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Swish…
The basketball swished through the net, sending the ball flying in a beautiful spray.
The scoreboard showed 86-85.
Ryu frowned slightly.
'This is bad.'
Kamimono and the others didn't look too good either.
They realized the seriousness of the situation.
Kugawa had unknowingly committed three fouls.
If he committed another foul, then they would have to substitute him.
But that would be a devastating blow to Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Toho Kotei Gakuen's basketball team was sparsely populated.
Besides the five starters, including Ryu, there were only three substitute players left.
And these three were simply no match for an opponent like Rakuzan.
"This was something you planned all along, wasn't it?"
Ryu's words carried a hint of certainty.
But her attitude remained devoid of emotion.
Akashi said matter-of-factly.
"The weaknesses of Toho Kotei Gakuen are obvious to anyone with eyes. As an opponent, it's normal to devise some targeted tactics."
"What a clever scheme! Impossible to defend against! As expected of you, Seijuro!"
Ryu didn't feel any injustice or anything because of Akashi's targeting.
Just as Akashi said earlier.
As an opponent.
Whatever methods are used, as long as they are within the rules, it's perfectly normal.
Now, Toho Kotei Gakuen is at a disadvantage; anyone can see that.
The Rakuzan cheerleaders.
They've already begun cheering for the impending victory.
This infuriates some of Toho Kotei Gakuen's die-hard fans, who wish they could sew the mouths of those who are shouting.
On the court.
Toho Kotei Gakuen begins a new round of offense.
Kugawa wasn't substituted despite committing three fouls.
In fact, there was no way to substitute him.
Although he was unhappy,
he was simply outmatched and could only endure it.
When Mibuchi Reo saw Kugawa, a playful smile appeared on his face.
"Oh, so you weren't substituted! I thought you'd run away in fear!"
"Hmph..."
Kugawa snorted coldly.
"Don't be too smug. I was too careless before, and you guys outsmarted me. I won't let you succeed this time."
Kugawa retorted.
Mibuchi Reo grinned.
"Oh! Looks pretty shrewd! Don't cry later!"
The two bantered amongst themselves.
Ryu had already started their attack with the ball.
Because their legs hadn't fully recovered...
Even now, he still felt a dull ache and numbness when he moved.
Even so, he forced himself to engage in a battle of offense and defense with Akashi.
Colorful light and blood-red flames clashed.
At the speed Ryu was displaying, there was no indication that there was anything wrong with his legs.
Akashi's eyes flickered continuously.
His Emperor Eye was firmly locked onto Ryu.
However, what frustrated him was that
although he could see Ryu's subsequent movements,
keeping up with him was becoming increasingly difficult.
It wasn't that his strength after entering the Zone was weak.
It was just that Ryu's movements were unpredictable, as if he had no bones.
Akashi had no good solution either.
'As expected, there are side effects; it's affecting my strength.'
Ryu felt a slight bitterness in his heart.
More importantly, there was the opponent's Emperor Eye.
That was the most troublesome thing.
Suddenly, Ryu stopped his preparation for breaking through.
The red aura emanating from him gradually dissipated.
He looked like an ordinary player now.
Seeing Ryu's sudden transformation,
Akashi was somewhat puzzled, but he still pressed closer.
Better safe than sorry.
Especially since his opponent was Ryu.
He had to be extremely careful.
Hoo…
Ryu let out a long breath.
Soon, a strange smile appeared on his lips.
Seeing this smile,
Akashi felt uneasy for some reason, but he sensed no danger.
However, at that moment,
wisps of black aura began to rise from Ryu's body.
The aura was pure black.
It was as if a raging dragon was writhing wildly within it.
The raging black aura made Ryu elusive and unpredictable.
Hmm?
Akashi's crimson eyes widened.
He stared in disbelief at the Ryu before him.
Gone.
He could see nothing.
In his Emperor Eye.
The Ryu suddenly became ethereal.
The person was clearly there.
But he couldn't see his next move.
It was as if shrouded in a mist, only a shadow reflected in the mist could be seen.
'How is this possible? My Emperor Eye has failed.'
Akashi's eyes showed a hint of astonishment and panic.
His Emperor Eye had never malfunctioned before.
Just then.
The Ryu's words entered his ears.
"The sixth of the six-syllable mantra, [Yin]."
What?
Akashi's pupils contracted, staring in astonishment at the Ryu before him.
He didn't know what [Yin] was.
However, he had already studied the elements of [Wind], [Forest], [Fire], [Mountain], and [Thunder].
He hadn't expected Ryu to have a sixth move.
Thinking about how Ryu had suddenly become unfathomable,
he figured this must be what was called [Yin].
"You rascal,"
Akashi said with a helpless yet admiring smile.
Indeed.
This was the appreciation between strong individuals.
"Then let me see your so-called [Yin]."
As soon as he finished speaking, Akashi began to unleash an astonishing aura.
A wild, untamed energy spread across the court.
He was trying to find a weakness in [Yin].
Because the Emperor's Eye was no longer suppressing Ryu, he simply couldn't stop her.
However, unfortunately, he couldn't find any flaws in Ryu.
To be precise, he couldn't see anything at all.
In the stands.
The Generation of Miracles erupted in chaos.
"Really?Ryucchi was holding back?"
Kise and other members of the Generation of Miracles was stunned.
It was already the final quarter of the match.
Who would be so composed, hiding their trump card just before the
On the court.
Ryu, locked in a stalemate with Akashi, suddenly moved.
