Simple reasoning, really.
The Demon Eyes worked similarly to the Emperor Eye—you had to see your opponent move before you could exploit their openings.
If they didn't move, there'd be no openings to find.
Of course—
Against Yuuto, 99% of players would die waiting if they stood still.
Murasakibara was the 1% exception, because his reactions were simply too fast—faster even than the heightened instincts of the Wild state.
At least in mid-air, Murasakibara could strike second and still arrive first.
If Yuuto committed to his shot first, then even if he could see, he'd be powerless to change anything.
In fact—
The very next possession, Murasakibara adjusted.
The instant the basketball left Yuuto's hands, that long arm swept through the air and swatted the ball out of bounds.
"The sky is no longer your domain."
Aerial combat had always been Yuuto's advantage.
No one had dared say such things to his face—not Kaijō, not Tōō.
But Araki Masako could say it.
Murasakibara's wingspan advantage was too overwhelming. Even standing still, he could block the basketball's "view" of the rim.
His body was like a masterpiece personally crafted by God.
That golden-ratio physique combined with those freakish reflexes.
Olajuwon? Tim Duncan?
So many comparisons...
Araki saw shadows of numerous legendary big men in Murasakibara.
She was confident. Gripping her wooden sword, she cut an imposing figure.
With Murasakibara anchoring the paint, Yōsen's interior could not be breached.
But the moment that thought crossed her mind, Seihō inbounded the ball to Yuuto, who immediately attacked the paint again and threw down a ferocious dunk over Murasakibara.
"How is this possible?!" She lost her composure.
On the court—
Murasakibara's expression was equally stunned, just like everyone else's.
"What happened? Just now he was..."
"It's timing!"
Akashi remained theatrical, even with his two personalities merged.
"Murasakibara's talent is exceptional. His athleticism rivals a guard's."
"But at the end of the day, he's still a center. There are limits to how fast he can be—he can't truly rival a guard."
His Emperor Eye saw everything clearly.
It wasn't that Murasakibara's reflexes were lacking—Yuuto simply hadn't given him time to react.
Stripping away all unnecessary movements, one step to create separation, then his arm crashed down like a thunderbolt, hammering the ball through the hoop.
All the Miracles were supremely talented, but only two of them truly mastered the manipulation of time and space: Yuuto and Akashi.
Tap, tap...
Both landed from mid-air. Murasakibara said nothing, but his expression said everything.
He stared at Yuuto in shock, as if something impossible had just occurred.
"What are you so surprised about?"
"Did you think this level of defense could stop me?"
Yuuto's eyes were calm to the point of being frightening—a different kind of cold from Himuro.
Himuro's was surface-level. But Yuuto in this mode—his cold ran bone-deep.
"Is this the adjustment?"
"Probably."
Even Aomine felt surprised.
The speed was simply too fast.
One failed attempt, and Yuuto had already found the method to break through Murasakibara's defense.
Back in their Teikō days, even Aomine had struggled to crack Murasakibara's Absolute Defense.
"It probably has to do with Mukkun's style." Momoi figured it out after brief consideration.
Murasakibara was different from the other Miracles—he truly played basketball purely with his body.
His defense, his rebounding—
Everything was built on extraordinary, innate talent. Lacking technique. Unrefined. Not truly tapping into his own potential.
For Yuuto, a Murasakibara like this was actually simpler to adjust against.
While they spoke—
Yuuto once again carved into Yōsen's paint. His silhouette was hazy, constantly spawning afterimages that prevented anyone from acting rashly.
The reaction window was too short. No time to think.
Okamura and Liu Wei were miserable.
Move, and they'd get ankle-broken into oblivion.
Stand still, and they'd be blown past like traffic cones.
Nothing they did was right.
They knew exactly why—the gap in ability was simply too vast.
Boom!
Yuuto cut through Yōsen's paint like a thunderbolt, brilliant golden light blazing from his body, too bright to look at directly.
Their defense crumbled like wet paper—something that had never happened before.
Once again—
Yuuto faced Murasakibara. Those cold eyes triggered unpleasant memories in the giant...
Flashbacks to being demolished by Akashi.
Get out!
He desperately banished those awful memories from his mind.
Seeing Yuuto's toes about to leave the floor, he coiled and launched.
But then he saw—
Yuuto's right toe hadn't actually left the ground. Like a ballet dancer's pivot, he twisted his body, spinning around Murasakibara's back for a finger roll that added two more points.
The crowd watched, mesmerized.
It was simply too elegant. Not like basketball at all—more like dancing, with Murasakibara as his unwitting partner.
"He's way too strong!" Spectators swallowed hard.
Every one of Yuuto's attacks had been one-versus-many, absurdly dominant.
Keep in mind—before this game, other players considered scoring even a single point against Yōsen a pipe dream, let alone one man carving through their entire defense.
"Impossible!" Yōsen fans cried out.
Many couldn't accept reality. Yōsen had always been title contenders—a nationally renowned powerhouse with a defense that outstripped even Rakuzan. How could it crumble so easily?
But accept it they must.
Yuuto was playing better and better, once again driving with the ball.
No reckless passes—not with someone named Murasakibara Atsushi on the other team.
Inside the arc, everything was under his defensive umbrella.
But outside the arc—Murasakibara had no say.
Yōsen's defensive scheme was clear: force opponents inside the three-point line. Everyone except Murasakibara positioned themselves toward the perimeter, denying any outside shots.
This ironclad defense had shut out opponent after opponent.
Now, their Absolute Defense had been breached.
Himuro didn't dare mindlessly let Yuuto penetrate their three-point zone anymore.
"Idiot."
Araki could see disaster coming from a mile away.
Sure enough—
Yuuto's eyes blazed bright, twin crimson rings like Lucifer's gaze, mocking mortals for falling so easily into his trap.
Himuro realized too late. He chased a phantom Yuuto, and by the time he recovered, the real Yuuto had already stepped back beyond the arc.
Gather.
Rise.
Release.
Fluid as water, the ball traced a beautiful arc and splashed through.
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"