On Shūtoku's side.
A faint trace of the Zone still flickered in Shintaro Midorima's eyes.
He did not dare exit the Zone. Once he left it, it would likely be extremely difficult to enter it again.
So he had to maintain this state as long as possible.
After all, there were still more than twenty minutes left in the second half.
The rest of the team did not disturb Shintaro Midorima either, afraid that they might accidentally pull him out of the Zone. If that happened, things would take a bad turn.
Masaaki Nakatani also stopped talking about tactics. At this point, it was no longer about strategy.
All he could do was give Shintaro Midorima a quiet environment.
The break ended quickly.
Both teams returned to the court.
Midorima opened his eyes again, and the lightning of the Zone flickered once more.
Taisuke Otsubo stood up and shouted,
"Everyone, let's go!"
"Yes!"
Both teams walked back onto the court, stepping once again into the arena they had long awaited.
The crowd's excitement reignited as they entered.
"They're back!"
"This is going to be good. Do you think Shūtoku can beat Kirisaki Daiichi?"
"Probably not. The [Magic Cube] hasn't even made a move yet."
Over on Tōō's side.
Daiki Aomine looked at Shintaro Midorima, who was still maintaining the Zone, and muttered,
"You didn't even drop out during the break. You're really pushing yourself, but..."
He recalled that game again. That nightmare-like game.
"But... in the end, it's still pointless."
On the court.
Both teams prepared to resume play.
Shūtoku kept the same lineup.
After all, most of the first half had been carried by Midorima, so the others had not used much stamina.
On Kirisaki Daiichi's side, Shogo Haizaki was subbed out to rest, and Miyamoto Tokima stepped onto the court.
Miyamoto Tokima played as the shooting guard.
Dicky Anthony shifted to small forward.
Midorima glanced at Miyamoto Tokima, who was adjusting his uniform, and murmured,
"So you're finally making your move."
After fixing his clothes, Miyamoto Tokima said,
"Let's go."
The rest of Kirisaki Daiichi nodded and stepped onto the court.
The second half.
Officially began.
Kirisaki Daiichi had possession.
Makoto Hanamiya slowly brought the ball up.
Even with his mouth effectively shut, his vision and ability as a point guard were still undeniable.
It could be said that in Japan, aside from Seijuro Akashi, no one could match Makoto Hanamiya at the point guard position.
That naturally included Shūtoku's backup point guard.
Makoto Hanamiya did not even bother with him. He ignored him completely and passed the ball straight to Miyamoto Tokima.
The ace was on the court. Of course the ball went to him.
Miyamoto Tokima caught the ball and met Midorima's gaze.
Shintaro Midorima's calm expression shifted into seriousness.
He spread his arms wide, fully focused on defense.
His eyes, flickering with green lightning, locked onto Miyamoto Tokima.
Miyamoto Tokima smiled faintly.
"I'm coming."
Midorima's focus sharpened further.
"Come."
The next second.
Miyamoto Tokima raised the ball into a shooting motion. Midorima knew how fast his release was and did not dare relax.
He quickly shifted his center of gravity.
But the moment he did, Miyamoto Tokima paused.
Then he exploded upward.
Midorima tried to jump and contest, only to realize he could not move.
His pupils trembled as he understood instantly.
"[Void]!"
Miyamoto Tokima rose into the air and released the shot in one smooth motion.
Clean. Efficient. No wasted movement.
Midorima turned his head just in time to see the ball drop through the net.
Swish.
In the stands, Reo Mibuchi clenched his fists, his face full of excitement.
This move was currently one of his trump cards.
And its creator was Miyamoto Tokima.
He had wanted to use it against Midorima before.
But at first, there was no need, and by the time it became necessary, the match had already ended.
On the court.
Kiyoshi Miyaji inbounded the ball.
Midorima had already started gathering momentum.
Miyamoto Tokima watched him calmly with a faint smile.
"Midorima, are you really that confident your teammates can get the ball to you?"
Midorima froze for a moment, then quickly turned his head.
Standing in front of Kiyoshi Miyaji were two towering figures.
Atsushi Murasakibara and Dicky Anthony.
Two players over two meters tall formed an impenetrable wall.
They completely cut off the passing lane between Miyaji and Midorima.
Midorima clenched his teeth. His usual composure was gone.
Miyamoto Tokima smiled slightly.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
Midorima did not answer. He responded with action.
He abandoned his shooting setup and sprinted out to receive the ball.
He had to control the ball himself.
With Kazunari Takao gone, if anyone else handled it, there was a high chance the pass would never reach him again.
And if that happened, it would truly be over.
Kiyoshi Miyaji focused completely, waiting for Midorima to get into position.
Miyamoto Tokima followed him calmly, making no attempt to intercept.
Finally, just before the inbound violation, Miyaji passed the ball.
Midorima caught it, turned toward the basket, and locked his eyes on the rim.
After a quick adjustment, he jumped.
At the same moment, Miyamoto Tokima stepped in front of him and jumped as well.
He jumped high.
Fast and precise.
His arm shot up, completely sealing Midorima's shooting path.
Midorima froze for a split second.
It was the first time he had ever seen someone completely block his shooting lane.
But when he realized it was Miyamoto Tokima, he accepted it.
After all, was there anything Miyamoto Tokima could not do?
Still, Midorima was not someone to be stopped so easily.
In midair, he twisted his body, leaning sharply to the left.
He avoided the block.
Then, with his body drifting sideways, he released the ball.
A drifting shot.
Miyamoto Tokima was stunned.
He could still do that.
A full-court drifting three.
So this was Midorima in the Zone.
At that moment, Miyamoto Tokima finally understood.
Why, in the original story, Midorima was the only one who never entered the Zone.
He was already this absurd.
........
...
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