Yuuto intended to do exactly this.
He would not let the events of the simulation come to pass.
Before his revision was complete, he would shoulder the team's offensive responsibilities and do his utmost to compress Shutoku's room for survival.
Once he had enough revision counts, that would be the moment for the Eye of the Sky to show its might.
The moment Yuuto received the ball, Seiho reacted.
Following Masaaki Nakatani's instructions, they prepared to double-team him immediately in the paint.
As long as they could force Yuuto to pass, their defense would be considered successful.
Yuuto didn't wait for their double-team to form before launching himself.
Whether a player's drive is formidable or not largely depends on the speed of their first step.
And Yuuto?
His explosive speed was undoubtedly top-tier.
In "Red Eye" mode, his speed attribute reached 98 points, nearing the 100-point mark; only Aomine could surpass him.
Golden light bloomed from Yuuto's body.
With a lightning-fast start, his first step brought him right beside Midorima, half a body length ahead.
"You only truly understand how fast this monster is when you experience it yourself." Kazunari Takao was right beside them.
Watching the games, he only felt that Yuuto was fast.
But only when facing him did he realize just what level that speed had reached.
It was like fans watching a game.
From a "God's eye view," their brains could process the action, so no matter how fast the players moved, they felt it was defendable.
But reality wasn't like that.
When you truly have the chance to face a professional player, you learn what despair means.
The moment the opponent launches, even if your eyes see it, your body cannot react.
Fortunately.
"I'm not alone." Kazunari Takao reacted quickly, coordinating with Midorima to defend.
If it were one-on-one, he would probably be left in the dust the moment they met, but now it was two-on-one.
His field of vision was excellent, and together with Midorima, they sandwiched Yuuto front and back.
However.
Just when Takao thought their double-team had formed and was even prepared to intercept Yuuto's pass...
Under his gaze, the charging Yuuto suddenly spun.
He slammed his back heavily into Midorima, stopping the Generation of Miracles' strongest shooter from making his next move.
"Your eyes are very special, but they don't see far enough."
Yuuto had his back to Midorima, facing Takao directly.
The latter hadn't expected this at all, but his reaction was extremely fast, thinking this was a great opportunity for a steal.
But the ball-handling ability granted to Yuuto by the Tezuka Zone (Hand of God/Zone of Mastery) allowed him to effortlessly switch hands, dodging Takao's reaching arm.
Subsequently.
With his back to Midorima, he slapped the ball to the right to pass him, while he spun like a top, brushing past Takao on the left along with the basketball.
All of this happened in an instant.
Shutoku's double-team was torn open in the blink of an eye.
"It's not over yet!"
The moment Yuuto passed the two, Shinsuke Kimura arrived.
Masaaki Nakatani's defensive strategy for this game was to lock down Yuuto and double-team him whenever he had the ball.
Because the scoring ability of the rest of Seiho wasn't enough to kill Shutoku.
With Midorima, they played the game of 3-pointers!
Yuuto didn't drive past him. Ignoring the defender completely, he pulled up for a jump shot right there.
Shinsuke Kimura felt insulted; Seiho's Number 10 didn't take him seriously at all.
However.
When he jumped and reached out to block, the basketball flew through his palm and into the net.
"What is that?!"
"The Mirage Shot."
Midorima, an old rival, was naturally aware of Yuuto's signature mid-range shot.
Combining fakes and hang-time, it was a super-difficult shot that perfectly blended body control and technique.
Swish!
The ball went in. Score 4:2. Yuuto scored consecutively at the start.
Shutoku wanted to respond. A quick inbound from the baseline went to Midorima.
"Here it comes, the full-court three-pointer!"
Someone shouted excitedly.
But.
The moment Midorima caught the ball, Yuuto's figure had already arrived beside him.
He was like a mountain, exerting immense pressure on Midorima, forcing him to pass the ball back to Takao to organize.
"Tight man-to-man defense starting right from the backcourt?"
"What else? That Midorima's range is the entire court!"
"But if they do that..."
"Seiho's defensive core is gone. Shutoku can attack the paint."
Riko Aida's eyes lit up. This was one way to deal with Seiho's ironclad defense, but her expression soon dimmed.
Their lineup didn't possess a monster shooter like Midorima.
They couldn't tear Yuuto away from Seiho's defensive formation.
The game suddenly turned into a 4-on-4.
Shutoku's 4 against Seiho's 4, with the aces of both teams not participating in the offense/defense of the main group.
Kazunari Takao dribbled past half-court and lobbed the ball into the paint to Taisuke Otsubo. Seiho's defenders immediately pressed up.
"This game will likely evolve into a 4-on-4!"
This was what Yuuto had told them before the match.
"Our defensive formation is perfect, but not completely without weaknesses. We can't fully cover the perimeter defense, and Shutoku has the best perimeter player."
That was what Yuuto said at the time.
He had already predicted the offensive tactics Shutoku would adopt to strip him from their defensive formation.
In other words!
"Seiho's victory or defeat is now in our hands!"
Tsutomu Iwamura stuck close to Taisuke Otsubo regardless of everything.
He didn't hate this outcome; they had their own pride too.
As starters for the King, Seiho, they didn't want to be carried by Yuuto forever.
"Come on, Otsubo!" Iwamura roared, his fighting spirit soaring.
Bang!
Muscles collided fiercely under the basket.
In terms of height, Taisuke Otsubo had an absolute advantage; his 1.98m frame was a full 11cm taller than Iwamura.
But Otsubo's low-post back-down couldn't move Iwamura.
The Seiho captain's lower body strength was immense.
This was the result of his efforts to compensate for his height disadvantage so he wouldn't fall behind against Otsubo.
"Iwamura!" Taisuke Otsubo didn't back down.
Their rivalry had lasted for two years; this was the third.
They entered Seiho/Shutoku at the same time and became starters almost simultaneously.
They had long regarded each other as opponents they must defeat.
"So intense!"
This match lived up to being the focal battle. The opening displayed an extremely high level of play, not just from Yuuto and Midorima, but from the other players as well.
Both teams, bearing the name of Kings, did not want to lose to the other no matter what.
Otsubo banged three times with no result, then attempted to use his height to force a shot over Iwamura.
A turning hook shot.
But Iwamura jumped immediately. His raised right arm, his fingers, grazed the skin of the basketball at the absolute limit.
Clang~
Otsubo's hook shot hit the iron, and Seiho secured the rebound.
"He really has a few tricks, Senior Yamashita." Masaaki Nakatani turned to look at the neighboring bench.
He saw Seiho responding with extreme composure, clearly having anticipated the strategy he would adopt.
What he didn't know was...
The calm-looking Old Thief Yamashita was actually churning with shock inside.
"It's exactly as Yuuto predicted!"
...
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