Title: Love Hoop

Rating: T (language warning)

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!

MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: This took so long to write, but this is the longest chapter I have ever written! The wait was long, but the support and love from everyone made me continue to remember why I wrote this in the first place. To say the least, this fic has a special place in my heart. And it is now ending. But it could have not gotten this far without all the love. So everything is because of YOU!

Now, people may think Kagome is cheesy here and such, but it's a fic that is difficult to incorporate Kagome into. It's fantasy meets sports. Very difficult. But nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

Without further ado, please do cry with me.

Enjoy!

Chapter 35: Rage Warmed

The nerves and desperation swelled within each player. With less than two minutes before the third quarter, Seirin stood in silence mentally preparing for the hardship against Rakuzan. Koganei broke away from the concentration, having felt the absence of a certain female in their group. His head turned left and right in search for the miko.

"Ano…," he whispered, catching the attention of his team, "where is Kagome-chan?"

Noticing themselves of her absence, Seirin began to search around them for any sign of the girl. Riko hummed to herself remembering Kagome having gone to collect her thoughts. Did she lose track of time?

"Akashi is missing, too," Furihata pointed out.

Eyes glided over to Rakuzan's bench; the captain was not present with his team. Just like them, Rakuzan was also in wait for the emperor.

Koga raised a brow, having noticed the missing miko and captain on the court from the suite. There was no coincidence the two seem to be away at the same time. Crossing his legs, the wolf youkai rested his chin over his palm.

"Where did okaa-san go?" Shippo questioned, shifting his focus from Seirin's bench to Rakuzan's.

Both their ears twitched at the sound of light steps coming from behind. The scent of lavender and oak heightened the youkai's senses upon recognizing it. Keeping his eyes on the court, Koga sighed under his breath. "Did you speak with her?"

The kitsune's eyes glided to the corner, catching a glimpse of the silver haired youkai sitting in his seat while the wolf remained stoic on the paused game. There was no hiding the miko's scent was on the inu, but it was questionable.

Hearing no reply from Sesshomaru, Koga's lips parted, readied with another question. The words froze in his throat the moment his eyes caught glimpse of the miko and emperor entering the court area from their respective hallways leading to the locker rooms. Eyes narrowed; questions rose. 'Both came in at the same time?'

The corner of Sesshomaru's lips rose into a smirk; a new determined look flared in the miko's eyes.

Heads immediately turned to the exits of the court. Eyes widening with confusion, both Seirin and Rakuzan stood in silence seeing Kagome and Akashi walking back to their own teams. The look in their eyes meant war; their expressions had hardened with determination. Continuing her way towards Seirin's bench, the miko's lips pressed together feeling the gaze of a certain emperor on her. Aside from his gaze, she felt the questionable gazes of her team on her.

"W-What?" she raised a brow.

Izuki blinked first, seeing everyone had the same question in mind. "Kagome-chan…where did you go?"

The others waited for her reply. She remained silent and unsure how to give a proper answer. Even she was confused on what she had done. Sesshomaru's words had driven her to seek for a word with the emperor and she found herself practically declaring a war with him! She shook her head remembering the deadly glare Akashi had given her upon hearing her declaration to defeat Rakuzan. 'I made Seirin a promise; I made a vow to myself in front of Akashi-kun that I will protect and support Seirin even if I am the last one standing.'

"Kagome-chan?"

The miko's attention was drawn back to her team and the phantom player in front of her. Her lips curved upwards before extending her hand out in front of her for the others to see. "Let's do this!" she exclaimed with a smile. "We got two quarters left! Let's show Rakuzan what Seirin is made of!"

Seirin blinked with confusion at Kagome's behavior. This was not the Kagome they had seen in the locker room. Giving each other glances, they gave each other nods as one by one came to place their hands above the other.

The cheer from the other side caught the emperor's attention. Turning his head slightly over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the miko's hair being ruffled by Kiyoshi. Akashi's expression toughened at the sight of their hope coming back up. The miko's words echoed in his head; the nerve she had to tell him he was afraid. He had nothing to fear.

Nothing.

A scoff accompanied with a smirk left Reo's throat as he heard Hyuga shout a cheer with his team. "They seem so sure of themselves. They're just desperately trying to shake off the dark despair that will envelope them any moment now." His eyes lowered to his captain, noticing his own focus glued on Seirin. "Hm? Akashi, everything alright?"

Akashi closed his eyes before making his way forward to lead his team to the court. "The plan remains the same; Seirin will be crushed by the end of this quarter".

The buzzer went off; players turned their attention over to the empty court. "The third quarter will now begin."

As the second-years went off to their positions, the miko noticed Koganei taking Fukuda's place. It was understandable seeing everyone's energy was slowly depleting with each of Rakuzan's plays. Turning to Hyuga's back, the miko's eyes narrowed with concern as she read his wavering aura. A sigh passed between her lips before coming to grab the back of Kagami's jersey.

Feeling the light grab, the red head looked over his shoulder before blinking. Raising a brow at Kagome's softened expression and head hanging down, he knew the pressure was coming onto her. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I got this." His eyes noticed her fingers curling into his jersey. It was becoming a – comfortable – habit of hers to grab him from the back when she felt nervous. He was beginning to understand her small gestures.

Kagome's fingers released their hold on his jersey before coming to face the number on his jersey. Watching him walk and follow his seniors, she felt her shoulders tense. There was pressure on everyone; she could not escape the auras of her team slowly suffocating her with worry. Exhaling, she made her way back to sit between Riko and Kuroko. At the sound of the referee's whistle signaling the start of the third quarter, eyes followed Seirin's quick movement to make another fast break. Kagome nodded seeing Hyuga quickly making his way around Reo's defense with the help of Koganei screening him from behind.

"Kagome-chan." Her eyes blinked at the sound of her name. Turning her head to the side, she saw Riko's attention glued on the game. "Where did you go?" the coach questioned.

Kagome's eyes made their way back to the court, watching Hyuga having caught Izuki's pass before making his three. "I spoke with Akashi-kun."

Shock came over the coach and the rest of the team upon hearing her answer. Kuroko's eyes widened slightly at the sound of his former captain's name. She met with Akashi? For what?

"A-Akashi?" Riko repeated. "You mean that Akashi?"

Keeping his eyes on the miko, Kuroko blinked seeing something different in her eyes: hope. Something had happened between her and Akashi, and the details were probably going to be kept to themselves. But when she had returned, he noticed something different. Not just in her, but in Akashi as well. Kuroko placed his attention back on the game before he spoke. "What did he say?" he whispered.

Fingers came to grip the clipboard on her lap. Kagome was sure her words were taken as a threat to the emperor. And they were. He was ready, but so was she. "He is set on defeating us." Her eyes followed Seirin's tightened defense on the court, making her eyes narrow. "But he is aware that we are, too."

"I'm surprised," Okumura spoke. He was shocked to see Seirin back on their feet despite what had happened in the first half. "Despite the desperate situation, Seirin's spirit isn't broken. There are no quick comebacks in basketball. But…as long as they don't give up, they have more than a zero percent chance of winning."

Murasakibara's eyes remained stoic; his focus changing from Akashi to Kagami and finishing at Seirin's bench. "Sorry," he spoke, voice laced with tiredness, "but when I said they couldn't win, I wasn't just considering the situation."

"What?" Susa spoke, having heard Aomine's thoughts on Seirin's rare chance of getting victory. Turning his head to their ace, he watched Aomine keeping his eyes on the tiger. "What do you mean Seirin has a less than one percent chance of winning, Aomine?"

Aomine sighed, knowing the only ones who could see the low percentage were those who knew of Akashi's way of playing. "Not yet, but soon." He replied. "Because Akashi is on the other team. He crushes his opponents' potential until it's all gone."

Hyuga quickly made his way in front of Reo before jumping up to stop his shot. His eyes widened realizing Reo's intended move the minute he smirked at him. 'Dammit! Could it be?!' Reo's body collided with his, quickly making the referee blow his whistle to freeze everyone in their spots.

"Defense, black number four!"

Riko cursed under her breath as she saw Reo's grin remain after hearing the referee's call. "That's his third…"

"It wasn't long, but I had fun," Reo spoke, turning to face Hyuga's shocked and angered expression, "Junpei-chan."

He could not believe what had happened. On top of being unable to stop his threes, Reo was not purposely colliding with him to get him the fouls. Hyuga gritted his teeth, trying his best to hold back the vulgar words he was ready to spew out. 'H-He faked a Heaven shot into an Earth! No, wait! I didn't hit him!' His temple wrinkled as his head tried to push him in and out of his own thoughts. 'This can't be happening now! Not when we're so desperate!'

Kagome's eyes lowered thinly watching Hyuga's aura quivering with his own inner fears. 'Reo-san is taking Hyuga-senpai; Hyuga-senpai is already wavering with the pressure.' If it went any longer, she was sure their captain would hesitate to even move an inch if he came to face Reo again.

"Number four," the referee called, "raise your hands!"

"Seriously!?" Hyuga argued back, walking towards the referee. "I didn't hit him!"

Riko blinked, taken back by Hyuga's sudden snap. "H-Hyuga-kun!"

"Raise your hands!" The referee repeated.

Hyuga's brows furrowed with anger and desperation as he pointed at Reo. "He lost his balance! I didn't do anything!"

"Hyuga!" Izuki called out knowing it would only make his grave deeper than it was getting to.

"Please, I-!"

Seirin's expression stilled with panic as they heard the referee blow his whistle once again and stopping Hyuga from furthering into his argument. "Technical foul, black number four!" Hyuga's eyes widened slowly as the words sunk into his head: a fourth foul.

Silence overtook the audience after hearing the referee's call. No one moved an inch nor they spoke seeing the broken expressions on Seirin's side. "That's four." Imayoshi whispered. "They'll have to sub him out."

Aomine scoffed, noticing the struggle on Kagami's face. Of course, he was trying to open it; he was trying to get in. With Hyuga being taken out, the weight of the game had fallen on the tiger: the ace. "Unfortunately, the door to the Zone is heartless. It never opens for those who ask for help."

Flinching at the foul while moving around the balcony, the Shutoku point guard could not help but want to look away from Hyuga's expression. "Yikes." He whispered, adjusting the strap of his bag as the rest of his team followed behind. "We came because someone threw a tantrum over watching the game, but…"

"It wasn't a tantrum." Midorima spoke out, stopping the point guard from going any further in his attempt to embarrass him. Taking a look at the court from the corner of his eyes, Midorima's brows furrowed down.

"Anyways," Takao shook his head, "you can't be doing that, Hyuga-san. He should already know better."

Midorima sighed, seeing Riko calling in for a substitution. "It was intolerably foolish. But I still can't blame him." His focus narrowed, seeing Seirin's captain cover his face with his hand with what he presumed to be shame. "That's how badly he wants to win." Turning back to his team, the Shutoku ace blinked noticing everyone having stopped walking and staring at him with shocked faces. "W-What?"

"Nothing…" Takao replied. "I never thought you would say something like that."

"What does that mean, nanodayo!?"

A heavy sigh escaped the Kaijo captain while observing the game from the balcony. Having decided to watch the second half after talking with his team in the locker room, he and the rest of the team were shocked to see the results of Rakuzan's strength. His brows furrowed; his fingers curled into his palm. "Since they beat us to reach the finals, I was rooting for our rivals. But it looks like this is the end for them."

Kise's eyes glided over the tiger's person before moving onto the miko sitting beside Kuroko. No matter how much Kagome had endured in the past, whether it be against demons or humans, Akashi was another level. This was her era; this was a different conflict. But it was obvious, out of all the members in Seirin, Kagome was the one who kept the light of hope on. "It's not over yet." He whispered, eyes narrowing with concern. "They still have one last hope." Creases between his eyes and nose appeared as his eyes remained on Kagome's back. "But…"

Miko or not, there was a limit for everyone.

Keeping her eyes on Kagami, Kagome bit her bottom lip the moment Akashi came to meet Kagami face-to-face. 'Akashi-kun is marking him?' With the ball in Kagami's hands, she knew this meant trouble. Everyone's guard had risen the moment Hyuga had been taken out of the game. Aside from Kuroko's aura tensing at every second, she could feel Hyuga's will to fight lessen. She caught a glimpse of the captain from the corner of her eyes: defeated. No doubt in her mind Hyuga felt shame for himself.

That was the weight he carried as a captain.

Tension rose on the court, making her eyes return to the unmoved tiger as he kept his glare on the emperor. It was more than just about the skill an individual had at this point. This was a psychological battle Akashi had initiated.

Grunting under his breath, Kagami's fingers tightened their hold on the ball as he kept it above his head.

"It's not over yet, Seirin." Akashi spoke, knowing it was only a matter of time before Kagami would crumble under the pressure. After all, their captain had already been taken out. "I won't stop until you are all defeated…to the core." A chuckle escaped from him throat the second Kagami faked his step to the right before quickly moving to the left. Extending his arm out, he knocked the ball out of his hands – much to Seirin's surprise.

With the ball bouncing out of the court, the referee blew his whistle. "Black, time out!" he called, extending his arm to the side of Seirin's bench.

"The finals aren't always dramatic." Koga sighed in his seat, watching both teams walk to their benches. "In my experience with working with professional athletes, sometimes the favorite wins all too soon." It made him feel powerless at the sight of Seirin's heads coming down: no one looked up.

"So not even those who work hard…win." Shippo sighed, folding his arms over the rim of the balcony.

The wolf shrugged, unsure how to reply to that reality. As much as he wanted to stay positive for the miko and her team, the reality was Rakuzan had the upper hand. "Their spirits are completely broken; their lights of hope have been extinguished. If Seirin wants to recover, it won't be easy."

What more could she do? Her shoulders began to feel the heaviness of their despair and loss in their auras. Standing behind Riko, Kagome kept her eyes on each of the players. Heads hung low; teeth clenched to quench their frustrations. The sweat clinging on their skin was enough to tell anyone they were giving it their all.

But it was not enough.

She felt the same: powerless. Fingers tightened their hold on the clipboard on her side. The last thing she wanted to show was her weakness. She did not want to show Akashi her breaking when she had promised to continue standing. Her eyes landed on the phantom player, noticing his own focus on the palm of his hands.

Kuroko's vision shook with guilt and desperation. As he stared at each wrist band, he curled his fingers into his palm. Is this what Ogiwara had felt? It was crushing; he felt hopeless. He was close to showing Akashi his way of playing was the correct way.

Yet he was being defeated.

He shook his head, remembering his last meeting with Akashi in Teiko after quitting. He promised himself and the emperor he would find a way to win. He would not run away anymore. He would let fear get the best of him.

His vision blurred.

"No." He whispered, catching the attention of his teammates.

He would not let Akashi crush his team's dreams.

One by one, tears dropped onto his wrists. His eyes rose to see the miko's tears threatening to fall. She went up against Akashi and the other Generation of Miracles – it was their turn.

He had to fight back.

Standing up from his seat, the miko and the others blinked at the sudden change in his expression. Tears clung at the corner of his eyes as he kept his gaze on the court. His fists tightening to suppress the anguish he was feeling.

"I want to win!" he exclaimed. "Even if it's impossible, I want us to become the best in Japan!"

"Kuroko-kun…" Kagome whispered, watching him walk towards the coach.

"Coach," he spoke, holding back the raw emotions he wanted to let out, "please."

Riko turned her head to the score; a minute in the third quarter and they still had a long way to go. 'When you're this far behind, no sport is more boring than basketball. But that's only if the game ends here!' Hesitant with Kuroko's request to let him back in the game, her eyes glided over to the silent captain. They were all desperate, and any plan seemed like a good plan against Rakuzan. Anything to stop them from scoring. Giving Kuroko a nod, Riko granted him permission. "Yosh." she spoke. "Let's do this then."

A smile graced the miko's lips as the rest of the members stood from their seats. Their chance to gain victory was less than one percent, but they would take whatever chance they were given to win.

"Ano," Furihata spoke as he saw his seniors prepare to go back into the court, "the only problem for Kuroko is Mayuzumi. We could score if we could deal with him."

Heads turned to silver haired male on Rakuzan's bench. There he was, sitting quietly as their coach spoke. He was not even looking at the coach. Kagome's focus shifted back and forth from Mayuzumi to Akashi. If Akashi recruited him to be the 'new' Kuroko, it was obvious to her he was being used. Shoulders dropping at her sigh, the miko's eyes landed on the audience. 'Full house…,' she commented to herself. Seirin gained popularity over the course of the games; Mayuzumi remained a ghost. Coming back to stare at Kuroko as he adjusted his wristbands, she tapped her chin with her pen. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Hm?" he blinked, turning to face the miko, along with the rest of the team.

"Let Mayuzumi-san do what he wants."

Seirin blinked in unison again upon hearing her 'idea'. Did she even realize how far behind they were? Kagami immediately took a step forward before leaning towards her. "Are you crazy!? Let Mayuzumi do what he wants?"

"C-Chotto!" The corner of her lips twitched as she kept her clipboard in front of her for protection. "Listen to me; let him shoot, pass, whatever he wants…," her eyes narrowed as she brought her clipboard back down, "for now." Directing Seirin's attention to the audience around them, she continued. "Until eyes are on him."

"I see," Izumi smirked. "That could actually work."

Chuckling under her breath, Riko hooked her arm around Kagome's shoulders before pulling her closer. "Looks like someone is learning the tricks to coaching quickly! I should step up my game."

A sheepish smile took over the miko's lips before turning to Kuroko once more. "This may be a bad way of explaining it, but when I was in danger during my time travels, I had to conceal myself. In other words, if the enemy notices you, blend in where you don't catch anyone's attention. You know? Look normal and like someone that just doesn't catch you eye!"

Kuroko's blink turned blank upon hearing her description. "K-Kagome-chan…that hurts."

"A-Ah! Gomen!" She chuckled. "Didn't mean it that way…"

Laughing at the first years' interaction, Kiyoshi rubbed his shoulders before coming to pat the miko's head. "Leave it to our miko-manager using her feudal tactics. After all, basketball is a war zone as well."

"I mean…you could see that way." A sweat drop loomed over her head.

The buzzer echoed signaling the players to return to the court. As Kuroko made his way back in, his ears caught the chants of his name from the audience; his eyes remained glued on his opponent.

"Seirin's original trickster is coming back out!"

"Number eleven, Kuroko Tetsuya!"

"What?" Blinked Nebuya, shocked to see the phantom player entering the court. "What are they thinking?"

Hayama scoffed, although he was on the edge seeing Seirin having brought in Kuroko once more. "Nothing's changed." He commented under his breath. "There is no point in exciting the fans, isn't that right, Mayuzumi-san?"

The said player kept his gaze on the phantom player; his expression hardened at the sight of his 'copy'. 'The original trickster? That's funny. He's an imposter whose tricks have been revealed.' It was laughable to see Seirin still clinging on hope – invisible hope. With eyes on Kuroko, his passes and shots would only be useless on the court.

