Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 99: Zone! (Patreon)

The second quarter had been a fierce back-and-forth, with each team enjoying its share of success.

The spectators were thrilled by the intensity. If they had their way, neither team would ever stop playing.

But even the crowd understood that the players were only human.

A quarter of relentless competition consumed enormous amounts of energy.

A chance to rest and adjust would make for an even better second half.

Besides, the fans could sense that Teikō would have to come out with an even stronger attack after halftime. If they failed to respond soon, the game would slip completely into Kawari's hands.

...

On the Kawari bench, the starters settled into their seats.

Masato accepted a sports drink from a teammate, unscrewed the cap, and took several swallows.

He had appeared comfortable throughout the game, but two entire quarters of facing Akashi and Aomine in succession had taken their toll.

The rapid rise and fall of his chest made that much clear.

His teammates were concerned, though hardly panicked.

After training together every day throughout the season, no one knew Masato's endurance better than they did.

Even so, Coach Nakamura couldn't help asking, “Masa, how are you holding up? If you're getting tired, slow things down. Let the others run some pick-and-rolls while you catch your breath.”

Several players immediately turned to Masato, waiting for his response.

He shook his head without concern. “Don't worry. I've still got plenty left. And I'll take care of the pace on the court.”

His composure put the others at ease.

...

At Teikō's bench, the atmosphere was much as it had been before.

Thanks to Aomine and Kuroko, Teikō had briefly managed to take the lead during the second quarter.

Their happiness hadn't lasted. Before they could enjoy it, Masato had taken the lead back.

Daiki Aomine had been slumped in a chair since coming off the court, a towel draped over his head and hiding his expression.

Only the unsteady movement of his chest betrayed how much energy he had spent.

The mood around him was grim.

He was their ace, yet even having him take over the offense hadn't produced the result they expected.

Worse, Akashi had shown no indication of recovering since leaving the court. How could anyone remain calm?

Teikō's coach was equally anxious. After considering the situation for a moment, he turned to Aomine.

“Daiki, when the next quarter starts, stop getting so caught up in your personal battle with Masato. Get the whole team involved.”

Even with Kuroko joining the play, Aomine hadn't passed the ball once.

It was a master class in ball-hogging!

Not that Aomine lacked the ability to pass. His individual offense was simply so overwhelming that he'd grown accustomed to solving everything himself.

In truth, he was a genuinely versatile player.

There was nothing unreasonable about the coach's advice. Aomine, however, gave neither agreement nor objection.

The coach felt helpless.

Having taken over the team partway through, he had never enjoyed much authority over its players.

He had always known that dealing with geniuses was difficult.

At that moment, he felt it more keenly than ever.

But for the team's sake, and for the players' futures, he had to make himself heard.

“Daiki, every one of us knows how strong you are.

“But you're Teikō's ace. When the team is in trouble, your first responsibility is to lead it out of that situation.

“Remember that an individual victory only matters if the team wins. If we lose this game, no matter how impressive your statistics look, do you really think anyone will say you beat Masato?

“No. Honor comes to the players when their team wins. That's how it works!”

“...”

The coach's long speech earned quiet nods from the Teikō players. They all wanted Aomine to put the team first.

Even Shintaro Midorima agreed.

Had he not recognized his own limitations, Midorima might have volunteered to handle the ball himself.

But his strengths were too specialized. A direct confrontation with Masato would hardly end well for him.

Meanwhile, the coach kept talking, moving from one point straight into the next.

When it seemed he was about to launch into yet another lecture, Aomine pulled the towel off his head and interrupted him.

“All right, that's enough. Are you going to let us rest or not?”

He shot his coach an irritated look. “I didn't know you could talk this much, Coach. Where was all this before?”

Unnoticed by everyone around him, Aomine's breathing had already begun to steady.

He swept his gaze across his teammates, then slowly rose to his feet.

“Quit looking so nervous. I'll lead you all to victory in the next quarter!”

