The roar inside the arena surged like boiling magma, threatening to rip the ceiling apart.
Mitsui Hisashi's time-defying alley-oop three didn't just erase the deficit—
It was like a shot of adrenaline straight into Shohoku's veins, reviving a team on the brink of collapse.
58:58.
Back to square one.
And yet—
Amid the frenzy, a chill crept down Makino Juro's spine.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn't immersed in the celebration. His half-lidded eyes narrowed slightly, cutting through the chaos, locking onto the man in the No. 4 jersey in the distance.
Fujima Kenji.
Shoyo's absolute ace.
At the moment the score was tied, he didn't rage.
He didn't panic.
Instead—
He was terrifyingly calm.
That suffocating composure was far more unsettling than his earlier hysterical outburst.
Something's wrong…
Makino Juro's heart skipped a beat.
In that instant just now, he had clearly felt it—
Fujima's gaze had changed.
If before, Fujima was like a razor-sharp katana, all edge and killing intent.
Now, he was like an all-encompassing net.
Those brown eyes no longer reflected a single player—
But every node of space across the entire half-court.
An ability like the "Hawk Eye"…?
Makino Juro clicked his tongue inwardly.
As a transmigrator, he knew all too well how terrifying Fujima was in this "awakened" state.
In the original story, Fujima had never fully unleashed his strength due to overconfidence and the burden of being both player and coach.
But now...
Pushed to the brink by Makino Juro, the "disruptor"—
Fujima had clearly shed all distractions and entered a pure player mode.
This was bad.
Makino Juro wiped the sweat from his chin.
Whether it was "Vision Guidance" or "Reverse Vision Guidance," their essence lay in exploiting psychological blind spots and visual gaps.
But once the opponent gained a godlike, full-map perspective.
Those tricks would lose much of their effect.
Worse still—
His physical stats were what they were.
Speed. Strength. Endurance.
Compared to a top-tier guard in Kanagawa, the gap wasn't small—it was massive.
Without skill buffs, with his stamina nearly depleted—
Forget scoring.
Even bringing the ball past half-court would cost him dearly.
System… help me out.
Makino Juro muttered inwardly, a trace of reckless desperation in his tone.
Don't give me some useless "Phantom Shot" garbage…
I need that skill!
The spinning selection finally stopped—
On an icon glowing with a faint blue light.
A half-open eye.
Within its pupil, two overlapping figures were faintly reflected.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the skill: Pseudo–Emperor Eye]
"Got it!"
"This is the one!"
"Kuroko's got nothing else worth taking anyway."
[Skill Description: Pseudo–Emperor Eye]
[Core Attribute: Defense and Coordination]
[Description: This is not Akashi Seijūrō's absolute Emperor Eye that sees all futures and shatters opponents' balance. This is an ultimate eye of "protection" and "guidance."]
[Effect 1: Shared Vision — The host can perceive the opponent's "predicted paths" and instantly construct the optimal counter-route]
[Effect 2: Presence Erasure — The host can bestow "the Emperor's Protection" upon one teammate. For the next 3 seconds, that teammate's actions will slip beyond the opponent's visual lock. No matter what they do, opponents will experience a fatal "cognitive delay."]
Makino Juro skimmed the description, the corners of his lips rising uncontrollably.
Not as strong as the original—
But perfectly tailored for this situation.
What was Fujima's greatest strength right now?
Prediction.
Those eyes that seemed to see through everything.
And this [Pseudo–Emperor Eye]
Was a virus designed to disrupt prediction itself.
It didn't attack Fujima directly.
It gave a teammate an "invisibility cloak," making Fujima's radar fail.
If I can't beat you myself…
Makino Juro's gaze swept across his teammates.
Then I'll find someone who can dunk on your head—
And I'll hand him the tissue afterward.
Rukawa Kaede?
Makino Juro glanced at the cold-faced fox nearby.
No.
Too individualistic.
Once he got the ball, all he saw was the basket.
His offense was sharp—but too orthodox.
With Fujima's experience, even with delay, he could still interfere once he read the motion.
More importantly—
Rukawa wouldn't listen to him.
Their chemistry wasn't there yet.
Mitsui?
Out of stamina.
That last shot probably drained him dry.
Akagi?
Locked down inside by Hanagata and Takano—no way out.
That left—
Makino Juro's gaze finally landed on a red-haired figure near the free-throw line.
Muttering to himself:
"I'm the genius…"
Sakuragi Hanamichi.
An unpredictable amateur.
A physical monster.
And—
A single-celled organism who listened to his "master" without question.
It's you.
Sakuragi Hanamichi.
…
The game resumed.
Shoyo attacked.
Fujima pushed forward at incredible speed.
No flashy dribbling.
Just pure acceleration and sharp changes of direction.
But under the effect of [Pseudo–Emperor Eye]—
The world in Makino Juro's vision changed completely.
The court became a three-dimensional model composed of countless lines.
Every preparatory motion Fujima made extended into a red "intent line" in the air.
Left?
No—his center of gravity leaned right!
A right-side drive!
Makino Juro could see it—
But his body couldn't keep up.
With a lightning-fast crossover, Fujima blew past him instantly.
"Too slow!"
Fujima's cold voice rang out as he charged into the paint.
Akagi had no choice but to step up.
In that split second.
Makino Juro saw a red line extend from Fujima's wrist—
Straight toward Hanagata under the basket.
That was the passing lane.
A normal player would shout:
"Watch the pass!"
But Makino Juro didn't.
His mind calculated rapidly.
Trying to intercept?
With his explosiveness, he'd likely miss.
If I can't cut off your pass—
Then I'll cut off your eyes.
"Sakuragi!!"
Makino Juro suddenly roared at Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had been idling in the paint.
"That guy Fujima just said you're worse than Rukawa!"
The effect—
Was immediate.
The two red "anger veins" popped on Sakuragi's forehead.
"What?!"
"I'm worse than that damn fox?!"
His rage ignited instantly, flames practically bursting from his eyes.
At that moment—
A faint blue glow flickered deep within Makino Juro's pupils.
[Pseudo–Emperor Eye — Activated]
[Target Locked: Sakuragi Hanamichi]