"Surely," Akashi chuckled, coming to meet Kuroko eye-to-eye, "you're not so optimistic that you think you can still win. If I were you, I would advise you to ignore whatever your manager's ideas are."

"It's not like that." Kuroko replied. "I fight because I want to win – all of us do. That's all. No matter how this ends, I will not run!"

Akashi's lips slowly curved into a grin; two declarations of war in one day. "I see. Your conviction is meaningless. Her hope is meaningless."

Given the ball by the referee, Izuki made a quick scan of the court before charging forward. Dribbling to the hoop, his eyes landed on Kuroko's back as he ran in front of him. 'Sheesh. He's been nothing but selfish. All the first years are.' A smile, that seemed to have been impossible to form before, appeared. 'Does they have any idea how crazy it would be if we won?' Meeting face-to-face with Akashi, Izuki halted his steps, trying for a way to pass the ball. 'But the second-years can't lose heart while the first-years still have hope. We can't give up yet!'

"You can do it, guys." Riko whispered under her breath. A fist formed the moment Koganei moved away from Reo's mark only for the Rakuzan shooting guard to be screened by Kuroko's body. "Yosh!"

'Oh no!' Reo clenched his teeth as he followed the ball's path from Izuki's hands onto Koganei's. Even with Mayuzumi rushing to block the shot, Rakuzan's eyes followed the ball in its arc and into the hoop. Reo's eyes returned to the phantom player, cursing himself for having let his guard down. 'His screens are good, but that can't be all.'

Mayuzumi ran towards Hayama's pass; his eyes met with Kuroko's the moment he came to face him. Anger began to flare within the more he felt Kuroko's frozen stare on his person. 'Don't act like you can stop me. You can't possibly do that!' Scoffing at the thought of Kuroko surpassing him, Mayuzumi traveled around the phantom player before taking his aim for a shot.

"Mayuzumi-san, wait-" Hayama shouted with wide eyes.

In a blink of an eye, the ball was smacked out of Mayuzumi's grasp by Kagami. "No, you don't!" Kagami yelled.

Catching the fallen ball before it made its way out of the court, Izumi made a quick pass to Koganei before making another shot. The crowd cheered as the game quickly gained a fast momentum. Once again, eyes fell on the duo: Mayuzumi and Kuroko. Kagome's shoulders tensed seeing Mayuzumi giving Kuroko an angered glare. 'Kuroko-kun…,' her brows furrowed.

'I won't fall for it again!' Mayuzumi located Kagami from the corner of his eyes. 'Kagami is on the other side. I can handle anyone else who comes.' Dribbling the ball around Kuroko's defense, his eyes set on Kiyoshi under the net. 'Why isn't he moving?' His body moved on instinct by taking aim of the hoop and releasing the ball from his grasp. Mayuzumi's eyes widened realizing no one else on Seirin's team had moved an inch since he passed the phantom player.

The net swooshed once the ball fell into place; Mayuzumi looked over his shoulder to see Kuroko moving to his next position. Irritation began to build little by little despite having made the shot. There was nothing more humiliating than getting a free shot without the other team preventing him from doing so.

"He's letting Mayuzumi shoot?" Wakamatsu questioned.

Imayoshi snickered with a shake of his head. Most of Rakuzan's shots were inevitable, but seeing the new look in Seirin's eyes told him it was more than just letting them score. "Yeah." He replied with a scoff. "Seirin can't stop all of Rakuzan's attacks, and they're not trying to. If they're going to shoot anyway, they'll make their worst shooter shoot."

Lips curved into an angered smirk; realization of Seirin's tactics finally hitting him. Mayuzumi's brow twitched as he saw Kuroko's concentration on his position. 'I see. They put this worthless player in so I would pass him and shoot.' The glare on his eyes tightened. 'They underestimate me. I'll show them what I can do!' Another pass was sent to him. With the ball in his hands, he grunted at Kuroko's presence before quickly passing him and making another effortless shot.

The crowd cheered at Rakuzan's shot; the noise level increasing by the second. "Rakuzan's number five made another basket!"

"I'll say it again, old sixth man," Mayuzumi spoke, turning to face the silent phantom player. "You can't beat me."

Deciding to remain silent – along with the rest of her team – Kagome's eyes moved left and right as the players changed from defense to offense. With every shot Mayuzumi made, Kagami or Koganei were there to take one back. Her focus landed on the emperor as he dribbled the ball; defenses on Seirin tightening with each step he took. 'Almost there…' It was taxing for Kuroko – and everyone – to be marking the other Rakuzan players, but to move forward, the first to be dealt with had to be Mayuzumi.

"This reminds of something." Kuroko whispered the moment Mayuzumi came in front to guard. "Something Takao-kun told me."

"Huh?" Mayuzumi's eye twitched.

"He said he hated me because I was like him."

Mayuzumi turned his head to see the seriousness in Kuroko's face. "What did you say?" His tone became heavy; he became displeased at the sound of his words.

"Sorry," Kuroko continued, "but I still consider myself the Phantom Sixth Man!"

In a blink of an eye, Mayuzumi's gasp muted the moment Kuroko's person disappeared from his sights. Eyes widened realizing what had occurred. His head slowly turned over his shoulder; his eyes landed on the Kuroko's hand smacking Hayama's pass towards Nebuya to the opposite direction. 'I-I lost him? Impossible! What did he do?!'

Hayama's expression melted into shock seeing the ball being taken by Seirin. 'W-Where did he come from!? Has his lack of presence returned? That's impossible!'

"Run!" Izuki shouted, throwing the ball to the other end of the court.

Kagome gave herself a nod as the rest of the bench cheered in unison for Kuroko and Kagami to score again.

Hayama quickly made his way to the other side, blocking Kuroko's path before seeing the ball under his palm. 'Is it the Vanishing Drive?' Hayama blinked, halting his body the second Kuroko – keeping his eyes forward – threw the ball to his right. 'W-What?!' The heavy and desperate shout from the tiger echoed as he captured the pass and dunked the ball into the hoop.

"Nice!" Riko made a fist the second she saw the scoreboard add two points to their side. "It's working."

"We're just getting started, Rakuzan!" Kagami exclaimed.

Lips moved on their own to form a small smile; eyes watered at the sight of Kuroko and Kagami sharing a fist bump. Their first plan was working, but that was only the first step in dealing with Akashi's team.

"Oh?" The kitsune blinked, surprised by Kuroko's move having worked against their opponent. "Has his lack of presence returned?"

"No." Koga replied, eyes narrowing with his own suspicion. Even he had calculated the many ways Kuroko could have regained his ability to conceal his presence, but that meant having Mayuzumi out of the court. There was no way he could have disappeared from Mayuzumi's defense.

'No!' Mayuzumi, stuck in disbelief, ran back to his position. 'There's nothing you can do about your own presence!' Catching Reo's pass, Mayuzumi clenched his teeth the second Kuroko appeared before him. It was starting to get annoying seeing the confidence in his face.

"Here he comes!" The crowd shouted with excitement. "It's Rakuzan's number five, Mayuzumi!"

"It's a one-on-one!"

'Got him!' The corner of Kagome's lips curved into a smile.

Appalled by the cheers directed to him, Mayuzumi's body stilled. Were they cheering for him? Him? They said his name! 'D-Did you,' his vision shook at Kuroko's unfazed glared, 'overwrite me?!'

"I see."

Shutoku's attention was drawn to their ace, seeing him adjust his glasses as he observed Mayuzumi's frozen state. "Overwrite. He made Mayuzumi stand out more than himself. That's why he kept letting Mayuzumi pass him." To the core, the plan was a risk; letting Mayuzumi continue to make free shots without knowing if the audience would be affected. Yet, it seemed like the only logical plan. "A dim light is overshadowed when a brighter light appears. Similar to the old one, but better."

"Seriously?" Takao blinked, turning his focus back on the court. "He actually went head-to-head with him like that?"

"That's how he dug the new model's grave." Midorima scoffed. His eyes glided over to Seirin's bench; only one person could have thought of such a risky plan.

"Hey!"

Mayuzumi's attention was pulled to Hayama's call. Seeing no other way to pass Kuroko's defense, Mayuzumi passed the ball towards the blonde.

Cursing at the low and crooked pass, Hayama took his aim before cursing again the moment the ball hit the rim. Eyes widened at the sight of Kiyoshi jumping up for the rebound before taking a heavy landing.

"Rakuzan's missing?" Moriyama whispered, surprised Rakuzan had lost their balance.

Kasamatsu sighed, watching the intense pressure on Mayuzumi. There was no denying he was losing his cool. "Kuroko is applying a lot of pressure on defense. Since he has vanished from the court, there is no telling where the steal will come from."

Exhaling tiredly, despite having been shocked himself for Kuroko's return, Murasakibara could not help but let his eyes wander to the emperor. "But that's not enough for Kurochin to beat Akachin. Or better yet, not enough for Seirin to defeat Akachin." The proof was there the moment Akashi stole Seirin's pass and made a quick break back to their hoop.

Kagami pushed himself to quicken his pace to intercept Akashi's path. Extending his arms to the side, the tiger inhaled, feeling the nerves and excitement within him swirl. Eyes hiding underneath the shadow of his bangs, Kagami exhaled. 'Kuroko. Kagome. You're both amazing…If they hadn't stood up for what they wanted, I may have given up. ' He had started with the team thinking the games would be just like those he had played in America. He had underestimated Kuroko's, Kagome's, and the rest of the team's abilities.

Underestimated their passion and strengths.

Everyone was giving it their all: everything.

'I won't let your rays of hope go out this time!'

Rakuzan – along with Seirin – were taken back by the sight of Kagami's hues having darkened the moment he opened his eyes. "Bring it on, Akashi!" he shouted.

"W-What?!" Nebuya exclaimed. "He entered the Zone again!?"

"Tch, but he can't beat Sei-chan." Reo scoffed. "Did he forget the first half?"

Akashi's eyes reacted to Kagami's sudden retreat from his defense. Keeping his eyes ahead, the emperor's brows furrowed with confusion seeing Kagami's relaxed posture under the hoop. 'He backed off?' he questioned. He could easily shoot a three pointer from his spot. Was he underestimating him? He took a step forward, only to take it back the moment Kagami's body reacted to his movement. 'Impossible! He can reach from there?'

"That baka." Aomine chuckled under his breath. "He's even deeper in the Zone."

"Deeper?" Imayoshi questioned, turning his head to their ace.

Kagami's loose stance; his eyes focused on the opponent. If he could remember anything from the Zone it was how light his body had felt. Instinct had taken over his thinking. "He's like a wild beast." Aomine answered.

Akashi took a step forward before immediately freezing at the sight of Kagami reacting to his movements. The intensity and concentration in his eyes irked him. Dribbling the ball once more, he quickly made a pass towards Mayuzumi.

As the ball made a curve pass from Mayuzumi to Nebuya, Kagami looked over his shoulder to see Nebuya making the dunk.

A curse blew under Mayuzumi's breath as he stared at the phantom's back. His jaw clenched; his eyes narrowed thinly. 'Now that I know, I won't pass you. Once I return to the shadows, you can't overwrite me.' With the ball coming back towards him, Mayuzumi made a quick scan of his teammates only to see each one guarded by a Seirin member. The ball landed between his hands before meeting Kuroko eye-to-eye.

Mayuzumi rose the ball over his head while glaring down the phantom player before him. His fingers tightened their hold on the ball. 'H-He thinks I won't pass him!' Taking a second glance over Kuroko's person, he noticed the empty space. 'There is no one behind him. Tch. What an obnoxious kid. But…I won't fall for it.' Beginning to dribble the ball, Mayuzumi swiftly turned around Kuroko's person; his eyes slowly widened noticing Kuroko remaining in his spot. 'W-Wait a minute…' Preparing his aim, Mayuzumi released the ball only to see Kagami jump in and slap the direction of the ball to the other side.

Why did Kuroko not move? Why did he let him pass?

"Eh~." Placing his cheek over his knuckles, Koga watched the shock take over Mayuzumi's expression. "So the phantom boy created an opening before Mayuzumi started dribbling. If anything, Rakuzan was feeling the pressure, and for sure Mayuzumi felt it more than anyone else."

Shippo nodded as he listened to the wolf youkai. "Guess that is what happens when you let your guard down; your opponents are able to read you."

Shaking his head, Koga noticed Kuroko giving Kagami a fist bump. "I think Kagome's plan was to have Kuroko return to the shadows.

"Easier said than done, though."

Eyes shifted towards the inuyoukai.

Keeping her eyes on Kuroko and Mayuzumi, Kagome placed the top end of her pen against her lips. This was a battle of new versus old. 'Akashi-kun may try to replace Kuroko-kun with a 'new model', but he forgets the history of the sixth man and his will make him stronger than any new phantom.' She lowered the pen from her lips, watching Kuroko disappear from Mayuzumi's sights and make a pass towards Kiyoshi. Cheers from the audience echoed as soon as Kiyoshi made a dunk.

'The weight of Kuroko-kun's resolve to be a shadow is much heavier than that of Mayuzumi-san's.'

Keeping his eyes on the scoreboard, Midorima pushed his glasses in. "Kagami's defense is strong enough to stop Akashi right now, and they are scoring with Kuroko's passes on offense."

"They can't let their guard down yet." Takao added. "But there is hope with the power of the shadow and light."

The buzzer halted everyone's movements before the referee called out time out from Rakuzan's side. Watching the two teams head to their benches, the Kaijo team remained silent seeing the expressions on both teams having changed compared to the first half.

"What will Rakuzan do?" Moriyama questioned.

Kasamatsu sighed, seeing Rakuzan filling up with annoyance. "They will start by subbing out Mayuzumi." His eyes landed on the new phantom player as he sat on the bench and kept his head low. "Letting Kuroko overwrite him was a serious mistake and Rakuzan was not expecting it."

"Damn it!" Nebuya shouted, throwing his plastic water bottle to the floor. Blood began to boil in his veins seeing the scoreboard from the corner of his eyes. More than anything, it was the cool demeanor Akashi held that irked him more. "Someone brought Seirin back to life!" He grunted.

Sighing under his breath, Reo turned to face the angered center. "Falling into a trap you can see is nothing short of stupid."

Hayama wiped the sweat off his forehead with his towel before taking a small glance at the third year beside them. "If the overwriting made him lose his lack of presence, he is useless." He scoffed, turning his attention back to their coach. "Sub him out."

Hearing their 'not-so-secretive-' thoughts of him made him want nothing more than to quit the team. Mayuzumi was cursing and blaming himself for not having declined Akashi's request to join the team in the first place. He should have trusted his judgment of them when he first met them. Teeth clenching to hold back his bark, Mayuzumi turned away. 'They're friendly when they can use me. When they can't, they're hostile. Glad to know they are so easy to understand.' His shoulders slumped, knowing the thoughts in his head were never going to be said verbally. 'But I can't argue with them, nor do I want to. Sub me out; I would be more than glad to sit out for the remaining time.' Feeing a shadow loom over his person, Mayuzumi looked up. His eyes widen in return the second they made eye contact with those of the emperor's.

He felt his heart stop; his lips dried seeing the death stare. "Akashi?" He whispered.

"Like they said, you made a mistake." He stated, keeping his stare strong on the third-year. "Subbing you out would be the obvious choice."

Mayuzumi's face soured as he broke the eye contact. He could feel Akashi looking down on him.

"But," Akashi's lips curved into a smirk, "we still need your strength. We won't sub you out yet." Placing his hand over Mayuzumi's shoulder – much to his surprise – his smirk stretched. "I'm counting on you to help Rakuzan win."

Shaking the chills running up and down her spine, Kagome gripped the towels in her hands. She felt – for a mere second – the cold aura increase mercilessly. Handing a towel to the phantom player beside her, she looked over her shoulder to see the gold aura overtaking the red around Akashi's person. Her eyes narrowed with concern seeing his eyes glued on Mayuzumi's wide-eyed expression.

"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?"

The name pulled her head back to her team. Seeing Kuroko using the ice pack over his shoulder, she took one more glance of the emperor. "Yeah…" She whispered. "I…just felt Akashi-kun's aura rise again."

The team blinked in unison hearing her words before making a secretive attempt to see Rakuzan. To hear their manager speak of auras was still a foreign thought, but it was not one they could ignore after all the evidence she and her old friends had given her.

"Question is, will they sub Mayuzumi-san or not." Riko whispered under her breath. "Well, we need to prepare for whatever Akashi-kun might have planned for us." Riko spoke, bringing her team's attention to the middle. "Get your energy back; ice their backs and calves!"

Watching the first-years assist the team with their needs, Kagome blinked upon hearing her captain's voice.

"Sorry…" He whispered, keeping his head down with a towel covering the shame. "When we were just getting started, I…"

Kagome's brows furrowed down seeing the pain in Hyuga's eyes. Of course he was hurt to have let his team down after his many mistakes, and it was not something her words or anyone's could easily make him feel confident again.

"You worry too much, idiot."

Hyuga and Kagome blinked, along with the rest of the team, upon hearing Kiyoshi's smiling tone.

The captain straightened his back realizing Kiyoshi had used his usual words. "O-Oi, that's-!"

"You stole my line against Kaijo, remember?" Kiyoshi chuckled. "That's payback." He sighed, looking over at the empty court in front. "I was disappointed when you got your technical foul, though."

Giving him a dead-fish stare, Hyuga replied. "I feel bad enough already. Don't be rubbing Tabasco sauce I the wound, Teppei-san."

Kiyoshi nodded back before turning his attention to his old friend. "But have faith in your friends. Having four fouls just makes the situation difficult. It doesn't end the game. We will need your threes again, Hyuga; we are still counting on you."

"Now!" Koganei exclaimed, standing up himself. "Let's have some fun!"

"Ah!" Kiyoshi blinked, Koganei giving him a grin with a thumb up. "Koga! You stole my line, too?"

"Saying it really cheers you up, doesn't it?" Koganei snickered.

Chuckling under their breaths, the team smiled at each other before their small meeting ended with the buzzer. As Seirin headed back to the court, Kagome took another glance at Rakuzan only to be taken back by the sight of their own phantom player entering.

"T-They are letting him in?" She whispered.

"Seriously!?" Takao exclaimed. "I was ready to bet they were going to sub him out…Can Mayuzumi use Misdirection Overflow without his lack of presence, too?"

"Probably not." Midorima replied, eyes glued on Mayuzumi's person. "That technique involves drawing attention to yourself. But Mayuzumi's only trained to direct attention away from himself."

Takao's attention was placed back on the court. There was no lie that everyone knowing Akashi's nature would think Mayuzumi would be benched, but to see him back out could only have Seirin on edge. "But having Mayuzumi on the court should hurt the team, and they still put him in? Did Akashi give Mayuzumi a chance because he thinks he can still grow?"

