Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 95: Looks Like You're the One Who Knelt First! (Patreon)

The first quarter had been spectacular, especially the scoring run Masato had led in its closing minutes. It had driven the crowd's excitement to an almost unbearable level.

As a result, the break between quarters felt endless. Even the fans' popcorn and soda seemed to have lost their flavor. All anyone wanted was to see the teams play again.

At last, the arena's signal sounded and the second quarter began. The tens of thousands of people in the Dome burst into cheers all over again.

"Finally! They're starting again! I can't wait!"

"Kawari's in front now. I wonder what's going to happen in the second quarter."

"Right? Will Teikō catch up, or is Kawari going to pull even further ahead?"

"I think Teikō will come back. The Miracles clearly haven't shown everything they've got!"

"Who cares who leads? The game's amazing! Just get on with it!"

"..."

With the stands roaring, both teams returned to the floor.

...

Teikō had possession to start the second quarter. Akashi brought the ball up again, and Masato noticed the change in him almost immediately. He looked nothing like the dazed player who'd left the court a few minutes earlier. The break had clearly helped him regain his composure.

Masato frowned slightly, then relaxed. He was surprised, but not particularly concerned. Even if Akashi had returned to peak form, that wouldn't change his outlook. Once Masato gained the upper hand, he expected the gap between them to grow.

...

Under the eyes of the entire arena, the two captains faced each other once more.

Akashi's Emperor Eye was as cold and penetrating as ever. Through it, he could see the tiniest details of everything in front of him. With a power like that, it was no wonder he had absolute confidence in himself.

But just as he was about to attack, the image of Masato ripping the ball from his hands intruded again.

Akashi's obsession with victory, reinforced by his efforts to compose himself during the break, left him no room to hesitate. He launched his attack at once.

Many spectators had expected him to return from the break at full strength and finally answer Masato's dominance at the end of the first quarter.

They were proven wrong almost immediately.

Masato disrupted Akashi's rhythm again. Just as before, his superior strength overwhelmed Akashi in their physical clash, and the ball changed hands.

It was Kawari, not Teikō, sounding the charge.

The fans had seen this scene enough times already to recognize what was coming. The instant Masato took his first stride on the fast break, the crowd erupted.

This time, however, Akashi didn't freeze after the steal. He sprinted after Masato with everything he had. He was determined to get a stop. Though he was at a disadvantage in both strength and outright speed, he still managed an astonishing burst of acceleration.

They began battling for position near midcourt. To the watching crowd, it looked like blades clashing or fire striking against fire.

Akashi, usually so cold that he seemed carved from ice, now burned with furious intensity. Masato, who had spent the match driving Kawari forward with tremendous passion, played with the cool precision of an ice-cold blade.

That collision of ice and fire made the crowd roar even louder. The second quarter had barely begun, and the arena was already at fever pitch.

Akashi stayed beside Masato as they raced down the floor, but Masato remained firmly in control. He used his body to keep Akashi out of position, carrying him all the way toward Teikō's basket.

Just outside the paint, Masato gathered the ball, took two steps, and rose. Akashi leaped with him, determined to block the attempt in midair.

But if he couldn't win the physical battle on the ground, his chances in the air were even worse. Up there, he was as helpless as a rag doll in Masato's grasp.

By now, Akashi's calm reasoning had all but disappeared. His eyes widened, and the orange of his pupils seemed to shine as the Emperor Eye searched Masato's body for an opening.

He found one. Akashi really could see the vulnerability in Masato's future movement.

"AAAAH! I can see your future! Get down!"

Akashi shouted as he swept his arm toward the opening he'd identified. The problem was simple. He could see it, but it was too far beyond his reach.

"BOOM!!!"

Masato powered straight through Akashi's defense and hammered the ball down over his head.

A poster dunk!

The sight and the sound sent the entire Dome into an uproar. Tens of thousands of voices rose together as though they might lift the roof clean off the building. Even the people watching the giant screens outside began shouting, filling the street with noise.

Inside, the replay rolled across the arena screens. In slow motion, Akashi's contorted expression was plain for everyone to see.

"My God! Now that's a basketball showdown!"

"Exactly! The two captains going at each other with everything they've got!"

"I never thought I'd see Akashi, of all people, play with that much emotion!"

"He's amazing, but the size difference is just too much."

