Akashi's eyes locked onto the court, not missing a single detail.
Then—
He understood.
"He didn't disappear. He made them disappear."
"I see. So this is what you meant by the true limit of misdirection!"
Akashi realized he'd drawn his conclusions too early.
Perhaps the game reaching this point had been part of Seirin's plan all along.
They'd insisted on keeping Kuroko on the court, waiting for this exact moment.
"Sei-chan, what are you talking about? What's this about misdirection's true limit?" Mibuchi Reo was completely lost, just like most of the spectators—still trying to process what had happened.
"You understand the principle behind the Vanishing Drive, right?"
"Sure. Basically, during Kuroko's drive, his teammates draw the defender's attention, and Kuroko exploits that split-second when their eyes shift to complete his breakthrough."
"Exactly. That's the principle behind the Vanishing Drive. But what if the person drawing attention switched from Kuroko's teammates to Kuroko himself?"
Switched to Kuroko?
Hayama Kotaro mulled it over, and gradually, understanding dawned.
From the most invisible player on the court to the most conspicuous one.
This was what Yuuto meant by "what goes up must come down."
It was like a lamp suddenly lighting up in pitch darkness—no matter how small, it would inevitably draw every eye in the room.
Because it was the only source of light in the void.
And in that moment, everything else would briefly be forgotten.
"Yuuto, you knew about this from the start?"
Sora was no longer a basketball novice. Through constant exposure, she'd become a legitimate fan capable of analyzing plays.
Yuuto nodded. He had indeed known about this technique for a long time.
"Then back when you played them..."
"This technique has weaknesses."
It was Akashi who answered, having already identified its vulnerabilities now that he understood the principle.
"First is the time factor. Kuroko's personal misdirection can only be used in the final moments of a game—it can't be sustained until the end."
Because he was one person serving as the decoy for his four teammates, the duration of the Vanishing Drive would be significantly shortened.
"Second, when Kuroko chooses to do this, Seirin is essentially sacrificing their future for the present."
Akashi emphasized those last two words.
"The future?"
"Correct. Let's call this technique Reverse Misdirection for now." Yuuto picked up the explanation. "Right now, Kuroko is essentially revealing his secrets while performing his magic trick."
"And magic has never been actual sorcery—it's sleight of hand. Once you understand the technique and practice it, anyone can replicate it."
"So after this game ends, Kuroko's misdirection will be permanently ineffective against Tōō." Yuuto sighed quietly.
Trading the future for the present—was it the right call?
He didn't know.
But he did know that right now, Seirin's momentum was unstoppable.
When a teammate was willing to go this far for victory—even without saying a word—it would inspire the entire team.
As they spoke, Seirin had already launched a fierce counterattack.
After Izuki, it was Hyuuga Junpei's turn.
Using Kuroko's presence, he blew past Sakurai Ryo in one smooth move and drained a three-pointer.
Then Kiyoshi Teppei—vanishing near the basket as if by magic, slipping to the opposite side for a thunderous dunk.
Even Aomine couldn't counter these drives, watching helplessly as Kagami Taiga disappeared right before his eyes.
"Got careless, didn't you, Aomine?"
"I wouldn't say careless. Kagami and Kuroko have excellent chemistry. As long as Aomine's attention shifts even slightly, Kuroko can set up Kagami for killer give-and-go plays."
"True. They've been playing together for less than a year but already have this level of synergy. Kuroko and Kagami—this light-and-shadow duo might actually be the strongest."
Yuuto and Akashi continued their analysis while those around them listened in silence.
Including the nearby spectators, who hung on every word.
These two were the champions and runners-up of the Inter-High—genuine prodigies.
"Even so, Tōō still has the edge."
"Mm. Unless they solve the Aomine problem, Seirin can't win."
Both of their gazes naturally drifted to Kagami Taiga.
"You felt it too, back then, didn't you?" Akashi suddenly asked.
He was referring to the Inter-High—that moment when Kagami had unleashed his incredible vertical leap.
In that instant, every member of the Generation of Miracles had sensed it: someone had stepped into their domain.
"No."
Yuuto genuinely hadn't felt anything. But he had seen it.
The third quarter ended as they talked.
...
Thanks to Seirin's late-quarter explosion, they had clawed the deficit back to just 5 points.
It should have been 2, but Imayoshi—that squinty-eyed captain—had nailed a buzzer-beater three.
"Looks like it's taking a heavy toll. Can they really last until the end?"
Sora found herself oddly hoping Seirin would win.
This proved she'd become a true basketball fan—unless it was her own team playing, she wanted to see the upset.
Besides, Seirin was the kind of underdog team running on pure heart that naturally drew sympathy from casual viewers.
"They'll be fine." Yuuto's eyes gleamed.
Through his observation, Kagami's physical stats were still holding up.
Thanks to his Seirin teammates, he had enough stamina left to finish the fourth quarter.
...
Just then, Akashi spoke. "He's entered it."
"Entered what?" Hayama asked curiously.
"The Zone."
It was Yuuto who answered. Under his watchful eye, Aomine's physical parameters had spiked dramatically in an instant.
Then—
Blue lightning erupted.
Like a bolt from a clear sky.
With a whoosh, spectators could only glimpse a blue streak as it pierced through Seirin's layered defense and finished with a thunderous slam.
In his wake, Seirin's third-quarter rally suddenly looked laughable.
"At a time like this?!"
This was devastating.
For Seirin, Aomine entering the Zone now was absolutely devastating.
They'd worked so hard to claw the deficit down to single digits, and now—
"If they don't respond immediately, the gap will be back in double digits before they know it."
"And by then, it'll be too late."
This was the enormous advantage of being able to enter the Zone at will.
You could explode exactly when your team needed it most, delivering peak offense and defense.
The problem was—
Setting aside the handful of players who could actually enter the Zone, even counting Yuuto's alternative version—his Demon Mode—only four people in total could do it.
And only three could enter at will: Yuuto, Akashi, and Aomine.
How could Seirin possibly respond?
...
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