Sendo was stunned by the scene unfolding before him.
He understood Sawakita Eiji's strength better than most.
Yet Akashi had actually stolen the ball directly from Sawakita's hands.
At that moment, Akashi felt completely unfamiliar.
Sendo couldn't explain why, but deep down, he sensed it clearly—
the Akashi on the court now was not the Akashi he used to know.
Possession switched.
Meizawa launched their counterattack.
There was just over a minute left on the clock.
Seiyo 78 — 80 Meizawa.
Only two points separated the teams.
Meizawa's point guard sprinted forward with the ball.
In a situation like this, passing to their ace was the safest choice.
Without hesitation, he raised his arm and fired the pass.
Whoosh—
The basketball streaked through the air in a yellow blur, flying straight toward Sawakita Eiji.
However—
Slap!
A hand cut through the passing lane and snatched the ball mid-air.
What?!
The one who intercepted it was none other than Akashi.
He stared calmly at Sawakita, expression composed, eyes unwavering—
and intercepted the pass without even turning his head.
It was like a silent mockery.
Meizawa's point guard nearly bit his tongue in shock.
He stared at Akashi in disbelief.
Wasn't he guarding Sawakita just now?!
He didn't even look—how could he intercept that so precisely?!
Sawakita, who had been preparing to receive the ball, was equally stunned.
"…This guy."
Even Sawakita was dazzled.
I know you're good at steals—but staring straight at me while intercepting the pass? What kind of monster is this?
Then a chilling thought crossed his mind.
If he can see through my movements… then even the pass itself…
No.
That level of vision was simply terrifying.
The instant Akashi secured the ball, he exploded forward.
His steps were light, yet explosively sharp.
The basketball struck the floor in rapid succession, each bounce crisp and deadly, forming a suffocating rhythm.
Sawakita reacted instantly, shadowing him like a phantom. His eyes sharpened, muscles tensing as he spread his arms wide, cutting off the lane.
Don't think you'll get past me.
But Akashi didn't give him time.
The next moment—
Ankle Breaker.
With less than two steps between them, Akashi's right foot tapped the floor. His ankle snapped like a coiled spring, the ball sliding under his leg into his left hand as his center of gravity sharply tilted left.
Sawakita's pupils shrank. He slid laterally to block—
—but Akashi didn't stop.
His left wrist flicked.
The ball struck the floor again.
As it returned to his right hand, Akashi's left foot drove off the ground, his body slicing right like a blade through wind.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sound of the ball matched his footsteps perfectly, forming an oppressive, relentless rhythm.
Sawakita grit his teeth, forcefully adjusting his balance to cut off the lane.
But Akashi's ankle twisted again.
Left hand to right.
A feint to the left—
then a sudden micro-adjustment.
Akashi slipped cleanly through the gap on Sawakita's right side.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three dribbles.
Three ankle shifts.
Each one precisely tearing apart Sawakita's defensive rhythm.
His center of gravity unraveled.
First change—he lunged left.
Second—he halted and twisted right.
By the third, his footwork was already in disarray, his body pitching forward.
Damn—!
As Akashi passed him, Sawakita's ankle twisted violently.
He nearly collapsed.
A collective gasp rose from the stands.
For an instant, it seemed Sawakita would fall—
another victim of Akashi's Ankle Breaker.
But he clenched his teeth.
His right foot slammed into the floor, toes digging in as he forced his center of gravity back.
His waist tightened, arms flaring wide, like a climber clawing back from the edge of a cliff.
He barely steadied himself.
Sweat dripped from his brow as his chest heaved.
"…He's terrifying."
For the first time, shock and fear filled Sawakita Eiji's eyes.
Damn it.
He immediately gave chase.
There was no time.
If Seiyo scored again, Meizawa would be in real danger.
Akashi sensed the pursuit behind him, but his expression remained calm.
His gaze was already locked on the hoop.
Then—
Two figures appeared ahead.
Meizawa's point guard.
Their shooting guard.
A pincer defense.
Akashi's pupils contracted. A faint halo flickered in his heterochromatic eyes.
Just as everyone expected another Ankle Breaker—
He stopped.
"Hm?"
Sawakita, closing in from behind, frowned.
What's he doing?
Another trick?
He stayed wary, half-expecting that terrifying move again.
Then—
Akashi moved.
But not forward.
He stepped sideways—then back.
In one smooth motion, his wrist flicked.
Whoosh—
The basketball arced through the air as if guided by fate, flying toward the wing.
And there—
Sendo had already shaken free of his defender.
Wide open.
Sawakita's pupils shrank violently.
Sendo stood frozen, staring at the spinning ball.
It felt like a calling.
The trajectory was perfect.
The ball dropped cleanly into his hands.
"…This is—"
Before he could finish—
Akashi's calm voice reached him.
"What are you waiting for?"
"You can shoot threes, right?"
"Let them see the strength of our ace."
Akashi turned slightly, a faint smile on his lips—
trust clear in his eyes.
Sendo's eyes widened.
Akashi… trusting me?
The cold, arrogant Akashi who refused cooperation felt like a lie from another lifetime.
He snapped back to reality.
No hesitation.
Sendo burst into motion, creating space in an instant.
Light steps.
Firm stance.
In a blink, he was beyond the three-point line.
Not good.
Meizawa's faces changed.
Alarms blared in their minds.
Sawakita abandoned Akashi without hesitation, sprinting toward Sendo at full speed.
Stop him—!
Too late.
Sendo jumped.
Released.
Fluid. Clean. Decisive.
Whoosh—
The ball carved a perfect arc.
Swish.
The net snapped crisply.
Seiyo 81 — 80 Meizawa.