"Imagine if Akashi were over six feet tall. That would be something!"

"You can't just imagine him taller! Unless the young master of the Akashi family has some secret growth technology nobody knows about."

"Ha! Enough of that. I want to see more basketball!"

"..."

...

Both players landed. The force of the dunk sent Akashi stumbling backward until he caught himself against the basket support.

Masato caught the ball as it came down and tossed it toward Akashi. Looking at his retreating opponent, he gave a small shake of his head. The gesture radiated utter confidence.

Akashi said nothing. He was breathing hard, and after only that single possession, he could already feel his stamina wavering.

That wasn't normal. He knew his emotions were getting out of control again, but knowing it didn't mean he could silence them. Conflicting thoughts kept circling in his head.

One voice insisted he was the embodiment of absolute victory, that winning was the only thing that mattered. Reality, however, was striking him blow after blow, forcing him to confront the possibility that his perfect record was about to end.

And if defeat meant having everything about him denied, then the meaning of his very existence was at stake.

His gaze began to drift as he muttered, "Impossible... No, that's wrong. I'm the strongest. No, I am victory..."

There was no time for him to recover. On a basketball court, opponents didn't take pity on someone simply because he was having a bad game.

Play continued, and Masato pressed the advantage without hesitation.

In the possessions that followed, [Adaptation] gradually learned even Akashi's passing routes. The gap on the scoreboard widened.

42-34. 46-36. 50-36.

The game had gone far beyond the predictions made before tip-off. People had expected the first half to be competitive, perhaps with the lead changing hands several times. Few had imagined that Teikō, the team that had ruled middle-school basketball for years, would find itself trailing a school from Kanagawa by such a margin.

It wasn't just ordinary fans staring in disbelief. Scouts, analysts, and reporters throughout the stands were equally stunned.

...

After another change of possession, Masato brought the ball forward on offense. Teikō's supporters and reserves watched with growing concern, but their silent prayers could do nothing for Akashi.

The repeated beatings had reduced Akashi to an even worse state. In Masato's eyes, he was no longer fit to remain on the court.

Even so, Masato refused to get careless. He kept attacking with the same fierce aggression, closing the distance and using his body to punish Akashi's defense.

Their bodies collided with a dull thud. Akashi staggered backward, lost his balance, and dropped to one knee.

Masato was enjoying himself now. Amid the crowd's shouts, he charged straight into the paint. Not even the sight of Murasakibara waiting under the basket could make him turn back.

"Murasakibara! Let's see whether that so-called absolute defense of yours has improved since last time!"

Murasakibara's normally lazy eyes sharpened. He leaped to meet Masato. "Masa-chin, I told you last time. Stay out of the paint!" The two collided in midair, battling for position.

For an instant, neither could force the other back.

"AAAAH!!!"

Their shouts rang out as they strained against each other. Then the stalemate broke.

Masato was the one who lost the battle of strength. Murasakibara was still stronger. But the hang time granted by [Core Control] let Masato regain his balance in an instant and fling the ball toward the basket.

"BOOM!!!"

His hand never reached the rim. Strictly speaking, it wasn't a conventional dunk at all. The move was closer to a Meteor Jam with a slight fadeaway added to it.

Yet the impact on the crowd was every bit as powerful as a normal poster dunk.

After landing, Masato didn't bother checking Murasakibara's expression. Even when he felt the big man's threatening stare behind him, he paid it no attention.

Instead, he turned toward Akashi, who was still kneeling on the floor. Masato remembered the words they'd exchanged earlier. It hadn't taken long for the answer to become obvious.

"Looks like you're the one who knelt first!"

With that, he turned away.

...

Akashi didn't react to the taunt at all. It was as if he hadn't heard a word. But whether he'd heard it or not, nothing could change the fact that he was on his knees.

He was sinking deeper into self-doubt. The noise of the arena no longer seemed to reach him. Even when it was time to receive the inbound pass and begin another possession, he remained completely unresponsive.

No one had expected this. Even the other members of the Generation of Miracles were caught off guard.

Daiki Aomine was the first to react. He glanced at the scoreboard and the steadily widening gap. The game couldn't continue like this.

He looked toward Murasakibara. The restrained look in his eyes slowly gave way to a sharp, eager gleam.

Aomine had been holding himself back for far too long. He couldn't stand it any longer.

"Murasakibara, inbound the ball!"