This guy is destined for greatness!
This was the high praise many coaches gave Yuuto.
Yuuto forced Teiko to call a timeout with a three-pointer.
He could always find a way to score, using his endless evolution to destroy Teiko's carefully arranged defense.
Teiko paused the game. The coach issued the latest instructions, "Akashi, pay attention to help defense. Trust what your eyes see, help boldly."
Strong as Teiko was, they had reached the point where they needed to double-team.
Yuuto proved he was not a player capable of being guarded by a single person, even if the defender was a Generation of Miracle.
Akashi nodded heavily.
In such a duel, even the Generation of Miracles found it hard to intervene.
Whether it was the Zone or Yuuto's ability to accelerate blood flow, both brought massive stat boosts to the two players.
Akashi had also glimpsed the door to the Zone by chance, but he hadn't found the way in yet.
He believed he would find a way in the future.
But now.
He could only rely on the Emperor Eye to stop the Lion of Okukozome as much as possible.
Back from timeout.
Akashi received the ball at the top of the arc. Kise came over for an off-ball screen, creating an absolutely safe passing opportunity for the former.
He did it.
The basketball passed through layers of defense into Aomine's hands.
Although Yuuto recovered in time, he was still half a step slow; his arm could only seal Aomine's face.
"Beautiful!"
Teiko's head coach pumped his fist passionately.
But with a CLANG, Aomine's jumper hit the rim.
"What?!"
They were like ducks being choked.
Aomine was surprised. His gaze quickly swept across the paint.
Kuroko was nearby.
"Tetsu!"
Misdirection.
At the moment Aomine shot, Kuroko diverted Aomine's attention.
This tiny distraction caused a deviation in Aomine's shot.
"Aomine in the Zone got distracted?" Momoi bit her lip.
In her understanding, Aomine, who was 100% focused on the game, shouldn't be distracted.
Could it be...
"The drawback of the Zone!"
"Drawback?"
Yukio Kasamatsu turned to look at his coach again.
Even though he wasn't a very powerful player in his pro career, Genta Takeuchi seemed to know everything now.
"Correct, it's the drawback of the Zone."
"Although this state brings immense improvement to players, opening the human body's treasury."
"But this increase in power is accompanied by immense consumption."
Correct.
The Zone is a super domain with almost no flaws.
It can stimulate player potential, allow players to focus only on the game, and let players reach their ideal state.
But the price is drastically consumed stamina.
From the third quarter until now, Aomine had maintained the Zone for over ten minutes.
He had only resumed training for half a month; simply put, his stamina hadn't recovered to its peak.
You have to know.
A year ago, Yuuto took a full year to restore his body to optimal condition.
"Also, the defensive pressure Yuuto put on him was too great!"
This time, Kasamatsu didn't question.
Facing a monster that could evolve endlessly, the pressure was indeed sky-high.
"Then what about Yuuto? Does his current state also exacerbate consumption?"
"Probably!"
Takeuchi felt that the reason players could only utilize 80% of their potential was largely out of self-protection for the body.
Naturally.
Yuuto's state would exacerbate stamina depletion.
"Defeating the Generation of Miracles—we are serious." Kuroko Tetsuya said earnestly.
He was almost scared into skipping a beat by Yuuto's state just now, thinking Yuuto would become just like the Generation of Miracles.
Fortunately, he was ultimately different from the Generation of Miracles!
The basketball bounced off the rim.
Atsushi Murasakibara reacted quickly, jumping immediately to grab the ball and smash it down.
But Yuuto.
His arm climbed rapidly from below.
He completed a second jump at extreme speed and swatted Murasakibara's two-handed dunk away.
BOOM!
Murasakibara's hands pressed on the rim, the hoop emitting a violent tremor.
But no basketball went in.
"Rebound!"
"Rebound!"
Players from both sides shouted simultaneously, chasing the ball desperately.
But Yuuto's block was too powerful.
Seeing the ball about to fly out of bounds, Haizaki dove toward the Teiko bench.
He roared viciously at those familiar faces, "Get the hell out of the way!"
Thud.
He crashed headfirst into the Teiko bench. Before knocking over his old teammates, he scooped the ball back in.
This made his parents feel as if they had been struck by lightning.
That troublesome child of theirs would one day disregard everything for something.
This made them feel incredulous and happy.
Haizaki pushed away the Teiko bench players and hurriedly looked up at the court.
At that position.
Yuuto and Aomine turned into two beams of light keeping pace with each other, rushing for the ball.
Yuuto won!
Stronger confrontation helped him squeeze past Aomine to pocket the ball, and bursts of golden light erupted from his body the moment he landed.
...
Snap!
He slapped the ball to Aomine's right, spinning his body like a hurricane, bypassing his side easily.
Man passed, ball passed!
Aomine immediately chased, but his body lit up a red light at this moment.
He could clearly feel his condition dropping bit by bit.
Aomine knew.
This was his stamina failing; he would soon be unable to maintain the Zone.
But he still gritted his teeth firmly. Blue lightning exploded at the corner of his eyes, like the final brilliance of fireworks.
But Yuuto.
He took off from the free-throw line, fully extending his posture in the air, and smashed the ball into the hoop over Aomine with all his might.
"Yuuto, consecutive scores!"
"Since taking over the game in the third quarter, Yuuto has scored the team's highest points!"
...
"There are no miracles anymore; no one can stop him now!"
"....!"
The commentator from Tochigi was incredibly unbridled.
He even used the pun "no miracles anymore" to mock the Tokyo people.
Even though the Tokyo people wouldn't be watching the Tochigi channel at all.
The score gap gradually widened.
This time.
It wasn't Teiko pulling away, but Homi Academy building a sufficient advantage bit by bit.
Teiko's head coach had a painful expression.
Yuuto was just one step away from the perfect ending.
When he successively defeated the Leader and Ace of the Generation of Miracles.
From that moment on, the transition between the new and old kings was already complete.
Last 13 seconds of the game.
At this time, Homi Academy's lead had reached 8 points.
Homi Academy's possession.
Before the shot clock ran out, Yuuto accelerated with the ball into the Teiko paint. Aomine, who had already exited the Zone domain, gritted his teeth and jumped to block Yuuto.
Even at this moment, he yearned to defeat Yuuto.
But what the new King gave him was only a brutal poster dunk.
There were no voices from Tokyo people left in the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium.
Only a group of people from the countryside of Tochigi reveling.
It was also at this moment.
Yuuto's white hair faded, returning to jet black.
In an instant, exhaustion surged toward him like a tide.
Devilization was like a stimulant; now that the effect wore off, he felt unprecedented fatigue.
He felt he didn't even have the strength to take a step.
But he felt the moment of victory shouldn't be so wretched; he should puff out his chest.
So he slowly, using all his strength, raised his arms high, declaring his victory, his success to the people!
...
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