Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 91: A Setback. Time for a Lesson in the Post! (Patreon)

Anyone who'd watched the previous national championship clash between Kawari and Teikō remembered the direct confrontation between Masato and Akashi.

Masato had gone up against Kise and Aomine in fierce exchanges throughout that game, but it was his final matchup with Akashi that had decided the outcome. As a result, Akashi's performance had earned him considerable praise.

Many of the fans in the arena today were hoping to see the two captains face each other again.

Some had even expected Teikō to repeat its old strategy, sending Aomine or Kise to wear Masato down before Akashi stepped in.

Instead, the captains were squaring off almost immediately.

All eyes turned toward the court, eager to see what would happen when these two rivals collided.

...

Akashi stood with absolute confidence, just as his commanding order to "Kneel!" suggested.

Deep down, he didn't believe Masato posed a threat to him or to Teikō.

Under the scrutiny of the Emperor Eye, not the slightest movement of Masato's body went unnoticed. His breathing, the shifts of his bones, even the flow of blood through his veins seemed laid bare before Akashi's gaze.

Masato could feel himself being seen through, but he wasn't alarmed.

He understood what the Emperor Eye could do. Akashi loved talking about the future, but when you got right down to it, wasn't his ability based on extraordinary observation and finding weaknesses in an opponent's movements?

If that was how it worked, Masato could save him the trouble of looking for an opening.

He would create one himself and put it on display.

With [Adaptation] operating invisibly, Masato deliberately shifted his center of gravity to the right. That left an obvious gap in the defense on his left.

His stance practically invited Akashi to take it.

The left side was wide open. Akashi could take it if he had the nerve.

...

Naturally, the Emperor Eye caught the change. Akashi could even tell Masato had exposed that opening on purpose.

But an opening was still an opening. He had enough faith in his own ability to fear none of Masato's schemes.

He trusted what his eyes showed him.

Akashi attacked the exposed side without hesitation. His speed was astonishing, carrying him past Masato in the blink of an eye.

To everyone watching, the drive was a success. Akashi himself thought so too.

What none of them noticed was the smile forming on Masato's face.

At that very moment, Masato engaged his powerful core and rapidly restored his balance.

Akashi had already reached the paint during the adjustment and gathered the ball to shoot. But just as he was about to release it, his keen senses warned him of a presence behind his back.

A shadow fell across his vision.

For the first time, surprise flickered across Akashi's composed face. He'd underestimated Masato's defense.

With that threat closing in from behind, he knew he couldn't finish the shot. He forced his body into an awkward twist in midair, trying to turn the attempt into a pass.

It reminded him of their previous encounter at Nationals. Masato had defended him in much the same way then.

But Masato had still lost, hadn't he? What good would repeating the same trick do?

As far as Akashi was concerned, the future remained firmly in his grasp.

The Emperor Eye immediately identified an opportunity. Shintaro Midorima was waiting in the corner beyond the three-point line.

Akashi sent the ball his way without hesitation.

The instant the pass left his hands, he regretted it.

For the first time, genuine shock broke through the calm in his eyes.

There was one detail he'd overlooked. The Emperor Eye hadn't shown him what Masato was doing behind his back.

As Akashi released the pass, a spiderweb pattern appeared in Masato's eyes.

It was [Four-Dimensional Hypervision], giving him an extraordinary awareness of space. In a sense, that ability could also be used to anticipate the future.

Masato read the pass the moment it was thrown.

"SMACK!!!"

With a wingspan far greater than Akashi's, he reached the ball even though he'd moved second and intercepted it cleanly.

The sharp sound of the steal left everyone stunned, especially the Teikō players. None of them had imagined someone taking a pass away from Akashi. As far as they could remember, it had never happened before.

For a moment, even the other members of the Generation of Miracles forgot to run back on defense. They simply stared as Masato secured the ball.

...

Masato had a perfect opportunity for a fast break, but he didn't take it.

He hadn't forgotten the arrogant things Akashi had said. He'd kept quiet earlier because he'd wanted to answer with basketball first.

Now that he'd made his point on the court, it was time to return those words in full.

With spiderweb patterns still spread across his pupils, Masato looked down at the stunned Akashi and gave a contemptuous little laugh.

"What? Still trying to figure out what happened?" His voice was casual, as though Akashi barely warranted his attention.

"One lost possession and you're already falling apart? With nerves like that, how did you become Teikō's captain? I'm starting to wonder if your teammates gave you the position just to protect your fragile little heart."

The naked mockery left Akashi's mind blank. He could barely process what had happened, let alone this new humiliation. He'd never experienced anything quite like it in his life.

For several moments, his thoughts simply refused to move.

At last, Akashi recovered and fixed Masato with a piercing stare.

Masato wasn't impressed. He kept talking.

"Those eyes of yours really are special. But going around ordering everyone to kneel? You think far too highly of yourself."

He lowered his gaze a little farther.

"Or are you just insecure about being so short?"

"..."

Masato had made no effort to spare Akashi's dignity. He'd gone beyond trash talk and straight into personal insults.

It was easily the fiercest verbal exchange they'd had in any of their encounters.

The surrounding players, both from Kawari and Teikō, were shaken. Nobody had expected Masato to be this merciless. His words had gone well beyond the usual boundaries of competition.

Masato knew that perfectly well.

But that was how he was. The moment Akashi told him to kneel, Masato had decided he would crush him.

And the insults weren't entirely personal. He had another reason for pushing so hard.

Masato knew Akashi's second personality was unstable. If he could break that side of him as quickly as possible, Kawari's chances of winning would rise considerably.

Having finished his verbal assault, Masato had no intention of wasting more time. He gave Akashi one last look and finally began advancing with the ball.

Teikō's players fell back on defense. Fortunately for them, Masato wasn't trying to launch a fast break. He slowed down to let his teammates come up the court with him.

Once everyone had crossed half court, he found himself facing Akashi again. This time, though, their roles had reversed.

Akashi's face had returned to its usual calm, but every player could sense that his emotions were anything but settled.

Sure enough, as the two closed in on each other, his voice cut through the air like a blade.

"You'll pay for what you said."

Masato wasn't bothered in the slightest. In fact, the threat made him more interested. If Akashi had stayed silent, he might almost have felt like he was bullying the guy.

He looked down at his opponent, an angle that seemed to irritate Akashi even more.

There wasn't much Akashi could do about that. The difference in their builds was enormous.

After more than half a year of growth, Masato was approaching 190 centimeters in height, and his wingspan had already passed two meters.

Akashi, meanwhile, probably hadn't even reached 170 centimeters.

Without the Emperor Eye to compensate for that enormous physical gap, he wouldn't have stood a chance of guarding Masato at all.

Looking at the scene before him, Masato suddenly remembered the havoc he'd caused on the outdoor pickup court some time ago.

A familiar line popped into his head, and he couldn't resist saying it aloud.

"Akashi, time for a lesson in the post!"

...

A Question for Readers:

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