Slowly sitting back down on the bench, Kagome kept her eyes on Mayuzumi and Akashi. Something did not feel right; why was she on edge? It was not in Akashi's personality to let Mayuzumi or any of his teammates to make a mistake and be given a second chance.

So what was going on?

'Why is he in?' Kagome's eyes landed on the emperor, seeing him with the ball and slowly coming forward into Seirin's defense. She watched him take slow steps towards Kagami's Zone circle. 'Why is Mayuzumi-san in…?'

The court fell silent; her instincts told her something was off. Seeing Mayuzumi run behind the emperor signaling for a pass, she did not miss Kagami's eyes following Akashi's: Mayuzumi as the target. The miko's eyes slowly widened as she saw what Akashi had done before Kagami's eyes returned to the ball.

Kagami blinked, seeing the ball missing from his hands. 'I-It disappeared!?' Realizing the direction of his hands, Kagami turned his head to see the ball coming towards Reo. Taking a step forward, he cursed under his breath the second Reo got into position and released the ball towards the hoop.

With the ball swooshing into the basket, Kagami turned his head back towards Akashi with shock. 'Was that…?'

"What happened…?" Riko whispered, having missed a second in the play.

"Misdirection Overflow?" Izuki questioned.

"No," Kuroko replied, walking behind the Eagle Eye user, "it's a little different. Mayuzumi-san didn't do anything. He is prone to drawing attention right now. Akashi-kun directed Kagami-kun's attention to him."

Hearing Kagome tell her it was not one of Kuroko's moves, Riko turned to her with confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Holding back her anger, Kagome replied. "He is using him…as a passing tool." The miko's focus followed Akashi's continuous movements and eyes to trick the others thinking he would pass to his own phantom player. With the ball landing between Nebuya's hands, he shouted as he struggled against Kiyoshi's weight. The wince in Kiyoshi's expression was not missed by her knowing his knee was soon to hit his limit. She could only imagine the strain he was placing on it and unable to express that pain.

As Nebuya made his dunk – much to Kiyoshi's annoyance – Kagome gripped the edges of her clipboard as she observed Mayuzumi's aura. Slowly it was decreasing in stamina, and if she knew any better, his mental state was weakening.

Kagome felt the eyes of another on her. Moving her focus to the other side of the court, her eyes narrowed as she made eye contact with the Rakuzan player: Akashi.

"From Akashi's pass he is pushing inside in a one-on-one." Moriyama spoke, seeing Seirin's players scattered on the court. "It's like he is showing off his strength."

Watching Seirin struggle against Rakuzan's offense, Kasamatsu crossed his arms. It had come to surprise for all of them to see Akashi using Mayuzumi in such a low manner. No player, at least from his experience, had ever been given such a degrading 'job'. "The way Akashi is treating Mayuzumi is," eyes narrowed witnessing the loss of motivation in Mayuzumi's eyes, "heartless. There is no other word for it. His job is simply to stand in Kagami's field of vision. To be treated that way," he scoffed, "must be supremely galling."

"Then why could he be doing it?" Kobori questioned.

Kasamatsu sighed under his breath. "The only reason he is doing it is because of the uniform – the uniform he wears. The remaining shreds of his sense of duty are the only thing forcing his body to move."

Directing his focus down at the miko, Kise's brow lifted seeing her own eyes connecting with that of his former captain's. "Akashicchi has been watching Kagomecchi ever since the game started."

Kaijo's eyes followed Kise's topic.

Noticing the glare Kagome placed on Akashi, Kasamatsu's shoulders tensed. No one needed to come near them to know the tension there was heavy. "Something must have happened before third quarter began."

"But…what?" Kise whispered.

There was no one he knew that had the guts to go against the emperor.

With Seirin being pushed to the brink with Rakuzan's offense, the members on Seirin's bench could only remain silent as their anxiety levels increased with each passion second. Twenty point gap, and there was still no plan on how to stop Rakuzan's attacks. Akashi alone was a problem, but having three Uncrowned Kings was another push for Seirin.

"Damn it…" Fukuda cursed under his breath.

"What can we do?" Furihata whispered, feeling the pressure of his teammates on him.

"Defense! Defense!"

The first-years turned their heads towards Tsuchida, blinking at the sight of their senior shouting with all his might. Blinking again, the first years faced each other before nodding and joining Tsuchida with the support.

"Uwa~." Hayama sighed, hearing the cheers from Seirin as he faced Izuki. "Well they are getting excited. But…," the ball came into his hand and held it between his hands, "it won't work." He pouted as he felt his opponent lacking in power compared to his match against the tiger. 'I'm not feeling it with him. Kagami is all right, but this guy-'

"Can I ask you something?" Izuki spoke out. "What do you think of Mayuzumi?"

Curiosity grabbed, Hayama lifted a brow. "Nothing, really. We use him effectively to win. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I'm not complaining." Izuki replied. "I just don't want to lose."

Taken back by his determination, Hayama's face slowly melted down back. He was amused by his spirit; a smirk crawled up his lips. "Really?" Lifting the ball with only three fingers under his palm, he chuckled. 'Three is probably enough, but that annoyed me enough to use more!' Placing his pinky on the ball, his eyes narrowed thinly. 'Four!' Dribbling from one hand to another in a blink of an eye, Hayama made his way to the left only to come face-to-face with Izuki once more. Hayama took a step back; all the Uncrowned Kings were taken back by the point guard's ability to spot him. Hayama dribbled the ball in his spot as he stared at Izuki with wide eyes. 'I…can't pass him with four? Is it harder to use speed to mess with him because he sees my entire body's movement with his Eagle Eye?'

Grinning at Izuki's potential and improvement, Imayoshi laid back in his seat. "Your mentality has a big effect on your performance. A man's attitude can change him dramatically." Chuckling under his breath, Imayoshi nodded at Izuki's performance against Hayama. "Somehow he has managed to handle that monster."

"A camel told me…" Izuki spoke, making Hayama confused. "Compared to Akashi, you're barely a hump in the road. Yeah, nice."

Continuing his dribble, Hayama was left blinking as the pun sunk in. Laughter puffed through his lips before letting his laugh echo throughout the court.

All Seirin members felt a sweat drop loom over their heads as they saw the joy in Hayama's face. 'H-He likes it!?'

"Ya!" Hayama sighed, as he kept the ball under his palm. "Sorry. Honestly, I underestimated you. Okay." His glare returned; his grin stretched. Placing all five fingers of his hand on the ball, he prepared his dribble. "Here comes five!"

Izuki's eyes widened as he felt the threat in Hayama's stare. 'S-Such power…' He gulped, unsure how he was supposed to take this attack. 'Is this the true strength of the Kings? But I have never felt anything like this. Am I scared? I'm frighteningly calm, despite the situation. He's coming any second!' The dribble passed him too quick for him to register. Before he could let another second pass by Izuki stepped back and stretched his arm behind him in an effort to spear the ball out of Hayama's grip. Izuki's expression paled as he saw Hayama already slipping away from his range. 'I-It's no use! He's too fast!'

Seeing Hayama's dribble and Izuki's arm reach out to stop the ball, Reo scoffed under his breath. 'That is still not enough to stop him.'

Kiyoshi quickly ran in front of Hayama and jumped as he tried to block Hayama's shot. Leaning a little to the right, Hayama jumped up and directed his shot into the basket with ease.

Walking towards Izuki, Koganei whispered his name as he noticed his sulk. For Izuki to go against one of the Uncrowned Kings was taxing – mentally.

"Sorry…" Izuki blew his apology under his breath.

"No worries!" Koganei patted his shoulder. "Let's get them back!"

"No," Izuki chuckle, raising his hand to his eyes, "that's not what I meant. I'm just glad I could do my best against that monster." He scoffed at the sight of his fingers trembling at the thought of Hayama' dribbling. "If anything, I'm excited. Let me continue to handle Hayama; I promise I'll do something."

Koganei blinked, unsure how to reply to Izuki's determination. "Izuki…" Nodding to his spirit, Koganei patted him once more. "It seems you caught Kagami's cooties."

"I don't like the sound of that!" He exclaimed.

Overhearing Izuki's request to go against him, Hayama scoffed before running towards the emperor. "Akashi!" He called out. "Keep giving me the ball!"

"Izuki-senpai."

Turning at the call of his name, Izuki jolted at Kuroko's appearance. "K-Kuroko! You scared me…" He placed his hands on his hips as he nodded to Kuroko's concern over his well-being. "I'm fine, don't worry." He smiled, taking a side glance to the left to see Hayama walking towards the emperor. "But I noticed something about Hayama; he dribbles incredibly fast, but it places a heavy burden on his receiving hand. When he crosses back over, he stiffens for a moment."

"That's the plan." Akashi whispered, looking over his shoulder. Eyes narrowing down thinly at the blonde male, Akashi made his tone clear of his threat. "But don't make any stupid mistakes."

Without fear and full of confidence, Hayama cracked his knuckles as his blood boiled to defeat the Eagle Eyes user. "Of course! I'm going to crush them!"

Sighing under her breath, Kagome was taken back by the sight of Izuki's calm demeanor. From past games, Izuki had beaten himself down after going up against an opponent who had the upper hand. Despite Hayama, someone close to the level of the Generation of Miracles, being riled up, Izuki remained poised. Seeing the two go head-to-head once again, she glued her focus on Izuki's movements and aura.

There was no telling what Hayama had planned.

Watching Hayama wasting no time to pass Izuki's defense, Koga snickered. As he heard the cheering from the audience and applauding Hayama's basket, Koga could see Izuki remained calm. "He is watching." He whispered under his breath. For him, there was no trouble seeing Izuki's eyes following every movement Hayama made.

"He was?" Shippo raised a brow.

"He could have gone for an Eagle Spear, but instead he decided to watch him as he passed by."

Hayama caught the ball over his head before seeing Izuki coming to stand before him. Scoffing, Hayama raised a brow as the corners of his lips curved upwards. "My. My. You're determined to stop me, aren't ya? But unfortunately, no matter what you do, you can't!" Dribbling the second Izuki blinked, Hayama side stepped Izuki's defense and made his way towards the hoop.

Eyes widened, Hayama watched as Kuroko cut in front of him to slow him down. 'T-This is…!'

'This is it! I will stop him!' Izuki turned his head over his shoulder to see the phantom player charging towards Hayama only to see the Uncrowned King spinning around Kuroko's person with ease.

"I was expecting this." Hayama chuckled.

From the other side of the court, Reo's pupils widened as he saw Izuki's arm having stretched back to grab the ball from Hayama's hand. "What!? An Eagle Spear now!?" Had Izuki planned Hayama's course of action just like him?

Anger and shock filled Hayama's pupils; he clenched his teeth as he saw Izuki's arm stretch behind him to spear out the ball from his grip. A vocal grunt escaped Hayama's throat as he used all his might to move the ball between his hands.

'It's no use! I can't stop him!' Izuki cursed under his breath as his hand swiped air.

"That should have been a blind spot!" Furihata shouted from the bench. "Did Hayama's instincts and reflexes beat Izuki's far-reaching prediction?!"

Lips curving into a smirk of his own, Izuki's shoulders untensed as he saw Hayama step forward. "Are you sure you want to go there? The Thunder Beast doesn't belong in there."

Realizing what Izuki meant, Hayama gritted his teeth as he prepared his shot only to be a second too late to regret his decision to shoot. 'C-Crap!' In a blink of an eye, Hayama came face-to-face with the Seirin tiger before the ball was knocked out of his hands.

"What!?" Nebuya exclaimed. "Kagami blocked him!"

Kuroko wasted no time in chasing after the bouncing ball before it escaped the court. Hearing his name being called by Koganei, the phantom player made a direct pass.

"Koga, pass!" Izuki shouted as soon as he saw Koganei having the ball in his hands. "Behind on your left!"

"Huh?" He blinked seeing Izuki coming from the direction he called and passed the ball to him. Feeling a shadow casting over him, his eyes widened with fear noticing Reo having prepared to stop his shot any second. "W-Wha! That was close!"

"Don't tell him!" Reo whispered under his breath.

Taking aim of the hoop, Izuki jump vertically as he saw Hayama appear behind him from the corner of his eyes. Hayama blinked as he saw the ball being thrown over Izuki's shoulders and into Kagami's hands.

"An alley-oop!?" He grunted.

Shouting his frustrations, Kagami dunked the ball into their hoop. A smile made its way onto the miko's lips as she heard her team and the rest of the audience cheer over the quick plan. The course of action had not been perfect, but she felt a snap in Hayama's aura the second Izuki passed the ball over his shoulder: defeat.

Still in disbelief over their teamwork, Hayama's lips were kept parted. 'It's not just on defense…it's on offense, too. He's using Eagle Eye to understand the situation and predict several moves into the future.'

Swiping the sweat with his jersey, Izuki felt eyes digging into his person. "You've relaxed mentally, but that doesn't make you any weaker." He spoke, knowing Hayama was paying attention. "Don't worry, you're way strong than me, but that doesn't affect my ability to stop you. I guess what I should be saying is, I'm glad you're not smarter than me."

Blinking once, a vein quickly popped out of Hayama's forehead before it throbbed. "W-What?" He growled as the insult sunk. 'Don't act so smug just because you stopped me once!'

Kagome kept her eyes on Hayama as she saw his aura rise with rage. No doubt Izuki had said something to make him snap. With the ball in his hands and his players waiting for it to be thrown into the court, it was obvious to the eye Hayama was starting to feel the push from Izuki's tactics.

"Kotaro!" Nebuya shouted. "Throw the ball in! You only have five seconds!"

The miko could see Hayama's trouble; everyone was blocked by at least one Seirin member as Izuki dealt with Hayama. Throwing the ball towards Mayuzumi, she saw the third-year's eyes widen at Hayama's unexpected pass.

'What the heck are you doing passing to me, baka!?' Mayuzumi took a step back as the ball got closer. 'Don't you know who is marking me!?'

Stopping the ball in its path, Kuroko quickly pushed it towards Kagami's awaiting hands before shooting a basket for another point.

The cheers and excitement of the room drowned in his ear; the emperor's stare hardened while observing Seirin's joy. Although to others Izuki may had missed his chance to stop Hayama, in his eyes, Hayama had been defeated. One of the Uncrowned Kings had been stopped, and that was unacceptable.

Kagome tensed as she felt the heavy aura increasing with rage. Rage that would soon explode into something unimaginable. Sneaking a glance of the emperor across the court, her skin paled at the sight of his threatening glare on the other Seirin players: revenge. The miko leaned towards the coach before speaking. "Riko-senpai…I am afraid it might get words from here; just like you said, we can't let our guards down."

The Zone moments, Izuki's plan, Kuroko's interception; the last minute of the game had replayed in his head as he stood under the hoop. Hayama's fingers curled into his palm; nails dug into skin with fury. His body felt hot – extremely hot with irritation. 'Why is this happening? I let him steal the ball because I was angry. I was angry because Izuki provoked me. I let him provoke me because I underestimated him.'

Running towards the blonde with the ball in hand, Reo called out to him. "Oi! Kotaro! What are you-?" Pupils widened immediately upon witnessing the anger radiating from his team member. Before he could say anything to stop him from exploding, Reo blinked as he saw Hayama take in a deep breath before exhaling it out. He turned around, passing the ball to Akashi as he heard Hayama following behind in their run for offense.

"Akashi."

Eyes glided to the corner; Akashi's expression remained unchanged.

"Sorry," Hayama whispered, "I'd better avoid one-on-ones for a while. I really want to get them back right away, but…Izuki is a first-rate player. I can't charge in without thinking first."

"Really?" Akashi replied. "It seems you have calmed down. That's good. You're off the hook."

"That was close."

Moving his attention away from Akashi as he ran forward, Hayama blinked noticing Reo keeping his gaze ahead. "Eh?"

"If you hadn't calmed down, there is no telling what would have happened to you."

Watching Akashi come forward dribbling the ball, Kagami prepared his defense range as he faced the emperor. No matter how much he tried, the Zone he was in was not enough. He needed more. 'Damn it. Focus. Focus more.' He could see himself sinking further into the abyss of the Zone. 'I feel like I'm sinking through water when I enter the Zone. The deeper I sink, the sharper my skills get. The Zone is deeper still.'

Kagome immediately stood from the bench sensing Kagami's focus breaking and Akashi's aura rising with his chance. "Baka! You are letting your guard down!" Her eyes lowered to see just the tip of Akashi's shoes inside Kagami's defensive zone; Seirin remained wide eyed as they saw Akashi preparing his aim.

'Shit!' Kagami's head snapped up realizing his mistake.

Akashi's eyes narrowed thinly. "Weak."

Rushing forward, Kagami jumped up in hopes to stop Akashi's three-point shot. A curse blew from his lips as he saw the ball go over his fingers and elegantly drop down into the hoop.

"You're so focused on the Zone, you relaxed your guard against threes. You must be unflinchingly prudent if you want to stop me." Akashi spoke as Kagami turned to face him. "I will say this now; your manager made the mistake to declare war against me."

Kagami's eyes widened as he heard Akashi's statement. Kagome declare war against him? When was this?

"Every single member in Seirin will lose hope; even your manager has her limits. It's only a matter of time. Even if you enter the Zone, you'll run out of strength eventually – everyone will."

Cursing him under his breath, Kagami took a step forward to make the emperor take back his words. Izuki quickly placed his hand over his shoulder, stopping him from doing anything reckless. "Don't worry about it, Kagami. We will get them back."

Shoulders dropped after seeing the miko from the corner of his eyes. Sighing, Kagami nodded and ran forward to follow his team.

Akashi had said something, and that placed Kagome on edge not knowing what he had to say to the tiger. Her eyes followed Seirin and Rakuzan going back in forth with points; shots were made left and right. Seirin was making progress, but it was slow progress. Although Kagami and Kiyoshi were decent shooters, they needed someone's accuracy: Hyuga. Rakuzan had scarier shooters, but Reo alone was one to fear.

The ball came into Reo's hands as he faced Koganei. Keeping his amusement locked in, Reo's eyes zeroed in on his new opponent. 'Unlike Kotaro, I don't get more or less excited depending on who I'm facing-' He blinked, taken back by Koganei's unfazed expression. If anything, he had a confident smile. "W-Why do you look so smug?"

"Eh?" Koganei blinked back. "Why? Because Izuki is freaking amazing!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?" Koganei repeated. "Wait, what? We're pressuring you guys right now, right? So, you know, I better do my best, too."

Reo's expression paled with shock at his bluntness. 'I don't know how to react!' Seeing Koganei rush forward to steal the ball from his hands, Reo backed away. 'What? His reactions are quick! It is natural? Either way, he is a bit like Kotaro!'

"Honestly," Riko sighed, watching her team member go against one of the Uncrowned Kings, "in terms of strength, this might be the biggest mismatch. Koganei-kun started playing in high school, but he is certifiably athletic from his years on the tennis team. It's the reason he has come this far with no prior experience.

