"Defense! Kill their rhythm!"
Maki Shinchi's roar exploded across the court.
It was like a subwoofer blasting directly into everyone's chest, making their eardrums ache.
On the court, Maki's entire body was wrapped in purple lightning.
That was the absolute domain belonging to the "Emperor."
Under the influence of his aura, the other four Kainan players had practically become precision AI.
Their movements, rotations, and defensive switches were flawless.
Tight.
Perfect.
Not even a fly could slip through.
"This is… Zone?"
On the Shohoku spectator stand, Miyagi Ryota gripped the railing tightly.
His knuckles had turned white.
Cold sweat slid down from his temples.
"This is ridiculous."
"Not only is Maki Shinchi absurdly strong…"
"Even Jin and Kiyota's speed has been forcefully raised by another level."
"Right now, Kainan isn't a basketball team anymore."
"They're a killing machine without emotions."
Mitsui Hisashi bit his thumbnail.
His brows were twisted into a deep frown.
"Ryonan is going to collapse."
"Sendoh is strong, but…"
"He's still human."
"To break apart this kind of full-team shared max-level buff…"
"Unless…"
"Unless someone can blow up the server and forcibly disconnect the connection."
Juro's lazy voice interrupted.
He was holding a handful of popcorn that appeared from nowhere.
He tossed one into his mouth.
Crunch.
The sound was unusually loud.
"Speak normally."
Rukawa Kaede turned his head.
His gaze cut toward Juro like a blade.
Makino Juro brushed the crumbs off his hand and nodded toward the figure on the court.
The one being crushed under Maki's purple aura.
"Everyone who enters Zone has their own unique 'rule.'"
"Maki Shinchi's rule is 'Order.'"
"He perfectly combines individual ability and team discipline like lines of code."
"Creating a logical cycle of suppression."
A mischievous smile appeared on Makino Juro's face.
His eyes carried the excitement of someone watching a good show.
"But what about Sendoh Akira?"
"This guy who normally skips practice, goes fishing, and acts like a retired old man…"
"When the beast inside him is finally released…"
"What kind of monster will he become?"
"Facing this suffocating 'Order'…"
"Will he kneel and surrender?"
"Or…"
Before Juro could finish.
The atmosphere on the court changed.
"Ha…"
"Ha…"
Sendoh Akira supported himself on his knees.
Sweat dripped from his sharp hair tips onto the floor.
Breaking apart.
Tired.
His lungs felt like they were stuffed with burning coal.
Every breath carried a metallic taste of blood.
His vision was filled with oppressive purple light.
Maki's pressure was everywhere.
Jin Soichiro's movements were slippery like an eel.
Kiyota Nobunaga's trash talk buzzed endlessly beside his ears.
"Have you accepted your fate, Sendoh?"
Maki looked down from above.
His purple eyes contained no emotion.
Only cold judgment.
"You're a genius."
"But before absolute 'weight'…"
"Fancy techniques are nothing but a joke."
"Ryonan's defense is already broken."
"You alone…"
"How are you supposed to stop five people?"
Those words fell like a heavy hammer.
Crushing the hearts of every Ryonan player.
Uozumi Jun was breathing like a broken bellows.
His eyes were unfocused.
Fukuda Kicchou clenched his teeth so hard his gums bled.
Yet his legs felt like they were filled with lead.
Koshino and Uekusa were pale.
They looked ready to collapse at any moment.
This was the difference in levels brought by Zone.
Maki activated a team-wide enhancement.
While Ryonan…
Only had one Sendoh running on fading battery.
"...Heh."
A faint laugh suddenly escaped from Sendoh's throat.
Maki's eyebrows twitched.
Slowly—
Sendoh straightened his back.
He casually wiped the sweat from his face.
Those black eyes that were usually gentle like calm water…
Now looked as if someone had dropped a thick drop of blue ink into them.
Spreading.
Expanding.
Turning everything into blue.
Deep blue.
Silent.
Like an ocean that swallowed all light.
"Maki."