His bold confidence took the others by surprise.

Only then did they realize that Masato's success against him hadn't shaken Aomine's spirit at all.

He had been preparing for the third quarter the entire time.

The realization helped the other Teikō players relax.

Whatever the situation, Aomine was still their ace.

As long as he carried himself with that much certainty, they could believe in the team as well.

He hadn't actually promised to follow the coach's instructions, but the coach still felt an unexpected wave of relief.

He stopped lecturing. The remaining break passed quickly.

A whistle sounded from the court.

The third quarter was underway!

...

Both teams hurried back into position, and the game immediately lived up to the crowd's expectations.

The frantic tempo from the end of the second quarter continued, but the balance had shifted.

Anyone watching closely could see how hard Aomine was finding it to withstand Masato's attacks.

Masato's scoring efficiency rose sharply, and Kawari soon extended its advantage.

85–77. 90–80. 93–82...

As the lead reached double digits once more, the Teikō bench sank back into tension just when everyone had managed to calm down.

Their emotions had been on a roller coaster ever since this game began.

They hadn't experienced anything like it in years.

Teikō had gone undefeated for so long that victory had come to seem like a natural right.

Now, confronted by Masato's strength, they were finally being forced to acknowledge something terrifying.

Teikō could lose.

The excitement inside the Dome kept building, and Kawari's players were enjoying themselves more with every possession.

Masato broke through the defense again and finished forcefully at the basket.

His teammates crowded around to slap hands and celebrate the score.

He returned their high-fives, but he didn't feel particularly excited.

He had noticed something different about Aomine near the end of the last quarter. The sensation had only grown stronger since then.

After the basket, Aomine stood utterly motionless on the baseline.

Watching him, Masato felt certain that something was about to happen.

...

His instincts were right.

Aomine had slipped into an extraordinary state.

It felt as though he were sinking into the depths of a lake, descending farther and farther beneath the surface.

The noise around him faded. Even the exhaustion in his body seemed to drift away, as if it belonged to someone else.

Everything in his surroundings appeared to slow down.

The feeling was mesmerizing. He became so absorbed in it that he forgot Murasakibara was waiting to inbound the ball.

“Mine-chin, I'm passing it in. Catch!”

...

Murasakibara frowned at Aomine's vacant expression.

It reminded him of Akashi's condition earlier in the game.

The other members of the Generation of Miracles looked over with equal concern.

Just as they were about to signal for a timeout, Aomine came back to himself.

“Sorry, Murasakibara. I zoned out for a second. Go ahead.”

His teammates were momentarily startled by how normal he sounded.

Yet they could all sense that something about him had changed.

Murasakibara studied him for another moment before passing the ball.

Smack!

The strange feeling hanging over the others became impossible to ignore the instant Aomine caught it.

A brilliant blue arc of lightning flickered across his otherwise emotionless eyes.

Before anyone could react, he had already rushed across the halfway line!

He was face-to-face with Masato again.

Masato had expected a change.

Even so, he was stunned to see Aomine enter the Zone while still in his third year of junior high school.

He quickly pushed aside his surprise and concentrated on defense.

This time, however, the advantage he'd enjoyed earlier was gone.

His superior strength and the improvements granted by [Adaptation] could no longer keep Aomine in check.

The contest between them lasted only a moment before Aomine swept past at astonishing speed.

Like a bolt of lightning, he burst into Kawari's paint, sprang high above the floor, and threw down a ferocious dunk!

BOOM!

The entire sequence unfolded so quickly that the spectators barely had time to understand what they were seeing.

Perhaps only Masato had recognized what had happened right away.

He watched Aomine retreat toward the other end, his expression completely indifferent.

As he passed Masato, Aomine spoke in an even tone.

“Thanks. That's the second time you've pushed me into this state.”

The blue electricity flashing in his eyes was almost frightening.

His gaze was so cold that it seemed stripped of ordinary human emotion.

“And for that, I'm going to hand you a crushing defeat!”