Kanagawa.
Kaijō High School.
Almost at the same time, Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo were being interviewed—both learning the newly updated ratings of the Generation of Miracles in their respective high school teams.
But unlike others, the Twin Stars who dominated high-school basketball were treated with a special level of respect by the reporters.
Because of that…
They didn't even need Momoi to gather intel.
Everything—including the full match footage—was handed to them easily.
Kaijō's Tactical Video Room
Shigure and Nijimura sat together with Kurokami, Fukasaya, the coaches, and Kaijō's now–third-year captain Kasamatsu Yukio.
Everyone lined up in silence, watching a recording of Rakuzan's match in the Kyoto league finals.
"Wait…
Is that…"
"Inoue Tomoya?"
"He really went to Rakuzan, huh~"
What first surprised the former Teiko members wasn't Akashi or the usual familiar faces—but another one among Rakuzan's lineup:
Inoue Tomoya, the former ace of Kamizaki Middle School, who at one point could even go head-to-head against Aomine.
But soon…
As Nijimura controlled the playback—fast-forwarding, pausing at key moments, rewinding, and returning to normal speed with perfect precision—everyone's attention was inevitably drawn toward Akashi.
In the Footage
Akashi caught the ball on the baseline and immediately accelerated into the opponent's half.
Inoue, Hayama, Mibuchi, and the others quickly spread out, pulling the defense apart.
Once the defenders stepped up, Akashi shifted the ball—
And Rakuzan's offense unfolded…
Exactly as one would expect of a perfect team.
Fukasaya narrowed his eyes.
From Akashi's passing form, he instantly judged:
The ball was going right.
And indeed
The ball arced across the court toward the right side.
But something was wrong.
The trajectory…
was actually closer to the opposing defender than to Inoue Tomoya.
"…?"
Akashi does not mis-pass.
But this ball
It really was closer to the defender.
He should get to it first
"!"
No.
The spin, the low angle, the speed
It was an outside-spin pass.
Once it bounced in front of the defender, it would curve back—
straight toward Inoue.
Thump!
Just as Fukasaya predicted, the ball hit the floor between the opponent and Inoue
and snapped perfectly toward Inoue's side.
The defender swiped and missed entirely.
Inoue seized the moment with a smooth catch-and-step, breaking past a defender known for excellent defense.
Meanwhile
Not once did Akashi pause after passing.
He didn't even look back.
As if he already knew Inoue would break through.
He simply kept running.
Nijimura, analyzing with his instant information-processing ability, pieced it together:
Akashi…
wasn't just passing.
He was using Inoue
No.
He was using his pass itself
to dismantle the opponent's trap on his advance.
He even dragged away the second defender who could've cut the passing lane.
That Inoue kid…
pretty smart.
He kept up.
Whoosh!
In the video, Inoue fired the ball into the paint
a high-pressure pass aimed at Nebuya Eikichi.
Boom!
Nebuya roared, muscling up, leaping, catching, landing.
The defender had already set position.
Another defender closed in.
Outside the footage
Nijimura easily caught on to Akashi's movement.
Simple footwork.
But appearing at that exact moment,
in that exact place
It was practically a command:
Pass it to me.
Whoosh!
Facing Nebuya directly, Akashi received the ball.
Then
He raised it.
The defender stared intensely, watching every detail.
Akashi's response was equally simple:
A shot fake
front cross
turn.
The speed wasn't impressive to Teiko members.
Slower than Akashi in middle school.
But the composure…
It was sharper.
Stronger.
Like everything was already in his grasp.
The defender stayed close
but from Akashi's blind spot
Someone pounced in for the steal.
And
Missed.
"…!?"
Kurokami Shinji froze.
The Emperor Eye can read the slightest muscular movement
but only when you can see the opponent.
Akashi absolutely couldn't see behind him just then
So how did he predict it?!
At that moment
Shigure Akihito smiled.
"So that's it.
It wasn't prediction.
It was manipulation.
On the court—enemy or ally—everyone is simply acting according to Akashi's design~"
"All of them…
are Akashi's puppets."
Instantly
Watching Mibuchi catch the ball in the video,
Shigure and Nijimura both saw it
A massive pair of puppet-master hands pulling strings,
lifting Mibuchi into a shooting form.
Swish!
Clean.
