After an unknown number of corrections and evolutions, Yuuto finally crossed a level beyond the Generation of Miracles.
At his current stage, the strength of his opponent's talent was no longer important.
He possessed sufficient strength to deal with it.
Turning back to the game.
Akashi still held the ball himself, connecting Rakuzan's offense with needle-threading passes.
Passes so flawless one couldn't pick out any faults, so perfect that his teammates were already shaking off their defenders the moment they caught the ball.
Hayama Kotaro used his five-finger dribble to breeze past Tsugawa Tomoki in one breath, intruding into the Seiho paint.
Facing Iwamura Tsutomu's help defense, he changed his shot into a pass mid-air, flexibly using a double-clutch motion to fling the ball to Nebuya Eikichi on the other side.
An unguarded 'Hercules' was equivalent to giving away points.
Just at this moment, a figure tore through the air and flew in.
It was Yuuto. His specialized speed seemed to challenge the limits of speed itself.
Bam!
He slapped the backboard but failed to block Nebuya Eikichi's dunk.
However...
"Almost got blocked!" Nebuya Eikichi's expression was grave.
In that moment just now, had he hesitated even slightly, even for a second, this ball would definitely have been blocked.
"Not just on offense; on the defensive end, he can also see Rakuzan's Dead Spot!"
"Has his evolution not ended yet?"
Terrifying!
This was the heartfelt thought of most fans and players at the scene.
Did he intend to dominate both the offensive and defensive ends alone?
In this super-high-level duel destined to be recorded in history?
Of course, this was exactly what Yuuto sought.
A true genius should be invincible in high school.
If he couldn't be like Kobe, turning himself into a "Magician with Jordan's scoring ability" during high school, what qualifications would he have to compete with the world's top prodigies in the future?
Releasing his hand.
Landing.
His brain rapidly analyzed, searching for his own weaknesses, then correcting them—completing yet another self-evolution!
Then, he took the basketball from his teammate, turning into a bolt of lightning rushing forward.
Akashi bit his lip and followed closely, not daring to give an inch, afraid that if he slacked off for a second, the opponent would throw that kind of super-long three-pointer.
There was 1 minute and 24 seconds left in the third quarter, but a full quarter left in the game. Could they maintain this slight advantage until the end?
"No, it's not a question of whether we can, but that we must persist until the end!"
A gap of 2 possessions. The advantage wasn't obvious, but as long as Rakuzan's offense didn't falter, the final winner would be Rakuzan.
Hiss~
Massive amounts of steam erupted from Yuuto's body, making the duel between the two look hazy, further highlighting the intensity and unpredictability of the battle situation.
Finally.
Yuuto killed his way out through the steam, once again destroying Akashi and Rakuzan's defense.
He looked as if his whole body was burning. The red rings in his pupils made his eyes look crimson when he moved, like a white-haired demon.
Bang!
Yuuto dunked the ball over Nebuya Eikichi. Mayuzumi Chihiro silently came over for help defense, but ended up adding an unnecessary foul to the play.
The result was laughable.
The Seiho captain swept a cold glance over him. Mayuzumi instantly felt cold all over, his body stiffening in place, as Yuuto flicked his head and walked past.
Beep~
Finally, the referee blew the whistle ending the third quarter.
Returning to the bench, the Rakuzan players gasped for air, Akashi included.
"The third quarter, that was too dangerous."
"Just now, I almost got blocked!"
Hayama Kotaro still felt lingering fear.
On the last possession of the third quarter, his layup was nearly chased down and blocked by Yuuto. At that time, the opponent was clearly not even at the three-point line.
He felt the massive oppressive force coming from Yuuto.
Fortunately, his reaction was fast enough, speeding up his release to put the ball in.
Thus, ensuring the gap between the two sides remained at two possessions.
In a game like this, they dared not relax their vigilance for a single round.
"But if this continues, he will catch up sooner or later." Mibuchi Reo's long hair stuck to his neck; he was covered in sweat.
"No matter what, we have to persist until the end. We are Rakuzan." Shirogane Eiji had nothing left to adjust.
His tactics had been thoroughly dissected by Yuuto.
At this time, playing tactics would make it easier for Yuuto to see through them. They could only rely on Akashi's Emperor Eye prediction to complete Rakuzan's offense.
"Akashi..."
"Don't sub me out, Coach. Please let me play until the last second of this game."
...
Saying this, he looked back at his teammates.
"I also hope you can lend me all your strength until the game ends."
"Does that even need to be said?!"
"I've been ready for a long time. My muscles are still very active."
"As long as Sei-chan wants it, we can give you everything."
Mibuchi Reo and the other two spoke first. Although Mayuzumi Chihiro didn't speak, his expression already told Akashi.
No problem!
What about Seiho's side?
"Yuuto, can you still keep going?"
In this match, Yuuto's consumption was visibly huge.
He had firmly controlled the ball possession since the second quarter.
In the past 30 minutes of the game, the ball was in Yuuto's hands 50% of the time.
...
The current Seiho completely relied on Yuuto.
"Yeah, I can hold on for a while, but I won't be able to maintain Demon-mode much longer."
He had been in the Demon-mode state for 10 minutes.
Even with the help of Perfect Rhythm, the repeated specializations offset the advantage of Perfect Rhythm.
Once he exited the Demon-mode state, his defensive coverage area would shrink.
"Is that so? Since that's the case, let the others help you narrow the distance."
Yamashita Shio finally had work to do.
"In the fourth quarter, we'll change some defensive strategies. Akashi's eyes can see our future, so it's hard to stop Rakuzan's offense."
"But we can shrink their attack range to near the paint!"
"Lock down their shooting, especially you, Kasuga. Don't give that Yaksha a chance to shoot threes anymore. Herd all of Rakuzan's players into the paint to score!"
Yamashita Shio drew on the tactical board.
Focusing on tight man-to-man defense, denying shooting opportunities, while maintaining layered positioning. If one person gets passed, nearby players must immediately fill the gap, driving the enemy completely into the paint.
Finally.
"Whether we can stop Rakuzan or not depends on you, Yuuto!"
"Also, if both you and Akashi exit Demon-mode/Zone simultaneously, the offense can attempt fast-break counterattacks."
"Utilize the advantage of our Ancient Martial Arts running technique. Your past efforts won't let you down. Run them to death for me!"
...
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