Taking another glance at her captain, Kagome could see Hyuga was taking the chance and only chance he had to observe his opponent. To stop Akashi, Seirin needed to stop each and every single player on the court, but the frightening part for her and Kuroko was not knowing Akashi's full potential.

Reo took another cautious step back as he felt the pressure emitting from the brunette male. 'Wild instincts?' He questioned himself. Is that what he was feeling from him? 'But it's only…' If he were to compare, he had felt the same level of instincts with other players: Kagami like a tiger, Aomine like a panther, Kotaro like a cheetah, and Koganei…was only at the level of a house cat. 'It's only at that level.' He gave himself a mental scoff over his concerns. 'I could shoot a normal three, but…I can't underestimate the Seirin boys. I'll go with Earth.' Bending his knees and preparing his aim, his entire body froze seeing Koganei taking a step back. 'D-Did he just…?! Did he know I would use Earth? No, that's impossible! But since he stepped back, it's easier to shoot Heaven!' Proceeding with his jump, his eyes widened as soon as Koganei met him in the air with his hand stretched upwards to reach for the ball. 'Damn! I held the ball too long!' With the ball hitting the back board of the basket, Nebuya and Kiyoshi quickly jumped up to catch the rebound only to see the ball barely bouncing back into the hoop thanks to the rim.

"Damn it!" Koganei cursed, turning to face the shooting guard.

'So he's more than just a house cat.' Reo's eyes narrowed on the simple-looking player. 'We really can't underestimate any of the Seirin's players. I can't believe he reacted when I switched from Earth to Heaven.'

From the bench, Kagome's eyes followed the ball's movements after catching Kuroko making a pass towards Kiyoshi. With Nebuya coming to block his shot, the injured center grunted with pain before hearing Kagami's call to pass the ball to him. As Kagami dunked the ball in, Kagome ignored the cheers of her team and the audience. Her concern was the phantom player at this point. "Riko-senpai…" She whispered. "I think Rakuzan is catching up to Kuroko-kun's passes."

Riko nodded, having caught Rakuzan's movements to catch up with Kuroko's. "Without a shooter, we can't spread their defense."

"Kiyoshi." Nebuya called as he walked past the center. "You're not even trying to engage me; you've become pretty meek."

Watching Nebuya leave with the last word, Kiyoshi's jaw clenched. With the pain in his knee beginning to throb, and Rakuzan's attempts to rile them up, he wanted nothing more than to prove them he could still fight.

"Kiyoshi!"

A hand landed on his shoulder; his eyes lowered to see Koganei giving him a sincere smile.

"You look terrifying." Koganei chuckled. "Come on! Let's have some fun!"

"Ha…I don't mind you saying that, but I feel like you're calming me down." Kiyoshi returned the smile.

"Now, now." Koganei patted his shoulder once more before turning around to go into his position.

Sensing his anger evaporate, Kiyoshi stared at Koganei's expression. Out of all of them, it was ironic to see Koganei being the one to calm them down when he was probably the most afraid of Rakuzan. "You look like you're having fun, Koga."

"Huh?" He blinked, turning to face the center. "Well, I'm trying not to slack; I'm desperate to win. But playing in a game is still fun."

"It amazes me to know that boy became a decent player after starting high school." Koga sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"Eh?" Shippo blinked, taken back by his words. "Seriously?" He did not know much about the sport world, but even he knew most decent players started during middle school, if not younger. Most starting players were prodigies at that. "Well," he shrugged, turning his head to see Koganei coming to face Reo once more, "he has good instincts. He probably practiced hard."

"Hate to be a downer," Koga scratched the back of his head, "but the question is how good he is now. Sure his effort and determination have come a long way, but when dealing with talented players like the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles, the match becomes uneven. In other words, an average player is powerless against the Kings."

Coming to face the 'house cat' again, Reo's focus narrowed. 'Even if you know what this is, you can't stop it.' Wasting no time, Reo jumped high in his stance while taking his aim.

Koganei grunted as he raised his hand to block the ball. 'V-Void?!' This was the move Hyuga had become glued to the ground. He could not quit now; he could not let this chance pass! He had to move – right now! 'I'm still not sure what it is, but it's made me think…,' flashbacks of his times with the team replayed in his head, 'that I've been enjoying basketball lately. A lot has happened, so I…' Shouting from the top of his lungs, Koganei's feet took off from the ground. 'I want to win, no matter what!'

Players from both teams, including those in the bench, went wide eyed at the sight of Koganei moving against Reo's Void. The shooting guard gasped with fear at the reality before him.

"He jumped during Reo's Void?!" Hayama exclaimed.

Nebuya's brow furrowed, seeing the ball still in air. 'He didn't reach it, but…'

As the ball spun within the rim of the basket, Koganei hoped for the miracle for it to bounce off. Watching the ball drop into the basket, Koganei's shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Damn…I think I just missed my only chance. On the next Void-' His eyes widened at the threatening glare Reo dropped on him. Under his gaze, he began to feel smaller than the average person. He gulped, unsure what he had done to trigger a nerve in the Uncrowned King.

Sensing the rise of Reo's aura, Kagome's guard began to increase. Slowly, each of the Uncrowned Kings were being pushed to the limit, and it was angering Rakuzan all together. "Koganei-senpai won't be able to stop his shots anymore."

"He can't stop it?" Fukuda whispered in the bench after hearing the miko. "No way!"

"Why?" Furihata questioned.

Riko sighed, agreeing with her words. "During that shot, Mibuchi saw two truths. First, that Koganei-kun somehow moved during Void."

"The second reason…?" Kawahara whispered.

"He still couldn't reach it." Kagome finished. Reading Reo's aura, it became apparent he would never let Koganei make the same move; Reo had too much pride. "Even if Koganei-senpai can predict it, Reo-san will calmly take the shot."

Nodding, Riko crossed her arms as she saw Koganei's fear while being stared down by the Uncrowned King. "That was his first and last chance."

"It won't be the last."

Eyes landed on their captain as he stood from his seat.

"Thanks to Koga, I know how to stop his three pointers and how to beat Void!"

Taken back by his stance, Riko and Kagome looked at each other before realizing time was ticking. Riko stood from her seat as she saw Hyuga pull the towel off from his head. "Are you sure, Hyuga-kun?" The look in his eyes was all she wanted to trust him. Taking a glance at the miko, she ran towards the referee table to call for a time out.

It was now or never.

Kagome turned her focus back on the captain, watching him as he tied his shoes. Had he really figured out a way to beat Reo's Void? It was a move where a person remained glued to the floor and unable to reach for the ball. Holding the clipboard to her chest, the miko tilted her head to the side. "Hyuga-senpai, are you sure you are ready to go back?" With four fouls on him, a fifth would end the game for him, and possibly for the rest of the team.

"Hai." He nodded, straightening himself out to hear the time out being called by the referee. Players turned to the Seirin bench to see Hyuga preparing for his comeback.

As Seirin walked over to their bench, Izuki spoke out first. "Hyuga, are you ready to come back?"

"Yeah. I know the risks. This time I will beat Mibuchi."

Dipping is head down, Koganei's brows furrowed with guilt. "Sorry, Hyuga. I wasn't strong enough."

"What are you talking about? You're the reason I can fight." Holding his fist out, he gave Koganei a smile. "Don't worry; I'll crush him for you, too."

Staring at his fist, the corner of his lips curved up before returning his fist bump. "Yeah. I'm counting on you, Hyuga." Although he felt regret not being able to do something about Reo, he was glad Hyuga had found the spark to return.

From behind, Kagome smile as she saw Mitobe placing a towel over Koganei's head before giving him a pat on his shoulder. The silence from Mitobe was enough to tell Koganei he had done his best.

"We have ten more minutes. There is no need to rush." Turning to face his members, Shirogane watched as Akashi's attention had been caught. "Don't try to main the point gap. Keep attacking until the end and crush Seirin!"

Responding to his orders, the five starters stood from the bench. As they made their way back to the court, Akashi walked behind his shooting guard. "Reo, they are putting Hyuga back in. He may have four fouls, but don't let down your guard."

"I know." He nodded with a smile.

"Eikichi," Akashi called out, "there is still life in Kiyosi's eyes. Pull yourself together."

"Yeah!"

"Kotaro." Looking over his shoulder, the emperor watched as Hayama stretched out his arms. "How long are you going to stay out of the fight? You need to score again."

Scoffing with a smirk, Hayama nodded back. "Of course!"

Watching the captain walk away, Mayuzumi's eyes scrunched. 'And I'm supposed to keep playing like this. How economical of you to use me until I've got nothing left.' He could be placed on the bench for the rest of the game and he would have no problem with it, but something seemed off. He wanted to play for a different reason. Placing his eyes on Akashi's back, Mayuzumi feel uneasy about the way Akashi was beginning to direct them all. 'I'm not sure what it is, but something seems off about Akashi.'

"The break is now over!"

With the referee calling the players back to the court, the miko watched as Hyuga gathered everyone for their cheer, all except for Kiyoshi who remained sitting. Her brows furrowed with concern as she sensed his aura. But his aura was not the only way for her to read his hidden pain. His whole demeanor and silence was enough to tell her Kiyoshi was struggling to keep a straight face. His eyes lowered down to his knee; he gripped it to control the shaking. As far as she knew, she was the only one who knew about his plans to go to rehab in America after the Winter Cup. To have someone who had become dear to her in so little time already going away made her want nothing more than to offer her assistance to heal him.

"Kiyoshi-senpai…"

Blinking out of his inner thoughts, Kiyoshi lifted his head to see the miko giving him a concerning look. He flashed her a small smile before he stood up and patted the top of her head. "Don't look so sad, Kagome-chan. A smile suits you best!"

She could not say anything; that smile of his meant to believe in him. Watching walk away – smile lingering on him – she noticed Riko staring at Kiyoshi's back with her own worry. No one needed to read auras to know Kiyoshi was in a pinch of his own.

Kagome sighed as she watched Kiyoshi join his teammates in for a circle. 'The team must know something is up with Kiyoshi-senpai…' There was no doubt in her head Seirin was preparing for the worst and for the best.

"Let's win!" Hyuga shouted as he gathered everyone together. "Seirin, fight!" With the team shouting their determinations, Hyuga nodded before exhaling to calm his nerves. This was his last chance to go against Reo; he had no time to worry about failing. Turning his head over his shoulder, he noticed Riko and Kagome coming forth. He cleared his throat, catching their attention to see him keeping his head down. "Coach," he whispered, "will you do me favor?"

"Eh?" She blinked.

"C-Can you stop my hands from shaking?" He requested, lifting up his arms for the two girls to see him shaking continuously.

"C-Chotto!" Riko took a step forward, seeing the panic in his eyes. "But you sounded so in control just now!"

"I was pretending! I am the captain, remember?! I've got four fouls, you know! The pressure is killing me…Hit me or something!"

Sighing, Kagome placed her clipboard against her hip seeing his fingers tremble. "Well, he has a point. It's normal for you to be like this, senpai."

"Well…I can't hit you!" Riko retorted. "What will that do with my reputation?" Turning to the miko, she pointed at Hyuga's back. "Kagome-chan, you do it!"

She blinked; the grip on her clipboard loosened lightly. "Wait! Me?! I can't do that!"

Hearing the two girls argue behind him, Hyuga watched the referee give him a look to get into the court. He growled under his breath as he was beginning to tire himself out with the shaking. "One of you do it!"

"Fine!" Both girls shouted back. "I'll do it!"

The echo of the slap on his back harmonized with his yell; the miko and coach blinked as they realized both had struck him at the same time. Kagome's lips curved upwards as she gave out a nervous laugh. "G-Gomenasai, senpai…I didn't know Riko-senpai was going to go ahead and do it."

"Sorry, Hyuga-kun." Riko's hands asked for forgiveness in a prayer. She did not think Kagome would hit as hard as she did.

Observing from above, the wolf youkai's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the Seirin captain making his way into the court. After hearing the slaps from the girls, he could not help but chuckle. To see the miko holding back was a rare sight. She seemed more than happy to discipline them back in the feudal days.

"They are at the fourth quarter." Shipo whispered, coming to fold his arms over the rim of the balcony. "Guess this is the beginning to the end. But…can Seirin even make up a twenty-point difference?"

"Who knows?" Koga shrugged as he exhaled. "But as long as one person continues on, then everyone will continue to fight. When it comes to killing giants, attitude matters more than strategy." Watching Kuroko make a quick pass towards Hyuga, his eyes narrowed as Reo came forth. "Remember, Akashi believes he is dealing with normal team members, but he does not know there is one person in the team that has faced demons and almost death multiple times. This is nothing."

Remembering the hits on his back, Hyuga gave himself a mental scoff as he ignored Reo's reach for the ball. Calmly taking the shot, Hyuga shouted as the ball went into the basket. "Yosh! Let's go, Rakuzan!"

Reo's eyes glided to the corner to see Hyuga running back on defense. 'With four fouls, I thought he would barely be able to play. Tch, but this is the best he has played all game.'

"Let's stop their attack!" Hyuga yelled as he saw the Uncrowned Kings take a step back upon hearing Seirin's encouraging shout.

"Their defense is good." Alex whispered, watching the Seirin members divide their ground and block all of Rakuzan's players. "Hyuga-san really pulls his team together. But how can he fight when he can't afford a single foul?"

As Reo met Hyuga once more on the court, Hojo gasped upon seeing Reo's stance. "T-That's Heaven!"

"But Hyuga knows it's coming!" Wakamatsu exclaimed seeing the captain jump up to block Reo's shot.

Shaking his head, Sakurai blinked seeing Reo squat back down to avoid Hyuga's block. "A fake?! Then he is going for…Earth! This can be Hyuga-san's fifth foul!"

Chuckling under his breath, Reo's eyes immediately caught sight of Hyuga's feet still on the ground. 'He's…not jumping!? Did he predict this, too?!' Looking up, Reo's eyes widened at the sight of Hyuga's will to win concrete in his pupils.

"Mibuchi, your form is practically identical before you jump for each of your shots."Hyuga spoke, unfazed by Reo's shock. "But your center of gravity is slightly different. Your center of gravity shifts towards the direction you're jumping! As long as I know which way…," jumping up at the same time as Reo, he shouted with all his might to stop the ball.

Reo gasped, watching Hyuga's fingertips scrape under the ball. He shook his head in disbelief the second the ball bounced off the rim of the basket.

Nerves piled as Kagome watched Nebuya and Kiyoshi go against each other's weight to catch the rebound. Seeing Kiyoshi's teeth clench, Kagome watched as Nebuya kept his feet in place. The strain on his knee was becoming unbearable.

Riko's eye widened as she saw Kiyoshi continuing to push Nebuya to the side. "Teppei! Is he-!"

"That idiot!" Hyuga scoffed, knowing well the center would do anything except listen to their objections.

Memories of his injury flashed in his mind; the games he had up until now made him want nothing more than to continue with the team. He was carrying the team's wishes for victory, and it was his goal as well. Kiyoshi grunted under his breath, continuing to push against Nebuya's weight back and forth. Regrets and caution were not options any longer; he had to push through. 'I can't make the right call about my future or injury anymore. All that matters is this moment!'

Kiyoshi's yell was heard throughout the court, making everyone shocked to see him push with his injured knee to stop Nebuya from jumping up to catch the ball. Those on the court were fully aware what Kiyoshi was sacrificing that very moment.

Hyuga's brows furrowed with annoyance, but there was nothing he can do. His words meant nothing compared to Kiyoshi's determination. He pressed his lips together, holding back the need to tell him to stop. 'No matter what we say, you're always reckless! Even if we subbed you out, you would force your way back on the court! I…won't stop you anymore.' He shook his head before taking a step forward. "Kiyoshi! How long have you been a center!? Don't let that musclebound moron beat you!"

The words sunk in; Kiyoshi snapped his head up seeing the ball getting closer to Nebuya's hands. Without a second thought, Kiyoshi quickly spun around Nebuya's body before jumping up to catch the ball before him.

Nebuya blinked, taken back by the direction Kiyoshi had taken. 'He...No! I can't underestimate him!' Cursing the moment Kiyoshi landed back on the ground, his eyes widen seeing Kiyoshi waste no time to send the ball towards Kagami's direction.

Silent, the miko could only watch from Kiyoshi's pain to Kagami's dunk. Despite having scored another two points, it did not sweep away the worry over their senior player. Shoulder sunk as Izuki came to pat Kiyoshi's back. If he was happy, then they had to be, too. Catching Riko wiping the tears off her eyes, Kagome patted her back before giving her smile.

They could no longer stop Kiyoshi from reaching and sacrificing everything for what he wanted.

"Now you've done it, Junpei-chan. I'll crush you."

Turning at the call of the dreaded nickname, Hyuga's eyes met those of Reo's: rage. "Right back at you! And stop calling me that!"

Watching Reo beginning to lose composure, Hayama sighed while swiping the sweat clinging on his forehead with his jersey. 'He's mad, but he hasn't lost his cool, completely. I don't need to worry about Reo just yet.' If Reo ever got mad, that was possibly the end of the world for everyone. 'But…,' his eyes hooded as he saw their center stomp the court like a little kid.

"Damn it!" Nebuya grunted.

"Calm down, Ei-chan!" Hayama kicked him from behind to quiet him down.

"What are you doing, Kotaro!?"

"I said calm down." He repeated. "You've got a short fuse like me. Be careful. Kiyoshi is strong; if not for his injury, he would've been as strong as us. Don't underestimating him because of that!"

Scoffing under his breath, Nebuya placed his hands on his hips. "Uruse! I know!"

As the ball came flying towards Reo's path, he quickly caught it between his hands before meeting Hyuga once more. His eyes narrowed as he tried to read Hyuga's eyes. If he thought he could stop him now, he was mistaken. 'Hyuga Junpei…He's dangerous. He can distinguish between my three shots and react accordingly. Then…I'll use Void, unstoppable even if you see it coming. But maybe he's figured something out about Void. Should I avoid threes or pass the ball?' His brows met his glare; the thought in his head quickly discarded. 'No, that is why I must fight! A Rakuzan player can't back down. I'll risk all my pride and shoot Void!'

Himuro's focus narrowed on Reo's knees bending more than the usual. Jumps needed that spring, but he never thought Reo's jumps required more- "That's it!" He exclaimed, grabbing the attention of his teammates. Why had he not realized it before? "I know why the defender can't jump when he takes that shot. It's because of how deep he crouches before he jumps. When Mibuchi shoots Void, he crouches lower than normal, and when he jumps, he stops moving just as the defender's knees are fully extended."

"Huh?" Fukui raised a brow. "You mean Hyuga's knees had been locked in before Reo fully extended?"

