66–64.
The score had been overturned once again.
As Midorima Shintaro's utterly unreasonable shot swished through the net, the entire Seiho team froze in place like ducks being choked. Their expressions, their voices, everything stopped in an instant.
"Seriously? What the hell is this guy? Even at this stage, he's still getting stronger!?"
The aura surrounding Midorima Shintaro flared once more. If earlier his presence had been a mere flame, then now it had become a raging inferno.
Both his speed and his reflexes,
At this moment, compared to before, Midorima had undoubtedly ascended to yet another level.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"Now, now~ calm down, senpai." Akashi Asuka patted the fuming Haruhira Ryuhei on the shoulder, his tone utterly composed. "Getting stronger as the match goes on, that's just what geniuses do. Don't be so surprised."
Haruhira glared at him. "You sure are calm for someone about to lose. Do you even realize the situation we're in? We're about to lose! And if other people can get stronger mid-match, why can't you!?"
Asuka spread his hands innocently. "I told you before, didn't I? I'm not a genius. You guys just refused to believe me. What can I do about that?"
"Hah!? You've got some nerve saying that! If you're not a genius, then how the hell can a normal high schooler be that strong!?"
"I'm just a cheater, that's all."
"A… cheater? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Haruhira waved him off irritably. "Forget it, I don't have time for your nonsense right now. That monster's your responsibility on defense, remember? You don't want to lose this match either, right?"
"Uh…"
Something about Haruhira's tone felt off to Asuka, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
So he just replied lightly, "Don't worry, senpai. My 'cheat' might not be broken, but it's more than enough to handle a 'Generation of Miracles' with the wrong attribute matchup."
============
Asuka charged into the paint.
Haruhira passed him the ball, but just then, Otsubo Taisuke and Midorima Shintaro converged on him in a fierce double-team. The pressure radiating from Midorima was immense, it was like the very air was being crushed. There wasn't even a gap for Asuka to pass through.
"Seriously, sometimes I wonder if I'm the one cheating, or if you guys are."
He couldn't help but be speechless. The way their power kept spiking, it was completely unscientific. All they had to do was think "I don't want to lose," and their aura would surge sky-high.
"But too bad. Even if you've gone up another tier, there's no way you're stopping me under the basket!"
With that, Asuka suddenly leapt. Otsubo and Midorima both rose to block him, but the moment their hands met the ball, their expressions changed drastically.
"His strength!"
Even with both of them combined, Asuka's dunk didn't slow down in the slightest.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed through the gym.
The basketball slammed viciously into the hoop, while both defenders were blasted backward by the impact.
"This guy… even Midorima and Otsubo together couldn't stop him!?"
The Shutoku players stared in shock. They'd thought that with Midorima in that state, maybe, just maybe, he could block Asuka. Reality, however, slapped them in the face.
66–66.
Less than three minutes remained.
The defense on both sides had reached absurd levels in this final quarter, with scoring reduced to almost nothing.
With two minutes and thirty seconds left, Midorima finally used a screen to find an opening at midcourt,
Swish!
Three points.
69–66.
Asuka immediately countered, diving into the paint, but Shutoku had learned their lesson. They no longer poured all their defense into stopping him alone. Instead, they cut off every passing lane, denying his teammates any chance to feed him the ball.
Seiho's offense stalled completely.
For two full minutes, the two teams traded possessions, three, four sequences in a row, without a single basket.
Then finally, center Tsutomu Iwamura took a desperate shot from the perimeter. It missed, but it gave Asuka a rebound opportunity.
He seized it and slammed it home with authority.
69–68.
Only fifteen seconds remained.
============
Thump, thump, thump,
Midorima dribbled past half court, facing Asuka one-on-one near the center line.
Despite the clock ticking down, his aura only grew stronger.
"You know," Asuka said with a smirk, "you could just run out the clock for twenty-four seconds and win right now."
"Hmph! Don't try to bait me. The Generation of Miracles has never won by stalling."
And the next second,
Without any warning,
Midorima suddenly accelerated, dribbling forward with astonishing speed. Compared to the start of the game, he was even faster now. Yet… he still couldn't shake Asuka.
"How!?"
Takao gasped. "Midorima's faster than ever, so why can't he break past!?"
Tsugawa chuckled darkly. "It's simple. Even if your Midorima just powered up another level, Asuka's still above him. That's all there is to it."
Unable to lose him, Midorima stayed calm. After driving three or four meters in, he abruptly stopped and jumped for a shot.
Asuka reached up to block, but in the next instant, to everyone's shock, Midorima pulled the ball back down.
"A fake!?"
The Seiho players' faces went pale.
If Midorima landed another three-pointer now, their comeback hopes would vanish completely.
When Asuka's jump peaked, Midorima rose smoothly for a real shot,
But then something strange happened.
Asuka hadn't actually jumped.
"A… fake block!?"
In that moment, Asuka perfectly demonstrated what it meant to be "on the fifth floor while your opponent's still on the second."
Midorima tried to fake Asuka into jumping; Asuka pretended to take the bait, only to fake his own fake and counter-trap him.
By the time Midorima realized it, it was already too late.
SLAP!
A massive block sent the ball flying, and Midorima's eyes widened in pure disbelief.
"Not good!"
"Get back on defense!"
"Don't let him score this one, no matter what!"
Panic spread through Shutoku's ranks as everyone sprinted back to defend.
5 seconds left.
Asuka landed from midair, grabbed the loose ball, and bolted toward Shutoku's hoop.
4 seconds left.
Midorima snapped out of his daze and chased after him at full speed, catching up just past the three-point line.
3 seconds left.
"Don't even think about getting through, Asuka!"
Determined, Midorima braced himself, using his body to block Asuka's advance. At the very end of the game, he managed to actually slow him down.
2 seconds left.
Seeing the basket still a few meters away, Asuka suddenly stepped back, retreating behind the three-point line.
"What is he doing!?"
Midorima's pulse spiked. He didn't know why Asuka retreated, but his instincts screamed danger.
1 second left.
Midorima lunged to close the gap, but he was one step too slow. The moment Asuka's foot hit the line, he raised his arm and let the ball fly.
The basketball's graceful arc hung in the air,
Every Shutoku player's heart stopped.
No way… A three-pointer?
Swish!
The shot dropped cleanly through the net.
At that exact moment, the buzzer blared.
"BEEEEEP, "
The final whistle echoed through the gym.
=============
108 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon! Patreon.com/Veltoria [remove brackets]
250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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