Haizaki stole the ball from Aomine and stood still for a moment. Shock rippled across every face around him—an intoxicating wave of thrill crashed through him again and again.
So this is…
The Zone.
He let go of everything and entrusted himself to the game.
It really…
Just appeared like this—out of nowhere.
In the deep rings of Haizaki's Emperor's Eye, gray arcs of electricity crackled faintly. Their intensity, despite only having just entered the Zone at this stage of the match, was already comparable to what remained of Aomine's Zone.
The aura spilling out of him was terrifying.
Not far away
Imayoshi Shōichi's eyes widened sharply.
At this timing?!
Up on the stands, Midorima Shintarō watched with a heavy expression.
He never relied on the Zone for victory. But after witnessing Aomine's, then Kise's, and now Haizaki's… even he felt something stir inside.
And beside him, Shigure Akihito silently watched the gray glow in Haizaki's eyes, a small, gratified smile stretching across his face.
"Too bad…"
"Nijimura didn't get to see it with his own eyes."
A miracle's…
In the original timeline, Haizaki—who could never attain the level of the Generation of Miracles—was hinted through many details to be an unreachable outlier. He didn't have the natural colors, but this gray… perfectly matching his name…
It proved it.
He was a miracle.
Well done… Haizaki.
On the court.
That steal from Aomine—that instant of motion—was so fast, so clean, that no spectator could fully process it.
Focused entirely on Monster Immersion and the overlapping Emperor's Eye, pushing his brain to its exploding limit—Haizaki took that step.
Maybe it was unprecedented concentration.
Maybe he had gambled everything on that one moment.
Either way, after taking that step—
He slipped straight into the Zone.
All the emotions suppressed by the chains of his ability burst out along with it.
"Insane!"
"When did he steal the ball? I didn't even see it!"
"Haizaki Shōgo…"
"He's terrifying. Even among the Miracles, Haizaki has the power to fight for the Ace!"
The crowd roared.
Haizaki caught the ball, turned toward Aomine, and gray arcs stretched through the air like streaks drawn by his gaze.
His first time entering the Zone made it hard to keep his emotions contained.
"I'll make you taste defeat…"
"Aomine."
The words fell.
Then
Haizaki shot off toward Tōō's half at blistering speed, his Seirin jersey snapping loudly in the wind.
Aomine spun around and chased.
Their physical capabilities—now identical.
Their Zone intensity—also similar.
As for the rest
Compared to Haizaki's Emperor's Eye, Aomine's Ice-Snow Domain, which directly amplified physical ability, had more weight in raw speed.
Ice spread from under Aomine's feet
He accelerated.
Caught up.
Locked Haizaki in place with a thin layer of freezing traction.
"Aomine… what kind of physical monster is he?!"
"He can still accelerate?!"
"So fast!!"
"He stopped Haizaki even though they're both in the Zone!"
"No…"
"It's not over."
Haizaki's arc-filled gaze flashed. He could now predict Aomine's movements even farther ahead than before.
And he, too—
Had the Zone.
Next second
Thunder Dribble.
BOOM!!
Tōō's players first celebrated Aomine's intercept
Then froze as Haizaki suddenly braked, then exploded forward like a lightning strike, breaking through Aomine's defense.
Everyone stood stunned.
Kise Ryōta: "...!"
If both are in the Zone…
Then Haizaki's Emperor's Eye + Monster Immersion just overpowered Aomine's Ice-Snow Domain?!
How is that possible? The Emperor's Eye isn't even the "legitimate" version—and it can evolve?!
Aomine still had speed to keep up.
Haizaki still had the Eye to break gaps.
This duel…
No one could predict who would win.
But then
Kise's eyes abruptly widened.
Because Haizaki—who should've launched the ultimate lightning vs. blizzard showdown
passed the ball.
Haizaki passed?!
Kise immediately rushed to intercept Kagami's shot attempt; Kagami was forced to send it back out after Hyūga shouted.
Ball returned
To Haizaki.
Then
He passed again.
This time to Kiyoshi Teppei.
But Tōō's defense was too stable, and Haizaki's passes were strangely urgent—Seirin had no time for screens or proper plays.
Kise stared, baffled.
"He's in the Zone—and keeps passing?"
Wait.
Don't tell me
"Haizaki is…"
Kise's pupils shrank
The shot clock hit its limit
Haizaki finally drove himself.
