"Never thought you'd dare defy me to this extent. It seems simple defeat is no longer enough…"
Under Seiho's basket, Akashi Seijuro slowly turned around, his mismatched eyes crackling with red lightning as he looked down upon every Seiho player without mercy.
"Let me show you… what true difference in status means."
"Wait, this chill… no way…"
Kasuga Ryuhei felt the aura radiating from Akashi, an aura nearly identical to Aomine Daiki's. His heart nearly cracked under the pressure.
"Are you kidding me!? The Zone, someone can just enter it at will like this!?"
Seiho quickly regrouped, planning to strike back. Their defense had been shattered, but their offense still had Akashi Asuka, their absolute scoring weapon.
But just as Kasuga crossed into Rakuzan's perimeter, ready to pass to Asuka,
A hand appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the ball outright.
"Hey, hey! When the hell did you get here!? Do you know how many meters away you were just now!?"
Kasuga's eyes nearly popped out. He passed because Akashi had been several meters away.
But the ball had barely traveled a single meter before it was taken.
Akashi seized the ball.
The red lightning in his eyes crackled louder, crack! crack!, and he charged alone into a fast break.
Seiho's players rushed after him, but even Asuka, fastest among them, was being left farther behind the more he ran.
BOOM!
Akashi exploded into the paint and slammed the ball through the hoop in front of everyone.
56:63.
Silence swallowed both teams.
"…So strong."
"With a physique like that and he dunks like that…?"
"The lead widened again…"
Akashi's awakening hit Seiho like a hammer to the skull.
Even Rakuzan's own coach hadn't expected this. Everyone knew Akashi might awaken, but no one thought he'd enter the Zone this easily.
"Ref, I need a ti—"
Coach Matsumoto Yukinori stood to request a timeout, but froze when he saw Asuka send him a signal.
No timeout.
This was nearly unthinkable.
But Matsumoto trusted him.
"…My apologies. We won't take the timeout."
============
In the brief instant of that exchange,
Akashi broke Seiho's offense again.
Then scored alone once more.
56:65.
"Ohhhhhh!!!"
"He's doing it alone, Akashi is dominating the whole court!!"
Exactly as he had declared, Akashi Seijuro was now handling all of Rakuzan's offense and defense.
On offense, Akashi had always possessed the capability to break through Seiho by himself, even without the Zone.
On defense, the Emperor's Eye allowed him to foresee movements multiple steps ahead. He didn't need teammates to defend, he knew every pass, every move before it happened.
He couldn't block Asuka in the air, that was pure physical difference. Not even in the Zone could he surpass Asuka's jump height or strength.
But with the Emperor's Eye,
He could cut off every pass intended for Asuka before Asuka could even receive it.
============
"What's going on? Why hasn't coach called a timeout!?"
Even the usually calm Iwamura and Kasuga began to shake.
"Relax, senpais."
Asuka placed a hand on both of their shoulders.
"The match isn't over. And we've dealt with the Zone before. There's no need to panic."
They calmed, slightly, but not fully.
Kasuga argued, "The hell you mean no need to panic!? Last time Aomine went into the Zone, we were already leading by forty points!"
Iwamura looked at Asuka. "Do you have a plan? Are we doing the same strategy as last time?"
Asuka shook his head.
"No. This time is different. Leave Akashi to me."
"You sure?" Iwamura asked.
Asuka wiped the sweat from his chin and nodded.
"More or less. Although, Akashi entering the Zone this early was unexpected."
In the original timeline, Akashi only learned to consciously enter the Zone during the following Winter Cup, after inspiration from Aomine.
Today, it seemed more like he had stumbled into the doorway by accident, forced open by sheer will.
But in the end,
It didn't matter.
It's just the Zone. It's not like I've never been there myself.
============
In the stands,
"…Hey, Dai-chan. Does Seiho really have no chance now?" Momoi asked quietly.
"Probably not," Murasakibara answered before Aomine could.
"This isn't like the match against Kirisaki Taisha. Even if Seiho tries trapping Akashi, Rakuzan's scoring won't drop."
"The match has under seven minutes left. If the lead grows again, it's over."
Kise and Midorima said nothing, but their expressions agreed.
None of them believed anyone on Seiho could stop an Akashi in the Zone.
But then,
Aomine finally spoke.
"No. There is a chance."
Everyone turned to him.
"Because if that guy also enters the Zone, then this becomes a fair fight."
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria