully, afraid to miss a single detail.
White steam filled the air; white bangs obscured Yuuto's eyes, making him unclear to see.
Except for Akashi.
He clearly saw the reflection of that red Dead Spot in Yuuto's eyes.
Then.
Yuuto slowly raised his legs. Golden light bloomed from his body bit by bit. The moment his arm waved, the basketball moved with his body.
All of this looked so slow, but in reality, it was fast to the extreme.
Bam!
The basketball hit the floor. Yuuto swayed his body from left to right—a crossover so concise it had no wasted movement, though his feet didn't step out even a centimeter more than necessary.
Akashi saw it, but the next second, with a Crack, the future he saw was destroyed.
"Little Yuuto, he passed him!"
Kise's face changed wildly. If everything was as Midorima said...
It meant the Emperor Eye was no longer sufficient to counter Yuuto.
"He broke the Emperor Eye's prediction. An irreversible result!"
Akashi's eyes opened wide. The stinging pain from his feet told him what had happened.
His center of gravity had been destroyed!
Possessing the Emperor Eye, yet having his balance destroyed by someone else.
The others from Rakuzan saw this. Although shocked, they swarmed over immediately, trying to buy enough time for Akashi to recover.
However.
When Yuuto hit the Dead Spot, the threads connecting Rakuzan also snapped.
Rakuzan's defense could no longer stop him.
Yuuto turned a blind eye to Rakuzan's double team, accelerating into the Rakuzan paint like a gust of wind. Before the double team could form, he had already passed between the two of them.
Finally, Yuuto hit a layup over Nebuya Eikichi.
Silence fell over the scene. A moment later, earth-shattering cheers erupted from the north stands.
"He got past!"
"The Lion King of Okukozome defeated the elite of the Akashi conglomerate!"
"Passed 3 people in a row. He shattered Rakuzan's entire defense line alone and scored!"
"Unbelievable..."
The TV commentators were foaming at the mouth.
"Did you see that? I told you long ago, Yuuto is the strongest. He cannot be defeated."
In Okukozome, the basketball club of Homi Academy. The old coach was bragging to the new members.
Homi Academy's results this year weren't bad. Although they failed to defend their title, they reached the quarterfinals of the Nationals. They were slowly rising.
The stories Yuuto left behind at Homi Academy attracted many geniuses to visit Okukozome.
Combined with the core squad Yuuto left last year, the current Homi Academy didn't lack talent.
"Back then in the decisive battle with Teikō, the media called it the Second Impact. We encountered similar trouble then, but I didn't call a single timeout. Because I believed the disciple I taught could solve the problem, just like now."
The old members watched their coach brag without saying a word.
If they remembered correctly, when they encountered trouble last year, their coach was so anxious he paced back and forth, almost jumping up and down.
But they didn't expose him. The new first-years looked with worship at the bragging coach and the former captain on the TV.
"Senior Yuuto is truly strong."
"That's right, Senior Yuuto is the strongest!"
The players who had fought alongside Yuuto stared intently at the Number 10 with white hair on the TV screen.
That posture was no different from last year, making them feel incredibly reassured.
On the court.
Akashi stared dead at Yuuto. Neither moved immediately; both were sweating profusely.
They had maintained 100% potential activation for nearly 10 minutes.
But now wasn't the time to think about resting.
Akashi gritted his teeth, leading Rakuzan to counterattack.
There was no doubt he lost the individual battle, but Rakuzan would win the final victory.
Complete Emperor Eye.
Scanning across the field, the future of all 9 other men on the court appeared in Akashi's eyes and brain.
Then.
He delivered a pass, stabbing straight into Seiho's heart.
Nebuya Eikichi bent down to catch the ball. He had already completed his power accumulation invisibly. With a bump of his hips, he pushed Iwamura Tsutomu away and banked the shot in.
The point difference remained unchanged; both teams could score.
"So, is it a contest between teamwork and individual ability now?"
"It seems so."
Kiyoshi Teppei was eye-opened. The level of this duel shattered his understanding of high school students.
Whether it was the complete Emperor Eye, or Yuuto who could see Dead Spots and cause irreversible endings, or the team-type Zone...
...It all broke his cognition.
"Looks like the game is entering a tug-of-war."
"Yeah. One side relies on team offense, the other on pure individual ability. Who can last to the end?"
On the court, Yuuto and Akashi turned into two beams of light rushing at each other, unfolding the final duel.
Merging the strengths of two Akashis, the usage of the Emperor Eye reached its peak.
But individually, Akashi had long been unable to improve further.
Buzz~
The world before his eyes went black again. A red dot hovered over the entire Rakuzan team.
Immediately after.
Yuuto, glowing with gold light, charged over, smashing the red dot and dealing Rakuzan a fatal blow.
Swish!
A mid-range jump shot made. The world regained its color.
Akashi clenched his fists, not knowing how to stop the opponent. It seemed there was truly no way left.
"The Emperor Eye is still superior, but his level has already surpassed the Generation of Miracles!"
He knew the Emperor Eye hadn't lost; the talent he possessed was definitely top-tier.
The reason he couldn't stop Yuuto was simply that he had been left behind by Yuuto.
After all this, Yuuto had completely surpassed the Generation of Miracles.
...
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