SLAP!
His speed vanished into stillness as he glared down at Aomine, eyes filled with killing intent.
SLAP! SLAP!
From a dead stop into instant acceleration—everything around him turned monochrome.
He grasped the world
Then leaped backward!
A massive fadeaway, identical to Aomine's earlier attack
Aomine's fingertips grazed the ball
Just barely
THUD!
Off the backboard
CLANG!
In.
Aomine didn't think about anything Kise had imagined. Blood boiling, his whole mind filled with one thing
I'm scoring on him next.
Tōō rushed Seirin's half.
Aomine, avoiding Haizaki's black-hole defense, returned to ultra-orthodox academy fundamentals—perfect cross-to-spin transitions, wind-like acceleration.
With ice spreading in bursts
SLASH!
A spiral spin, shoulder-checking Haizaki.
Seirin's defense instinctively collapsed toward him.
But
Aomine didn't even look at them.
All that existed in his eyes
Was the hoop.
From the free-throw line
He jumped.
Right arm drawn
Electricity mixing with snow as it burst outward
Haizaki's eyes snapped
He jumped, sacrificing forward momentum for height.
It was the move Shigure had used in middle school
Meteor Dunk.
Perfect for Aomine, whose shooting had no fixed form.
Aomine's body leaned forward
Strike.
The ball fired like a cannon shot
CRACK
Haizaki's fingertip barely scraped the leather
CLANG!!!
The violent tremor echoed like metal-breaking steel. Even spectators could hear it clearly.
The ball bounced inside the rim with brutal force.
Aomine, unable to brake due to his forward lean, took several steps toward the stands.
Behind him
The ball rattled
Then dropped through.
Aomine swung his arm sharply
Turned
"Haizaki!"
"Keep that taste of defeat for yourself!"
In the next few plays, Haizaki—still in the Zone—kept passing.
His passes were technically brilliant.
But the opportunities they created…
Weren't as good as before.
Still
Hyūga and Kiyoshi didn't complain. They went all-out trying to receive and convert those passes, trusting Haizaki completely.
Even Kagami followed Kuroko's instructions, committing himself despite not knowing why.
The result
Every possession ended with Haizaki's solo attack.
The rhythm remained.
The score tightened.
Haizaki drenched in sweat
Both Zones approaching collapse.
Then
Change arrived.
Besides Kise, Imayoshi was the first to sense something off.
Hyūga's pump-fake on catches
Was growing faster.
So fast that if he really pulled up immediately
Imayoshi might not be able to block it.
And indeed
Next possession, Haizaki's pass went not to Hyūga, but—
To Kagami.
He exploded upward in shock
And shot immediately.
Kise couldn't stop him.
SWISH!
2 points.
With that shot
Seirin changed.
Their aura surged overwhelmingly—stronger than anything Imayoshi had ever seen.
"Wait… don't tell me…"
Haizaki's passes…
Were strengthening his teammates?
And he only brought it out now, at the end of the match?!
Tōō saw Seirin's shift too. They saw Haizaki panting beside Aomine—but grinning with electric arcs crackling in his eyes.
Hyūga was even more excited.
He never imagined that his old fantasy—the combination of Akashi's passing + Kuroko's passing—would come true in such a ridiculous way.
Because now
He could see it clearly…
Kiyoshi had lightning in his eyes—the sign of the Zone.
Not only him…
Kagami too…
Even Hyūga himself…
Only Kuroko lacked it—because he had spent too much energy in the earlier Zone attempt.
At this moment
Seirin had four Zones active on the court.
Four.
Just ask
Who can stop that?!
Haizaki looked at Aomine.
"Your Zone is almost done, right? Mine too."
"But from here on"
"I only need to go all-out on defense."
"Because"
"The Zone…"
"We still have three!"
CRACK!
POP!
CRACKLE!
The moment Haizaki said it
Kiyoshi.
Hyūga.
Kagami.
All three instinctively looked at Aomine
Gray lightning erupted in their eyes.
Zone.
"WHAT?!"
"You're kidding!"
"Besides Haizaki—three more?!"
"How can the Zone be this common?!"
Up in the stands, Midorima's heart pounded at the spectacle.
He didn't doubt it
Haizaki had done something directly tied to the Zone.
Because
If he could've done this earlier…
He absolutely would have.
END OF CHAPTER
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