Nodding to Fukui, Himuro watched as Reo slowly extended himself. "Hyuga is unable to jump once he realizes Reo's jump is getting 'longer'; Mibuchi still has strength from crouching so low when he does this. That's the secret behind Void."

Watching Reo jump up, the Seirin captain gritted his teeth together. His eyes glided upwards, following Reo's body as he remained on the floor, but Reo's aim was the last thing in his mind. 'Ugh, my back hurts…' He grunted his breath, feeling the aftermath of Kagome's and Riko's slaps. 'Since when did they get that strong? Tch, then again, we have one manager who probably gave harder hits so she probably held back, but has Riko always been that strong? But those slaps held the entire team's hopes!'

Springing up to Reo's surprise, Hyuga reached for the ball. "I don't care if you're an Uncrowned King or Rakuzan! No matter how strong you are, I'll stop this shot!" Everyone's eyes widened the second the ball was slapped away from Reo's grip.

Time continuing to tick, Izuki ran towards the ball before making a quick pass towards Kuroko. A swift pass from the phantom player was made towards their center.

"They broke through Rakuzan's defense!" Miyaji exclaimed, astonished to see the quick reactions from Seirin.

"With the return of their shooter, their defense spread out." Midorima spoke, seeing the confidence return in Hyuga's eyes. "This makes it easier to create space on the inside."

Seirin was coming back.

"H-How did he reach that?" Sakurai was in disbelief to see Hyuga having been able to react to Reo's shot. If it were him, he was sure he would have been stuck on the ground.

Chuckling under his breath, Imayoshi nodded. "Seirin is regaining control."

Midorima's eyes narrowed seeing Kiyoshi come face to face with Nebuya as soon as he took a leap for a dunk. Kiyoshi made a quick pass to his left: Hyuga. The look in Hyuga's eyes was not mistaken. It was not the fear he held before. Seeing the ball being released from Hyuga's grip, Midorima pushed his glasses in. "It's a good shot." He whispered. "There is no spin or shift."

As the crowd's high decreased from Hyuga's shot, Mayuzumi grabbed the ball as soon as it bounced down from the net. He dribbled it across the court before passing it over to the emperor running in front of him. Hayama and Reo had met their match, and he was sure Nebuya was getting close to losing against Kiyoshi. Not to mention he had been placed in the light no thanks to Kuroko's overshadowing techniques. Despite everything going downhill, nothing had been said from him, nothing. His eyes landed on Akashi's back, seeing his usual expression remain the same. 'Akashi isn't saying anything. What is he thinking? It's strange that he is emphasizing one-on-ones with those three. Why doesn't he attack himself?'

Looking ahead, he stopped in his run upon seeing Akashi come to face Kagami's wide range defense. The intense pressure coming from the tiger was enough to make anyone run away knowing they could only end in failure. 'Could it be?' Mayuzumi blinked, not believing the emperor was restraining himself from going into Kagami's Zone. Even one step inside from the emperor made him realize he could not take it. As soon as he realized that, Akashi passed the ball to either Reo or Hayama. 'Is he preventing even Akashi from attacking?'

There was no mistake upon sensing the mix of emotions in Akashi's aura. The miko could see Akashi was becoming impatient with no plan in mind to deal with Kagami's Zone, but she could see Akashi was dealing with something much bigger than just the Zone. If anything, it seemed Akashi was struggling with himself to acquire more power – more than he already had. Eyes narrowing on the emperor, her suspicions increased. Was it possible he was trying to enter the Zone? Eyes widened slowly; the idea of it was possible. Knowing the emperor now, it was a possibility he was trying to enter the Zone to go against Kagami. 'But…can he?'

Nebuya cursed under his breath as he struggled to push Kiyoshi away from his offense. An annoyed scoff blew under his breath as he scanned the rest of the court: all were blocked. 'Tch! They're using a stealth full-court man-to-man defense!'

Seeing the difficulty of Seirin's positions, Hayama gritted his teeth seeing Kagami taking care of him and Akashi at the same time in his defensive Zone. 'This can't be good! Considering the range of Kagami's defense in the Zone, there is hardly any passes Kuroko can't steal.' Rushing forward, he called out Reo to pass the ball in his hands. There was no time to waste, and they need to make shots before Seirin's points caught up to theirs.

Reo turned to the shout of his name; without a second thought, he threw the ball towards his teammate only to see the phantom player intercept his pass.

"Kuroko!" Kiyoshi shouted, signaling for him to make another quick pass to him.

With the ball landing in between Kiyoshi's hands, Kagome noticed the physical strain Kiyoshi pushed on Nebuya as he dribbled the ball towards their hoop. Despite being injured – and knowing his own pain – she was surprised by how well Kiyoshi could hide it while pushing Nebuya's buttons: it was working. She winced upon seeing Kiyoshi pivot around Nebuya's defense using his injured knee; he was applying even more pressure.

As Kiyoshi scored with another dunk, Rakuzan became filled with anger and worries over Seirin's constant push on their defense. Akashi – the only one remaining calm from the outside – narrowed his eyes at Seirin as they ran back to protect their hoop. "Mibuchi." He called. "The four of you will go during our next attack."

Reo's eyes widened as he heard the order. Taking a step forward, the shooting guard shook his head as he held the ball between his hands. "W-What? Sei-chan, what do you-?" The words at the tip of his tongue dried; his sweat went cold upon facing Akashi's threatening glare.

Even with the Uncrowned Kings and Mayuzumi being dealt with – to her surprise – she could not shake the uneasiness. She recognized this feeling, a little too well. It was at times when she felt the enemy nearing where she felt this premonition. Eyes landing on the emperor, her fingers curled on her clipboard.

He was doing nothing.

The ball – given to him by Reo – stayed in Akashi's hands, and that is when her guard lifted. Seeing the rest of the Rakuzan members run ahead while Akashi stayed under the hoop only made her feel suspicious of this game 'plan'. As Rakuzan met Seirin, everyone blinked at the sight of Akashi making a fast and swift pass of the ball and into Hayama's hands before making a score.

Izuki quickly turned his head over his shoulder, realizing what had happened. Akashi's pass had been to quick and exact for anyone to register its direction.

"T-They broke through in a second…" Riko whispered under her breath. "How…?" Seeing the manager slowly rise from the bench, Riko blinked to see Kagome staring at Akash with wide eyes. "Kagome-chan?"

"He…" The grip on her clipboard loosened; she was paralyzed with fear seeing Akashi continuing to stand under the hoop. His aura began to flare; the gold aura was beginning to take full control of his red. Something was not right, and it was telling her she had to warn everyone else.

Hearing Kagami catch Kuroko's pass and quickly charge towards their own hoop, Kagome shook her head. "K-Kagami-kun! Chotto!"

'He can't stop my Meteor Jam like he did in the first half!' Jumping up towards the basket, Kagami prepared his shot. "Take this, Akashi!"

The ball was swept away from his grip – to his and everyone's shock – leaving Kagami to lose his balance and crash down on the floor. Eyes widened slowly having seen Akashi's hand with the ball. He had not moved from his spot. Did he simply get the ball from Kagami's grip the moment he jumped? Did he…?

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko whispered, surprised he had been able to stop Kagami's shot just like that.

Kagome stared in fright at the sight of the emperor's eyes being similar to those of the tiger's; the clipboard in her hands slowly slipped from her hand before falling to the floor. '…impossible.'

"Akashi is…" Unable to hold back his own shock, Aomine's eyes glided from the emperor down to the miko who had stood up the second Kagami grabbed the ball. She had sensed it; she felt the ominous aura.

Shaking his head, Kise could not believe what he was seeing with his own eyes. When he witnessed Aomine's and Kagami's game with this atmosphere, everyone could feel the overwhelming power from the two, but having Akashi with the same power…

"I will demonstrate my superiority to everyone here."

The spark in his aura made the miko's body numb. Feeling everyone else's underwhelming auras of shock made her feel heavier and she was sure Akashi entering the 'gate' was going to make things worse, for everyone.

"Kagome-chan…did you sense it before he entered it?" Riko whispered. If she had sensed it, there was no telling what Akashi was capable of now.

Kagome regained her ability to move; eyes followed Akashi's and Kagami's fast movements around the court as the emperor charged forward to score. Everyone on Seirin's side tried to stop him, but he was able to make them fall forward, avoid their blocks, and shoot all without Rakuzan's help.

"Witness my sublime form and realize your defeat is absolute."

Mayuzumi tried to regain his breath as he tried to process what had happened before him. 'Even without us…no, he's stronger without us. Such a monster shakes our very existence. Does he really not need us?'

Parting her lips, Kagome found it difficult to put words together. "Riko-senpai…a time out, please."

'They called for a time out.' Midorima remained still and stoic as he watched the Seirin players return to their bench at the referee's call. He could not blame them for the sudden pause in the game upon witnessing Akashi's entering the Zone. 'But is there anything they can do to stop him?'

Silent and still, the benched players and the two females could only stare at Hyuga and the rest trying to regain energy as fast as possible. Chugs of water, and the use of towels increased, and most of the lemon slices had been eaten up at this point. There was no telling what was going on in their minds.

"I'll do it." Kagami spoke, breaking the silence.

Furihata blinked, realizing what he meant. "Kagami! You mean you'll do it by yourself!?"

"Ah," Hyuga nodded, lowering the water bottle from his lips, "we're counting on you, then."

"W-What?!" Fukuda exclaimed. "Don't you think you agreed too quickly, captain?!"

Izuki nodded as he turned to face their ace. "It's a valid verdict. Yeah, nice."

"You, too, Izuki-senpai?!" Fukuda added, shocked to see them so calm.

"Well, you heard them, Kiyoshi." Koganei grinned as he handed Kiyoshi a towel.

Moving his head left and right, Fukuda was confused over the calm atmosphere. Why was everyone so calm? Why was everyone agreeing?

"Why are you so confused?" Hyuga questioned. "It's how we have always played. Against the Generation of Miracles, we always face this situation. Eventually we have to rely on our ace." Standing up from his seat, he faced their ace. "If we didn't have one, we'd be screwed. But we have Kagami. That's good enough."

Kagami stood before feeling Hyuga's fist on his chest. Before he could say anything else, he blinked at the sight of the rest of his teammates coming up to place their fists on his chest. Feeling one behind his back, the tiger looked over his shoulder.

"Kagami-kun." Giving him a nod, Kuroko presented him with a smile. "I know you can do it."

"You know what this means, Kagami-kun." Coming forward, Riko pushed her own fist on Kagami's chest. "This fight will determined who wins and who loses."

"Akashi will be tough to beat, but I am sure Kagami can handle him." Sighing under his breath with a smile, Hyuga rested his hands on his hips before turning to see the miko staring at Akashi at his side. The smile flipped in a frown noticing the worry in her expression. Leave it to her to be reading the auras. This whole time she had been doing it. Placing his hand over her head – startling her – he whispered to her. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. We got this."

The miko blinked back before shaking her head slowly. "Ah, no…I'm not really worried for us…"

"You aren't?" A sweat drop loomed over the captain.

"…more like I am worried for," her eyes landed on Rakuzan, "them."

The team blinked in return upon hearing her voiced concerns. Worried for Rakuzan?

Sure, she was worried for Seirin, but something told her Rakuzan was dealing with bigger things than they were. The team was broken at this point; Akashi was doing it all on his own and abandoned the team. Untensing her shoulders with an exhale, Kagome turned around to face Kagami before giving him a smile. She believed in the team; she believed in fate.

"Aomine," Imayoshi spoke, "I've been wondering."

"What?"

Hooking his chin with his thumb and index finger, Imayoshi kept his focus on the court as the players were called back. "Earlier you said something about Kagami trying to be deeper in the Zone. What did you mean?"

Annoyed at his team's attention on him, he scratched the back of his head. "It's a metaphor." He sighed. "When you enter the Zone, you open a massive door. Inside there is water. The more you focus, the deeper you sink. You can reach the bottom if you sink far enough, but that requires concentration. That is when you're fully immersed in the Zone. Your performance level will increase and show case your true best." He scoffed, thinking back to the many times he had tried submerging himself to reach the deeper Zone. "But…there is an even bigger door."

"A bigger door?" Sakurai repeated. "Um, metaphorically speaking, can't you just open it, Aomine?"

"I can't." He replied. "A faceless figure stands before it like a gatekeeper. Because of that, I haven't been able to open it." He yawned before leaning forward to observe Akashi and Kagami. "But I'm certain of something. Beyond that door lies a Zone greater than the Zone. If Kagami has any chance of winning, it's by opening the second door."

Kagome's fingers began to go numb from the tight grip she had on her clipboard. How stupid was she to throw away the idea of Akashi trying to open the Zone gates? Of course it was possible, for him. Taking a glance at the scoreboard from the corner of her eyes, her nerves increased seeing the gap closing in. 'A twelve-point difference; Akashi is now defending farther back on the court then he was before.' With Akashi entering the Zone, his defensive range had increased just like Kagami's. Observing the other Rakuzan members, her brows furrowed feeling the distance Akashi had placed between himself and them: he had abandoned and expected nothing from them. 'Is he really going to defend alone?'

She shuddered the moment his guard increased, letting the Seirin members he was paying attention to every detail of their movements. At that point, there was no need for them to be a priestess or a mind reader to feel Akashi's threatening space.

Hyuga immediately took a step back upon feeling Akashi's guard as he held the ball between his hands. 'No way. We're already within Akashi's defensive range? Is…this what Kagome-chan feels all the time? This is-!' The captain blinked the moment he felt the ball being pushed away from his hands; a blur from the side made his eyes widen. Turning around, Hyuga and the rest of his team were frozen at the sight of Akashi having charged at them in a blink of an eye.

Meeting Akashi to defend their hoop, Kagami's arms spread out to the side to stop the emperor. Despite the Zone giving him confidence, facing Akashi in the same level only made him feel insecure. Could he stop him now? Akashi was going against all of them without breaking a sweat. 'Focus! He must be stopped!' Reacting to Akashi's dribble between his legs, Kagami felt his body weight go forward: ankle break. 'Damn you!' Kagami quickly caught himself by taking a step forward and pivot around to reach for the ball.

Akashi scoffed as he dribbled the ball to the side finally making Kagami drop on all fours. "The way you struggle is laughable. Stay there on the ground."

Seirin was left speechless and paralyzed as they watched Akashi make the shot. This was not like Aomine's entrance to the Zone. This was entirely different, for everyone, including his own team.

Reo blinked with wide eyes as he followed Akashi walking between him and Hayama. "S-Sei-chan…"

"Watch for threes while we're on defense." He spoke while keeping his back on them. "Even you can handle that."

"What?!" Reo exclaimed.

"Akashi!" Hayama shouted, hoping to gain back the emperor's trust.

Akashi sighed; shoulders dropped down. "I except nothing from you. If you can't do it, then I will."

Releasing a heavy sigh himself, Koga was amazed by Akashi's growth and ability to enter the Zone. He almost scoffed at the unfairness already being a good player without it. "The greatest threat on offense and defense is Emperor Eye."

"What?" Shippo blinked.

"Akashi abandoned his teammates," he scratched the back of his head, "which reminds me a lot how Seirin's game went against Touou. Single combat between two players in the Zone. When it was Aomine versus Kagami, that was an even contest, but Akashi will overpower him soon enough."

Shippo pouted as he heard Koga's words. Placing his focus back on the court, his shoulders untensed as he released a sigh of his own. "I guess reacting to your opponents' movements can never beat predictions."

"But," Sesshomaru cut in, "the miko may have realized the price for Akashi entering the Zone."

Both youkais blinked in unison before giving each other a confused glance.

A price?

Curses blew under Kagami's breath as his frustrations boiled within. Gripping his jersey from his chest, he began to get desperate to enter the deeper parts of the Zone now with Akashi intercepting his passes and shots with ease. If anything, it seemed his own Zone was nothing compared to the emperor's. 'Damn! It's no use. I can't play any better in my current state!' His closed his eyes, feeling his concentration deepening but taking him nowhere once he reached the bottom. But the gates before him were protected by a shadow in front. 'I need to move the guy standing in front of it! What am I supposed to go!?'

"Kagami-kun."

Opening his eyes at the call of his name, the tiger looked down to see the phantom player standing beside him. "Kuroko…"

"Why don't you give up?" He smiled.

The words caught everyone by surprise making them turn to see Kuroko's sincere smile.

"What?" Kagami blinked. "Why would you say that now, Kuroko?!"

"I'm not telling you to give up on the game." Kuroko turned his head back to the front, seeing Akashi's attention on them. "I mean give up on fighting alone. Look." Directing his eyes to their bench, he waited for Kagami to follow.

Eyes widening, Kagami noticed the miko and the rest of his teammates looking at them with hope and trust. They had not given up on them, but that did not mean they were all piling the hope on him alone.

"I said I was counting on you," Kuroko continued, his smile stretching seeing the miko's, "but it could be too heavy a responsibility. If that's the case, let me help you carry it. We all will."

"I-I can handle it myself!" Kagami shouted, not wanting them to worry on his part. "I'm almost-!"

"Bakagami!"

Hearing the nickname – which quickly made his eyebrow twitch – the tiger's focus returned to the miko, seeing her giving him a glare. Kagome had told him to concentrate, but relying on the Zone meant he was not relying on his teammates. Becoming frustrated over the closed doors was not getting him or the team anywhere. Fingers curling into his palm, Kagami looked down to his feet. 'We've got to do whatever we can with it still closed.' Placing his focus back on Kuroko, he gave him a nod. "You're right; let's do this together! We'll beat Akashi!"

Kuroko nodded back before looking at his former captain across the court. Having Akashi in the Zone was problematic, but it did not mean he was invincible. Everyone had their weaknesses, including himself. "I will say this now, Kagami-kun; the difference between you and Akashi-kun is the Emperor Eye. So…I'll make up the difference by becoming your 'eye'."

Kagome blinked, unsure what Kuroko's words meant, but with less than half of the time left in the game, he had to trust, and only trust.

Diving into the game once again, Izuki's pass to Kuroko was directed around Akashi's defensive range. Avoiding Nebuya's blocking, Kiyoshi reached out to catch the ball. Without a second thought, Kiyoshi turned around and jumped up to dunk the ball in.

The ball was quickly slapped away from his hand, making it bounce back from the hoop's backboard. Eyes widened upon seeing Akashi having jumped high enough to reach Kiyoshi's shot. There was no time to react to the interception as the emperor jumped down and quickly caught the bouncing ball on the court before charging towards his basket.

Akashi's eyes narrowed seeing the Seirin duo block his path with arms stretched out to the side. With Kagami in front and Kuroko in the back, Akashi scoffed at the idea of needing two people to stop him now. 'Kagami is in front, huh? They're not going to double-team me? Tetsuya can't keep up with me and Kagami. Even if he has an unexpected plan, I can see the future. No one can beat my Emperor Eye!'

Keeping a close eye on Akashi's feet, Kagami quickly moved to the right the moment Akashi stepped to the side. 'Right!'