He didn't use any fancy moves, directly beginning his breakthrough.
Ryu's breakthrough this time was very simple.
Just one word: "reckless."
Ryu forcefully charged past Akashi, right beside him.
Akashi couldn't see Ryu's future, relying only on intuition and prediction.
But what he never expected was...
that his opponent would simply "recklessly" attack.
This sudden turn of events left Akashi momentarily stunned.
When he came to his senses, Ryu had already swept past half of his body.
Without the slightest hesitation.
With the boost from Zone,
Akashi's hand moved like a drawn sword, swiftly stabbing towards the basketball in Ryu's hand.
Thump...
A muffled sound.
Akashi staggered back a few steps.
In terms of physical prowess, Akashi was far inferior to Ryu.
When he turned back to chase after him, he discovered that the basketball in Ryu's hand was gone.
Where did it go?
Akashi's heart tightened, then he quickly scanned the entire court.
Soon, he saw Kugawa already holding the basketball, ready to dunk.
Ah…
A roar echoed throughout the arena.
Kugawa, as if wielding a meteorite, slammed it towards Rakuzan's basket.
The clanging sound was incessant.
The score was once again widened by Toho Kotei Gakuen.
88 to 85.
"What's going on? Wasn't that guy supposed to be out of form?"
Hayama Kotaro said with a look of surprise.
Mibuchi Reo and Nebuya Eikichi exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads.
The game once again became unpredictable.
Toho Kotei Gakuen, which had been on the verge of being overwhelmed by Rakuzan,
now seemed to have been resurrected with renewed vitality.
In the following game…
Ryu, relying on his [Yin] ability, repeatedly broke through Akashi's defense.
However, Ryu didn't choose to shoot himself.
Instead, he passed the ball to others to score.
The reason was to try and regain sensation in his legs as much as possible.
As for Rakuzan, Although Akashi's Emperor Eye was no longer effective against Ryu, his experience and individual skill remained.
Therefore, he was able to ensure the score remained close.
90 to 85.
90 to 87.
95 to 90.
The fourth quarter was already halfway through.
It was clear that
both teams were sweating profusely.
Rakuzan's Zone wasn't as imposing as before.
The situation was similar for Toho Kotei Gakuen.
Ryu's stamina had also been significantly depleted.
Continuously activating his [Black Aura] had greatly increased his mental strain compared to usual.
He was somewhat dazed.
Bang…
Whoosh…
Thud…
Clang…
Squeak…Squeak…Squeak…
The basketball fell from the hoop.
The backboard in Rakuzan shook violently.
The mournful sound gradually faded with the shaking of the backboard.
What happened?
The entire Rakuzan team was completely dumbfounded.
Akashi's eyes were wide open, his face filled with disbelief.
The arena was eerily silent.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the silver figure on the sidelines.
"Ryu…"
Momoi covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
Aomine trembled beside her, his hands gripping the railing tightly.
"Ryu…"
…
"What did he do?"
Kagami stared blankly at the sidelines, as if what he had just seen was a hallucination.
Aida Riko turned to Kuroko and asked.
"Kuroko, what exactly happened?"
Kuroko was equally bewildered.
Hearing Aida Riko's question,
he shook his head and replied,
"I don't know either."
Kuroko was now filled with self-doubt.
He was also shocked by Ryu's actions just now.
It was completely beyond his imagination.
He found it hard to believe that what he had just witnessed was real.
After a moment of silence, the arena erupted.
A deafening roar of cheers crashed down like a tidal wave.
On the court.
The Rakuzan group was still in a daze.
They stared at Ryu as if he were a monster.
Hayama Kotaro's eyes showed a hint of fear.
"What...what is he? Was that real?"
Mibuchi Reo was the same.
He was also one of the people who had witnessed the incident firsthand.
Akashi looked at Ryu, his voice trembling slightly.
"What...did you do?"
Ryu grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
"Seijuro, I must say, before the match began, I calculated the course of our battle, and even so, your growth still exceeded my expectations."
After a pause, Ryu continued.
"The evolution of your Emperor Eye did catch me off guard, but it won't work on me anymore."
Upon hearing this, Akashi's pupils dilated sharply.
He seemed to have realized something, then stared intently at Ryu.
"You're can to deal with my eyes now, aren't you?"
Hahahaha...
Ryu laughed loudly.
"Akashi, I'm sorry, but... I'll accept this victory."
The words fell.
Ryu turned and walked towards his team's basket.
"Akashi..."
"Aka-chan..."
"Captain..."
The Rakuzan players all looked at Akashi.
Recalling the feeling of helplessness they had just experienced.
Their hearts began to waver.
Akashi had his back to one of the Rakuzan players.
After a long while, he turned to look at everyone.
A gentle smile graced his face.
"What's wrong with everyone? Didn't we agree to win the championship? Now we're just one step away from it. Are you going to give up?"
The Rakuzan players remained silent.
Akashi continued.
"Ryu is strong, and Toho Kotei Gakuen is just as strong, but didn't we fight our way here? We're only 5 points behind Toho Kotei Gakuen, so give it your all, there's no need to hold back anymore."
"Oh..."
Rakuzan's morale was rekindled by Akashi's few words.
Seeing the renewed hope of the Rakuzan team,
Ryu was also impressed.
'Indeed, strong individuals never give up easily.'
Why were the spectators so shocked?
And why were the Rakuzan team members so surprised?
It all started before the goal.
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