"You're too noisy."
Sendoh's voice wasn't loud.
But it carried a bone-chilling coldness that clearly entered everyone's ears.
"This 'Order' you're so proud of…"
"Filled with sweat and pressure…"
"Honestly, it's pretty greasy."
CRACKLE!!
Two streams of blue electricity suddenly exploded from the corners of Sendoh's eyes.
Like two raging thunder serpents.
They tore apart the endless purple aura surrounding the court!
Zone!
"Here it comes!"
"The real show is starting!"
"He awakened his own Zone!"
On the spectator stand, Makino Juro suddenly sat straight up.
The popcorn in his hand instantly lost its appeal.
On the court.
Maki's pupils contracted.
Something was wrong.
The Sendoh in front of him had changed.
If the previous Sendoh was a sword with a chipped edge…
Then the current Sendoh was—
A cloud of mist.
A pool of water.
Or perhaps…
A stream of data that couldn't be grabbed.
"Playing tricks!"
Maki roared.
He refused to think.
He charged forward with the ball.
Can't understand him?
Then crush him!
Maki accelerated to his maximum speed.
His body became a purple bulldozer.
Charging straight toward Sendoh.
At the same time...
Kiyota and Jin spread out left and right.
A perfect triangle kill formation appeared.
No matter which side Sendoh blocked…
The other two paths would become fatal attacks.
This was Maki's strategy.
A move that seemed impossible to solve.
However...
Sendoh didn't move.
He simply stood there casually.
Not even taking a defensive stance.
As if he was spacing out.
Then...
At the instant Maki was about to collide with him.
Sendoh moved.
No.
More accurately…
The entire world's frame rate slowed down in his eyes.
His toes lightly touched the ground.
His body moved as if it had no bones.
A side-step that completely violated physics.
Not retreating.
Not shifting sideways.
But…
Passing through.
"What?!"
Maki's eyes widened.
He watched helplessly as Sendoh passed through him like moving through a curtain of water.
Sliding straight through the gaps in his flawless dribbling rhythm.
No collision.
No steal motion.
He didn't even touch Maki's hand.
But at the exact moment they passed each other—
Maki suddenly felt his hand become lighter.
The ball?!
Where was it?!
He instantly turned around.
The orange basketball…
Was already resting quietly in Sendoh's hand.
"When did that happen?!"
Kiyota Nobunaga screamed.
His expression completely collapsed.
Nobody saw what happened in that instant.
It looked like…
Maki Shinchi himself had handed the ball to Sendoh.
"This is your Zone?"
Sendoh stood at the center circle with one hand holding the ball.
A familiar smile appeared on his face.
But the blue light in his eyes was cold enough to make people tremble.
"Sorry, Maki."
"In my BGM…"
"Your 'Order'…"
Sendoh raised one finger.
And gently shook it.
"Is full of bugs."
"That was…"
"Did the footage lag?"
"Did Maki Shinchi just lose the ball?"
"No!"
"Did Sendoh predict his prediction?"
On the spectator stand, Mitsui rubbed his eyes hard.
His expression looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Not just prediction."
Juro narrowed his eyes.
His voice carried undisguised admiration.
"It's deception."
"Deception?"
Rukawa frowned.
"Yes."
Juro pointed toward Sendoh on the court.
As if explaining a magic performance.
"Every Zone has its own core attribute."
"My attribute is 'Destruction.'"
"Maki's is 'Dominance.'"
"And Sendoh's…"
"Is 'Illusion.'"
"He uses the court vision of a point guard, combined with the extreme reaction speed granted by Zone…"
"To create a false reality in an instant."
"He planted an incorrect code into Maki Shinchi's brain."
"Making Maki believe that position was safe."
"It's like…"
Makino Juro paused.
Then snapped his fingers.
"A mirage."
"You think it's an oasis."
"But when you step forward…"
"It becomes an endless abyss."
"Zone · Magical Phantom."
"This…"
"Is the ultimate move most suited for this 'genius magician.'"
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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