A quick dribble left and right was performed by the emperor, making Kagami make the mistake to take a step to the opposite side. Changing his path, Akashi moved to the left of the tiger only to see Kuroko's person standing before him. His eyes widened with shock coming face to face with the phantom player. 'Impossible…How did you get there before me?'

"W-Wait-! How did he do it?!" Takao exclaimed, shocked himself to see Kuroko blocking Akashi's path. He was sure Akashi had this one in the bag with the use of his Emperor Eye!

"It seems Kuroko wasn't looking at Akashi." Midorima spoke, grabbing the attention of his teammates.

Takao blinked before placing his eyes back on the court. "Wait…then how?"

"Kuroko," Midorima sighed, not wanting to believe it himself, "was looking only at Kagami. He predicted Kagami's movemens."

With wide eyes, Hyuga was in disbelief at the thought of Kuroko knowing Kagami's movements. As risky as it was, it was the only way to stop Akashi knowing he would be reading them together. 'It's different from Emperor Eye. The observation skills he honed for Misdirection and the time they have spent playing together allowed him to pull it off."

'Although he can't use it on opponents,' Izuki thought to himself, 'he can use it only on allies with whom he has spent time developing a solid friendship. It is Kuroko's very own Emperor Eye!'

Yelling from the top of his lungs, Kuroko slapped the ball away from Akashi's grip, taking Rakuzan, including the emperor, by shock. Akashi's eyes widened; the cheers from Seirin and the crowd slowly drowned.

As Kagami ran towards the free ball, he quickly caught it and made a break through Rakuzan's defense.

"Counterattack!" Furihata shouted. "Go!"

"Y-You're kidding, right?!" Reo exclaimed, barely able to register what had occurred a few seconds ago.
Stop them, Kotaro!"

Kagome's eyes followed Kagami's quick movements to trick Hayama before spinning around him. They would make the shot; the tables had turned. But despite the sense of win now, she could not help but stare at the frozen emperor on the other side. There he was. Still there where he had been left.

'A…turnover?' Akashi thought to himself with wide eyes.

Akashi's auras wavered once more; red struggled against the gold.

The steps of his players and those of Seirin's echoed in his ears. 'And I…I let it happen?' Biting his lower lip, Akashi quickly turned around and headed towards Kagami.

Taken back by his fast speed, Kagome blinked as she saw the emperor coming face-to-face with their ace. The anger in his aura began to flare, and she was sure he was ready to explode if provoked further.

'I can stop him with Emperor Eye!' Akashi's eyes narrowed thinly only to widen them again at the sight of the ball disappearing from Kagami's hands.

"Go!" Kagome shouted, watching Kuroko taking the ball from Kagami's person. As much as Akashi needed help, some things needed to be dealt with individually. And right now, she was part of Seirin. "Kuroko-kun! Kagami-kun!" It was all Kuroko needed to throw the ball up in the air and for Kagami to move from Akashi's defense to jump.

'Don't be absurd!' Akashi's teeth clenched. 'I am absolute! I must not lose!' Akashi jumped up to meet Kagami in the air. Reaching for the ball to block, he shouted with all his might.

Kagami grunted as he tried to extend higher than the emperor's reach. The supporting yells of his team made him heavier, but lighter knowing this was their only chance to prove they could win. And they would win. 'Ah, leave it to me. I'll make it! I'm carrying the team's hopes on my shoulders! I will make this shot!' Images of his team, Kuroko, and Kagome appeared in his mind, sparking an entrance into something he had never felt before, but all he could do was accept it and let the fire in him ignite.

The miko' shoulders slumped down upon feeling the change in Kagami's aura, but her lips parted dry the moment Kagami made the dunk. The court went silent; eyes followed Akashi's body drop down to the floor from the force of his shot.

Cheers exploded, and all Akashi had was to look up at the duo who had taken him down – literally.

"H-He finally did it by supporting Kagami with his pseudo Emperor Eye." Takao whispered, feeling the cold sweat on his neck travel down his jacket. Even he had been silent throughout the game the moment Kagami rushed to make the shot.

"Yes," Midorima nodded, "Kuroko's actions are…surprising. And Kagami is moving without thinking about Kuroko. Entrusting yourself completely to someone and playing all-out is impossible without a deep level of trust. They beat Emperor Eye precisely because of who they are."

Himuro blinked, feeling his throat going dry having had his mouth open throughout the entire play. "Is…this the first time he's been beaten this badly since starting high school?"

"No." Murasakibara answered, eyes glued on his former captain. "The last time was probably when we played in middle school. And ultimately, Akachin won that battle. I haven't heard of him losing before then. But Akachin tried to score and failed, and he tried to stop them but couldn't. So…it's probably the first time, not just in high school, but in his life that Akachin is experiencing defeat."

The miko's expressioned softened as she saw Akashi shot hit the rim of the hoop. It was not just her or the teams that were now confused, it was Akashi as well. As Kiyoshi caught the rebound, Seirin ran back to their respective hoop before scoring another set of points.

No one had ever seen Akashi like this. Ever. He had left the Zone.

'No,' her eyes scrunched as she saw Akashi lagging, 'the Zone left him.'

His passes. His shots. Everything he did was being intercepted and blocked by Seirin. What was happening? His body felt foreign; his thoughts shook while becoming jumbled at the image he was presenting to his team and his opponents.

'You're at your limit.'

His eyes snapped open having heard the voice inside his head. The voice he thought he had buried deep within. 'Don't be absurd! I can't lose!'

The ball in his hands was speared away by Izuki's hand, making him gasp and curse at himself for having lost concentration. All because he was arguing with him.

'Give up. You can't win anymore.'

'Shut up! I will win. I have until now, and I always will!'

"I had no idea Akashi was this fragile…" Takao whispered, seeing the emperor's movements become slower and less precise. "The defeat of his Emperor Eye must have been a shock, but…"

A sudden pass was made from Akashi to Reo, surprising even his own teammates. Reo cursed under his breath, hating the foreign feeling pass his captain made from across the court. These passes and shots were nothing like the Akashi they knew. They were not even talking; there was no communication.

Kagome and Kuroko noticed Akashi's speed lowering even as Seirin caught Reo's rebound and hurried to the other side. Even with Hayama trying to yell at him, everyone kept quiet knowing it would not do them good to fight and waste time. As Kagami intercepted another pass from Akashi, he quickly jumped up to dunk the ball into their hoop.

They were now one basket behind to match.

Nebuya grabbed Akashi from the front of his jersey before pulling up. "This is ridiculous! A kid could have caught that weak pass! You think that will work now?! I've had enough of your crap, Akashi!" The buzzer stopped Nebuya's rant, making him look to the side to see their coach waiting beside the referee table. "Tch!"

"White team, timeout!"

Shirogane paled as he stared down at their captain sitting in front of him. He never thought he would be calling a time out because of him. 'I don't believe it. Is Akashi this fragile a player? The closing gap shouldn't be enough to agitate him. But…he's shaken because they defeated his trump card. And that psychological damage is creating discord on the team. At this rate…' He hated the only option he had in mind, but with Seirin one basket behind their points, it was time to do it. "Member change, Aka-"

"Wait."

Eyes glided over to see their own phantom player stand from his seat, stopping their coach from making the change.

Turning to face their 'weak' emperor, Mayuzumi's eyes narrowed with disgust. "You're embarrassing yourself." Rakuzan's expressions widened upon hearing his insult. "Did you think I would console or encourage you? I'd never do that. After everything you said, this is all you can do?" He scoffed, noticing Akashi closing his eyes. "I don't think so. You're nothing like the man I met on the roof. In fact, who are you?"

Akashi's eyes snapped open as the question sunk. His mind darkened with the question repeating itself. 'Who…am I?' His dark mind illuminated a path until the image of his mother holding him as infant appeared. 'Who am I?' Memories flashed of his father, of his never-ending lessons, and the one precious memory of his mother watching him play basketball for the first time. 'Who am I?'

"You are my weakness."

His own person inside his mind quickly turned around to face another him hiding in the shadows of his dark past. The past he wanted buried and engulfed in flames the moment his mother passed away.

"Born to a distinguished family, always standing above others, and obligated to win. Even when you lost your mother, your only repose, you weren't allowed to stop. You weren't allowed to grieve. Only to win. I…was already beginning to tear apart then."

The memories of his father pushing him to succeed made him curl his fingers into his palm. The one person he had hoped as a child to come to for comfort only saw him as a tool of his succession. Not as his son.

"Basketball. The anchor my mother left me. As long as I kept winning, my stern father allowed me to play. The Teiko basketball team's practices were hard, but not painful." The blur memory of his former teammates walking together appeared in his mind. "More than that, I enjoyed the ability to play all I liked and spend time with friends. Then we won our second national championship. It would have been impossible with anyone else. It happened because I had them. But…," the very image in his head burned with the flames of selfishness and power, "the team began emphasizing victory. At the same time, their talents began to blossom. Their growth planted the fear that I'd be unable to keep up. Believing they would leave me behind, fear turned to panic."

His past reeled; his memories clicked remembering his almost-defeat against Murasakibara. If he had admitted defeat then and there, he would have lost it all: control.

"I had to be the strongest to continue playing with them."

'That's right,' he scoffed. Once he had changed, he felt that control again. The fear he held had been conquered. 'They followed me once again. A third championship was easy enough. It was a thorough victory. I was absolute. Things were the same once they became opponents. I will continue proving my strength.'

"So, you don't need me?"

'That's right. You stay here forever.'

Two.

There was no doubt in her mind now about it. Akashi's auras were split into two. Their exact reasoning was still a mystery, but the fact both spiked and flared to dominate the other made her uneasy. Was he calling for help? Her eyes scrunched with worry noticing the glares his teammates pinned on him.

Noticing Kagome's stare on Akashi, Kuroko and the rest of the team turned their heads to see Rakuzan in silence as their coach looked down at the captain.

"Kagome-chan?" Riko whispered. "Are you sensing something?"

Silent for a few seconds, the miko's brows furrowed seeing the red aura slowly trying to overtake the gold. "He…is conflicted – conflicted with himself. His two auras are clashing, but they are weak." The team flinched in unison upon hearing Mayuzumi call Akashi an embarrassment. The bad looks the emperor was now receiving was to be expected having heard how Akashi abandoned them all. Keeping her eyes on Akashi, she spoke. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Hai?" He blinked.

"You said he changed when Murasakibara-kun wanted to skip practices, right?" She asked.

Nodding to her question, his eyes returned to see his former captain staring down at the feet and unable to hold his head up high.

"So what Higurashi-san said was right. Either you are afraid of losing or afraid of change. I meant to stay back, but the scent of defeat is making you crack."

'You know nothing!' He shouted back. 'What Kagome said back there meant nothing! She doesn't know a damn thing! She is-'

"Then why would she say it, just like that."

He fell silent; his jaw clenched seeing the small smirk appear in his shadow's lips. He was not afraid. He was not weak. Someone as absolute like him would never feel fear. "You allowed yourself to be weak." He spoke under his breath. "If you want to blame someone, it should be yourself."

"Yes," he chuckled, "I have no problem admitting that. I was trying to save it all by winning. Something irreplaceable. I didn't know what else to do. That weakness…gave birth to you. Desiring only victory and abandoning all else, I lost sight of why I wanted to be stronger. I was ready to be locked forever in your mind, but…Higurashi-san brought something out the minute she said those words. Fear. Watching her and Kuroko do their very best together with their team reminded me of the past. But what you are doing now…you're about to make the same mistake that occurred in Teiko. If you do, our guilt will stay with us forever. I thought it couldn't hurt to lose, but it seems I was wrong."

Akashi's eyes widened as he saw the shadow over his former self slowly curtained away.

"It's because we are now playing Kuroko and Higurashi-san. We can't suppress our impulse to win." Walking forward, the light ahead brightened, making his current self disappear.

The smile on his lips stretched as he felt a sense of calmness wash over his rage. His fears from before and now were drifting away.

Kagome's shoulders slumped down as her eyes remained on Akashi's aura. The gold was slowly minimizing, and it seemed his soul was beginning to calm down. Kuroko's past, and the troubles that brewed within them created fear. Fear to lose everything and everyone.

Taking a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes, Kuroko was taken back by the single tear running down her cheek.

Closing her eyes, Kagome exhaled softly feeling Akashi's 'new' aura taking over and regaining control. She was not sure what was happening inside of him, but she felt relief. She felt relief for him. Although he was an opponent, his chaotic mind was probably his biggest enemy. Sending a wave of her reiki towards him, she needed to let him know he was not alone.

Not anymore.

A warm touch on his shoulders made the emperor's eyes snap open. A warm touch he had never felt before since his mother. His eyes came to stare at the wooden floor underneath his feet; he was back. Why did he feel calm? If anything, he was too calm. Raising his hand to stare at his palm, he slowly curled his fingers in before taking a stand.

His teammates blinked, taken back by his sudden movement. The bench fell silent watching their captain turn his body to face their phantom player. "How dare you ask who I am?"

Mayuzumi's eyes widened as he came to stare at his expression. "Y-You're…"

A smile appeared over Akashi's lips before he replied. "I'm Akashi Seijuro, of course." Turning around to face his coach, he gave him a bow with his head. "Please allow me to continue playing."

"C-Chotto matte!" Nebuya exclaimed as he abruptly stood from his seat. "You want to continue playing? Akashi, you could barely play a second ago! You sure you're okay?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I disgraced myself. I feel badly about it." Giving a respectful and apologetic bow, his team went in shock at his actions. "I'm sorry."

Reo slowly stood from the bench; his mind unable to process what was occurring before him. 'No way. Sei-chan apologized?'

Straightening himself up, Akashi looked at his teammates. "I want you to lend me your strength again so we can beat Seirin."

"Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun."

The two turned their heads over their shoulder upon hearing the faint whisper of their manager. Seeing her eyes locked on their backs, they waited for her to speak.

"Akashi-kun may come out stronger." The aura around him was different compared to the one she had always sensed around him. But it was not threatening in any way. "Just be on guard." Looking up, she blinked noticing the smiles on her team members. Feeling a hand on the top of her head, she noticed Kagami giving her a confident grin before looking at Kuroko giving her a soft smile.

"We got this." Kagami spoke. "Continue to believe in us."

Left staring at their backs, Kagome took a glance at the time left in the fourth quarter. Five minutes left. With the buzzer sounding off to resume the game, she quietly made her way back to the bench as she heard the cheers of the crowd.

"Let's stop them!" Hyuga shouted. "No matter what!"

"Let's go, Kagami-kun." Kuroko spoke as he came behind the tiger.

Giving him a nod, he quickly set off on defense only to feel a chill blow coming his way. Eyes widening, he noticed Akashi with the ball charging towards him. 'What's this?' he blinked, unable to decipher what he was feeling facing the emperor. The look in his eyes was not the same look he had faced before. 'Akashi has changed in some way…' Shaking his head, he clenched his teeth. 'No! He's coming. Focus! I can't beat Akashi unless I focus completely!'

Akashi's brows furrowed; his focus straight ahead. Quickly dribbling around Kagami's defensive rage, he was able to break through and move forward. He chuckled as he came to face Kuroko once more. "It's been a while, Kuroko."

Kuroko's eyes widened before he could register the sudden dribble-pass Akashi made to Reo.

Staring at the ball in his hands, Reo was shocked for a second upon feeling the catch. Without hesitation, instinct quickly made him jump up and make the shot.

"That was a beautiful shot. Well done, Mibuchi."

Reo could only blink as the compliment sunk in his head. 'No way…' Did he hear correctly? 'Seichan cheered me on? And the position, timing, and angle of the ball's seams against my fingers were perfect just now.' Never in his life had he taken such a comfortable shot – too comfortable. He scoffed as he ran back to defense behind his captain with a smile. 'What's going on? This…is getting exciting.'

"Uwa~," Kise exhaled with a smirk, "that pass told me everything. If anything…" Scratching the back of his neck, nostalgia whisked him away having seen and felt those passes before. "Those are the passes we received…"

Raising a brow, Kasamatsu turned to the blonde. "Huh?"

"That means…," Aomine whispered under his breath, "Akashi is back to his old self."

Momoi quickly turned her head to him having heard his faint tone. "E-Eh?"

"What?!" Hyuga exclaimed, hearing Kuroko's words from behind. "Back to his old self?"

Kuroko nodded back knowing his teammates were taken back by the absurd saying. Only those familiar with Akashi would know this was the emperor they had met first before everything had gone downhill. "Kagome-chan warned Kagami-kun and me about it. Now that the true Akashi-kun is awake, he is almost certainly stronger than before."

Scoffing with a smirk, Kagami swiped the sweat from his chin. This is what Kagome had sensed. 'In other words,' he turned to face the emperor of the court, 'the real game starts now. Bring it on!'

Stealing the ball from Izuki's hands, Akashi quickly ran forward before making a fast pass to Hayama. A smirk made its way on his lips seeing Kagami's shocked expression.

'C-Crap!' Izuki cursed. 'What a pass!'

Hayama grinned as soon as he caught the spinning ball. Being in his range, he chuckled feeling his confidence boost. 'This place is my specialty!' Quickly jumping up, he spun around Kiyoshi's defense before making a shot into the basket.

Watching Rakuzan widen the gap once again, Kagome scratched her cheek. Although Seirin was doing their best to catch up, it was only a matter of time before Rakuzan got used to 'this' Akashi and their teamwork progressed.

"Akashi-kun changed after that timeout." Riko whispered only for the miko to hear. "Rakuzan has regained their composure, but we are scoring, too. What exactly happened to him?"

"Well," Kagome sighed, "it's hard to explain. Even I don't know the answer to that. All I know is when I first met Akashi-kun is he had a very dominating aura, but when I saw him again before the game, it split."

"Split?"

Nodding, Kagome lowered the clipboard down to her lap while keeping her focus on the court. "To make it easy, I saw two colored auras: red and gold. I was confused at first and simply shrugged it off, but I kept seeing it throughout the game. That was until the gold aura swallowed the other." Now that she spoke it out loud, she would not blame anyone for assuming she was crazy. "But right now…it's all red."

"Red?" Turning her head to her team, Riko brought her thumb up to her lips. "Are you saying…he has changed?"

The miko's eyes followed Rakuzan running back to their defense; her gaze narrowed seeing Akashi run past Kagami's frame. The look in the emperor's eyes was no longer cold and distant, and she was sure she was not the only one anymore who could see it. Akashi's performance had her and everyone awed, but in no way was his play more threatening compared to the other Generation of Miracles. "Or more like came back."

"Doesn't Akashi seem…surprisingly normal?" Wakamatsu spoke.

"Normal?" Imayoshi replied with a question. "Yeah, right. As a point guard myself, he looks like a monster to me. His ability to dribble without looking at his hands is quite terrifying. He has total vision of the court."

