"Oh~ not bad at all!"
"To shut down Teiko's Midorima Shintaro completely and not even give him a chance to shoot... looks like this game might actually be competitive!"
"Wait, but why don't Teiko's players pass the ball? There were so many open teammates just now."
"Haha~ you must be new! Teiko Junior High's players never pass the ball anymore. It's practically their trademark now."
============
With his back-to-back flashy plays, Akashi Asuka breathed new life into what had been a dull and lifeless game, reigniting the crowd's excitement in an instant.
And as the one responsible for that excitement, Asuka himself was grinning from ear to ear.
"Hehe~ You thought I was on layer one, and you were already on layer two. But the truth is, I've been watching you from layer five this whole time."
"Could you not smile like that? It's disgusting."
Compared to the rest of the Generation of Miracles, Midorima's mental stability was relatively intact. So even though Asuka forced a turnover out of him, he didn't go completely off the rails.
At most, he was just extremely annoyed.
"Even Midorima couldn't get past him..."
In the bench area, Satsuki Momoi covered her mouth in surprise.
For the first time ever, she began to doubt her own data-gathering abilities.
"Hmm~~~ This guy's clearly been hiding his true skills. Speed, reaction time, power, blocks… He plays almost like a center on par with Murasakibara. But I guess… that's his limit."
While Asuka's sudden burst of performance was impressive, the Teiko coach didn't seem particularly concerned.
Firstly, with this year's Teiko lineup, he genuinely couldn't imagine any real threat to their victory.
Secondly, despite Asuka's plays, the coach saw no signs of true talent in him.
And on that point, he was very clear.
On the surface, Akashi Asuka looked like he could go toe-to-toe with the Generation of Miracles, but there was a deep, unbridgeable gap between them.
Once they entered high school, the Generation of Miracles would continue to grow at an insane rate. Even without specialized training, they'd easily leave someone like Asuka far behind.
"To reach this level through sheer effort is commendable… but this is still as far as he'll go."
The coach's tone was somewhere between impressed and regretful.
As a coach, he had a soft spot for hardworking players like Asuka.
But as an opponent… all he could offer was sympathy.
Reality is cruel.
In sports, effort matters, but talent matters even more. Some people pour in their heart and soul their entire lives, only to barely touch the starting line that others are born standing on.
And Akashi Asuka wasn't just facing one prodigy, he was up against five once-in-a-decade talents.
============
"Data gathering complete. Time to launch the counterattack."
Just like the Teiko coach predicted, although Asuka had managed to disrupt the plays of Murasakibara and Midorima, and even partially interfered with Aomine's offense, the Generation of Miracles never once looked panicked.
Surprised? Yes. But never afraid.
Because they never doubted, not for a second, that they were going to win.
Kaijo Junior High inbounded the ball.
Their point guard crossed half court, only to be met by Akashi Seijuro.
He immediately passed the ball, only to have it stolen cleanly.
With the Emperor Eye activated, Akashi's steal rate was practically 100%.
After the steal, he launched a fast break, this time leading the charge himself, driving straight into the paint.
"Tch... trouble incoming."
Seeing Akashi closing in, Asuka moved in to intercept. But Akashi simply dribbled a few times in front of him, and in a split second, Asuka's balance was thrown off.
Emperor Eye + Ankle Breaker.
"Damn, this is literally sci-fi basketball at this point..."
Since he already knew what to expect, Asuka had taken precautions against Akashi's signature moves. He was extra careful with his center of gravity, something he'd trained extensively in his previous life as a volleyball player.
If anything, volleyball required even more precise control of body balance, especially mid-air.
But even so, just a moment ago, Akashi's breakthrough had made him feel like his body was caught in a trance, completely unsteady.
"No one can disobey me."
With Asuka off balance, Akashi slipped past him effortlessly from the right.
But right as Akashi was about to finish the drive, Asuka forced himself to stabilize his footing with a sudden burst of strength.
He had only one goal in mind.
I don't care if you break past me, shoulder me, even elbow me, but I am not getting crossed to the floor.
I'm a three-time national champion in my previous life, I have my pride!
Once steady, Asuka lunged for a powerful block, a monster swat! But before it landed, Akashi had already passed the ball.
Kise Ryouta caught the pass, and, right in front of Asuka, threw down a windmill dunk.
Cold sweat.
Was this world even real anymore?
This is Junior High, and this guy's already doing windmill dunks!? What the hell are Jordan and Kobe supposed to do now!?
"This game is unplayable..."
Asuka muttered to himself, half in jest, half in truth.
Because the moment Akashi Seijuro started attacking, Asuka truly had no way to stop the Generation of Miracles anymore.
Unlike the others, Akashi actually passed the ball.
Thanks to his boosted stats in Strength and Blocking, Asuka could somewhat keep up in one-on-one situations against most of the Generation of Miracles, not necessarily win, but at least trade blows.
But that was only solo matchups.
Once two or more of them worked together?
Forget Asuka, no player in the entire country could win against that.
Damn it! These kids have no honor!
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 630+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 208
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 190
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 120
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 45
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 43