Yuuto had quite a few nicknames.
Besides the mainstream ones—the Lion of Okukozome and the King of Seihō—there were also media-given titles like Dragon Slayer, Record Crusher, and Miracle Ender.
But now, people preferred to call him the White Demon.
Not the terrifying natural perm who piloted the original Gundam.
Rather, it was because his style of victory was always so despair-inducing—like a demon, coldly devouring everything.
Thump!
Yuuto burst from the cloud of white steam. Just seeing his form was enough to make hearts go cold.
Kuroko and Kagami teamed up again to stop him.
But it was useless. With a simple crossover, Yuuto threw both of them completely off balance.
"Why is he so strong?!" Kagami roared internally.
He spun around, reaching out with everything he had, but caught nothing. He could only watch helplessly as Yuuto streaked past them, charging into the paint to posterize Kiyoshi Teppei with a vicious slam.
The gap had instantly returned to over 30 points.
This blow shattered what remained of Seirin's fighting spirit.
Because time wasn't on their side. With just over ten minutes remaining, maintaining this deficit into the fourth quarter meant certain defeat with a 30-plus point hole!
To win, they needed to cut the gap to at least 20 points. Only then would they have a chance.
But right now—
"We're going to lose again!" Aida Riko closed her eyes in despair.
If only they hadn't set their sights so high. Reaching the Winter Cup Final Four was already an excellent result.
After all, the so-called tyrant Tōō couldn't even make it past the qualifiers.
But Seirin refused to settle for less. Their goal was to conquer the nation—it had been from the very beginning.
Anything less than the championship meant nothing to them.
"It's all over. The gap between Seirin and Seihō is simply too vast."
Despite his heartache for his daughter, despite Seirin being a talented team, Aida Kagetora had to admit it.
Right now, Seirin didn't have the qualifications to challenge Yuuto's Seihō.
They were world-class. Even if he returned to his high school days and faced Yuuto, the result wouldn't be any better—only complete defeat.
"This is the world's dimensional barrier, Riko!"
His daughter was very talented, having been immersed in basketball from childhood.
He believed she would become an excellent coach someday.
But right now, she was still too young, still unaware of how vast the world truly was.
This time would be a tuition payment.
Seirin didn't want to give up, but the situation allowed them no time to think.
Their heads hung low. Tenacious as they were, even they wanted to surrender and accept this outcome.
However, not everyone agreed.
Just as Seirin was about to give up, a cry from the stands shattered the silence.
"Keep fighting, Kuroko!!!"
"Don't give up!!!"
This desperate shout immediately drew Kuroko's attention.
Because he knew this voice all too well—it belonged to the person who had led him into the world of basketball.
It was Ogiwara Shigehiro.
Kuroko's eyes widened instantly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Who is that?"
"That's Ogiwara Shigehiro!"
Momoi recognized him—the one who had suffered Teikō's greatest humiliation a year ago.
A crushing 111-11 defeat.
After that game, Ogiwara had been heartbroken and completely left basketball behind.
Kuroko had never expected to see his old friend here.
Back then, though he'd followed Yuuto to defeat Teikō, Ogiwara hadn't returned to basketball because of it.
But today, he'd brought a basketball with him. He held it high overhead, flashing Kuroko a brilliant smile, telling him that he was back to playing ball.
That smile was familiar to Kuroko—genuine love from the bottom of his heart. It was that very same heartfelt joy that had made Kuroko decide to dedicate himself to basketball.
Seeing this, Kuroko's tears fell uncontrollably.
Then Aomine stood up, shouting before everyone: "Hey, Tetsuya, Kagami! You guys beat us, didn't you? If you can't even beat Seihō, just watch how I'll deal with you!"
Then came Kise: "Same goes for us! You have to win, Seirin!"
Then Midorima: "Defeat them—whether it's Yuuto or Seihō!"
It was like Goku gathering energy for a Spirit Bomb.
Yuuto watched as cheers for Seirin suddenly erupted throughout the arena.
Only the north stands, where Seihō's fans sat, responded in kind, their voices competing with the entire venue.
These people—perhaps they simply wanted to witness an underdog's comeback.
Perhaps it was because of Yuuto's identity, not wanting to see Seihō win.
Whatever the case, reasons could be many. They could find whatever justification they wanted.
Seirin had suddenly gained the support of a massive crowd.
And from this, Seirin drew strength. Their eyes grew clear again, confusion dispelled.
"Kuroko, these cheering voices really are uplifting!" Kagami murmured.
This was the kind of emotion only basketball could bring.
He genuinely wanted to answer these supporters, to win this game alongside his like-minded friends.
Watching, thinking, feeling, listening—
Suddenly, Kagami's eyes snapped open.
After entering the Zone's depths, another gate had appeared before him.
But this gate was closed, with someone blocking his path.
Just now, that person had stepped aside, and the gate had opened with them, revealing all of Seirin standing beyond it.
Hm?
This feeling?
Yuuto sensed this peculiarity immediately.
"It's finally here—the Zone's second gate."
His gaze swept across, noticing Kagami had gathered the entire team for a huddle.
Seirin's offensive possession.
Yuuto focused completely, his attention locked onto every corner of the court.
The Zone's true nature—I will see through it.
"Here it comes!"
He held his breath in concentration. As Kagami reached the top of the arc, Yuuto took the initiative, stepping forward to meet him.
Massive amounts of white steam erupted from his body—his Star Bible was already pushed to 100%.
At this moment, he was at his absolute peak.
Kagami felt enormous pressure the instant they made contact.
But—
"You really are strong, Yuuto. I can't even imagine a way to beat you—not even a glimpse of the future."
"But we're not alone!"
Crackle~
Strange lightning suddenly erupted from the eyes of every Seirin player.
Not crimson—dark gold.
With just one exchange of glances, Seirin began operating like a machine in the very next second.
"What's going on?!"
Even Seihō's players felt the strangeness.
They watched as Kagami voluntarily avoided Yuuto, sending the ball to a teammate.
The next second—slap!—Izuki Shun forcefully redirected the ball to the free-throw line, right in front of Kagami.
Yuuto spun around to pursue. Kagami caught it but immediately kicked it out again.
This time, the recipient was Hyūga Junpei.
He didn't touch it either, instantly returning it to Kagami.
After several passes, Seirin had worked the ball deep into Seihō's territory.
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"