"At first glance, it looks like Akashi is making assists, but that's not all." Kasamatsu added, having kept a close eye on the emperor's sudden change in his way of playing. "As Akashi's teammates receive his passes, their movements improve."

"Hm, it seems the miko has noticed Rakuzan's progression." Hearing the inuyoukai speak, the two other demons turned their heads to see him with his focus on the girl and on the court. "If you aren't a good leader, your followers won't synchronize with you. His so called 'Emperor Eye' sees opponents and allies alike.

Blinking multiple times – and in shock – Shippo leaned away as if Sesshomaru had grown a second head. "Since when did you turn into an 'Akashi Expert'?'

Snorting at Shippo's words and Sesshomaru's glare on the kitsune, he quickly gained his composure as he saw Seirin and Rakuzan going after points one after another. "As silly as it may sound, Sesshomaru is right, Shippo."

"Huh?"

"He easily makes what should be impossible passes, and drawing out the full potential of his teammates." He scoffed with amusement seeing Akashi slowly turning around to face his opponents. "It's silly to think, but it is possible for all his teammates to be at the same level as him. But…only if he accepts them as so."

Kagome's fingers loosened their hold on her clipboard as she sensed a spark in Akashi's aura along with those of his teammates. It was an aura resembling that of the Zone's. Was this…

"The Zone?" Izuki whispered, noticing the spark in Akashi's eyes.

"We're just getting started." Kagami spoke, coming to face the emperor.

Giving the tiger a smile, Akashi nodded, appreciating the never-ending determination. "Relax. This game won't turn out the way you fear it will. I've simply returned to a previous state. It's ironic to think how your own manager's, Higurashi-san, determination would affect me to change."

Seirin blinked, reacting to Kagome's name.

It was possible. Shaking her head, Kagome gulped, grabbing the attention of the coach beside her. "Riko-senpai…this might be bad."

"Huh?"

"I won't change dramatically anymore. However," the corner of his lips curved upwards, "the same can't be said for the other four."

Seirin's eyes widened as they saw the other four members come behind Akashi's person. Hyuga's lips parted; his body numb having recognized the look in all their eyes. "N-No way. All five of them..."

"…are in the Zone?!" Riko exclaimed.

"Is that even possible!?" Tsuchida whispered. It was logical – at most – for one of the Generation of Miracles to obtain such levels, but others? "I thought the Zone was only attainable by guys of the Generation of Miracles and Kagami's class. Only a few prodigies can enter it."

"That's the Zone," Kagome sighed, "but not a complete Zone. As I mentioned before, Akashi-kun changed when he came back from that time out. His old self returned. Because of this, Akashi-kun has drawn out their potential to a level approaching the Zone. Then again, it's only possible because Akashi-kun has the Uncrowned Kings behind him. When your leader is someone you admire, and is strong on his own, your true potential comes out. That's the nature of leadership and followers."

"T-Then," Koganei gulped, "what are we supposed to do now?"

Laughing from the balcony, Hanamiya found the troubles before him amusing. To think they would have to deal with the whole team in the Zone. "There is nothing they can do. I almost feel sorry for Seirin. It's tragic."

Hyuga's body tensed the second Reo came before him as he held the ball. The level of pressure and intimidation was already making his whole mentality and physical state heavy. 'It's no use! I can't go for Barrier Jumper, much less normal shots!' A curse blew under his breath before calling out Izuki's name to make the pass. As soon as he released the ball, Hayama sprinted forward and intercepted their pass. "No!" Hyuga shouted, watching as Rakuzan's defense shifted into offense. "Run back! Run back!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Kagami blocked Hayama's path while keeping his eyes on the ball.

'Tch!' Hayama glared. 'Then how about this? Lightning Dribble Level Five!' Placing all five fingers on the ball, he quickly dribbled the ball side-to-side to break from the tiger's defense. 'Damn it!' He smirked, giving Kagami props for being able to block all his attempts. 'He's better than the others.' Sighing under his breath, Hayama tossed the ball to his right. "Guess I have to give up this round."

"Huh?" Kagami blinked before noticing the ball now in Akashi's hands. "Crap!"

Watching Kagami come his way, Akashi made no hesitation to make a second eye-contact with Mayuzumi before passing the ball.

'What?' Mayuzumi's brow raised. 'You are trusting me now, Akashi? Fine. Don't blame me if they steal the ball.' Pulling back his elbow, Mayuzumi waited for the ball to come in front of his body before pushing it up in the air with his palm. 'If you say so, it must be the right time.'

Nebuya jumped up in the air while aiming the proper time to dunk the ball as it slowly came down to his awaiting hands.

"A-An alley-oop with Nebuya!?" Koganei exclaimed.

"It's not over yet!" Taking off himself, Kagami's shout pushed him to reached higher to block the dunk in time. With the shouts of his team, he needed to do it. He had to.

"No," Akashi whispered as his smile returned, "that's not your place anymore, Kagami."

The tiger's pupils slowly widened as he saw Nebuya going higher than his own body. It almost felt like an anchor began to weigh him down; he could not reach any longer. 'I-I can't…!' The sudden force of Nebuya's dunk made him fall on his behind, surprising him and even those witnessing a team's Zone.

"No way…" Koganei whispered, surprised to see their ace having been taken down in his specialty of jumps. "He couldn't reach him?"

A sudden shrink in Kagami's aura made the miko tense; her lips pressed together seeing the tiger coming onto one knee as he tried to balance his breathing. The strength and stamina of his own Zone was beginning to deplete. "Kagami-kun…" Kagami had the responsibility to deal with Akashi's entrance into the Zone, but now with Rakuzan on the same boat, it was beginning to become a heavy task on him.

'I…can't breathe.' Kagami fingers curled into his palm as he struggled to balance out the oxygen coming into his body. Had his body always felt this heavy before? 'My limbs feel alien.' Standing from the ground, he tried his best – his very best – to catch up to the others. 'My mind is dull. I can't properly assess the situation. This is bad. I'm nearly running on empty!'

"Kagami-kun," Kagome whispered, seeing the boost in his aura having extinguished like a flame, "is out of the Zone."

"I hate to say this," Riko bit her nail, "but we can't win without Kagami-kun. I knew this would happen, but I never thought the other Rakuzan members would gain the Zone's passageway. And we no longer have timeouts to use." What could they do? Were there any other options left? What was there to do when they were dealing with five monsters at that point?

'Damn it!' Hyuga cursed, coming face-to-face with Reo once again. 'It's not over yet!' Sliding a few steps back, he prepared his Barrier Jump shot only to see Reo matching his speed. Having no time to pass or change his plan, Hyuga released the ball, hoping for the best. A few more curses blew from the captain catching the small touch Reo's finger made at the bottom of the ball's surface. "Dammit!"

Kagome's eyes followed the ball bouncing off the rim of the basket; her heart clenched seeing Kiyoshi struggle against Nebuya's heavy build. A twitch in his aura was enough to tell her his limit had been reached. There was nothing he could do push it further. Before she could yell for him to stop, Nebuya had beaten them all to the punch by catching the rebound and throwing it across the court.

Smirking, Hayama dribbled the ball in his hands the moment he turned to see Izuki trying to stop his advances. "Perfect!" He grinned. "It's time to repay the favor!" Passing him with a trick of his dribble, Hayama snickered having taken a glance of Izuki's frustration painted on his face. His small moment of victory shattered the moment he blinked and noticed the phantom player having appeared before him. 'C-Crap! This is the pseudo Emperor Eye!'

Kuroko reached to slap the ball, only to feel his knees buckling underneath and make his balance wobble. Wrists collided from the misstep to the side, making the referee blow his whistle to call it out.

"Pushing! Black number eleven!"

"Damn!" Koganei clicked his tongue. "That was close!"

"No, wait…" Tsuchida cut in, "isn't this bad?"

Confused over his words, the benched players blinked towards the court to see each one of their members desperate for breath; their bodies were heated with sweat and shoulders began to slump from lack of stamina.

"Kagami-kun is not the only one." Riko spoke, feeling her worries increase seeing all her members wanting nothing but a few seconds of a breather. "Everyone is approaching their limit. Their physical abilities are dropping; Rakuzan's performance is improving along with Akashi-kun's. The difference…is too great."

'Is there anything I can do?' The miko asked herself. The decrease in their stamina had been sensed within minutes since Akashi stepped back on the court, but seeing it with her own eyes, it was devastating. But it was not like she could stop Kiyoshi or Kagami from doing what they wanted to accomplish. They were all carrying the weight of their goals. Eyes closing tightly, she bit her lower lip before making an abrupt stand. Trying her best to hold back the tears, Kagome hugged the clipboard as she caught the attention of her team's and Rakuzan's. 'I have gone through hell and back; I am not one to give up just like that!' Lips parting, she prepared to yell with all her might. Yell to show them they were not alone.

"You can do it, Kuroko!"

She blinked; everyone blinked. The sudden shout echoed across the stadium, making all eyes seek for the source. Kuroko's eyes snapped as the voice sunk. He knew that voice. He knew the voice too well. Slowly turning around, his pupils widened at the sight of an old friend standing behind the balcony seats of the stadium. Was this real?

All eyes from the court and audience followed Kuroko's line of sight to see the brunette giving him a smile. "Who…," Kagome whispered, "is that?" Turning around to face the phantom player, she noticed his eyes watering at the sight of the boy. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Ogiwara…kun…" Kuroko whispered, not believing that after so long, the friend he thought he had lost was here.

"Huh?" Kagami blinked. "You mean…him?"

The one that got Kuroko into basketball; the friend Kuroko felt guilty for: Ogiwara.

"That kid…" Akashi whispered, remembering to have seen him during the national finals when they were in Teiko.

Eyes scrunching at the thought of coming to face Ogiwara after the humiliation he and his teammates had given him, he just could not bear to look at his face. 'Ogiwara-kun…,' the image of the scoreboard he had come to hate flashed in his head, 'but I…' Slowly tilting his head up to get another look at his childhood friend, his breath hitched seeing the ball on his palm.

He was holding a basketball with a wide grin.

Kuroko's body shook realizing the sport his friend loved most was still in his heart. He was not sure if the tear escaping his eye was from relief or greater regret, but the sight of Ogiwara continuing his passion pushed a smile on his face.

"Sheesh. I can't watch this."

"Huh?" Momoi blinked, hearing the groan from Aomine. Turning her head, she leaned back as she saw him stand from his seat. What was he doing?

"Oi!" He shouted, taking those around him by surprise. "Tetsu! Kagami! You beat us, didn't you!? If you don't beat Rakuzan, I'll be taking Kagome over to our team, you hear?!"

"D-Dai-chan?"

"Aomine-kun…" Kuroko whispered, eyes drying at the unexpected cheer of his former teammate.

"Like hell that will happen!" Kagami shouted back.

Kagome jolted as a glare came on upon hearing Aomine's sudden declaration. "W-What the hell is he talking about!?"

"Just so you know," Kise joined in, taking a step forward to bring Seirin's attention on him, "so will I! So you better win, or you know what happens!"

Midorima joined in, grabbing onto the railings of the balcony in front. "Beat Akashi! Beat Rakuzan!"

"Eh~," Takao grinned, "not gonna add anything about taking Kagome-chan?"

"Uruse, Takao."

"You're not saying anything, Atsushi?" Himuro asked, turning to see his teammate already pouting as he heard his former teammates cheering on Seirin.

"Like I would ever do that."

"Miina…" Kagome whispered. Despite the sudden declaration to take her, she brushed it off as she heard the continued cheers from strangers. Eyes landed on each of their past opponents; her own vision began to blur with tears collecting at the edge.

"Keep pushing, Seirin!"

The miko's head snapped to the side to see Koga and Shippo having stood up from their suite to give their own cheer. Eyes landing on the inuyoukai sitting in between, she blinked at the small and one-second smile breaking into Sesshomaru's lips. A smile she had never seen before. Although this was not about her, she could not help but feel the cold she felt when she returned to her era melt away. Despite having been separated from her friends, she had found new ones to make new memories with. Not to replace the old, but friends to keep her moving forward.

Turning around to face her team – still in shock themselves – she noticed them staring at her with wide eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. She was sure she was a mess, but did not care as long as her team knew she was behind them, win or lose.

Kagami and Kuroko blinked in unison seeing the smile on her lips. They weren't sure what made them return the gesture, but to think their teammates had the power to push them forward. Turning around to face Rakuzan, their tired expressions washed away to show Rakuzan their fire remained lit.

Chuckling under his breath, Akashi nodded at his opponents. "It wouldn't be interesting otherwise."

"Kuroko."

Hearing his name from Kagami, Kuroko's took a glance from the corner of his eyes to let him know he was listening.

"Kagome and the others have always cheered us on, huh?" He whispered.

"Hai."

Before he could say anymore, Kagami's eyes widened as he felt the doors within open slowly and exposing a bright light. A bright pink light, warm and inviting, enveloped him before the image of Kuroko welcoming him into the doors he so desperately had tried to open. Taking in a deep breath, Kagami glanced at the phantom player beside him before looking at the miko sitting down. "Do you have a sec?" He asked, turning around to face his members. He was sure now was the time.

Time continued to run, and although it was allowed, others wondered what was going in Seirin's mind to use the remaining time to talk amongst each other. Wakamatsu sighed, getting nervous for the teams as the seconds ticked by. "Seirin was discussing something. Is there something they can do to stop Rakuzan?"

'If there is,' Momoi's eyes narrowed, wondering herself about the whispers, 'it's the Zone greater than the Zone Dai-chan mentioned.'

Leaning back in his seat, Aomine frowned. He was not one to worry, but the fact Seirin had yet to figure out a way to beat Rakuzan was concerning. 'The only way Kagami will achieve that is by moving the huge doors and the man standing in front of them. At the very least, I couldn't make them budge.'

Scanning the court as he dribbled the ball, Akashi suspicions rose as he read Seirin's expressions: calm. By now they would have been running for any chance they could get to steal the ball, but the kept their distance well. 'They're running a tight man-to-man defense with Kagami on me. If anything, nothing has changed.' His eyes landed on Kagami, seeing him prepared and waiting for his move. 'Kagami has recovered, but not enough to reenter the Zone.'

Reo looked over his shoulder as he felt the intense stare from Hyuga. 'It's the same for the other four. They're moving,' his eyes glided to see each Seirin members blocking their own, 'but they're not faster than before.'

'What…is this mysterious pressure?' Mayuzumi's body tensed as he saw Seirin being too calm to his liking. The cheers might have helped, but not enough to make their mental state unbreak. They were not doing anything different, but he certainly felt uneasy.

Akashi quickly reacted to Kagami's forward step by passing the ball to Mayuzumi. Directing the ball to Hayama, Akashi noticed Izuki's quick steps to block, making Hayama pass again towards Reo. Back and forth they went into their passes, and Seirin's defense had hardened much to their annoyance.

Koga released a whistle, quite surprised by how well Seirin's defensive performance went against Rakuzan's simple passing. 'Not even their quick passes are enough to make their defense crumble.' If a team ended up only passing the ball, it meant they were cornered. But something else seemed fishy. 'It feels like they're matching their movements to something else.'

"Sei-chan!"

Hearing his name being called, Akashi made eye contact with Reo before lifting the ball to prepare his throw. With his vision narrowing, Akashi made the pass to the opposite direction and into Hayama's hands, hoping to trick Seirin's defense.

Kagami rushed forward to stop Hayama's advances and made a quick eye contact from the corner of his eyes with Kiyoshi and Hyuga. With Kiyoshi coming in front, the center spread his arms to the side to stop Hayama's run. A scoff accompanied with a smirk escaped Hayama as he easily dove under Kiyoshi's weak block and jumped up to dunk the ball. To Hayama's surprise, he noticed a red blur jumping up beside him before the ball was smacked away by the tiger.

Hayama blinked, falling silent seeing the sparks in his eyes. 'Kagami? When did he re-enter the Zone?! Tch!' His eyes narrowed as he shrugged the fear away with confidence. 'I believe it. I did have a bad feeling about all this. You haven't surprised me!' Pulling his arm down, he grabbed the ball with both hands for a double clutch. A shadow quickly curtained over him; his eyes widened once more to see Hyuga having come up and reached higher than him. 'W-When did he-!?'

Smacking the ball away, Hyuga grunted, having used all the force in his hand to show he would not let any scores be made. Rakuzan was left with mouths open not thinking Hyuga would have come up to stop Hayama's shot.

"They stopped him!" The audience shouted before the crowd joined the bandwagon to cheer.

Akashi's eyes remained glued on Seirin's captain before looking over to the tiger. 'What…was that? We caught Seirin off guard, but they all reacted immediately. Regardless, how are they able to coordinate with Kagami's movements?' Everything had happened precisely. Turning his head towards Seirin's bench, suspicion rose upon noticing Kagome's expression: calm.

Why was she smiling at her team? What changed?

Aomine gasped noticing the different look in Kagami's eyes. Was it possible? Had he…? A smirk mixed with anger and humor crawled over his lips before raising his hand over to his face. "I see. I get it now."

Blinking, Momoi and the rest of his team turned to see his shoulders beginning to shake with amusement. Was he…laughing?

His laugh increased; the stares around him gathered. 'So that's how it is.' He gave himself a mental scoff.

"Dai-chan?"

Akashi quickly planted his feet on the ground as Kagami came charging towards him with a speed he had not had before. Whatever had changed, it was only in Kagami. It was nothing to fret about. But why was he perturbed? Why could he not feel secure about the remaining minutes? 'They're matching Kagami.' That much he knew. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kiyoshi and Kuroko leaving their defenses Nebuya and Mayuzumi respectively. What was going on? Returning his focus back on Kagami coming at him, he concentrated on his eyes: they moved to the side. 'Could it be…the true Zone is-!'

"That's right," Kagami smirked, almost as if he had read the emperor's mind, "it's not fighting alone. It's fighting as a team!"

'No wonder it wouldn't open. I…had already abandoned you.' A single tear slid down his cheek; the smile on his lips softened. Aomine's teeth clenched having pictured those same gates he had tried time after time to open. He had punched, kicked, and even cursed at it until he gave up. He would win all without opening them, but realization had slapped him in the face. That realization hurt and it pained him.

He felt guilt.

'He wasn't a gatekeeper. The man standing in front of the door…' His gaze shifted to the phantom player standing on the court. The person he had by his side and pushed away in the end. "It was you, Tetsu."

Watching him increase his speed, Akashi's jaw clenched in preparedness for any sudden change in his eyes. There was no telling now what Seirin was going to do now with their ace entering the greater Zone. 'They're synchronizing their movements with a second of eye contact. Super high-speed teamwork matching Kagami's Zone speed! The Direct Drive Zone!'

