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"It's a tie! It's a bit different from what I expected. I thought it would be more intense!"
Takao said, somewhat surprised.
This wasn't the fierce duel he had imagined before the match.
Although the duel between Ryu and Akashi was also very exciting,
it felt like something was missing.
Seeing his expression,
Midorima spoke up from the side.
"Up until now, both sides have been testing each other. The next two quarters will be the key to determining the winner."
"Is that so?"
Takao was shocked by Midorima's words.
Were all those previous tests?
This kind of testing is too exaggerated!
If the two sides really started fighting, he couldn't even imagine the scene.
...
"Both of them are very quiet!"
Momoi said curiously.
Aomine narrowed his eyes.
His gaze shifted between Ryu and Akashi.
"It's probably the calm before the storm! The fight's been intense, but they haven't used their full strength yet."
"Yeah! It looks like the final battle is about to begin!"
Momoi said with some anticipation.
As a girl, her curiosity was the strongest among those present.
Ryu and Akashi were both rather unique among the Generation of Miracles.
The outcome of their match was naturally a topic of great interest to everyone.
...
Looking at the scoreboard.
Murasakibara spoke while eating a delicious stick.
Crunch... Crunch...
"This result was expected!"
Himuro Tatsuya asked curiously.
"Aren't you worried at all?"
Crunch... Crunch...
Murasakibara replied nonchalantly.
"Whether it's Aka-chin or Yu-chin, I'm not surprised if either of them wins. What I'm curious about is who will ultimately prevail."
"I see! Although your words are somewhat contradictory, I roughly understand what you mean."
Himuro Tatsuya said.
...
In an inconspicuous corner on the second floor of the stadium.
A figure stood there.
A pair of playful eyes, tinged with malice, stared at Ryu in Toho Kotei Gakuen's rest area.
His words were lazy yet arrogant.
"Oh dear! This result is truly surprising! I never expected you to have eyes like that, it's really annoying!"
Hahahaha...
A low laugh echoed from the corner.
The surrounding spectators were also drawn to this unrestrained laughter.
The figure paid no attention to the strange looks around him.
After the laughter subsided.
He turned around, giving a final look back before speaking.
"Just you wait! I'll crush you all at the Winter Cup."
With that, his figure vanished at the end of the corridor.
Hmm?
Ryu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
He looked up in a direction on the second floor.
However, only spectators were there to watch the match.
Ryu frowned slightly.
He had just sensed malice.
'Could I have been mistaken?'
He shook his head.
Now was not the time to think about such things.
Even if someone truly harbored ill will towards him, he wasn't afraid.
With his physique,
fighting and brawling were child's play.
This was the confidence that absolute strength brought.
After closing his eyes again,
Ryu silently waited for the match to begin.
Time passed second by second.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
A loud whistle echoed throughout the stadium.
In that instant,
Ryu and Akashi opened their eyes simultaneously.
Both stepped onto the court at the same time.
Rakuzan served.
Akashi charged towards Toho Kotei Gakuen's half of the court with the ball.
The moment Ryu saw Akashi,
he sensed something was wrong.
Zone was gone.
His entire aura was different from before.
'No way!'
An uncertain thought surged in Ryu's mind.
'Could it be a personality change? There's no reason for that!'
Akashi wasn't at his wit's end yet.
In the original story, he only changed his personality after being driven to a dead end.
What's going on now?
Thinking to himself,
Ryu stepped in front of him.
Seeing Ryu approach,
Akashi's previously cold and ruthless face vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.
"It's been a long time, Ryu."
Ryu's brow twitched, but he quickly grinned.
"Heh...it seems I guessed right, you really have returned."
Akashi replied with a smile.
"Thanks to you, I'm sorry for my past willfulness and for saying those things to you. But to defeat you, I will give it my all."
As soon as he finished speaking, his hand moved to one side, then passed the ball to Hayama Kotaro on the other side.
'So it was a pass after all. It seems I was right; this guy is planning to use that move.'
A look of seriousness appeared in Ryu's eyes.
He was confident against Akashi alone.
However, if Akashi orchestrated the entire team's movement...
Even if he reached the pinnacle of his "Selfless State," he wouldn't be able to stop him.
One person's strength is ultimately no match for five.
Thud...
On the other side.
Hayama Kotaro received the ball, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
His hands felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction the moment he caught the ball.
This was a feeling he was experiencing for the first time.
He jumped, and shot.
The fluid movements were executed flawlessly.
The basketball was successfully placed in the hoop.
