"Unparalleled talent… huh?"
The words slipped unconsciously from Haizaki's mouth—not because of Shigure's monstrous Icefield Domain, but because of what he'd just witnessed from Aomine Daiki, who had forcibly opened his Zone out of sheer frustration.
The Zone.
A state where a player erases all unnecessary thought and emotion, focusing purely on the game—a level of concentration beyond human limits.
It allows one to unleash their full potential, yet it's an extremely rare phenomenon, something even top-tier athletes can only encounter by chance, not summon at will.
Only those who've accumulated tremendous practice even gain the right to stand before that door—and even then, all they can do is wait for it to open by chance.
That realm…
is reserved only for the chosen.
And yet
Aomine's talent felt like it was mocking Haizaki himself.
Through sheer willpower alone, he had pried open that door.
"I can go in anytime I want."
Those words Aomine had once thrown out after the Rakuzan–Kaijō match…
had now become reality before the eyes of all the Generation of Miracles.
He truly could
Enter it whenever he wished.
Just like Captain Nijimura and Shigure-senpai.
Meanwhile, as Aomine entered the Zone—the dominant tone of the Kaijō vs. Rakuzan scrimmage—the members of Seirin sat huddled together, completely frozen.
Hyūga Junpei: "…"
We're screwed.
The Zone…
After Hagioka Kasayuki's graduation, only a few players had reached that level—Nijimura Shuzo of Kaijō, Shigure Akihito, and Hayama Kotarō of Rakuzan, who'd only briefly tapped into it.
But now
Beyond Kaijō and Rakuzan, another Zone user had emerged.
The Generation of Miracles' ace—Aomine Daiki.
As expected of the one personally guided by Shigure Akihito himself…
Among the Miracles, he might just be the strongest.
Soon after, Aomine's Icefield Duel experience ended.
For most players, performing at 100% capacity in a game is practically impossible.
Even for elite athletes, no matter how focused they are, they can only bring out around 80% of their ability.
But the Zone… makes that impossible 100% possible.
Ordinarily, that level would be completely unknown territory
a world where even your perception of speed feels exponentially magnified.
Yet, compared to Shigure Akihito, Aomine still had nearly eight months before entering high school
a critical growth period whose absence created a massive gap in their baseline physical ability.
Thus
Even with those lightning sparks dancing in his eyes,
even within the Zone itself, Aomine found himself forced back, struggling within Shigure's Icefield Domain
barely any better off than before he entered it.
Never underestimate those eight months.
That single year between middle and high school—the leap for the Miracles—was explosive growth personified.
No one understood this better than Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo.
Perhaps even Hagioka Kasayuki, back in his first year of high school, knew it too.
It was a phase where one's body suddenly ascended to another tier entirely
the same natural growth that allowed high school Aomine to crush Seirin with barely any effort in the original timeline.
Even their height surged at that time.
Clap~ clap~ clap~
Seeing that Aomine's Zone had run its course, Nijimura Shuzo clapped his hands lightly.
"Alright, that's enough ability framework training for tonight."
Then suddenly
Nijimura noticed the look in Haizaki's eyes, his killing intent almost tangible.
After a moment's hesitation, Nijimura continued calmly:
"From what I've seen among all of you
the only ones qualified for me and Shigure-senpai's level of training right now, besides Aomine… are Akashi."
"The rest of you should focus on improving your fundamentals first."
"Until the day you stand before the door to the Zone
even if you're stopped outside and can't enter, it'll mean your ability has reached the minimum threshold required."
"Use that as your benchmark."
At those words, Haizaki Shōgo glanced sideways at Akashi, his face twisting with frustration.
Soon after, the Generation of Miracles dispersed—each for their own reason silent
leaving only the dumbfounded Seirin team in the gym.
"Crap…"
"We got so shocked, we forgot to ask for coaching tips!" muttered Kiyoshi Teppei, shaking his head as he looked around the now-empty gym.
In the end, Seirin—led by Aida Riko—decided that since they were already here,
they might as well stay and practice a bit more.
After finishing, the team dragged their exhausted bodies back toward the seaside inn.
But just as they arrived
Aida suddenly motioned for silence, gesturing for everyone to crouch down.
Confused, the team followed suit
And then
BOOM!
Two figures blurred across their line of sight
Nijimura Shuzo chased down Haizaki Shōgo, swatting his shot violently against a temporary hoop set up in the parking lot!
Koganei Shinji: "Wha—!?"
Whoa! What the hell?! That was dangerous!
He barely stopped himself from shouting.
Meanwhile, Nijimura's face was cold as ice as he glared down at Haizaki,
who had crashed to the ground not far from Seirin's hiding spot.
"Understand now?" Nijimura said, voice low but sharp.
"You're rushing it. You're still not at the baseline."
"Right now, what matters most is building your core fundamentals. Think about the rest later."
Haizaki didn't move.
For a moment, Seirin thought he might've passed out.
Then
his voice came quietly from the ground:
"…Nijimura…"
"Captain."
The rare seriousness in Haizaki's tone—without using any nicknames—made Nijimura stop in his tracks.
"Do you really think I can beat him one day?"
Haizaki continued lying there, eyes fixed on the starry sky above.
"Shigure-senpai once told me—'flowers will bloom and bear fruit in time.'
Back then, I really thought I saw it… the moment I'd finally surpass Aomine."
"But after that… I don't know when it happened,
the gap just… widened again."
"Even though
I never once slacked off."
"Aomine's talent… it's truly beyond compare."
"…Can I really catch up to him?"
Haizaki's lips tightened as his gaze locked onto Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.
"Or maybe…"
"Captain Nijimura"
"…can you really catch up to Shigure-senpai?"
END OF CHAPTER
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