Chihiro Mayuzumi stared in shock, turning his head in every direction as he tried to figure out where Tetsuya Kuroko had disappeared.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a basketball bouncing behind him.
He whipped around and found that Tetsuya Kuroko was already in the paint, starting his shot.
Tetsuya Kuroko's sudden appearance caught even Eikichi Nebuya off guard.
All he could do was watch Tetsuya Kuroko put the basketball into the hoop.
After scoring, Tetsuya Kuroko went back on defense.
Chihiro Mayuzumi stood rooted in place, his eyes trembling nonstop.
At that moment, his thoughts were in complete chaos.
Why had he wanted to become a shadow?
Why?
Was it really because he did not want to lose?
Chihiro Mayuzumi began remembering the past.
He had been a third-year student at Rakuzan High School.
That day, he had been reading on the rooftop when Seijuro Akashi found him and asked him to join the basketball team.
And he wanted him to become the team's shadow.
But deep down, Chihiro Mayuzumi had hated that feeling.
Because if he could not show himself, could not score, and could not break through, was that kind of basketball really any fun?
The basketball he wanted to play was the kind where he could attack and score, not become someone else's shadow.
Then why had he become a shadow in the end?
Was it the first time he stepped onto the court? Or the first time he was defeated by Seijuro Akashi and the others?
Or was it... when he lost to Kirisaki Daiichi?
Chihiro Mayuzumi froze. At that moment, he realized with horror that his path in basketball seemed to have been controlled by a giant hand all along.
That hand had been steering him, forcing him down the path of becoming a shadow.
Chihiro Mayuzumi turned in terror to look at Seijuro Akashi.
The way he looked at Seijuro Akashi had completely changed. Now, he was staring at him as if he were a monster.
Seijuro Akashi calmly met Chihiro Mayuzumi's gaze.
Then he said,
"Mayuzumi-senpai, the one who truly made you a shadow was not me. It was your own heart, the heart that craves victory."
"If you did not want to win, would you have willingly become a shadow?"
"I merely helped you understand your own heart sooner."
Chihiro Mayuzumi froze.
That was true. If he had not wanted to win, if he had only wanted to play basketball casually, then no matter what Seijuro Akashi did, he would never have chosen to become a shadow.
What he truly wanted was still victory.
Chihiro Mayuzumi took a deep breath and said,
"Can I trust you?"
Seijuro Akashi smiled, held out his hand, and said,
"Of course. I will lead you to victory in this Winter Cup."
Chihiro Mayuzumi fell silent for a moment, then reached out and shook his hand.
"Fine. Until then, I'll become your shadow."
Seijuro Akashi nodded.
"Congratulations, Mayuzumi-senpai. You have finally seen what you desire most."
With that, Seijuro Akashi turned and went to receive the ball.
Chihiro Mayuzumi sighed and adjusted his emotions.
In the end, he once again became the expressionless shadow and slowly ran toward the frontcourt.
Chihiro Mayuzumi...
Once again became a shadow...
Possession changed.
Rakuzan High School had the ball.
After receiving the ball, Seijuro Akashi slowly advanced up the court.
Just after crossing half-court, he suddenly felt a wave of air rushing toward him.
That wave carried a powerful aura and pressure, making Seijuro Akashi's body tremble uncontrollably with excitement.
It was as if something inside him wanted to leap out and challenge the owner of that aura.
Seijuro Akashi looked ahead and realized that Taiga Kagami's aura had completely changed.
The lightning in Taiga Kagami's eyes had become violent once more.
At the same time, a massive figure slowly appeared behind Taiga Kagami.
It was a fierce tiger.
Lightning flashed in the tiger's eyes as well, and it opened its jaws wide, roaring up at the sky.
The tiger's roar shook the mountains and forests.
"Roar!!!"
Off the court, Daiki Aomine looked at the court with excitement, and his body began to stir as well.
"I never thought you'd grow this fast. That aura is enough to get even me excited!"
On Shūtoku's side, Shintaro Midorima calmly pushed up his glasses and murmured,
"Not bad."
On Kaijō's side, Ryota Kise rested both hands behind his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Kagamicchi, let it all out."
...
On the court, Seijuro Akashi felt the aura Taiga Kagami was giving off, and his body began to tremble faintly.
This was not fear. It was excitement.
Seijuro Akashi was so excited that he could not stop himself from laughing.
"Haha... Interesting! This is far too interesting!"
"Kagami!"
Seijuro Akashi shouted, and a colossal figure suddenly appeared behind him.
"Roar!!!"
Before its form had fully arrived, its voice came first.
A lion's roar exploded through the arena like thunder.
Then, a crimson lion slowly appeared behind Seijuro Akashi.
As the lion appeared, Seijuro Akashi's aura underwent an earth-shaking change.
Once it emerged, the lion locked eyes with the tiger behind Taiga Kagami.
The two stared each other down like ancient enemies meeting after ten thousand years.
The auras of Taiga Kagami and Seijuro Akashi clashed in midair.
Just as everyone thought Seijuro Akashi was about to launch his attack, something unexpected happened.
The lion behind Seijuro Akashi suddenly roared furiously toward the sky, then slowly sank into Seijuro Akashi's body.
Off the court, Daiki Aomine shot to his feet and stared hard at the court.
"Animal Instinct!"
On Shūtoku's side, Shintaro Midorima also showed a hint of surprise.
"Akashi, you've reached this stage too?"
On the court, as the lion entered his body, Seijuro Akashi's eyes changed as well.
More precisely, it was his red eye that changed.
His red eye turned fierce, like that of a man-eating monster.
But his golden eye did not change at all. The ring of light still shone within it.
At the same time Seijuro Akashi's crimson eye changed, Chihiro Mayuzumi and Reo Mibuchi both stiffened.
It felt as if someone had locked onto them.
Of course, only the two of them felt it. No one else did.
After fusing with Animal Instinct, Seijuro Akashi slowly walked toward Taiga Kagami.
At Taiga Kagami's feet, an aura gradually began to spread, eventually forming an oval-shaped zone.
This was Taiga Kagami's Defensive Zone.
...
...
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