Days later.
Seiyo Middle School — Basketball Club.
The setting sun streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the floor.
Ake sat quietly on the bench, lost in thought. His eyes were deep and unfocused, his mind replaying the final moments of the championship game.
"At that time… I actually chose to pass."
It was a decision made by his second personality.
During that moment, he had already unleashed nearly 40% of his talent — power far beyond anything he'd shown before. Yet, despite that, he still felt a sense of danger.
Especially when the Emperor's Eye began to show cracks in its vision.
In that instant, Ake realized that his incomplete Emperor's Eye couldn't reveal the absolute future.
Its accuracy still depended on the intensity of the situation — and the strength of his opponent.
And at that moment, he had silently taken control of his body again.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, the light flickering against his heterochromatic pupils, which seemed to hide countless unanswered questions.
"Why… did that happen?" he muttered, his voice low with confusion.
'Was it his will awakening?'
'A subconscious resistance?'
'Or simply coincidence?'
He didn't know.
Not far away, Sendoh stood watching him.
He frowned slightly, a look of uncertainty in his eyes.
Ever since the match against Meizawa, he had noticed something different about Ake.
On the surface, Ake seemed the same — calm, polite, and composed as always.
But sometimes, a cold and detached aura would radiate from him, making those around him instinctively uneasy.
"Is it just my imagination?" Sendoh whispered to himself.
But deep down, he knew it wasn't.
After Seiyo's unexpected victory at the National Tournament, the entire middle school basketball world was turned upside down.
The name Seiyo Middle School became a nationwide sensation overnight.
No one had seen it coming.
A school that had never even cracked the top eight — unknown in rankings, ignored by the media — had suddenly soared to the championship like a meteor streaking across the sky.
This "miracle" stunned everyone.
Basketball forums exploded. School clubs were buzzing. Sports newspapers plastered Seiyo across their headlines.
And among the names that dominated those discussions — one stood at the very top.
Akira Sendoh.
Before the tournament, he was known only in certain circles — a talented but not top-tier player.
Now, his name alone carried weight.
His cutting drives, surgical three-pointers, and his composure in clutch moments solidified his rise to stardom.
But another name shook the basketball world even more.
Ake Ryu.
Though he only emerged in the later rounds, his performance hit the basketball world like a hammer blow.
'A point guard… capable of that?'
People could hardly believe what they were seeing.
His ball control was flawless — as if the basketball were a part of him.
His passes were beautiful and precise, always arriving at the perfect time to deal maximum damage.
His court vision seemed almost divine — like he could see the entire game from above.
And the most terrifying part?
He never made mistakes.
Not once had he been stripped of the ball.
His brilliance left every other point guard in disbelief.
Soon after the championship, the third-year players officially retired.
That was normal — every year, seniors left and new players took their place.
But this time, it was different.
Even second-year starters like Yamamoto Ryu and Ito Hiroki — who once competed with Ake for a position — also announced their retirement.
That left only Ake and Sendo from the original starting lineup.
The news caused an uproar across the basketball community.
"Is Seiyo rebuilding?"
"Why are even the second-years retiring?"
"What's happening at Seiyo?"
But within Seiyo, everything was calm.
No one questioned the retirees, and no one begged them to stay.
Because Ake knew — this was how it should be.
The old era had ended.
A new one was about to begin.
And he was at the very center of it.
The moment Kirihara Hayato officially stepped down as captain, a new chapter began.
With the unanimous support of all the players, Ake — just a first-year — was chosen as Seiyo's new captain.
There were no objections.
Even Sendoh was the first to back him without hesitation.
When the news broke, the basketball world was left speechless once again.
"A first-year captain?!"
It sounded like a joke.
But reality proved otherwise.
Ake's sheer strength and achievements tore apart the boundaries of age and hierarchy.
After becoming captain, Ake immediately restructured the team.
Seniority, connections, favors — all of that was gone.
At Seiyo, only one thing mattered: strength.
The strong advanced.
The weak stepped aside.
The court became a battlefield — filled with sweat, competition, and pressure.
Tryouts. Scrimmages. Drills.
Everything followed a ruthless elimination system.
If you are not strong enough, you won't play.
If you are not mentally tough, you don't belong here.
Many resisted.
Many complained.
But in the end, everyone submitted.
Because Ake's strength silenced all doubt.
Even Coach Nakamura chose not to intervene.
He simply stood by and watched — quietly realizing that ever since Ake arrived, his own presence as coach had begun to fade.
Tactics, training, lineups — all were dictated by Ake.
And yet, the results spoke for themselves.
The system worked.
The team grew stronger than ever.
By the next year's National Tournament, Seiyo shocked the world again.
They dominated every opponent — crushing each team by at least 50 points.
Former top-eight powerhouses looked like paper tigers in front of them.
They advanced like an unstoppable army — gods and demons alike couldn't block their path.
And among them, Sendo shone brighter than ever.
In just one year, his strength had skyrocketed.
He could now take on five defenders at once and still control the court.
His drives cut like wind.
His threes fell like rain.
His defense was iron.
His will was unbreakable.
But behind every shining moment stood Ake.
The calm, unshakable commander.
He didn't need to score — his passes dictated the rhythm of victory.
To outsiders, they were "just passes."
But to Seiyo's players, each one felt destined — perfectly timed, perfectly placed.
Especially Sendo.
At first, even he was stunned by the precision of Ake's assists.
But now, he had become so used to them that he couldn't imagine playing without them.
With this unstoppable combination, Seiyo blazed through the tournament — all the way to the finals.
Their opponent: Meizawa Middle School.
A rematch against Sawakita Eiji.
A destined battle.
A year had passed, and Sawakita had grown stronger — sharper, more mature, more dangerous.
But Seiyo was no longer the unstable team from before.
Ake's talent had reached nearly 50%.
His coordination was flawless.
His Emperor's Eye — more precise than ever.
And with Sendoh's near-perfect offense, the two formed a partnership beyond words.
This time, Meizawa stood no chance.
Once again, Ake and Sendoh's synergy overwhelmed Sawakita.
And Seiyo Middle School claimed the National Championship — for the second year in a row.
Back-to-back champions.