The players from both teams stepped onto the court once again.
The roar of the crowd hadn't completely died down, and the atmosphere was thick with tension and heat.
But soon, something unusual caught people's attention.
Sawakita Eiji — who had been marking Sendoh — suddenly took the initiative to approach Ake.
Sendoh was momentarily stunned. A wry smile tugged at his lips.
He had seen this coming, but now that it had actually happened, he couldn't help feeling a little wronged.
Still, there was nothing he could do. Given Ake's recent performance, it was only natural that Sawakita Eiji would focus on him instead.
Before long, Sendoh found himself double-teamed by two Meizawa players.
"Seriously? You've got to be kidding me," Sendoh thought with a sigh, glancing at the two defenders blocking his way.
On the other side of the court.
Ake and Sawakita Eiji stood face-to-face at the center, silently confronting each other like two wild beasts on the verge of clashing.
The air grew heavy — every breath seemed to weigh a ton.
"You're really strong," Sawakita Eiji finally said, his voice low but filled with genuine respect. "You're the most formidable point guard I've ever faced."
His eyes locked onto Ake's with blazing intensity. There wasn't a trace of arrogance in his expression — only pure fighting spirit.
Ake said nothing. His face remained unreadable, as if Sawakita's words were nothing more than leaves drifting past in the wind.
But Sawakita didn't mind. Instead, a confident grin spread across his face.
"Sendoh called you a monster," he said, his tone sharp with challenge. "Let me see for myself if that's true."
The whistle blew.
Meizawa's players passed the ball to Sawakita, and the instant he caught it, he exploded forward like a bolt of lightning.
He charged straight at Ake, his movements so quick and tight it was as though he wanted to erase every inch of space between them.
And at that very moment—
Ake's Emperor's Eye activated.
The world in front of him seemed to slow to a crawl.
Every single motion from Sawakita Eiji broke down into fragments — the twitch of a finger, the bend of a joint, the subtle shift of his balance, the explosive push of his thigh muscles, the way his waist twisted, the shift of his weight across his feet…
Ake saw it all.
In his mind, those countless micro-movements overlapped, analyzed, and reconstructed like a high-speed supercomputer processing data.
And then, the result appeared.
A single image.
A prediction.
The future — one second ahead.
Ake had seen Sawakita Eiji's next move.
Without hesitation, Ake lunged forward like a predator, his arm snapping out like lightning toward a spot that hadn't yet opened — but would.
In that instant, it was as if his movement had transcended time itself.
And just as predicted, Sawakita's body followed the exact path Ake had foreseen.
His center of gravity lowered.
His wrist flicked.
His body turned slightly — all in perfect sync with what Ake's mind had already visualized.
A sudden chill crept up Sawakita's spine.
Danger.
His instincts screamed at him.
For the first time, he realized — Ake's move had come before his own.
'How… how is that possible?!'
Sawakita's pupils shrank, his thoughts racing at lightning speed.
'Did the opponent… predict my movement?'
'No — it's more than that.'
'Did he already know what I was going to do?'
'Is this luck? Coincidence? Or… does someone like this truly exist?'
But there was no time to think.
Ake's fingertips were already inches from the ball.
At the last possible moment, Sawakita bit down hard, his muscles tensing to their limit. He twisted violently mid-move, abruptly breaking his rhythm.
Bang—
The ball slipped between his hands, tracing a low arc before switching to his other hand.
Ake's fingertips brushed the air — a split second too late.
Steal failed.
Sawakita exhaled sharply, chest rising and falling. Sweat trickled down his temples.
He had almost lost it.
That sense of his fate being sealed — of the ball being taken before he could even react — still sent shivers down his spine.
He looked at Ake again.
And for the first time, genuine fear flashed in his eyes.
'This guy… is terrifying.'
It felt like he could see the future. Like he could read every move before it happened.
Sawakita's face turned serious.
He understood now — unless he went all out, breaking through this opponent would be nearly impossible.
Even among the many players he had faced, no one had ever put this kind of pressure on him.
Bang… bang… bang…
He slowed his dribble, steadying his rhythm, waiting for the perfect opening.
The Meizawa players watched in disbelief.
Their jaws hung open.
Their ace — Sawakita Eiji — had been stopped.
And if their eyes weren't deceiving them, Ake had nearly stolen the ball just seconds ago.
They had never seen Sawakita so shaken.
Bang… bang… bang…
The sound of the dribble echoed through the silent court.
Neither player moved — both locked in a deadly stalemate.
Time ticked away.
Five seconds left on the shot clock.
Suddenly, both moved.
Sawakita took a probing step forward, eyes fixed sharply on Ake. His entire focus narrowed to the smallest detail — ready to react to even the slightest movement.
Ake moved at the exact same time, mirroring his direction perfectly.
The movement looked natural — almost too natural.
Sawakita immediately pulled back and feinted in the opposite direction. It was a bluff — meant to bait Ake into committing.
But Ake didn't move an inch.
He didn't even blink.
Sawakita's expression hardened.
He checked the shot clock.
No time left.
"Fine then…" His eyes sharpened with resolve.
He pushed off the floor with all his strength, launching forward to break through by force.
But just then, Ake's lips curved into a cold, knowing smile.
He had been waiting for this.
The sight of that smile made Sawakita's heart skip.
Something felt wrong — terribly wrong.
And then, in a blur—
The two crossed paths.
Ake behind Sawakita.
Sawakita behind Ake.
Like two strangers brushing past each other.
The entire court froze.
'Who won?'
That was the only thought in everyone's mind.
Then—
Bang.
The sound of the basketball hitting the floor echoed.
Bang… bang… bang…
The ball bounced away — toward Meizawa's side.
Sawakita stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide in disbelief.
The ball was gone.
It had been stolen from him.
And he hadn't even felt it happen.
It was as if the basketball had vanished from his hands — snatched by fate itself.
The only way that could happen… was if his opponent had predicted everything from the start.
'But that's impossible… isn't it?'
As the Meizawa players snapped out of their shock and scrambled to defend, Ake was already sprinting toward the basket.
His dribbling speed was monstrous.
Before anyone could react, he leapt gracefully and laid the ball in — clean and effortless.
A moment of stunned silence blanketed the arena.
Then the crowd erupted.
"What just happened?!"
"How did he steal that?!"
"They just brushed past each other — and suddenly the ball was gone!"
"The MVP from last year… got stolen from?!"
"That rookie from Seiyo… actually stole the ball from Sawakita Eiji!"
The noise surged again, but this time, the cheers were shifting — tilting toward Seiyo.