Time passed in the blink of an eye.
At last, the day of the finals arrived.
Seiyo Middle School's opponent—
Meizawa Middle School.
The moment both teams stepped onto the court, a thunderous roar erupted from the stands, wave after wave of cheers colliding beneath the high ceiling of the gymnasium.
Akashi's gaze immediately locked onto a single figure among Meizawa's lineup.
He stood at the very front.
A boy with short, flowing black hair, refined features, and a confident smile that never seemed to fade.
Yet beneath that smile—
There was unmistakable disdain.
A gaze that looked down on everyone else.
Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
This must be Sawakita Eiji.
Still… something felt off.
The Sawakita Eiji before him was different from the one in his memories.
In Akashi's recollection, Sawakita wasn't this openly arrogant.
Just as Akashi was pondering this discrepancy, Sendo stepped forward toward the Meizawa players.
His eyes locked directly onto Sawakita.
"Yo," Sendo said with a grin. "We meet again."
Sawakita glanced at him, then smiled as recognition surfaced.
"Oh? It's you. So you actually made it to the finals. That's impressive."
Sendo's fighting spirit flared.
"I thought we'd meet sooner. But this works too. I lost to you last year—this time, it won't be that easy."
Sawakita raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered.
"Is that so? I heard you picked up a strong point guard."
He glanced toward Akashi briefly before continuing.
"You're not seriously thinking that one extra good player is enough to beat us, are you?"
Sendo answered without hesitation.
"Honestly? I am."
Heh.
Sawakita chuckled, his smile widening.
"Then show me."
Absolute confidence radiated from him.
It was the kind forged by years of dominance—one that didn't waver regardless of the opponent.
After that, Sendo returned to Akashi's side.
"That's the guy I told you about," he said quietly. "The one who beat me last year. He's strong—stay sharp."
Akashi nodded calmly.
"Don't worry. The moment you have an opening, I'll get the ball to you."
On Seiyo's bench, Coach Nakamura's heart was pounding with excitement.
This was the finals.
Something he had never even dared to imagine before.
Yet he forced himself to maintain a composed expression.
If this were over, the school's rewards alone would be astonishing.
From elite academies like Seiyo, "generous" didn't even begin to describe it.
Beep—!
The whistle pierced the air.
The final between Seiyo Middle School and Meizawa Middle School officially began.
Since the quarterfinals, Akashi had replaced Ito Hiroki as a starter.
There was no debate anymore—the gap between them was undeniable.
Ito himself held no resentment.
With Akashi on the court, Seiyo's chances of lifting the championship trophy rose dramatically.
As the game began, Akashi calmly scanned Meizawa's lineup.
Aside from Sawakita, the physical conditioning of Meizawa's players was clearly superior to Seiyo's.
The opening tip went cleanly to Meizawa's center.
After several smooth passes, the ball finally reached—
Sawakita Eiji.
Sendo immediately stepped up to defend.
At first glance, it looked like the two would clash head-on.
But in the next instant—
Sawakita exploded forward.
Too fast.
Akashi's pupils contracted slightly.
Still, this only confirmed his expectations.
Sawakita is stronger than Sendo… but not overwhelmingly so.
Sendo reacted instantly, sticking close and refusing to give ground.
The two stormed into Seiyo's restricted area together.
Then—
Sawakita came to a sudden stop.
A sharp spin.
In the blink of an eye, he slipped behind Sendo.
Sendo froze for half a beat.
By the time he turned—
Sawakita had already risen into the air.
Swish—
The ball sailed cleanly over Sendo's fingertips and dropped into the net.
Seiyo 0 — 2 Meizawa
Sendo exhaled slowly, eyes burning brighter than ever.
Still this strong…
Possession shifted.
The ball fell into Akashi's hands.
He advanced steadily, expression calm, as if Meizawa's first score meant nothing at all.
Meizawa's point guard rushed up to stop him.
Thump… thump… thump…
The basketball danced beneath Akashi's control, crisp and fluid, as though it were an extension of his body.
The Meizawa point guard felt a jolt of unease.
This kid… his ball control is no joke.
He searched for an opening—but found none.
Unable to steal, he prepared to block Akashi's path.
Then—
Thump!
The sound of the ball striking the floor echoed from the opposite side of the court.
The point guard's face changed instantly.
He turned in disbelief.
At some unknown moment, the ball was already in Sendo's hands.
And Sendo was charging straight toward Meizawa's basket.
When did he pass it?!
The point guard stared at Akashi's empty hands, stunned.
He hadn't seen a thing.
Neither had the other Meizawa players—
Including Sawakita.
By the time they realized what had happened, it was already too late.
Sendo took two long strides.
Jumped.
Swish—
The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Seiyo 2 — 2 Meizawa
Less than a minute had passed.
Both teams had already struck once.
Sawakita's gaze finally shifted fully onto Akashi.
"…So you really did find yourself a good point guard."
Sendo smirked.
"Good? That's underselling it."
"He's a monster."
Oh?
Sawakita's interest deepened.
Sendo wasn't stronger than him—but Sawakita acknowledged his skill.
For someone like Sendo to call another player a monster—
That was worth paying attention to.
And for the first time—
Sawakita Eiji began to truly look at Akashi Seijuro.