Three days after the quarterfinals, the semifinalists were finally decided.
Alongside Seiyo Middle School, the other three teams to advance were Takenozono Middle School, Kyuho Gakuen, and Meizawa Middle School.
Ake had looked into each of them, but only one caught his attention — Meizawa.
Because there was someone there he knew all too well.
"Sawakita Eiji… I wonder if it's the same Sawakita Eiji from my memories," Ake murmured to himself.
The next day, the semifinals began.
Seiyo Middle School faced off against Kyuho Gakuen.
Kyuho's strength was clearly on another level compared to Kyuuseki. Their coordination was seamless, and both their offense and defense were well-structured and efficient.
On Seiyo's side, apart from Ake and Sendoh, the rest of the players simply couldn't match Kyuho's speed or fundamentals. It wasn't for lack of effort — the difference lay in pure skill and experience.
Still, Ake and Sendoh stood their ground.
The game went back and forth in a tense exchange of offense and defense. While not overly fierce, the competition was tight and unpredictable, keeping the audience on edge.
At halftime, the score was tied at 40–40.
But despite the tie, the Kyuho players looked far from happy.
The reason was obvious — Ake and Sendoh alone had held off their entire team.
That meant the combined strength of those two players was equal to the strength of all five Kyuho players on the court.
If Seiyo's other three weren't so outmatched, Kyuho would probably have been behind already.
Coach Nakamura noticed this as well.
When the players returned to the bench, he immediately gave the three others a clear order:
"In the second half, do everything you can to support Ake and Sendoh."
Kirihara Hayato, Kobayashi Koichi, and Yamamoto Ryu all nodded without hesitation.
They knew their limits. They might not be strong enough to dominate, but they could still help.
And for victory, they were willing to play the supporting role.
From the start of the second half, the game's rhythm shifted.
Kirihara, Kobayashi, and Yamamoto worked together to set screens and open paths, giving Ake and Sendoh the space they needed to operate.
Ake had to admit — facing the combined pressure of five Kyuho players wasn't easy.
His talent wasn't fully developed yet.
Even so, with his teammates' help, he managed to intercept several key passes, turning them into fast breaks and helping Seiyo slowly pull ahead.
Sendoh, as always, played with fearless aggression, driving hard toward Kyuho's basket again and again.
And since no one on Kyuho's side could match him one-on-one, their defense began to crumble.
By the time the whistle blew, the result was decided.
Beep!
Final Score: Seiyo 97 – Kyuho 63.
Seiyo Middle School had secured their spot in the final.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Meizawa Middle School defeated Takenozono Middle School — just as Ake had expected.
After all, that person was there.
"We're finally going to meet again," Sendoh said suddenly, his eyes bright with excitement.
Ake looked at him. "Meet again? You mean Meizawa?"
Sendoh nodded.
"Yeah. There's a really strong guy there — I lost to him last year."
Ake paused for a moment, thoughtful.
If that player was indeed the Sawakita Eiji from his memories, then Sendoh's loss made perfect sense.
"But this year's different," Sendoh continued, a grin spreading across his face. "You're here now. That guy's going to be in for a surprise."
He was already looking forward to it — the rematch, the shock on Sawakita's face.
Ake, however, fell silent.
He wasn't sure how strong Meizawa's Sawakita Eiji had become.
But if his guess was right, Sawakita's level wasn't far beyond Sendoh's. He might be difficult to stop, but not unbeatable.
If that was the case — and if Meizawa didn't have other players of similar caliber — then winning the championship wouldn't be impossible.
As he reached that conclusion, a faint smile appeared on Ake's face.
"Are you doubting your own strength?"
The sudden voice in his mind made Ake's eyes narrow slightly.
It was his other self again — his second personality.
No," Ake replied firmly.
The voice chuckled.
"No? If that's true, why were you thinking such pointless things just now?" It paused briefly before continuing.
"You're just one step away from the championship. If you lose now, all your effort will have been for nothing — and your teammates will suffer too. Just let me out. I'll make sure we win."
"Enough," Ake said coldly. "My current strength is more than enough to win the championship."
His second personality sneered.
"Is that so? You're only using 20 to 30 percent of your potential. Even against Sendoh, you struggle in a one-on-one. If your opponent is stronger than him, you'll lose. You already know the others can't support you — only you and Sendoh are carrying this team."
Ake didn't argue this time. He fell silent.
Because deep down, the voice wasn't wrong.
If Meizawa's supporting players were strong, his coordination with Sendoh might not be enough.
Even if he managed to pass the ball cleanly, Sendoh might not always be able to score.
And if he chose to attack himself, the opponents could simply double-team him.
Kirihara, Kobayashi, and Yamamoto would be completely ignored.
That was the tragedy of a team without balance — a team like Shohoku's Takenori Akagi's in his second year of high school.
Seiyo now was the same: a two-man team made up of Ake and Sendoh.
If either of them was stopped, Seiyo's defense would collapse.
After a long silence, Ake finally spoke again.
"I believe in my teammates. I believe in Sendoh. And I believe in myself. We'll win the final — together."
The voice scoffed.
"How naïve. Relying on others is just weakness. Only by surpassing everyone else can you truly control your destiny. When your strength is absolute, everything you want will be within your grasp."
Then, the voice faded away.
No one else knew about this conversation.
Ake's gaze slowly refocused, his expression firm once again.
But for some reason — whether it was the pressure of the upcoming final, or a lingering sense of unease —
The words of his second personality kept echoing in his mind.