The whistle blew. Midorima Shintaro scored again.
The score became 61–79. Fukuda Sogo still led by 18 points.
On the court, Haizaki Shogo immediately took the ball and returned to offense. Fukuda Sogo still used man-to-man defense on Midorima, and Shutoku did the same—Midorima was also assigned directly to Haizaki.
Looking at Midorima stepping forward, Haizaki smiled faintly.
"Shintaro, I'm using this play to thank you."
Then—he exploded into motion.
His dribbling shifted left and right at high speed, and in the split second of transition, he slipped past Midorima.
In the next instant—
BOOM!
A violent two-handed windmill dunk slammed the ball into the rim.
The basket shook violently, letting out a low, trembling sound as if groaning under pressure.
Haizaki landed smoothly, expression calm.
Midorima stood frozen in place.
So that's why… he didn't chase me earlier.
He used that moment… to enter that state.
Haizaki had stolen it.
A brief moment of "Man-and-ball unity."
And what shocked Midorima most was this realization—Haizaki had maintained that state longer than he had.
"Shogo… you monster."
======
In the stands, Aomine Daiki suddenly laughed.
"Ahh… hahahaha!"
His voice echoed loudly across the arena. But no one told him to stop.
Because it was justified.
If anyone had the right to laugh like that—it was Aomine.
He had seen it clearly. Haizaki was on another level now.
Aomine's eyes sharpened as he stared at the court.
That's a real opponent… someone who can enter that state too.
Excitement burned inside him.
Right now, he hasn't yet reached the threshold of "Zone." But witnessing Haizaki gave him something real to chase.
If I keep fighting him… I might reach it too.
His body trembled slightly—not from fear, but anticipation.
Midorima regained possession.
But now, something has changed.
Haizaki's pressure felt heavier than before. Midorima tried to break through several times—but couldn't.
He quickly passed the ball out.
Takao Kazunari received it, drove past Ishida Hideki, and attempted a floater—but missed.
Otsubo Taisuke jumped in and tipped it in.
The rhythm of the game briefly stabilized again.
Haizaki returned to defense. Ishida brought the ball across midcourt, passed to Sawano, and Sawano powered through contact before feeding Kimura Tosho.
Kimura finished with a mid-range jumper.
The score tightened again.
Then—
WHISTLE!
End of the third quarter.
Everyone on the court finally exhaled.
The tempo of this game was unlike any normal match.
Running back and forth was meaningless if you couldn't affect the result.
It created frustration. Helplessness. Even self-doubt.
For prideful players, it was unbearable.
Haizaki returned to the bench, taking a towel from Shimizu Rena and wiping sweat from his face. His breathing was steady. His stamina was still high.
"Shogo-kun… your stamina—"
"It's fine," Haizaki interrupted calmly. "Enough to finish the game."
Coach Kudo nodded. "Good. We're up 61–79. Eighteen points ahead. But Shutoku now has Midorima in that condition… this lead is not safe."
"I'll handle him," Haizaki replied. "We're going to the finals."
"Then I'm counting on you."
======
On the Shutoku side, silence filled the bench.
Everyone stared at Midorima.
He was drinking water calmly, wiping sweat with a towel.
But the aura around him had completely changed.
He was no longer just a shooter.
He had become something closer to a complete guard—offense, defense, control, everything elevated to a terrifying level.
Coach Nakatani Ryuhei finally spoke.
"Shintaro… can you last until the end?"
Midorima paused. Then he answered slowly.
"I don't know."
"I'm in peak condition right now. I will last until I can't run anymore."
Silence fell again.
Then Nakatani gave the final instruction.
"Final quarter—go all out from the start. Our only chance is to overturn the score before Midorima runs out of energy."
"I understand."
The break ended.
The final quarter began.
======
In the stands, Murasakibara Atsushi sat still.
His expression was different now—tense, frustrated… and envious.
"I kind of regret it, Akashi…"
"This game… it makes my whole body shake."
"Even Haizaki and Midorima are this strong…"
"I want to get stronger too."
He slowly clenched his fist.
"And Akashi… I don't think I'll keep listening to you anymore."
At that moment, something inside him stirred.
Like a beast waking up again.
A raw, instinctive confidence—untamed and absolute.
The belief that only he himself was strongest.
Murasakibara's purple eyes sharpened. A faint coldness flickered within them.
=============
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter