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BOOM!
The basketball slammed violently into the wall, then bounced back to the court.
The sheer impact rattled the bench players nearby—if that thing had hit one of them, they'd be off to see their ancestors right now.
Thump, thump—
Aomine and Tendou landed at the same time.
Their gazes were eerily calm.
That's one of the characteristics of the Zone: once a player enters it, it's as if their mind sinks into a still lake. Thoughts accelerate, focus intensifies—pure, cold clarity.
But if one looked closely, there was a flicker of surprise in Aomine's eyes.
"When did it happen?" he wondered, competitive fire reigniting in his chest.
He wanted to know exactly when Tendou entered the Zone. Was it before him—or after?
"Back when you couldn't find a worthy opponent and started playing remote-control games with Kuroko."
So… earlier than him.
...
At the same time, the anime inserted an official explanation of the Zone.
A narration began:
"Zone is the ultimate state of focus, a realm where all distractions are stripped away and only the game remains."
"Only players who have trained relentlessly may one day stand before its gate."
"But even those who arrive at the door rarely receive an invitation to enter."
"It is a realm reserved for the chosen few—those with absolute talent."
"Yet somehow… these two broke it open with their own power."
Viewers in the real world gaped at the explanation—some called it peak plot armor.
『Just say they're OP and be done with it. Why all this poetic nonsense?』
But then—
『Let me tell you something: everything else in this anime might be unrealistic, but Zone is 100% real.』
『Huh? Are you serious?』
『Dead serious. Jordan himself talked about it in an interview. Even Kobe mentioned it—maybe his 81-point game came from that exact state.』
『The things that seem the most unbelievable… might be the most real.』
Viewers were left stunned, spamming the chat with:
『GAIYAAA—』
On screen, Tendou stood in front of Zone's massive gate, and calmly muttered:
"Move."
The doors opened—and the episode cut to ED.
The comment section erupted into chaos:
『THEY DID NOT JUST END IT THERE—』
『EVEN WEBNOVEL AUTHORS DON'T CLIFFHANG THIS HARD!!』
But a moment later—
『WOOHOO! I'm first!』
『Let's gooooo!』
—
Time is strange like that.
Even as Tendou's battle continued in the game, a full week had passed in the real world.
...
Back on the court, the clash resumed with incomprehensible speed.
No—this wasn't just a fast-paced game anymore.
This was an ultra-high-speed war.
Receiving the ball again, Aomine's movements were no longer trackable by the naked eye.
Only one person could follow his every move and match his rhythm:
Tendou.
That applied to the viewers as well.
They couldn't keep up anymore—both in-world spectators and real-world audiences could only catch glimpses of a white and blue blur colliding, twisting, intertwining.
The two weren't just playing with superhuman ability now—it was like watching gods go head-to-head.
The sound of the ball pounding the court echoed like distant thunder.
Squeaking sneakers screeched with each explosive movement.
It was a chaotic symphony of speed and power.
...
"How can they keep getting stronger?"
"Do they really have no limits?"
The crowd was losing its mind.
They knew they were witnessing something extraordinary—something they might never see again.
...
But down on the court, the players weren't in awe. They were under immense pressure.
"Only 20% unlocked? Are you sure? It feels like they've doubled their speed!" Kagami shouted.
"They're the Generation of Miracles. Their '20%'… touches the unknown."
Riko bit her thumb—a nervous habit when faced with problems she couldn't solve.
"Actually… it might not even be 20%. Maybe just 10%."
"What do you mean, Coach?" the others asked.
"Didn't you notice? At the start of the third quarter, both Aomine and Tendou suddenly leveled up."
She remembered it clearly.
Both players had undergone a spike in performance.
It wasn't as dramatic as their current Zone-powered state, but it was still a clear surge.
At first, she thought it was just a coincidence—an especially good run of form.
But then she remembered: Tendou's Six Eyes gave him absolute control over his body.
Maybe Aomine couldn't trigger a boost at will.
But Tendou? He definitely could.
Which meant… their terrifying improvement earlier might have only been a 10% boost.
"Only 10%…?"
Kagami stared at the two monsters on the court, overwhelmed by a rising sense of helplessness.
In the Kirisaki game, or the Tōō match—even if he lost, he could still see a path forward.
He knew that with hard work, he could catch up.
But now…
Watching this battle—this duel between Tendou and Aomine, each escalating the other's power—he finally understood:
There might be levels he could never reach.
But none of that mattered to the two on the court.
In their eyes, only the ball existed.
Nothing else.
Their duel within the Zone was like two meteors crashing through the atmosphere.
No one could step in.
No one dared to try.
Aomine moved like a panther—his limbs fluid, twisted like vines, executing impossible moves like they were second nature.
Tendou saw it all.
His Six Eyes spun like stars, analyzing every subtle motion.
No matter how complex or extreme Aomine's moves were—Tendou's eyes never lost track.
Their silhouettes intertwined as they both soared into the paint.
Aomine rose high, his right hand raised to dunk.
Tendou followed instantly—his palm rising like a wall, blocking the connection between Aomine and the rim.
Aomine's face remained calm. He twisted the ball behind his back in mid-air, his wrist flipping it up from the other side.
It's in! Imayoshi clenched his teeth, eyes glued to the ball.
But then—
Tendou spun in mid-air.
Like a dragon rising from the sea, one arm lashed out and slammed the ball away.
Aomine's unstoppable move—was stopped.
"This damn monster!!" Imayoshi roared, forgetting all about his calm facade.
That move wasn't some sudden reaction.
No one could twist their body mid-air like that unless they had already predicted it.
Which meant—
Tendou had seen through Aomine's move.
Before it even happened.