Unknowingly, the first quarter had already ended, and the second was nearly halfway through.
On the court
Kaijō vs. Rakuzan.
48–38.
Even though Hagioka Kasayuki had been giving it everything he had—melding his physical prowess with Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain, Shadow, and Thunder into Rakuzan's all-encompassing defense
Under the guidance of Shigure Akihito's evolved Emperor Pass, Kaijō's Rainbow Link offensive formation still broke through the wall of the Okayama Miracle's defense.
Rakuzan's possession.
Fukasaya Reiji carefully observed his opponent's center of gravity.
The man before him carried the aura of Unseen Insight, so he didn't dare to gamble on a steal—instead, he focused on cutting off the drive, closing down the shooting lanes, and pressing in from the side.
Pa!
Pa!
Pa!
Reiji held his ground, guarding tightly on Kurumiya Tōsei's right flank
Then suddenly, he opened up the middle, leaving the driving lane unguarded.
He didn't jump, didn't reach, only raised his arms high—clearly, the interference was meaningless.
Because that wasn't his true intention at all.
Kurumiya took the bait—his shot was forced toward the left by Reiji's positioning. The instant he leapt, realization struck—it's a trap!
But
Whoosh!
A black blur wearing No. 5 sliced through the air!
Wildness!
The lion's ferocity!
In that instant, under Unseen Insight's influence, Kurumiya reacted instinctively—he retracted the ball midair and flicked it toward Hino Shinya under the rim!
Pa!
But faster still—Nijimura Shuzo cut in, intercepting the pass at the very moment it left Kurumiya's hand!
Kaijō's counterattack!
On the opposite side, as Shigure Akihito wrestled with Hagioka's defense, Nijimura pushed forward—his pace unhurried, as if waiting for his teammates to fall into formation.
Then
Kaijō ran a pick-and-roll!
The instant Shigure received the ball, the crisp rhythm of passing rang out once more!
But this time…
After passing through Nijimura's hands, the ball's speed suddenly dropped!
Hagioka frowned, then shouted, "It's a normal pass this time—the finisher is Kaijō's point guard!"
But his words cut short
Because the ball stopped dead in Kasamatsu Yukio's hands.
No pass.
No shot.
Nothing.
Simply because the Rainbow Link's reputation alone had forced Rakuzan to focus their defense on the Teiko—and Nijimura's deceptively slow relay suddenly pulled every defender toward Kasamatsu, who then… didn't move.
At that same moment
Shigure Akihito closed in beside him. Hand-off pass!
Fukasaya Reiji set the screen in perfect sync!
Rainbow Link!
The sequence continued—flowing like a ribbon across the weak side of Rakuzan's defense!
Tajika Makoto received the pass wide open, his height giving him a clean jump shot
BOOM!
Tajika's eyes widened. "!?"
With a thunderous step, Hagioka Kasayuki exploded forward like a bolt of lightning!
He had seen through Nijimura's setup—anticipating the pass route ahead of time!
Snap!
His fingertips brushed the ball
It rolled along the rim… then spun out!
The crowd erupted
"That was insane!"
"I was holding my breath the whole time…"
"They're pushing each other to the absolute limit!"
"But the gap's still ten points—Kaijō's offense keeps the upper hand. If Rakuzan can't break this deadlock soon, the score's only going to stretch wider."
And just as those murmurs rippled through the stands—
Hagioka Kasayuki, landing from that block, turned to face Shigure Akihito.
A faint shimmer of black lightning flickered deep in his pupils
The unmistakable sign—of the Zone's awakening.
"…As expected of you, Shigure Akihito," he murmured.
"You've… made it happen much sooner than I anticipated."
The unstable arcs of black electricity danced in his eyes, a mark that he was hovering at the threshold—not yet fully within.
His consciousness sank
Deeper, deeper—toward that familiar place.
Finally, he stood before the door hidden within his heart
Creaaak!
Light spilled through the narrow crack between the gilded frames.
But Hagioka knew—that door hadn't been opened by his own hand.
He knew his key better than anyone.
His key… was his opponent.
The one who stood above him.
The pressure that crushed him.
That was what drew out his true self.
Only before the strongest rival
Could he become the strongest version of himself.
And in that moment when his heartbeat thundered, when suffocating pressure turned into pure exhilaration
The door to the Zone… opened of its own accord.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The gates flung wide
Hagioka Kasayuki stepped through, unflinching.
As he opened his eyes, the black lightning steadied—burning brighter, sharper.
It crackled around him as he turned his head—arcs tracing cold light through the air.
And the first things reflected in his gaze
Tajika Makoto.
Hino Shinya.
Kurumiya Tōsei.
Tondo Kaoru.
Yamashikawa Kōyuki.
The Miracle of Okayama.
Hagioka exhaled softly
"…Ha."
Even with the Zone's emotion pressing down on him, he couldn't suppress a smile.
This kind of Zone
A purely self-focused one
Wasn't what he sought.
So he closed his eyes again
And within his heart, he stepped deeper—beyond the threshold
Into the depths of that mirrored lake.
Sinking, sinking—deeper still.
On the sidelines, Nijimura Shuzo immediately sensed the change.
He recognized that energy—he had reached it once before, but failed to dive further.
In that realm, he knew
Hagioka Kasayuki would see the second door.
And at that very moment
At the lake's silent bottom, Hagioka reached it.
Crack!
A second door split open!
And then
BOOM!
BUZZ!
SHH!
ZAP!
When Hagioka opened his eyes again, the court was swallowed by brilliance!
Rakuzan's entire lineup
Wind!
Forest!
Fire!
Mountain!
Shadow!
Thunder!
Each player shone with their element's radiance—lines of light streaking across the court with every movement!
"It… opened?!"
"You're kidding me!"
"Wait—what?!"
"All of those—those are Hagioka's abilities!!?"
But unlike the stunned audience, Shigure Akihito only looked more exhilarated.
And beside him, Nijimura Shuzo—calm as ever—spoke quietly:
"Shigure…"
"Hm?"
"That move—ready yet?"
Shigure grinned. "Yeah."
"Then don't waste it on the Five Generals." Nijimura smirked. "That'd be a waste."
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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