It was over.
Truly, everything was over.
The [Zone], a state of hyper-concentrated focus, was difficult to maintain for long periods.
Moreover, although entering the [Zone] drastically increased Aomine's strength, it also consumed an enormous amount of stamina. This skill was destined to be used only at critical moments.
Even with Aomine only playing half the game, his stamina was relatively sufficient. But the more defenders there were, the greater the pressure to break through, a simple truth.
So the moment Aomine exited the [Zone], the outcome of the game was effectively decided.
Beep~~~
As the final whistle sounded, all Tōō Academy players immediately froze, hands on hips, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.
Satsuki Momoi covered her mouth, unable to believe it.
Aomine himself paused, stunned, seemingly not realizing what had just happened, until Akashi released his defense and joined Seiho's players in celebrating.
Then Aomine finally comprehended.
"I… lost?"
"Huh?"
"How… how could I have lost?"
Tears rolled down his still bewildered face. The long-unexperienced taste of defeat was almost unbearable for him.
============
"Game over!"
"Seiho High defeats Tōō Academy High."
"Score: 94–73."
With the referee's announcement, this year's round of eight advancing to the final four officially ended.
Players from Shutoku, Kaijo, and Seirin left the stands one by one, but before leaving, the members of the Generation of Miracles all cast complex glances at Aomine and Akashi.
Clearly, the result was unexpected.
Judging from the final score, Akashi still seemed a step ahead of Aomine, after all, since Aomine entered the court, Seiho had allowed Tōō Academy to close the gap by nearly 20 points.
But a loss was a loss.
No matter what strategies Seiho employed, as long as they were within the rules, the result was final.
Moreover, compared to Aomine, Akashi only lost because of the [Zone]. In terms of raw skill, he was now clearly on the same level as the Generation of Miracles.
Especially for Tetsuya Kuroko.
He was perhaps the most conflicted of all.
Before Seirin faced Tōō Academy, not only Kuroko himself, but also Tōō Academy's manager Satsuki Momoi, had hoped that Seirin could defeat Aomine at least once.
For Kuroko and Momoi, defeating Aomine wasn't just about winning, it was about "awakening" the old Aomine.
Unfortunately, Seirin had lost that match.
And badly.
Not only had they failed to defeat Aomine, but Kuroko's own mental state had nearly collapsed.
When Seirin finally regained morale and aimed to take revenge at the Winter Cup, Tōō Academy unexpectedly lost to Seiho, with a margin exceeding 20 points.
"Seriously, these guys are ridiculously strong!"
Junpei Hyuga muttered as they left the gym.
"At this rate, I have no confidence for this year's Winter Cup!"
"What are you talking about?"
Riko Aida said, "Do you think we trained so hard during summer camp for nothing? We still have time until the Winter Cup. What we need to do now is double our efforts to catch up to our rivals."
============
"Ah! That was close!"
In Seiho's locker room, Yoshikasu Omuro and Kenjiro Sakamoto exhaled deeply upon returning.
Even now, recalling the final quarter felt absurd. Despite leading by 40 points after three quarters, the last quarter almost felt like a comeback was possible.
"The 'Generation of Miracles' are just completely unreasonable."
Omuro shook his head thinking of the three-man trap on Aomine in the fourth quarter, only to see him break through repeatedly.
"Enough. The game's over, so let's not dwell on it."
Tsutomu Iwamura said, "Pack up quickly. We'll return to the hotel to study tomorrow's opponents. Chances are, it will be another tough match."
Including Seirin, six schools with members of the Generation of Miracles had entered the tournament. Four had been eliminated; the remaining two advanced to the national semifinals.
According to the bracket, Seiho's next opponent would almost certainly be another Generation of Miracles member.
============
Elsewhere, the remaining three qualifying matches concluded.
The last two members of the Generation of Miracles learned of Seiho's victory over Tōō Academy immediately.
"Huh? Aomine lost?"
In Yosen High's locker room, a tall young man with long purple hair, even taller than Akashi, was stunned upon hearing the news.
It was none other than Murasakibara Atsushi, center of the Generation of Miracles, who had faced Akashi head-on in middle school.
Coach Masako Araki nodded gravely. "Yes, it was a very intense match. I already have the recording. Pack up; we need to go over it in the meeting."
"Understood!"
The Yosen players responded in unison.
Back at the hotel, after a quick wash, they gathered in a temporary conference room to watch the Seiho vs. Tōō Academy recording.
The game wasn't long, but after watching, all fell silent.
"Any thoughts?" Coach Araki asked first.
No one responded.
After seven or eight seconds, team captain Okamura Kenichi finally murmured:
"On the surface, Seiho's victory seems purely tactical, but…"
He trailed off, unable to fully articulate the astonishing duel.
Without a doubt, the first half of Seiho vs. Tōō Academy held some reference value for a team like Yosen, but not much.
Yet the second half was far more instructive, almost to the point of overwhelming comprehension.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria