The third quarter ended with the score at 78-68, Rakuzan still holding a comfortable ten-point lead heading into the final quarter.
Mayuzumi's earlier taunt, though blurted out in the heat of the moment, had hit Seirin's sore spot—because it was true.
Right now, Seirin had no way of stopping Rakuzan. If they didn't start closing the gap in the fourth quarter, the rest of the match would just be a slow death.
Riko bit down on her thumb, visibly anxious. She had to think of something. If the gap kept widening, elimination was the only outcome left for them.
"Kagami, can you enter the Zone again? Maybe if Hyuga and the others help set it up, you could pull off the Meteor Jam?"
Kagami paused his water bottle mid-sip at Riko's suggestion. After two seconds of thought, he shook his head.
"Even if I did get back into the Zone, this version of Rakuzan would still have me on a leash."
He looked around at his teammates, lingering on Kuroko for a moment, then smiled.
"It's fine. We don't need to keep obsessing over the Zone. Let's just play at our own pace! We didn't make it this far just because of a little thing like the Zone!"
The rest of Seirin froze for a beat — until Kiyoshi chuckled, scratching his head.
"Man… got schooled by a first-year."
"H-Hey, that's not what I meant!"
Kagami waved his hands frantically. He had nothing but respect for his upperclassmen.
Hyuga adjusted his glasses with a huff.
"First-years sure love talking big. Show some respect for your seniors, you punk!"
As Kagami kept trying to explain himself, the others couldn't help but laugh.The tension that Rakuzan had built up over the last three quarters was finally lifting.
"Alright! If our ace says so, then let's play the way we know best!"Riko smiled, waving her arm with new energy. Honestly, not having to stress about how to crack Rakuzan's defense was a relief in itself.
BEEP—!The whistle signaled the start of the fourth quarter.
Rakuzan's aura hadn't faded. Every player's eyes still glowed with that ominous pink light—the team-wide Zone was still in effect.
"Tch... what are they, monsters? If they're not human, someone send them back to the damn zoo."
Hyuga muttered, hands on his hips. Izuki shook his head beside him, reminding Hyuga that he'd said the quiet part out loud again.
Kiyoshi adjusted his knee brace, eyes burning with determination.Kuroko checked his wristband—it felt a bit tight before, but now it was just right. Kagami took a deep breath, his fighting spirit reignited as he faced Rakuzan.
"Here we go. The final quarter!"
In the stands—
"Who do you guys think's gonna win?" Aomine asked, licking his lips.
"If I had to bet... I'd say Akashi. But honestly? I'm rooting for Tetsu-kun" Momoi smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Rakuzan" Araki answered bluntly—classic her.
Kota didn't reply right away. He glanced at Aomine and tossed the question back.
"What about you?"
Aomine shrugged.
"I'm with Akashi. Rakuzan's just too scary right now."
Kota nodded thoughtfully, not answering directly. Instead, his eyes returned to the court.
Seirin had changed their approach. Their offense was moving as a unit again, the tempo far more synchronized. Even though their overall skills lagged behind Rakuzan, everyone was contributing.
Hyuga nailed two contested three-pointers.Teppei grabbed multiple offensive rebounds, keeping Nebuya in check.Izuki's court vision helped disrupt Rakuzan's offensive rhythm. Kuroko vanished into the flow, sneaking in for steals. And Kagami? He was everywhere — pestering Akashi on defense, linking up teammates on offense, and pulling off dazzling assists.
The gap wasn't widening — it was shrinking.
With five minutes left, the score was 90-82. Rakuzan still led by eight, but Akashi was anything but calm.
"What the hell is going on? Kagami's not even in the Zone anymore, so why does it feel like they're playing better?"
Akashi wiped the sweat from his face, an ominous feeling settling in his chest.
"Focus up! Something's off with Seirin!"
He shouted to his teammates. But even though he sensed danger, he couldn't pinpoint the problem.
On Seirin's next possession, Kagami stood at the top of the arc, ball in hand. Suddenly, his instincts kicked in. His eyes flicked to Kiyoshi in the paint, and a gut feeling struck.
Before he even thought about it, his body moved — dribbling forward. Kiyoshi, boxing out inside, felt it too. He darted up to the high post.
Akashi's eyes glimmered with pink light as he prepared to steal, but Kagami didn't force his way through — instead, he passed to Kiyoshi mid-stride, then cut hard into the paint.
Kiyoshi caught the ball and instantly bounced it back down to Kagami.
They hadn't planned it. No eye contact. Just a feeling. Nebuya reacted quickly, but against this flawless exchange, he was powerless.
Kagami rose up and slammed it home.
"Tighten up the interior! Double up on Kiyoshi — don't let those two link up!"
Akashi's unease grew. His voice broke all etiquette, but he didn't care. His eyes stayed locked on Kagami.
"Where's the crack? What's happening here?"
It wasn't just Teppei — suddenly, all of Seirin looked like they were sharing a single mind with Kagami.
Izuki helped Kagami pressure the ball and snatched a steal. Hyuga sank another three off a Kagami screen. Kuroko used Kagami's movement to slip through defenders and score with his Vanishing Drive.
It was as if Seirin was playing with one collective brain.
On the bench, Riko gasped, covering her mouth. The tide had turned — Kiyoshi and Kagami's connection had lit the spark for Seirin's comeback.
They scored five straight baskets.
In the final minute, the score was 94-94 — tied.
The entire crowd stood, roaring Seirin's name. After being crushed for three quarters, they'd clawed their way back. If Seirin pulled off the win, this would go down as one of the greatest Winter Cup matches ever.
Akashi stood on the court, panting hard. His Emperor Eye showed him a vision — Rakuzan losing.
"Impossible… Why? How did they get this strong…?" He couldn't comprehend it.
But in the stands, Aomine stood silently, tears streaming down his face.
"So it was you, huh, Tetsu... You were the gatekeeper all along.Did I throw away the key to that door long ago…?"