"Beautiful shot."
"Excellent as always, Midorima."
Akashi turned to run back on defense, smiling as he praised Midorima for his consistently high-level shooting. Especially after the chaos that had just occurred.
"Akashi..."
Midorima realized the source of the unusual atmosphere earlier.
He looked at Akashi retreating to defense; the figure before him now overlapped perfectly with the person he had known at the very beginning.
"What happened? Did that Akashi give up?"
"He passed the ball less than 2 seconds after engaging Yuuto?"
"Did he throw in the towel?"
The audience buzzed with discussion.
In the crowd, Yukio Kasamatsu turned to his coach, wanting to confirm something.
"Coach."
Genta Takeuchi spoke gravely, "I don't know exactly what happened, but one thing is certain: Akashi has regained his cool. And that pass just now..."
"It was the most ideal passing state I could imagine."
Kasamatsu played point guard as well. Some people couldn't see the gold standard of that pass, but it was impossible for him to miss it.
On the court.
Haizaki and Kuroko approached Yuuto simultaneously.
"Hey, Yuuto?"
"Captain..."
However, Yuuto didn't need their reminders.
"I know what happened. He's practically a different person compared to before."
Hearing this, the two exchanged glances and said no more.
They remembered now. Yuuto seemed to have a similar "defect." During games, he would occasionally undergo a personality shift. Just like now—his words were scarce, and his face was as cold as frost.
Yuuto slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
So far, the plot had deviated from the simulation world. Because the version of himself in the simulation hadn't made it as far as he had today.
However...
Facing failure, Akashi's first personality awakening was within my expectations.
Seijuro Akashi.
A genius with an extremely hollow spiritual world, who had been instilled with the concept of "Victory is everything" since childhood. especially after his mother passed away unexpectedly, his childhood memories consisted only of endless "lessons."
Then came Teiko.
He met the Generation of Miracles, recognizing a few friends who wouldn't treat him differently because of his family background.
He gained friendship at Teiko.
For Akashi, basketball and friendship were two sides of the same coin.
Once the team encountered trouble, he would inevitably take over everything of "Seijuro Akashi" once again.
Yuuto had long analyzed the playing styles and personalities of the five Miracles.
Thinking of this, Yuuto received a pass from a teammate and then handed it to Haizaki.
"Haizaki, you play point guard for the next possession."
Hearing this, Haizaki was stunned for a moment but immediately understood.
He knew what it meant for Yuuto to step down from the point guard position.
It meant Yuuto was going to pour all his energy into the offensive end, saving even the strength it took to dribble across half-court.
...
Snap!
Haizaki brought the ball across half-court and immediately looked to give it to Yuuto.
If the first personality of Akashi was the ideal model for all point guards, then Yuuto was the best finisher in Haizaki's eyes.
Nothing was more reassuring than giving the ball to Yuuto.
But...
Snap!
The moment the ball left his hand, Akashi suddenly thrust out his right arm and poked the ball away.
Haizaki had been careless.
Facts proved that just because Yuuto could calmly deal with the Emperor Eye, it didn't mean others could.
"I have a lot I want to say to you, Haizaki! After the game, shall we have a chat?"
After intercepting the ball, Akashi threw it forcefully toward the front court.
"Who the hell wants to chat with you? Do you think you're some peerless beauty?"
Haizaki cursed himself inwardly for making such a mistake.
Chat with Akashi? He didn't have the mood for that right now!
Meanwhile.
Aomine had already turned into a streak of black light rushing across half-court.
He was too sharp, too fast.
He had already launched his attack before most people could react.
However.
Just as Aomine crossed the free-throw line, gathered the ball, and leaped for a gliding dunk...
Yuuto returned to his paint as fast as lightning.
He jumped a split second later than Aomine, yet his palm slapped precisely onto the side of the basketball, destroying Aomine's dunk.
"Akashi..."
"Ah, without a doubt, Yuuto is currently the strongest player on the court. But we are five people. Do not lower your guard, Midorima."
Akashi jogged across half-court. Next was Teiko's sideline ball opportunity.
He received the inbound pass.
By this time, the person guarding him had switched from Yuuto to Haizaki.
Akashi silently observed the situation on the court, his gaze finally resting on Yuuto, who was standing near the free-throw line.
There is still more than a quarter and a half left in the game. Give him time, and he might truly evolve to a higher level.
We must widen the score now, establish enough of an advantage, and utilize Midorima and Kise's range...
You must be thinking that, right?
Haizaki certainly thought so.
So, when Akashi faked a pass to Midorima, Haizaki fell for it immediately.
Akashi breezed past him easily.
"You are strong, Yuuto. But the one who will win the game in the end is us!"
Whoosh!
He once again avoided a direct collision with Yuuto. Using the Emperor Eye, he shook open a pocket of space and immediately sent the ball out.
"This..."
Teiko's head coach froze for a moment, then revealed an expression of ecstasy.
The current Akashi felt familiar.
It was the ideal point guard from the beginning, the one who placed the team above personal desire.
Compared to the previous Akashi, the current one had less desire and ability to attack personally. Even Akashi himself tacitly admitted he was not Yuuto's match in a duel.
But this Akashi was far more suitable for this Teiko team.
Only he could bring out the talents of all the Generation of Miracles!
The basketball flew straight into the paint, piercing through Yuuto's defense like a sharp sword.
Then...
With a snap, a split second before Murasakibara could catch the ball, turn, and dunk, Kuroko suddenly darted out and knocked the ball from Murasakibara's hands.
Akashi's smile stiffened. Only now did he notice.
Yuuto's finger had pointed it out at some unknown moment.
Surprisingly... so fast...
Having played against the current "self" only once, Yuuto had already seen through his passing lanes.
At this rate, Akashi wouldn't be surprised if Yuuto started cleanly intercepting his passes soon.
Almost simultaneously.
Yuuto ran past Akashi with that cold face.
Kuroko, with perfect tacit understanding born from countless nights of extra practice, instinctively punched the rebounding basketball heavily.
"Ignite Pass!"
The basketball spun, tearing through the air, flying across the half-court as swift as the wind, and crashing into Yuuto's hands.
At this moment.
Only Aomine remained in front of him, but it wouldn't be long before the people behind caught up.
Without any hesitation.
Dazzling golden light erupted from Yuuto's body, with arcs of electricity dancing across him.
He took a step to crash into Aomine, but the moment they engaged in close quarters, he instantly stepped back to the three-point line.
"That move again?!" Aomine leaped forward subconsciously, only to hear Akashi and Momoi shout simultaneously.
"Aomine!"
"Dai-chan!"
Could it be?!
He looked down and sure enough, saw that Yuuto's toes were still a tiny distance from leaving the ground.
This wasn't the double step-back from earlier; it was a standard step-back, just executed at blinding speed.
Yuuto's step-back speed was too fast, and Aomine's reaction to jump was too fast...
"This guy!"
Yuuto remained silent, his toes finally leaving the ground, jumping into Aomine's body.
...
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