46 to 48.
The game changed hands.
Ryu dribbled the ball towards Rakuzan's half of the court.
"Nine shots."
Ryu announced as Akashi reached him.
Hearing his words, Akashi stared intently at Ryu, trying to see through its flaws.
However, the pinnacle of talent isn't just about techniques.
To see through it, one must either surpass Ryu's calculation ability or his overall strength.
Akashi currently possessed neither.
Bang...bang...bang...
On the third ball.
Ryu had already broken through Akashi's defense.
Even though he had caught a glimpse of the future.
After breaking through Akashi.
Ryu moved with impunity.
Bang...
The fifth ball.
Ryu was now facing Hayama Kotaro's defense.
Ryu easily dodged with a change of direction.
Bang...
The seventh ball.
Mibuchi Reo came over to help defend.
Ryu successfully dodged.
Bang…
The eighth shot.
Nebuya Eikichi abandoned the golden gate and appeared in front of Ryu, preparing to stop his shot.
Ryu didn't hesitate at all; his body seemed boneless, and he bypassed the defense in an extremely strange posture.
Bang…
The sound of the ninth shot hitting the ground rang out.
Ryu stood under the basket.
He tossed the basketball into the air with one hand.
[Tightrope Walking]
The basketball fell off the edge of the backboard and successfully entered the basket.
48 to 48.
"Are you kidding me? He actually timed the shots perfectly."
Hayama Kotaro was utterly shocked.
Mibuchi Reo also said, somewhat stunned.
"Really only nine shots? How did he do that?"
This scene completely overturned his understanding.
Akashi didn't want to believe it.
But reality was undeniable.
Ryu definitely had some method to accurately calculate the subsequent course of the match.
It was practically the same as his Emperor's Eye, capable of predicting the future.
The only difference was...
He could see the future in images.
Ryu could see the future's trajectory.
"I didn't expect you to have such a trick up your sleeve. It's truly astonishing. If I hadn't sensed your Hyotei Eye before, I would have suspected you possessed the same Emperor's Eye as me."
Ryu grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
"The second gate of the [Selfless Realm], the limit of talent's radiance, also has another name: Absolute Prediction."
Hearing Ryu's words,
Akashi's pupils dilated slightly, but quickly returned to calm.
"So that's it, another 'Selflessness Realm'? What kind of realm is that exactly?"
In the audience.
"Another 'Selflessness Realm'?"
A complex look flashed in Aomine's eyes.
"Yeah! I never imagined the 'Selflessness Realm' would possess such an ability."
Momoi exclaimed.
"I never imagined he'd surpassed us so much."
Midorima said with a complicated expression.
Kise said thoughtfully.
"Didn't you guys notice anything? Akashi's pass just now felt somewhat familiar."
"You felt the same way? Me too."
Murasakibara said.
"Could it be..."
Kise said uncertainly.
Midorima nodded.
"Yeah, it must be what you're thinking, the old Akashi has returned."
"What are you guys talking about? What's back?"
Takao, completely bewildered, couldn't hear what they were saying at all.
...
Seirin's side.
From Akashi's pass just now...
Kuroko had already sensed something, but hadn't been sure.
Conversely,
Kagami's gaze was entirely fixed on Ryu, completely oblivious to Akashi's change.
His eyes burned with intense fighting spirit.
"To be able to accurately predict the opponent's movements, that's truly an amazing technique! I've decided, I'm going back to America."
Huh?
"Kagami, are you leaving Seirin?"
Shinji Koganei asked.
The rest of Seirin looked at Kagami.
Ahem…
Kagami coughed twice, then explained.
"It's not what you think. I need to go back to my mentor, Alex. My current level is far too low compared to theirs. I want to improve my skills."
"Oh, I see!"
The Seirin players all breathed a sigh of relief.
Aida Riko nodded as well.
"That's good. This way, it might be the best for your growth, since you'll have a professional coach. But you must come back in winter. Although we lost this time, the Winter Cup awaits us. That will be our time for revenge."
Looking at Aida Riko's spirited expression,
The Seirin players' lips twitched.
It seemed their hard times were about to begin.
Just as they were discussing this,
a gasp rang out from the stands.
The Seirin players turned their attention to the field.
Then they saw Ryu hanging on Rakuzan's rim, the basketball falling from it.
The scoreboard showed 50-48.
Rakuzan's attack failed?
What just happened?
The Seirin members were completely bewildered.
Only Kuroko trembled, looking utterly shocked.
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