In an instant, Ryota Kise felt something strange happening to his body.
He… was falling…
But it wasn't the kind of fall you'd feel when jumping off a tall building.
It was more like sinking into water—slowly being submerged, suffocating as he descended deeper and deeper.
Kise had no idea how long he had been falling. All he knew was that it felt unbearable. Painful. Suffocating.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally forced his tired eyes open.
And what he saw stunned him.
A huge gate.
A solemn, imposing gate.
The gate was tightly shut, like some divine artifact sealing off an entire world.
Kise stared blankly at it as tears began streaming down his face without him realizing it.
He wiped at them in confusion and muttered softly:
"Why… am I crying?"
Suddenly, he laughed.
He laughed while tears kept falling, as the emotions he had suppressed for so long burst out all at once.
He had held it in for too long.
He wanted to win—so badly.
Staggering slightly, he stood up and stared at the gate.
"The Zone…?"
With that, Kise placed both hands against the gate.
Begin.
Push!!!
...
Outside.
On the court.
Shintaro Midorima suddenly sensed something and turned his head in disbelief.
His eyes locked onto Ryota Kise as he felt the change happening within him.
"How is this possible…!"
Midorima clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he too was standing beside the great gate.
But this time, Midorima's attention wasn't on the gate itself.
Instead, he turned to look at the shadows surrounding it.
Normally, if you didn't pay attention to the shadows outside the gate, you wouldn't be able to see them clearly.
But if you focused hard enough, they could be observed.
Midorima scanned the shadows one by one.
Then he saw it.
A figure.
A figure pushing against the gate.
Midorima murmured in disbelief:
"K-Kise…?!"
The next second—
The massive gate in front of that figure opened!!!
The figure stepped through the gate and vanished.
The shock on Midorima's face slowly faded into calm.
He turned and looked at his own gate, as if questioning it.
"Why?"
"Since junior high, I've never once relaxed my training."
"When others were resting, I was training. When others were dating, I was training."
"Even when others were sleeping… I was still training!!!"
"So why?"
"Why have you kept me outside this gate for more than a year?!"
In truth, Midorima had already been standing before this gate since his second year of junior high.
But during this entire year, no matter how many times he tried—
The gate never opened for him.
Watching the people around him enter the Zone one after another, the usually rational Midorima lost his composure for the first time.
He breathed heavily for a moment before slowly calming down.
Gradually, his rationality returned.
He looked at the gate again and said quietly:
"One day… I will step into the world beyond this gate."
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again—
He was back on the court.
Meanwhile, Ryota Kise had clearly changed.
Yellow lightning flickered within his eyes, and a pure, childlike smile appeared on his face.
Dribbling the ball, he approached Midorima with a grin.
"Midorimacchi, how about we have a proper match?"
Midorima froze for a moment, as if he had been pulled back to the first time they met in junior high.
"Hehe, you're really strong. Want to play a game with me?"
Back then, Midorima had refused.
But this time—
He didn't.
"Alright."
Kise's smile grew even brighter, almost like the innocent smile of a child.
"Midorimacchi, I'm coming!"
Midorima's face became serious as he took up a defensive stance.
...
Off the court.
Shuzo Nijimura chuckled lightly and teased:
"Haizaki, looks like that Kise kid might actually have more talent than you. He's already entered the Zone."
Shogo Haizaki turned his head away with a dissatisfied expression.
"Tch. One day I'll enter that damn Zone too!"
...
On the court.
Kise moved.
His body burst forward like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
Even Midorima was startled by that speed, falling an entire step behind.
Just as Midorima thought Kise would drive straight into the paint—
Kise suddenly stopped.
Then he executed a step-back, retreating all the way beyond the three-point line.
Midorima couldn't stop his momentum in time and completely lost his defensive position.
All he could do was watch as Kise released the shot.
Swish!!!
Three points!
After the basket, Kise smiled and said:
"Well, Midorimacchi?"
Midorima adjusted his glasses and replied calmly:
"Not bad."
Possession switched.
Midorima received the ball at the offensive three-point line.
Facing Kise, he remained perfectly calm.
A probing step.
Then a step-back into a jump shot.
But he had underestimated Kise's vertical leap in the Zone.
Kise exploded upward instantly and slapped Midorima's shot away.
After blocking it, Kise sprinted toward the front court at a speed no one else could match.
A solo fast break!
Midorima watched in shock, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
In the following possessions, Kise grew more and more unstoppable.
Meanwhile, Midorima seemed hesitant.
Even his shots no longer looked decisive.
The score gap quickly shrank—only two points remained before the game would be tied.
At that moment, the referee blew the whistle.
"Beep! Shūtoku High requests a timeout."
After returning to the bench, Nakatani Masaaki spoke directly.
"Midorima, your mind is unsettled."
Midorima froze for a moment, as if his thoughts had been exposed.
Nakatani continued:
"Midorima, don't lose your direction. Just believe in yourself."
"If even Kise's Zone can defeat you, how are you going to defeat Miyamoto Tokima?"
"Remember this, Midorima."
"Use your strengths… and make up for your weaknesses."
After Nakatani finished speaking, Midorima visibly calmed down.
That's right.
If even Ryota Kise's Zone could defeat him—
Then how could he ever hope to defeat Miyamoto Tokima?
"Beep! The game resumes!"
Both teams returned to the court.
Kise could clearly feel it.
Midorima's aura…
Had changed.
Shūtoku possession.
Midorima received a pass from Taisuke Otsubo at the three-point line.
Kise immediately closed in on him.
"Midorimacchi…"
"I won't let you shoot so easily."
...
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