In the room, Nijimura nodded.
"A style that rules the court without distinguishing enemy from ally. Manipulating everyone."
Akashi's style was essentially:
Use his first-persona passing ability as the fuse,
trigger a chain reaction,
allow his influence to seep into everyone's decision-making,
and drag the game into a world where both allies' tactics and opponents' defense all align with his design.
No raw physical strain.
No constant Emperor Eye.
Just
Brain.
And passing.
Completely different from the reckless brawl of Seirin vs. Tōō.
This elegant efficiency saved massive stamina
letting Akashi fully unleash the Emperor Eye on defense,
extending even his ZONE duration.
This is a technique only someone with:
Technique.
Tactics.
Vision.
Control.
could wield.
Nijimura exhaled softly.
"That legendary 'Platinum Theater' Aida-san once described…
the ability to command everyone on the court like a director with a God's-eye view."
He'd never seen it in person
But Akashi's version was…
very close.
Though
If he used it personally…
the style would probably differ.
…A lot.
To Kaijō's players, the offense wasn't even the scariest part.
What truly shook them was Akashi's defense.
Through Nijimura's fast-forward, the scoreboard exploded:
Halftime: 83–12
Rakuzan's opponent—a team that represented Kyoto at Nationals last year—was utterly dismantled.
Especially the opposing point guard
For an entire half:
Screens
bypassed early.
Passes
cut before leaving his hand.
Ball-handling
shattered.
Every basic component of basketball
Passing, dribbling, control—
Destroyed.
By halftime, the point guard's stats were:
Double-digit turnovers—zero everything else.
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
Even the iron-willed Kasamatsu swallowed hard.
Moriyama, Nakamura, the bench—
all looked pale.
The Emperor Eye's power was too intuitive
too overwhelming.
Every passing lane Akashi could see
was his territory.
No pass could cross his vision.
No mistake was forgiven.
And that stamina…
Did he really keep the eye active the entire half?!
"This is…"
"Insane…"
"Defensively, he's probably only below Shigure."
"…We're screwed. The monster's on the other team."
Nijimura scrolled to the end and skimmed the entire second half with his absurd information-processing speed.
"There's nothing new in the second half.
What Akashi showed isn't even his full strength.
But…"
"He has already chosen to reveal a new ability."
"After the Seirin–Tōō match, the 'Miracle Prelude War'…
This match is Akashi's open challenge to everyone."
Second-year Nijimura was no longer an honorary vice-captain.
He led Kaijō with authority, just like in Teiko.
He clapped once.
"When we face Rakuzan, Akashi will be handled by Shigure and me.
Everyone else—focus on the Uncrowned Five.
Especially…"
"Inoue Tomoya.
As a first-year, his ability cannot be underestimated."
Nakamura adjusted his glasses.
"Akashi… needs both of you to handle him?
He shouldn't be THAT strong… right?"
Hayakawa nodded vigorously.
"Of course! Nijimura-senpai one-on-one would be way stronger!"
Shigure stood up slowly.
Every pair of eyes fixed on him.
"Everyone."
"Don't treat Akashi as a single person~"
"Let me remind you."
"He's very strong."
"You all know that
but unless you're from Teiko, you can't fully sense it."
"Akashi Seijūrō has two personalities."
"And likewise
his middle-school awakening produced two abilities."
"So…"
Kasamatsu froze for a moment.
Then his expression changed.
"Shigure… are you saying—
after entering high school, the new ability he gained is also…"
Shigure nodded.
"Yes."
"Besides the Emperor Eye and Perfect Passing
each personality has acquired a new ability."
"One…"
"Is the offensive manipulation he revealed just now.
Even I didn't know about it."
"The other…"
"You're already familiar with~"
"It's the Rakuzan senior's 'Hard-to-Grasp Shadow'."
Kaijō: "!?!?!"
Hard-to-Grasp Shadow?!
No way
They had to fight that nightmare AGAIN?!
Moriyama's face darkened.
"So even though Hagioka-senpai graduated, he still left Rakuzan a monster of a future…"
Nijimura shook his head, pointing at Shigure.
"No.
This has nothing to do with Hagioka-senpai."
"Shigure personally taught him."
Shigure: "???"
"…Nijimura, don't forget—you also did it."
Nijimura: "…."
END OF CHAPTER
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