After hearing Ryota Kise's words, Daiki Aomine walked over to Shintaro Midorima, lightly nudged him with his elbow, and grinned.
"Looks like Kise even [copied] your fortune-teller act."
Shintaro Midorima pushed up his glasses and gave Daiki Aomine a disdainful glance.
"Hmph. He simply reached enlightenment. Do everything within your power, then leave the rest to fate. That is the real truth."
The corner of Daiki Aomine's mouth twitched.
"Still sounds like a fortune teller."
Shintaro Midorima's expression instantly stiffened.
Something...
went stiff...
His fist!
On the other side, Jason Silver scoffed.
"Hah! You blindly [copy] other people until you lose your own playing style, and you call that your path in basketball?"
Ryota Kise gave Jason Silver an odd look.
"Isn't [copying] other people a playing style in itself?"
"You..."
Jason Silver was immediately left speechless.
Because when he thought about it, Ryota Kise actually had a point. Being able to [copy] the basketball skills of anyone he saw was, in its own way, a playing style unique to him.
In the end, Jason Silver could only squeeze out one word.
"Fine!"
He had no choice. He genuinely had no idea how to argue with that!
...
Possession changed.
The Black Dragon Team had the ball.
Nash Gold came up against Seijuro Akashi and immediately began his drive.
With the Zone active, Nash Gold's physical abilities far surpassed Seijuro Akashi's.
Even with the [Emperor Eye] allowing Seijuro Akashi to see the future, he could only barely keep up.
Before long, Nash Gold used his off arm to shield the ball from Seijuro Akashi while white light flashed from his other hand.
The next instant, the basketball vanished.
When it reappeared, it was already in Jason Silver's hands.
The moment Jason Silver caught the ball, a violent presence surged out from him like a tidal wave.
An enormous force crashed toward Atsushi Murasakibara.
Atsushi Murasakibara didn't dare take him lightly and immediately entered the Zone!
Crack!!!
Purple lightning flashed through Atsushi Murasakibara's eyes, and his strength surged explosively.
Yet even in the Zone, Atsushi Murasakibara still couldn't match Jason Silver's power.
With a single collision, Atsushi Murasakibara was forced back two steps.
The instant space opened up, Jason Silver stopped holding back. He roared and launched himself upward for a slam dunk!
"Ah!"
Atsushi Murasakibara roared as well, leaping up and reaching for the basketball.
Smack!
His hand slammed down onto the ball in Jason Silver's grasp.
But almost immediately, Atsushi Murasakibara felt an overwhelming force he simply couldn't resist.
Then...
BOOM!!!
Jason Silver brutally slammed the basketball through the hoop, and the sheer force of the impact sent Atsushi Murasakibara stumbling backward.
He was forced back more than three steps before finally regaining his balance.
Once he steadied himself, Atsushi Murasakibara glared viciously at Jason Silver.
"I'll crush you!"
...
As the game continued, Ryota Kise took almost complete control of the ball and used Miyamoto Tokima's abilities to go head-to-head with the Black Dragon Team by himself.
The Black Dragon Team simply couldn't stop him.
At this point, not even Jason Silver could defend Ryota Kise!
Ryota Kise was like a god of war, relentlessly tearing apart the Black Dragon Team's defense.
Whenever the Black Dragon Team tried to double-team him, Ryota Kise made them understand just how miserable it was to face Miyamoto Tokima.
After all, Miyamoto Tokima wasn't only dangerous on offense.
He could pass too!
The moment the Black Dragon Team double-teamed Ryota Kise, he would immediately send out a pinpoint pass.
As a result, the Black Dragon Team no longer dared to trap him.
So they changed their approach.
If they couldn't stop him on defense, then they would fight him with offense!
The effect was obvious.
With Jason Silver in the Zone, Atsushi Murasakibara simply couldn't stop him!
Ryota Kise changed his approach as well.
If they scored two, he would score three!
And so, the score remained locked in a stalemate.
Until there were only nine seconds left.
The Dragon Slayer Team had possession.
The moment Seijuro Akashi received the ball, Ryota Kise stretched out his hand and shouted,
"Akashi!"
He was in terrible shape.
His legs felt as heavy as if they had been filled with lead.
His stamina was almost completely gone.
At this point, sheer willpower was the only thing keeping his Zone and [Perfect Copy] active.
He wanted to keep fighting until his body had absolutely nothing left!
Hearing Ryota Kise call for the ball, Seijuro Akashi passed it over.
The moment Ryota Kise caught it, he gritted his teeth and charged forward.
He didn't care whether his teammates were in position.
He only knew that if he didn't make his move now, he really would collapse.
"He's almost done," Zack said.
"Yeah. He's slowing down too," Nick replied with a nod.
"Oh?" Allen gave a sleazy grin. "So our 'Miyamoto Tokima' is finally coming off the court?"
"I don't know whether 'Miyamoto Tokima' is coming off," Zack said, "but I've got a feeling you are."
"If Tokima-san is coming in," Allen replied matter-of-factly, "then of course I'm giving up my spot for him."
While they were talking, Ryota Kise had already reached them.
By now, he could barely lift his legs.
Even so, he still wanted to contribute one last thing to the team!
He stopped at the three-point line and raised the ball to shoot.
But the next instant...
Clang...
Thud, thud, thud...
All the strength suddenly drained from Ryota Kise's body.
The Zone vanished from his eyes, and the yellowish-white glow surrounding him disappeared as well.
His body went limp, and he collapsed helplessly onto the floor.
At the same moment, the whistle sounded to end the third quarter.
"Beep! The third quarter is over!"
"Kise!"
Daiki Aomine shouted and immediately rushed to Ryota Kise's side.
"You okay?!"
"Heh..." Ryota Kise gave a weak laugh. "So... I still couldn't do it?"
"No!" Daiki Aomine shouted. "You did it!"
"Really...?" Ryota Kise struggled to look at Daiki Aomine, a faint smile on his exhausted face. "I did...?"
"You did!" Daiki Aomine nodded firmly before helping Ryota Kise up.
Seijuro Akashi came over as well and supported Ryota Kise from the other side.
Ryota Kise looked at Seijuro Akashi in surprise, then gave him a pale smile.
"Akashicchi..."
...
...
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