Several days later.
Seiyo Middle School — Basketball Club.
The setting sun poured through the windows, casting long shadows across the wooden floor.
Akashi sat quietly on the bench, hands resting on his knees, gaze lowered.
He stared at his fingertips.
They trembled faintly.
The final moments of the championship game replayed again and again in his mind.
"At that time…" he murmured softly, "…I chose to pass."
That decision hadn't come from his original consciousness.
It had been made by his second personality.
At that moment, he had already unleashed nearly forty percent of his talent. His strength far surpassed anything he had shown before.
And yet—
Even so, he had felt danger.
Especially the feedback from the Emperor Eye.
At the most critical instant, the vision had cracked.
That was when Akashi understood something clearly.
The Emperor Eye he possessed was incomplete.
The futures it revealed were not absolute outcomes—
they were merely possibilities, influenced by pressure, circumstance, and the strength of the opponent.
And at that very instant—
He had quietly reclaimed control of his body.
Akashi narrowed his eyes.
Light and shadow danced within his heterochromatic pupils, as if concealing countless unanswered questions.
"…What caused it?" he asked himself.
Was it willpower?
Subconscious resistance?
Or merely coincidence?
He didn't know.
Not yet.
Sendo stood nearby, quietly observing him.
A faint frown appeared on his face.
Ever since the match against Meizawa ended, he had sensed something different about Akashi.
On the surface, Akashi was still the same—gentle, polite, easygoing.
But at times, a calm, distant, almost oppressive aura would suddenly emanate from him.
When that happened, people instinctively kept their distance.
"…Am I just imagining things?" Sendo muttered.
But deep down, he knew.
Something had changed.
After Seiyo Middle School unexpectedly claimed the National Tournament championship, the entire middle school basketball world was thrown into chaos.
It was as if a bomb had detonated.
Overnight, the name Seiyo Middle School became known across the country.
No one had expected it.
A school that had never even reached the top eight—
a team absent from every major ranking—
had risen like a meteor and seized the championship in a matter of weeks.
Basketball forums erupted.
School clubs buzzed.
Sports newspapers ran headline after headline.
And among all the discussion, one name stood above the rest.
Sendo.
Once a promising player known only in certain regions—
He now stood at the center of the national stage.
His sharp three-pointers, ghost-like drives, and absolute composure at critical moments turned him into a household name.
But alongside Sendo—
Another name sent shockwaves through the basketball world.
Akashi Seijuro.
A point guard.
And yet—
His ball-handling bordered on the terrifying, as if the ball were an extension of his body.
His passes were precise to the point of cruelty, always arriving at the most lethal moment.
His court vision was vast enough to dominate the entire game—
as though he possessed the eye of a god.
Most frightening of all—
He almost never made mistakes.
And no one had ever stolen the ball from him.
Opposing point guards were left stunned, their understanding of the position completely overturned.
Soon after, the third-year members of Seiyo officially retired.
That much was expected.
But then—
Second-year starters Yamamoto Ryu and Ito Hiroki also announced their departures.
With the exception of Sendo and Akashi, the entire former starting lineup vanished.
The basketball world exploded.
"Is Seiyo rebuilding?"
"Why are even second-years leaving?"
"What exactly is Seiyo planning?"
Amid the noise—
Seiyo remained calm.
No one questioned their decisions.
No one tried to stop them.
Because Akashi understood—
This was the cleanest possible ending.
The old era had ended.
And a new storm was forming.
At its center—
Was him.
When Kirihara Hayato officially stepped down as captain, Seiyo entered a new era.
With unanimous support—
Akashi Seijuro became captain.
A first-year.
Yet no one objected.
Not even Sendo.
In fact, Sendo was the first to support the decision.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
When the news spread—
The middle school basketball world fell silent.
A freshman captain?
Absurd.
And yet—
Akashi had already shattered the restraints of age and seniority with his strength.
As captain, Akashi initiated a complete reform of the team.
No matter your grade.
No matter your past.
Only strength mattered.
Those who were capable advanced.
Those who weren't fell behind.
No favoritism.
No seniority.
Only sweat, willpower, and results.
Daily trials.
Constant scrimmages.
Elimination-based training.
Without ability—you didn't play.
Without resolve—you didn't belong.
Some resisted.
Some quit.
Some complained.
But in the end—
No one could argue.
Because Akashi silenced everyone with strength.
Coach Nakamura watched quietly from the sidelines.
Tactics.
Lineups.
Training systems.
All of it was now in Akashi's hands.
And what he couldn't deny—
Was that it worked.
Seiyo's strength transformed dramatically in a single year.
In their second-year National Tournament—
Seiyo swept through the competition like a storm.
Every opponent fell.
At least fifty points.
Even former top-eight teams collapsed like paper tigers.
They advanced without obstruction—
Like an invincible army.
At the center of it all—
Sendo shone brighter than ever.
His growth was explosive.
Drives like wind.
Three-pointers like rain.
Defense like iron.
Will like steel.
And behind him—
Akashi remained calm and absolute.
He didn't need to score.
All he needed—
Was to deliver the right pass.
To the outside world, they were just passes.
But to Seiyo—
Each one felt inevitable.
As if destiny itself guided the ball.
Sendo knew this better than anyone.
Without Akashi—
He wasn't sure he could still play the same way.
Once again, Seiyo reached the finals.
Once again—
Their opponent was Meizawa Middle School.
Fate had arranged their reunion.
Sawakita Eiji had grown stronger.
Sharper.
More complete.
But Seiyo was no longer the team of the past.
Akashi's talent utilization had risen to 40–50%.
His Emperor Eye was steadier.
His control absolute.
Combined with Sendo's overwhelming offense—
Meizawa stood no chance.
Sawakita was defeated once more.
And so—
Seiyo Middle School claimed the National Championship again.
Two consecutive titles.
An era—
Had truly begun.