Rationally, Shoichi Imayoshi knew this was impossible.
Aomine suddenly entering the [Zone] was a shock even for Tōō Academy.
Otherwise, by now, Tōō Academy might have already given up on the game.
But seeing Seiho's formation specifically designed to counter [Zone] Aomine, Imayoshi could hardly believe it was improvised on the spot.
When Seiho was on offense, Akashi and Tsugawa relentlessly guarded Aomine, leaving the other three players to attack.
When Seiho was on defense, even without the ball, Akashi and Tsugawa continued to shadow Aomine. Once he got the ball, the nearest Seiho player would immediately step in, creating a triple-team trap in an instant.
"Obviously, using this formation puts Seiho at a disadvantage in both offense and defense, but their targeting of Aomine is drastically enhanced."
From the stands, Midorima Shintaro's usual composure had disappeared, replaced by a look of grave concern.
The twists in today's game had been overwhelming.
Aomine and Akashi's [Animal Instinct] duel, Aomine entering [Zone], and now Seiho's expertly executed formation, all of it far exceeded anyone's expectations.
Seiho's formation itself wasn't extraordinary.
What was extraordinary was their reaction time. Almost immediately after Aomine entered the [Zone], Seiho had deployed a formation considered nearly perfect.
The coordination and reaction were so precise, it was hard to imagine it was a makeshift tactic.
"Hmm? Does this even work? Why does it look like Aomine is still scoring as usual?"
Takao Kaoru frowned. He had been watching for a while but saw no change. Seiho was clearly targeting Aomine, yet even facing a triple-team, he kept scoring!
In just three minutes, Aomine had scored four consecutive baskets, helping Tōō Academy claw back 9 points.
The score was now 91:68.
The lead had shrunk from 40 to 23 points.
"Idiot!"
This time, it wasn't Midorima who spoke, but team captain Taisuke Otsubo.
"Looking at the score now is meaningless. Look at the game clock."
Takao followed Otsubo's finger and gasped.
"Two minutes and seven seconds left? How is that possible?"
It didn't feel like much time had passed, yet suddenly the game was nearing its end.
Otsubo explained, "That's the true purpose of Seiho's formation. Their early lead was so large that they don't need to compete for points in the final quarter, they just need to run down the clock."
"Aomine in [Zone] is strong, but under the close shadow of Akashi and Tsugawa, even he is forced to slow his offensive rhythm."
"The reason is simple: basketball isn't a solo sport. No matter how strong Aomine is, he needs to receive a pass to initiate his attack."
"And Akashi and Tsugawa's defense might not directly limit Aomine, but it restricts the timing of passes from his teammates."
"In this situation, unless Aomine can clone himself, he's doomed to be isolated."
In the first half, Otsubo was explaining to Takao, but in the latter half, although speaking to him, his eyes kept glancing at another person.
After all, lone wolves like Aomine Daiki aren't exclusive to Tōō Academy.
Midorima Shintaro remained silent, lowering his presence in response to Otsubo's pointed words.
During middle school at Teiko, the philosophy was: "The winner is everything."
Put differently, "The loser eats dust."
Clearly, Midorima, having lost consecutively to Akashi and Taiga Kagami just after entering high school, had no right to argue.
So he changed the subject: "Actually, Seiho's formation has benefits beyond this. Running down the clock is just one aspect. Another advantage is…"
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"What a monster!"
Kasuga Ryuhei wiped sweat from his forehead, chest heaving.
If he hadn't witnessed it, he could never have imagined a day when three Seiho players would struggle to trap a single opponent.
"By the way, do you still have other tricks left? I don't know why, but looking at that electricity-eyed monster over there, I feel uneasy."
Despite the score and time suggesting a 98% chance of Seiho winning, Ryuhei felt unsettled seeing that electrified monster.
Akashi glanced at him, exhaled, and smiled: "There are other tricks, but it looks like they won't be needed now."
"Why?"
"Because time's almost up! You don't think a [Zone] state lasts forever, do you?"
As if to echo Akashi's words, during Tōō Academy's next possession, Aomine's speed sharply declined. Still faster than any ordinary player, but no longer a lethal threat to Akashi.
Aomine bypassed Akashi, but as he went up to shoot, a large hand reached from behind and slammed the ball down.
Bang!
The ball flew out of bounds.
The block struck not just the ball, but every Tōō Academy player's confidence, dropping their excitement into a deep abyss.
Shock, fear, horror, despair…
Emotions flickered across each player's face.
In an instant, Tōō Academy's players seemed to snap back to reality. They stared at the out-of-bounds ball, mouths agape, but could not utter a sound, falling back into silence.
Even Aomine himself froze momentarily.
Akashi looked coldly at him and said:
"It's all over, Aomine."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria