Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

Yes, the advantage now lay in Kirisaki Daiichi's hands.

Tendou knew it, Akashi knew it, and everyone else knew it too.

Victory was slowly slipping away from Rakuzan.

This impending defeat felt even more intense than any before.

The coach continued anxiously laying out strategies for the second half, and the players were all listening intently, their expressions grave.

Even Akashi was at the side, constantly offering his own thoughts.

Using his understanding of Tendou, he analyzed the possibilities for how Kirisaki Daiichi might play in the second half.

Everyone was giving everything they had to the match.

Seated calmly within his own consciousness, Akashi silently observed it all.

He knew that no matter what Rakuzan did, it was nearly impossible to overcome Kirisaki Daiichi and Tendou.

And yet, not a single person on the team had even the slightest intention of giving up.

A feeling he had never experienced before surged through Akashi's chest.

Soon, the second half began.

Tendou and Akashi, as expected, exited the Zone state.

They could no longer maintain the same overwhelming intensity as in the second quarter.

Rakuzan could still score, thanks to their solid fundamentals and remaining stamina.

Thanks to their spectacular performance in the second quarter, Mayuzumi Chihiro—who had rested the entire third quarter—once again stepped up.

"Did visual misdirection work again?"

"Yeah, Mayuzumi slipped through the defense unnoticed!"

"After that intense third quarter, Mayuzumi has once again completely vanished from the fans' view."

"But…"

But it was like trying to extinguish a forest fire with a cup of water.

Deep within his soul, Akashi watched quietly.

He knew full well that visual misdirection wouldn't last forever.

Perhaps at the start of the fourth quarter, or perhaps later… it would eventually be seen through.

There was ultimately no hope of victory.

Akashi gazed across the court like a god, watching each player—their faces, their expressions—and the unwavering determination with which they gave everything for victory.

Finally, his eyes turned toward the stands—toward the Generation of Miracles, still watching Tendou intently.

Akashi exhaled softly.

He had already made his decision.

"It's time to say goodbye," he said aloud in his mind, addressing the Akashi within.

The Akashi who had been tightly focused on Tendou suddenly froze. "What did you say?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Kageyoshi is strong. If this keeps up, we'll lose."

"But when I saw the power of his Six Eyes, amidst my shock, I also noticed a possibility.

It's not that our Emperor Eye is weaker than the Six Eyes—it's just not yet complete."

The reason was simple: they had never been whole to begin with.

Their soul had been split in two.

"Now it's time… to give back everything I've seen to you."

"Wait…"

Akashi tried to stop him, but the other Akashi was resolute.

"My purpose is victory. If I can no longer bring victory, then my existence has no value."

He gave the other self no chance to hold him back.

Akashi took one final look at his old teammates and left behind a single sentence before vanishing completely:

"If possible, let me take one last shot at Kirisaki Daiichi…"

Meanwhile, in the real world, the bullet comments section had erupted.

It was filled with wailing and despair.

They spammed messages like, "Noooo, Akashi! If you're gone, we're finished!"

Tendou, of course, saw none of this.

He had thrown all of his focus into the offensive end.

Boom!

A clean, lightning-quick dribble—Tendou blew past his tight defender like it was nothing.

He was still utterly dominating Akashi.

But this time…

Akashi didn't give in.

With lightning-fast footwork, he spun around, and during the rotation, his swinging arm knocked the ball away.

"…Huh?!"

Tendou was stunned.

A chill suddenly crept down his back.

It was already too late to dodge.

The ball was smacked away by Akashi's precise interception.

"Beating Rakuzan isn't going to be that easy!" Akashi shouted.

Everyone in the stands was wide-eyed.

"No way!"

"Tendou's dribble… got broken?"

That was something Kise had never imagined.

Tendou had always made others question their very abilities with his steals.

When had it ever happened in reverse?

But now, it had.

And Akashi had done it while practically facing away from Tendou.

"Could it be…"

They all suddenly realized something.

"He's… complete now."

Tendou's lips parted slightly.

After Murasakibara, now even Akashi had updated to the movie-version level.

One year later, Nash and his Jabberwock squad might get stomped into Evil Worms.

"Damn it, don't make my job harder!"

Rakuzan counterattacked.

Hayama Kotaro recovered the ball and immediately passed it to Akashi.

Akashi quickly advanced past half-court.

At this moment, he was the complete Akashi Seijūrō.

His Emperor Eye was flawless—without a single flaw.

Like Tendou, he could now see the future of every player on the court!

Facing Tendou once again, he didn't need a screen to deliver the ball to his teammate.

"Take it!"

The ball slipped past Tendou and flew toward the charging Hayama Kotaro.

It was the perfect offensive position.

Hayama caught the pass and went straight for the basket.

Swish!

Hayama scored the layup. The lead was now down to three—just one basket behind.

"It's not over yet! Turn the game around in one go!"

Shirogane Eiji immediately realized what had happened.

Their team's leader had evolved again—or rather, he had returned to the form he was always meant to have.

At this point, losing was no longer even a possibility!

"Rakuzan!"

"Rakuzan!"

"Rakuzan!"

From the southern section of the stands, Rakuzan's fans cheered with all their might, their voices drowning out everything else.

This team, dubbed the King who reigned over all, had the largest fanbase in the entire nation!

Compared to them, any other team looked like a bunch of nouveau riche amateurs.

And what made these fans go wild was that Rakuzan was now closing the gap rapidly.

Hanamiya Makoto received the ball, ready to score with his clever tactics.

But a gray blur suddenly dashed beside him.

It was Mayuzumi Chihiro—no one knew when he had appeared next to Hanamiya.

Like a shadow, he slapped the ball out of Hanamiya's hands.

"What the hell?!" Hanamiya finally noticed Mayuzumi, his expression darkening. "This bastard!"

The ball was picked up by Hayama Kotaro.

He didn't even look to pass.

The Lightning Beast charged straight toward Kirisaki Daiichi's paint.

Even without being in the small Zone state, he was still just as fast.

He sprinted with reckless abandon toward the basket.

Akashi decisively created space, drawing Tendou away.

Behind him was the furious Hanamiya Makoto, giving chase with all his strength.

He managed to catch up to Hayama at the last moment, right before the layup.

But—

Tweet!

The referee blew the whistle just as Hayama scored.

Rakuzan completed a 2+1 play!

Roar!

The Rakuzan fans went wild.

If Hayama could hit the free throw, the score would be completely tied!

"Damn it!" Hanamiya clenched his fists tightly.

The other Kirisaki Daiichi players were visibly frustrated.

Tendou watched it all silently and let out a faint sigh.