Inside the gymnasium.
The duel between Ake and Sendoh was still ongoing.
Judging by their condition, they had been battling for quite some time.
Sweat dripped down both of their faces, their training uniforms soaked through. The intensity of their one-on-one was clear from just a glance.
"I never thought you'd be this strong," Sendoh said between breaths, staring at Ake in disbelief.
Until now, he'd only sensed that Ake was extraordinary. Even during scrimmages, the pressure he felt mostly came from Ake's impeccable passing.
But facing Ake directly was a completely different story.
After just a few exchanges, Sendoh realized Ake wasn't just a playmaker—he was a complete player.
Ake's moves were hard to read. It often felt as if he could see right through Sendoh's intentions, always acting a step ahead.
And his stealing ability… it was terrifying.
If Sendoh hadn't been fully focused—watching Ake's every movement—he would've been stripped of the ball countless times. The constant pressure from Ake's defense was suffocating.
Ake was panting too, dribbling the basketball as he replied calmly, "You're strong as well."
He genuinely hadn't expected Sendoh to be this formidable at the junior high level.
Even though Ake hadn't used the Emperor's Eye, he had fought using nearly all the strength he currently possessed.
At this stage, he could only utilize about 20–30% of Seijuro Akashi's abilities. Yet, Sendoh still managed to push him this far.
It proved that Sendoh's talent and skill were anything but ordinary.
If Ake were to judge Sendoh by Kuroko's Basketball standards, his talent—though perhaps just below the Uncrowned Kings—would still rank him as one of the strongest beneath the Generation of Miracles.
"Phew…" Ake steadied his breathing and exhaled deeply. "For this last shot, there's something I want to try. I haven't completely mastered it yet, but I want to see how effective it is."
"Hm?" Sendoh frowned slightly, puzzled.
But before he could ask, Ake was already in motion.
Bang… bang… bang…
The rhythm of the dribbling grew sharper, faster.
At the same time, the pupils of Ake's mismatched eyes began to flicker—light dancing within them like ripples across water.
Circles of faint light shimmered inside his irises, glowing and fading in rapid succession.
It was the manifestation of the Emperor's Eye—one of the innate talents Ake had inherited from Seijuro Akashi.
In that instant, his entire demeanor shifted.
The friendly, approachable Ake was gone. In his place stood someone cold, commanding, and untouchable. The very air in the gym seemed to chill.
Sendoh felt the change immediately.
His expression tightened. 'What the…?'
He could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
A person's aura wasn't something that could change so completely—it was something built over time. Even with subtle shifts, one's core presence usually stayed the same.
But Ake's transformation shattered that notion completely.
It was as if he had become someone else entirely.
From the stands, Rukia also noticed it. Her expression flickered with surprise, though she kept quiet, choosing instead to watch silently. She decided she would ask Ake about it later—after the duel was over.
On the court, Ake bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity, eyes locked on Sendoh like a predator about to strike.
He held the ball beside him, rhythmically dribbling with his right hand, the pace steady yet filled with tension.
Then—suddenly—his eyes flashed.
He lunged forward, stepping sharply to the left.
Sendoh's instincts kicked in—he moved immediately to block the drive.
But just as he did, Ake stopped dead, switched the ball between his legs, and exploded to the right.
His footwork was lightning-fast, smooth, and controlled—his ankles flexing fluidly as his feet carved an arc on the floor.
Before Sendoh could even react, Ake had already slipped past him like a blur.
By the time Sendoh shifted to recover, he felt his footing falter—his balance thrown completely off. His center of gravity spun out of control, his body wobbling dangerously.
He managed to stop himself from falling—but it was already too late.
Ake was gone.
He reached the rim in a flash and finished with a clean, effortless three-step layup.
Swish.
The ball fell neatly through the net.
Ake landed lightly, turned around, and looked at Sendoh with a faint smile. "Five to five. We're tied."
Sendoh blinked, still processing what had happened, then let out a helpless laugh.
"Looks like beating you won't be easy. Let's call it a day."
Ake nodded. "Yeah, it's getting late anyway." He glanced out the gym window—the evening sky was already dimming.
"By the way," Sendoh asked curiously, "what exactly did you do just now?"
Ake smiled lightly. "Nothing much. I just disrupted your center of gravity."
"Disrupted my center of gravity, huh?" Sendoh murmured, half in disbelief.
It sounded simple—but in reality, it was one of the hardest things to pull off. Even for him, doing it to a skilled player was nearly impossible.
Yet Ake had done it effortlessly.
Sendoh stared at him, a complicated expression on his face, before finally muttering, "You really are a monster."
Ake chuckled softly, saying nothing.
'Monster?' He wasn't there yet.
Once he mastered all of Seijuro Akashi's abilities—that's when he'd truly become one.
Then, from the corner of his eye, Ake spotted a familiar figure near the door.
"Rukia," he called out.
Rukia smiled and walked over. "I waited for you at the school gate but couldn't find you, so I figured you might still be practicing. I didn't expect to find you dueling with Sendoh-senpai here."
Ake wiped the sweat from his forehead and said apologetically, "Sorry, it was a sudden decision. I didn't get the chance to tell you."
"It's fine," Rukia said, smiling warmly. "You should go wash up first—you're drenched."
Ake nodded, then headed to the showers with Sendoh.
Later that evening.
Ake and Rukia said goodbye to Sendoh at the school gate.
"Sendoh-senpai, see you tomorrow," they said together.
"Yeah, see you," Sendoh replied with a wave.
He stood there for a moment, watching as the two got into their luxury cars and drove off, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. "Man… that's unfair."
His own family background was good—but nowhere near that level.
Over the past few days, he'd done some digging and found out who Ake and Rukia really were.
Rukia—the third young lady of the Kamishiro family, one of Japan's largest conglomerates.
And Ake Ryu—someone from the Ake family, one of Japan's top three zaibatsu.
A/N: The Three Zaibatsu is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertically integrated business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji era to World War II.
Just thinking about it still left him stunned.
He watched until their cars disappeared into the distance, then let out a soft sigh. "So rich, and that talented at basketball… Looks like the basketball world just got another monster."
A smirk tugged at his lips. "If I meet that guy again at this year's tournament—this time with Ake's help—I wonder what expression he'll make."
Chuckling to himself, Sendoh turned and began walking home, his mood oddly light.