[Zone]
No unnecessary thoughts or emotions, only complete focus on the game, far beyond the limits of normal concentration.
Even the best players can usually only perform at around 80% of their potential during a match.
But the [Zone] breaks that limit, allowing a player to unleash 100% of their true power.
Even in professional leagues, only those who've trained relentlessly can approach the threshold of this state. And even then, opportunities to fully enter it are rare.
Yet Aomine Daiki, relying purely on his talent, could casually push open that door…
"Hey hey~~ this isn't funny at all! Even in my playing days, I never saw a monster like this!"
Aomine, fully in the [Zone], shocked every player watching. Even the former national coaches of Shutoku, Kaijo, and Seiho couldn't hide their astonishment.
With his power completely unleashed, Aomine scored two points in a blink of thirty seconds, reducing Seiho's lead to 86:51.
"Too fast."
"Calling it speed isn't enough, it's more like a streak of light."
Seiho players broke out in uncontrollable sweat. Just a moment ago, facing Aomine, they hadn't even had time to react with their eyes, let alone defend.
Aomine's instant explosiveness was already terrifying, but now, he felt twice as fast to Seiho's players.
"I can't comprehend this!"
"If it were a fluke, fine, but he's entering this state purely on his own power!"
"Is this… Aomine's true form?"
From the stands, Midorima Shintaro and Kise Ryouta widened their eyes. Even the Generation of Miracles had never seen Aomine like this.
For a new team like Seirin, watching this was hardly encouraging.
Unlike previous games, even from dozens of meters away in the stands, the oppressive aura from this match between Seiho and Tōō Academy was palpable.
"Oh! This is terrifying!"
Akashi Asuka felt sweat dripping from his temple. He had anticipated Aomine would be strong in the [Zone], but only by witnessing it firsthand could he truly appreciate the magnitude of Aomine's terror.
How to describe it?
In short, this was the moment Akashi fully understood the 1% of sci-fi elements that his system had parsed when he first crossed into this world.
Two faint streaks of blue electricity flashed in Aomine's eyes. His face betrayed no other emotion, only absolute focus.
The oppressive aura was so intense that Akashi's latent power instinctively reacted.
Crackle!
A faint black spark flashed in Akashi's eyes.
"This is…"
Even Aomine, who should have been devoid of other emotions, felt his eyes tighten.
It wasn't his own feeling, but a body instinct sensing an immense threat, signaling him from deep within his mind.
But the sensation lasted only an instant. The next second, Akashi smiled lightly: "Forget it."
The moment Akashi spoke, Aomine suddenly sensed two more figures behind him, Tsugawa Tomoki and Omuro Yoshikasu.
A double screen?
Taking advantage of the screen, Akashi retreated and launched a fadeaway jumper.
"Did you think that would stop me? You're far too naive."
Aomine shouted, yet in the next instant, he bypassed Tsugawa and Omuro in a blink, closing in on Akashi…
What kind of hell is this? Even this can't stop the monster?
Spectators from Seirin and Shutoku nearly jumped out of their seats, seeing that three defenders couldn't hold back Aomine.
Yet Akashi seemed to anticipate this. As the ball in his hands was about to be blocked, he swiftly pulled it back and passed it.
A pass?
The sudden move startled Tōō Academy players.
Though they had seen it once before, they still weren't used to such a strong player passing instead of finishing the play himself.
Even among the Generation of Miracles, this was unusual.
Though surprised, Shoichi Imayoshi, defending Haruhi Ryuhei, stayed vigilant. He failed to block the shot but at least disrupted it.
Clang!
Haruhi's floater hit the rim and bounced off.
Seiho's paint was empty save for Tsutomu Iwamura, while Tōō Academy had three players ready to fight for the rebound. Unsurprisingly, Tōō Academy grabbed the ball.
They immediately launched a counterattack.
Kousuke Wakamatsu, who disliked Aomine, instinctively tried to pass the ball to him.
But just before he did, he realized something shocking: even without the ball, two of Seiho's best defenders, Akashi and Tsugawa, were guarding Aomine.
Damn it! They're not even letting Aomine touch the ball?
Wakamatsu had no choice but to change the target, passing to Imayoshi instead.
Imayoshi received the ball and attacked the Tōō Academy court. Despite Tōō Academy's tight three-on-four defense, cracks inevitably appeared.
The play succeeded, Tōō Academy scored a fast break.
The score: 86:53.
Yet Imayoshi's expression remained neutral.
He had realized something terrifying: even combining the remaining four Tōō Academy players' power, their attack couldn't match a single Aomine.
In [Zone], Aomine could score on a drive and a counter within thirty seconds, while Tōō Academy's four-player counter, including time spent on previous Seiho missed shots, took nearly fifty seconds.
Their scoring efficiency was on entirely different levels.
Seiho initiated another attack.
This round also had only three Seiho players, with Akashi and Tsugawa still guarding Aomine. Imayoshi's expression darkened.
Did these guys even account for Aomine entering the [Zone]?
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria