At the top of the arc, Kagami dribbled slowly. There was nothing flashy or threatening about his movements — yet a crushing pressure seemed to coil around Akashi's chest.
Akashi's pupils twitched. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his face. He couldn't read Kagami at all.
Seirin instinctively spaced the floor for him, clearing out the top of the key.
Ace versus ace — round three.
20 seconds left in the first quarter. The scoreboard read: 26–25, Seirin up by one.
Kagami glanced at the clock. No rush. He was running it all the way down. This was going to be a buzzer-beater.
10 seconds to go.Still no movement. But Rakuzan—couldn't keep their cool.
Suddenly, Mayuzumi — until now nearly invisible — stepped up beside Kagami. At the same time, Akashi moved in from the front, his Emperor Eye spinning wildly, already calculating Kagami's next move.
"Corner trap. Side pressure. With this setup, your only option is—"
Mayuzumi lunged in for the steal.
Akashi mirrored him, reaching to the opposite side.
"Got him!"
A faint smirk crept onto Akashi's face — Kagami was moving exactly how he predicted. But just as quickly, that smile vanished.
The Emperor Eye wasn't wrong. The double-team was airtight. But Kagami — was too fast.
With a sharp dribble and sudden step-back, he lowered his stance and slipped right through the gap, cutting between both defenders before Akashi could even reach for the ball.
He beat the prediction.
With Seirin's spacing, no one was left to stop him at the rim. Kagami took off — and slammed it down hard just as the buzzer sounded.
28–25, Seirin ends the quarter with a highlight dunk!
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
From the bench, Kota nodded in approval.
"Now that's how you make a statement."
Simple, explosive plays like that pumped adrenaline through every spectator.Honestly, Kota felt a twitch in his hands—he was dying to get on the court himself.
"Watching people play is fun and all, but man, it makes your hands itch…"
Next to him, Aomine cracked his knuckles.
He was itching too.
"I need to play this guy again… He's stronger than he was at Too!"
"No… not just stronger. He's in the zone."
Kota glanced toward Seirin's bench. Kagami sat with eyes closed, not speaking to anyone.
"He's conserving energy" Kota muttered under his breath.
Aomine said it out loud.
"He's locking in his state. That guy's serious."
The heat in Aomine's eyes was unmistakable.
He never feared strong opponents.What he feared—was not having any at all.No rivals meant no fire. No thrill. No love for basketball.
"Kaijo. Rakuzan. Now even Seirin…Damn it, why is everyone so freakin' strong lately? It's gonna be impossible to sleep after this!"
Aomine's expression twisted into a gleeful frenzy. He rubbed his hands together like a man about to open a Christmas present.
Kota inched away slightly. He wasn't scared, of course. He just didn't want to catch whatever feral energy Aomine was radiating.
Halftime hadn't arrived yet. The short intermission between quarters flew by.
The whistle blew — second quarter about to begin.
As it echoed through the court, Kagami opened his eyes. The red lightning in his pupils hadn't faded in the slightest.
Still blazing hot.
Riko exhaled softly in relief, watching her ace walk onto the court.
"Kuroko, do you want back in?" she asked gently.
With Kagami in the Zone, Seirin could manage without Kuroko for now.
"I'll wait a little longer" Kuroko replied without changing expression.
"I have a feeling… Akashi-kun's not done yet."
Riko blinked, startled. Kagami was this strong—and Rakuzan still had a counter?
That answer came fast.
Kagami once again split Rakuzan's defense. Even with Nebuya in position, he rose over him and posterized him—one-handed dunk.
32–27, Seirin leads by five.
Rakuzan's offense stalled again. Zone Kagami's defensive coverage was overwhelming. They swung the ball again and again, but found no openings. Finally — Izuki intercepted a pass.
Akashi scanned the court. He sighed softly.
"I meant to save this for Kaijo. Oh well. Guess we're doing this now."
"This one's for you, Kota."
Akashi glanced toward Kota's spot on the sideline, smiling cryptically. Then he closed his eyes.
Kagami had just caught a pass from Izuki and was gearing up to drive inside. But suddenly — he froze.
"What the hell?"
"Why do I feel like… he's going to steal this?"
His instincts screamed danger. For the first time all game — Kagami backed off.
Akashi opened his eyes. A streak of pink lightning flickered in his irises.
In the crowd, Aomine leapt to his feet.
"Wait—is that… Akashi's Zone?!"
Kota's face hardened."…No. That's more than just Zone."
"Is that even possible?" Hyuga could barely get the words out.The entire Seirin bench sat frozen.
One by one, Rakuzan's players' eyes flashed pink.
Full Team Zone.
24 seconds winding down.
Kagami didn't have time to panic. He clenched his jaw and charged straight at Akashi.
But the move that had just shredded Rakuzan's defense — Akashi saw right through it.
No dramatic gestures. No forced contact. Just a simple sweep of the hand—
Swipe.
The ball was gone.
Kagami hadn't even realized it. He was still mid-sprint toward the hoop when it hit him:
"Where's the ball?!"
Akashi didn't rush the fast break. He turned to glance back at Kagami, smirking with disdain.
"Child's play."
Then he began to push the ball up the court.
Veins popped on Kagami's face as he spun and chased. The two sprinted down the floor — one ahead, one behind. The rest of Seirin couldn't keep up with the tempo.
Near the Seirin paint, Akashi tossed the ball upward with one hand. To his right, Nebuya rose up—alley-oop inbound.
"NOT DONE YET!"
Kagami burst past Akashi with sheer explosiveness, launching into a last-second block attempt.
But Akashi didn't even look back.
"Give it up, Kagami. That airspace doesn't belong to you anymore."
He turned and jogged back down the court.
Above the rim, Nebuya met Kagami midair, a wild grin across his face.
Pink lightning crackled in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he jammed the ball straight through Kagami's outstretched hand.
BEEP!
Rakuzan — two points. Count it.