On the court, the fierce battle continued.
But unlike before, the game had become a two-man show between Yuuto and Murasakibara.
"HAAA!" Murasakibara roared, twisting his body mid-air as he brought down Thor's Hammer, slamming the ball through the rim.
The violently shaking backboard let every spectator feel Murasakibara's overwhelming power.
"Murasakibara is so strong, truly worthy of being called a Generation of Miracles member."
"But..."
"Yeah, at this rate, the winner will definitely be Yuuto."
The Shūtoku players watched the Seihō number 10 on the court, eyes filled with wariness.
Midorima remained silent, also staring at Yuuto. He could see traces of all the Generation of Miracles in him.
Eyes that could observe the entire court. The ability to analyze gathered information in real-time and find optimal solutions. Court vision equal to or even surpassing Akashi's.
Then there was movement as unpredictable as Aomine's, making it impossible for opponents to anticipate.
Murasakibara's defensive coverage. Kise's versatility.
Even shooting touch comparable to Midorima's own.
All of it was corrected through his battles against the Generation of Miracles, then fused into one by Yuuto, forming his ultimate evolution.
In the time it took to say this—
Yuuto hit another jumper.
A massive feint, deceiving Murasakibara's senses through both rhythm and body language, compressing his reaction time.
Then Yuuto's eyes lit up, targeting the weakness Murasakibara had just exposed.
In an instant, he split into two, attacking from both sides simultaneously.
But these were all feints. The real Yuuto stepped forward once, quickly gathered the ball, and retreated. Stepping behind the three-point line, he rose for a fadeaway.
In the air, he fully extended his body, releasing a three-pointer so beautiful it took your breath away.
What a strange feeling.
The moment Yuuto released the shot, he knew it was going in.
Intuition? Perhaps. Many players had experienced this feeling—knowing the instant they shot that it would go in. This came from years of accumulated practice finally exploding.
It really had been a long time.
From getting destroyed by Teikō in his second year of middle school, to completing his revenge the following year.
Then in high school, he'd dismantled the Generation of Miracles one by one.
In everyone else's eyes, barely two years had passed.
But only Yuuto knew how many "years" he had spent in his simulation world, repeating that same cycle without end.
He was proud of that relentless version of himself.
Because all that sacrifice had been worth it.
Have I finally reached the level where I can challenge the world?
The feeling was too surreal—something his past self wouldn't have dared imagine.
The Generation of Miracles, whose mere name once made him want to retire on the spot, had all been dominated by him.
Swish!
As the sound of ball meeting net reached his ears, he confirmed this was all real—not a dream.
He had completely transcended the Generation of Miracles. In his normal state, he could match a Zone-powered Murasakibara without falling behind.
At this moment, his level had reached that of Nash, the Jabberwock team's core.
But this still isn't enough.
I've only reached Nash's level—I've merely cleared one hurdle!
Yuuto screamed internally.
His goal had never been just Nash. It was the geniuses who had defeated Nash—and beyond them, the superstars standing in basketball's highest halls.
The long accumulation finally exploded in this game.
Scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks...
He no longer had any weaknesses. He'd reached his current most perfect state.
He was genuinely happy for himself, enjoying the present while dreaming of the future.
Then.
Extremely suddenly, that door he'd believed two years ago would never open for him—appeared before his eyes.
"Huh?!"
Yuuto's world had turned gray. An ancient door stood majestically before him.
"The Zone?!"
As the words left his mouth, the door before him swung open with a thunderous rumble, as if it had been waiting for him all along.
Yuuto stood at the threshold, expression surprised.
A moment later, he lowered his head and laughed.
So that was the reason.
The Zone door he'd always believed rejected him hadn't actually refused him at all. He simply hadn't found the key.
"But don't expect me to bow my head. Pursuing victory isn't wrong. If you want to play 'happy basketball,' go find someone else."
Crackle—
A flash of black lightning briefly erupted from Yuuto's pupils.
Brief, a mere flicker, then completely gone.
"Zone? I don't need you right now. I'm having too much fun as it is!"
The Zone welcomed him in, and Yuuto immediately walked right back out.
...
Nobody knew what had just happened.
But his momentary entry into the Zone hadn't escaped Akashi and the others.
"As expected, Yuuto can enter the Zone too. But he rejected it."
"Rejected it? Why?"
Who knew what was going through that guy's head.
Aomine couldn't understand. The ultimate realm that players dreamed of—and Yuuto had rejected it.
"You..."
"Don't worry about it. Let's continue, Murasakibara. You don't look like you want to lose right now."
Of course he didn't want to lose.
Murasakibara's desire for victory had never been higher. He'd never wanted to win a game this badly before.
But right now, he had already sunk to the bottom. His state had reached 100%—there was nothing left to draw upon.
...
And Yuuto?
He grew stronger with each exchange. Just like the Lion King people knew him to be, capable of endless evolution.
Second quarter, 2 minutes 10 seconds remaining.
Murasakibara had the ball.
This time, while engaging Yuuto, the world suddenly went black again.
Then.
A red Dead Point flickered like a flame, right before his eyes.
CRACK!
In the next instant, an arm swept across, striking the side of the basketball hard.
When color returned to his world, there was no longer any sensation of a basketball in his hands.
In its place was Yuuto's confident—almost arrogant—face.
"It's over!"
Akashi let out a sigh.
An opponent this strong had surpassed the Generation of Miracles by an entire tier. Even the Zone's power wasn't enough to defeat him.
"What a monster. Though I'm not surprised at all."
"Eh? What is Haizaki-kun saying?"
Haizaki had also come to watch today. Seeing his former captain dominate his old teammates didn't make him envious or jealous.
Because he couldn't be as cruel to himself as Yuuto was.
"Nothing."
He thought about Yuuto's previous invitation, thinking maybe he should go check it out.
It definitely wasn't because Yuuto had said it might change his life. He was simply bored at Fukuda Sogo and wanted a change of scenery—something to make life less dull.
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"