Kagome's eyes followed each of Seirin's matching movements. No one in the team was unfazed nor concerned about Rakuzan's defense. Whatever this greater Zone was, she knew Kagami was forcing himself to enter when the key was right in front of him the whole time: his team. Having sent a wave of her own reiki to calm their desperations, she sensed Kagami and all the others feel at ease. Following the fast passes from Kagami to Kuroko and back to the tiger, she could not hide her own shock like those around her upon witnessing Seirin's Zone.

She might have calmed them down, but this was now all them and their potential.

"Interesting," Sesshomaru's brow crooked up with curiosity. Humans entering a stage where all their senses connected with another was something he had not seen in years, or maybe centuries. Similar to demons releasing their true nature. His eyes followed Kagami's and Kiyoshi's eye contact before their passes synchronized. With the ball being thrown towards the brunette, Kagami quickly spun around Nebuya's and Hayama's defenses before catching Kiyoshi's pass up in the air and dunking the ball.

It was a state where one should not think or their movements would lag. A state where instinct took over.

"Woah." Shippo blinked, having felt like he had done it in hours. "If it weren't for being demons, I wouldn't have been able to keep up."

Koga snickered, crossing his arms with amusement as he heard the crowd's cheer echo and Rakuzan's disbelief. "A team play at the Zone's speed. Now that is what I call an interesting game."

Clicking his tongue, Aomine scratched the back of his head with annoyance. "Maybe I can't win by myself."

The words took his team by surprise. Words they had never expected for him to say out loud – if the thought even existed.

Cracking a small smile, Momoi knew it was a difficult confession on Aomine's part, but it was the first step to helping him heal the wounds that had cut him deep. "Yeah." She nodded. "I think you're right, Dai-chan."

"Wah~," Ogiwara sighed, having felt like his breathing stopped when watching Seirin's play, "Seirin is an amazing team. Just watching them is exciting." Looking over at his friend beside him, he gave him a small nod while spinning the ball over his finger. "I'd…like to try playing with them sometime." Seirin was strong, but they were a humble team from what he could see.

Kuroko had found the team he needed.

"Defense, let's stop them!" Hyuga shouted, signaling his team to get to their spots. As Reo caught the ball, Hyuga wasted no time in blocking his path. 'Focus!' He grunted, clearing his head to read Reo's movements. 'Don't miss the shift in his center of gravity. If we leave defeated now, it will all be for nothing!' Jumping at Reo's extension, he cursed the moment Reo ducked down and spun around him to change his location.

"Pass, Mibuchi!" Akashi shouted. "It's a trap!"

Kagome's smile returned as she saw Kagami make eye contact with Kuroko the second Reo changed his course of action and pass the ball to Nebuya. With Kuroko intercepting the pass, she was amazed by how well their moves were coordinating. 'It's like in the feudal era…' Kagami was using each of his members' skills and abilities to break through Rakuzan's defenses all by a single line of contact with their sight. 'They are all working together.'

"This is intense," Takao exhaled, feeling his own heart racing with just watching Seirin and Rakuzan practically fighting it out. "I almost forgot how to breathe there."

"But," Midorima cut in, "Seirin is winning. Akashi is supporting his team with Emperor Eye, but Seirin's coordination is slightly faster."

Kasamatsu's brows furrowed, watching Reo barely able to touch Hyuga's attempted shot. "If Seirin blocks another one of Rakuzan's attacks, they'll be able to score." With Rakuzan now on the offense, it was Seirin on the edge to stop their opponents with everything they had. "Then," his eyes sought out for the scoreboard, "they'll be only three points behind."

Less than a minute left.

With the ball now in his hands, Akashi dribbled slowly as he came to face Kagami once more. Time pressured them all, but it was nothing to him if he could get past the tiger's defensive range. A Zone was nothing when he could match the speed and power. Clearing his mind, Akashi dribbled the ball back and forth between his legs; his eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw Kagami fall back with his Ankle Break. Holding back a smirk – one he very much wanted to show – the emperor took his aim and released the ball. "I will win." He spoke as eyes followed the arc of the ball before it fell into the basket. "You're far too inexperienced to beat Rakuzan."

"This is terrible." Kasamatsu spoke, not having expected for Akashi's Ankle Break to still work this well when Kagami was in the Zone. "Just when they started riding the momentum and being only three points behind."

Kise's shoulders slumped as he worried for the point gap. "Aka-chin's shot made the gap even wider. They are now down seven points behind with that three-pointer. They need seven to get ahead."

"But…," Moriyama gulped, "only forty seconds remain."

"Defense! Focus! Everyone!" Akashi shouted. "Once we stop them, it's over!"

The pressure had increased, and Kagami felt it ooze off just by staring at Rakuzan's hardened determination. Just like them, Rakuzan was not letting their guard down for one second.

'So much pressure.' Izuki's eyes glided side-to-side in an effort to find an opening to make a pass. 'We need to score as quickly as possible, but…' All ideas jumped out of the window seeing Mayuzumi and Hayama having ran to the biggest threat of their team: Kagami. 'They're double teaming him!?'

"This is bad." Alex, having hidden herself at the balcony with Nigou inside her jacket, bit her lower lip noticing the pinch her student was in. Kagami might have entered the greater Zone, but that itself was taking a toll on his stamina. 'At this rate, he will instantly consume the little strength he has left!'

"Izuki!" Raising his hand to signal their point guard, Kiyoshi caught the ball before feeling Nebuya's weight on his back. Both went onto a tug of war with each other's pushes.

Noticing the lack in strength, Nebuya's eyes darted down to see the shaking in Kiyoshi's knee. 'He's barely pushing!' No doubt he was straining it to its limit already. 'That's not strong enough to go for a shot under the basket!'

"Kiyoshi!"

Hearing his captain's call, the brunette's head turned to the opposite side. Cursing for his inability to push further, he passed the responsibility towards Hyuga.

Hyuga, with the ball now in his hands, glared at the sight of Reo coming forth to stop him once again. This back and forth revenge was getting tiring, but he needed to do all he can with the little time they had. As much as he wanted to take the shot, Reo's close block made it unable for him to even aim. That smug look in Reo's face was starting to piss him off!

"There is less than thirty seconds left!" Furihata's heart raced, worried time would rush their team's actions. "Please!"

Kuroko made a quick scan of Kagami's situation and his two blockers. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he called his captain. Both Hyuga and Kagami turned their heads to see the phantom player with his hands prepared for a pass. With the ball coming his way, Kuroko directed the ball to bounce once on the court and landing into Kagami's hands.

"A sideways long pass!?" Koganei questioned, surprised it was able to break through Hayama's and Mayuzumi's defenses.

"Don't let up on your mark, Hayama and Mayuzumi!" Akashi yelled.

Kagome brought her thumb up to her lips, beginning to bite on the nail in worry as she watched Kagami take the shot. The arc of the ball must have taken a good three seconds, and a good three seconds that felt like an eternity. Even with the crowd cheering, it did nothing to ease Rakuzan or Seirin.

"What's the time!?" Riko exclaimed, feeling her palm beginning to sweat. "T-Twenty-seven seconds left!"

Midorima's focus narrowed, seeing Seirin quickly switch onto their defense mode. "Their defense couldn't be better." He commented, surprised with the remaining seconds both teams not letting their guards down.

"But," Takao scoffed with a smirk, "Rakuzan is unbelievable. They're unshaken. There is no way Seirin can steal the ball like this."

"Huh?" Shippo's brow rose. Was he just seeing things? It was apparent Seirin was standing on the edge of a cliff with the seconds sweeping by, but what was he doing? Taking another look at Seirin, he could see everyone in panic, but concentrating to seek for the advantage, but their point guard was…"Isn't he too calm for this?"

Following his line of sight, Koga noticed Izuki remaining in his spot while observing the court with caution.

What was he doing?

'Calm down.' Izuki exhaled, trying his best to calm the nerves and worry in his head. 'Don't get too excited or nervous. Right now, you need to be clever.' From the corner of his eyes, he was watching Rakuzan's movements, along with his team's while watching for any incoming passes Akashi might make. 'I may not be able to catch Akashi off guard, but it's possible against the other four. I need to stay calm to win. A point guard with inferior skills has to use his head to win!'

"It's no use." Himuro whispered. "Rakuzan will be taking their time. They will use up the remaining twenty-four seconds without forcing a shot. They won't be showing any weaknesses."

'No!' Izuki's eyes widened, thinking to all the possibilities Rakuzan might make with the remaining time. 'They will shoot. Their pride will force them to shoot. But Rakuzan knows Kiyoshi is at his limit, too!' Keeping his eyes wide to concentrate on the ball, his head turned immediately at the pass towards Nebuya. 'There!' Using his Eagle Spear, Izuki pushed the ball away from its intended course, shocking Rakuzan in the process.

"What!?" Reo exclaimed.

"Run!" Izuki shouted, catching the ball in his hands.

Hyuga pointed towards the opposite side of the court. "Let's go! We got no time to waste!"

Wanting to pass to Kagami, Izuki cursed at Akashi sudden blockage in front of their ace.

"Izuki!"

Izuki turned his head towards his captain, seeing him open. Without hesitation, Izuki threw the ball towards Hyuga despite Reo coming in to stop him.

As soon as the ball landed in between Hyuga's hands, Reo's eyes widened noticing the position of the ball. A perfect pass. Reo's anger took over as he watched Hyuga prepare his stance.

Exhaling, Hyuga kept his eyes relaxed even with Reo jumping in front of him to block his view. It was expected. 'There is a way.' He told himself. 'Not just to retaliate, but to win. I haven't practiced it, but I've seen more than enough examples. As long as I have an idea of what I'm doing, it could work!' Quickly squatting back down – much to Reo's shock and realization – he jumped up, letting their chests collide while releasing the ball.

The referee blew his whistle; the players and audience waited anxiously as the ball slowly came down towards the basket. Those nerves piled one after another as the ball was seen spinning within the rim before it slowly dropped into the net.

Silence.

Breaths stopped.

"Basket counts!" The referee shouted. "One free throw!"

"He made a three!" Koganei shouted.

"And…," Tsuchida whispered, "he gets one free throw. It's a miraculous four-point play!"

Watching Seirin yell with the appetizer of victory, and hearing the cries of glee from the bench, Kagome could feel her own tears wanting to be set free. She was shocked to see Hyuga having taken the risk of a shot, but he did it.

He gave Seirin further hope.

Reo's fists shook beside him while holding back every ounce of frustration behind his clenched teeth. 'They were four points behind. We could have won if I had let him shoot a normal three, but…' How stupid could he have been? He allowed his pride to take over when all he needed was to think clear. Dreadfully making his way to his team, he felt the darkened mood. His head dropped; his eyes were unable to look at his captain in the eye. "G-Gomenasai…"

"Don't apologize." Akashi responded, surprisingly Reo and the rest of his team. "Now isn't the time to blame yourself. The next rebound will be the moment of truth."

Rakuzan's expression shifted upon hearing Akashi's words. They knew. They knew Seirin's next move.

"Leave it to me." Kiyoshi nodded. "I'll get the ball."

"I'll jump for it, too!" Kagami spoke, knowing the weight was becoming heavier on their center. If he could help in any way, he wanted to do it! "Please don't do anything crazy, senpai!"

Sending their ace a smile, Kiyoshi wondered how pathetic he had fallen to have his first years worrying over him. "It's too late for that. After all, getting rebounds is my job. So," turning his head to their captain, he gave him a nod again, "don't accidentally make the shot, Hyuga."

Placing his fist against Kiyoshi's jaw, Hyuga's vein ticked over his forehead. "You're one to talk."

"Well," Kiyoshi chuckled, "let's have some fun. This…is the final play."

Staring at his knee from the bench, Kagome's eyes softened. She could not stop him. Not now. No one could because they knew. They had to respect Kiyoshi's wishes.

This was his last play.

Wiping the sweat with his jersey, Hyuga heard the referee blow his whistle before handing him the ball. His eyes scanned the players surrounding him and readied for his expected rebound.

"One free throw!" The referee reminded him.

'Huh?' He blinked, staring at the ball in his hands. 'Crap. I'm about to cry. Damn it. It's his fault for saying it's the last play.' Bouncing the ball a few times in front of him, he could feel all eyes glued on his person. Pressure did not even describe the feeling on his shoulders. 'This is…the end.'

Kiyoshi's eyes followed Hyuga's aim until he felt his knee buckle underneath with his weight. He held back a sigh, wanting to try to hold everything in. 'I didn't mean this was the last play, but…it could also mean that.' The ball was released from Hyuga's hold. 'This is the last play we'll make together. But…,' images of the old and new friends he made appeared in his mind, 'I don't regret anything. All that's left is to give everything I have.' With a smile stretching his lips, Kiyoshi quickly jumped up as Hyuga called the rebound. 'My entire being rides on this play!' Fighting it out against Nebuya's hand, he pushed through with all his strength before coming down – harshly – on his feet.

"He did it!" Fukuda shouted.

"Stop them!" Shirogane yelled, seeing three seconds still on the scoreboard. "Don't let them shoot!"

Nebuya's body tensed as he blocked Kiyoshi's path. 'Who?' He repeated in his head. 'Who will it be!? Will he take it himself? Or will he pass?!'

Noticing his mark slowly disappearing from the corner of his eyes, Mayuzumi's head spun to the left to see his mark having disappeared. 'Piece of crap! I knew it! And here I was keeping an eye on him! But the moment I thought someone might shot, I forgot about him!' Running to Kuroko, he watched as the ball was thrown towards him. 'Curses!'

As the ball landed in Kuroko's hands, Kagome abruptly stood from the bench with the rest of the team beside her. "Go!"

Kuroko's eyes narrowed as he prepared his aim only to have his vision blocked with Akashi jumping in front of him.

"Akashi!" Hayama shouted.

"It's over, Kuroko!" Akashi's voice echoed in the court.

"No," he whispered, "not yet." Relaxing his expression, Kuroko gifted Akashi with a smile. "I am a shadow." Akashi's eyes widened, realizing what his intentions were.

Kagome's eyes followed Kuroko pushing the ball up in the air with his palm before Kagami jumped in the air to catch and dunk it right in. Chills ran on her body with a flashback of their first shot against Kaijo replayed in her head. The first shot they had taken working together. "Kuroko-kun…Kagami-kun…."

"Time's up!" The referee called out, blowing his whistle to stop the game. "Seirin High," in that instant, confetti and string exploded down onto the court, "wins the Winter Cup!"

The bench – minus Kagome – ran towards their teammates to join them in their cries and shouts of victory. Everything around the miko muted as her eyes remained glued on the joy spreading within her teammates. Their auras glowed to a level she had not seen since Inuyasha and the others won against Naraku. She took a step forward; her lips quivered as tears threatened to fall then and there. Not caring anymore, she allowed her feelings to take over. Running to join her teammates, she quickly jumped in the air to grab Kuroko and Kagami into a hug of her own.

Both felt their weights shift – due to their lack of energy – before dropping back on the floor. Kuroko and Kagami blinked in worry hoping their bodies did not hurt the miko in any way. Placing their hands on her back, Kagami and Kuroko called out her name.

"K-Kagome-chan?" Kuroko repeated. "Are you okay-?"

"You guys did it…" She sniffed, knowing she looked like a mess. Burying her face between them, she continued to let her feelings pour. "You all did it…"

Kagami's shoulders slumped, although he knew he would get teased about this later, he allowed the girl to cry on their shoulders. He patted her back as Kuroko gave him a smile.

'I…,' Akashi's body slowly released his frustrations and past anger, 'lost. So,' his eyes landed on the miko being helped up by the rest of her team, 'this is defeat.' If this was defeat, why did he not feel the anger he used to feel? The defeat was painful, but he held no resentment towards them. It almost made him laugh at the irony. With a smile crawling on his lips, Akashi slowly made his way towards the victors. 'I don't think I can stay composed until we line up. But that's why…I'm glad I played basketball. And I am glad I met both of you.'

Finally free of her overflowing emotions, Kagome noticed Kuroko and Kagami having turned around to face Akashi who had come to meet their group. Her eyes dropped to the offering hand shake of the emperor's.

"You," Akashi spoke with a soft tone foreign to Seirin and the others, "no, your team won. As Higurashi-san said, she had faith in all of you. Congratulations. But prepare yourselves." The smile returned on his lips. "Next time, we will win."

Staring at his hand, Kuroko nodded back before exchanging a hand shake. "Hai. Let's play again. And again and again."

"Now," Kagome spoke, surprising her team for coming forth to face the emperor, "may I have the honor to meet this Akashi?" If this was the Akashi Kuroko had come to meet and hold dear, she wanted to be friends. She wanted to be part of this new family she was pulled into.

Akashi blinked along with his team. Composing himself rather quickly, Akashi nodded with the same smile he gave the phantom player. She was definitely something special. "Of course." Offering his hand again, he exchanged another handshake with the miko. "Akashi Seijuro."

"Higurashi Kagome."

The smile from the miko could only bring but a soft chuckle from him.

"Well, well," Koga smirked, resting his hands on his hips, "looks like my woman has come out on the top once again."

"Of course she has!" Shippo shouted, giving him a push on his arm. "It's okaa-san! This is nothing to her when she had creatures going for her life."

Standing up from his seat, Sesshomaru adjusted his tie while keeping his gaze glued on Kagome's and Akashi's exchange. To see that smile on her and everyone else around her…

"Huh?" Shippo blinked, noticing the inuyoukai having turned around to walk towards the exit. "W-Where are you going, Sesshomaru!?"

"Baka." Koga lightly slapped the back of his head. "He is the sponsor of this tournament, remember? He has to go give the trophy."

"Oh…right." Rubbing the back of his head, Shippo could not help but pout as he heard the door close. "Is he even happy for okaa-san?" Sure, he was a cold-hearted bastard, but this was the woman who had practically saved his lands. Hearing a chuckle from the wolf beside him, he turned his head over his shoulder with a raised brow. "What are you laughing about, wolf?"

Shaking his head, Koga placed his hands inside his pockets before turning around to follow Sesshomaru's destination. "He's proud."

"Huh? What did you say? Oi! You said that way lower so even demons wouldn't hear it! Oi!"

They all were.

"And now, our special sponsor of the Winter Cup Tournament will now hand the trophy to this year's winners: Seirin!"

The audience's cheers and the confetti rained over them were drowned and forgotten the moment their eyes landed on the presence of the silver haired CEO coming forth. Seirin gulped in unison having remembered the last time they face him was with a threat. They froze (minus Kagome) in front of the main stage that had been prepared for them and watched each step Sesshomaru took as he held.

"Mah, mah," Kagome waved her hand up and down, "don't be so stiff, miina. He won't do anything in front of a crowd."

"What about in private?" Hyuga choked, not wanting to know what this guy's true form was. The win was nothing if it meant they had to die at the claws of this inuyoukai. "K-Kagome-chan…g-go accept it!"

"Me!?" She blinked, taking a step back.

"I am sure he means no harm."

Eyes darted out to their center, seeing that same 'idiotic' smile they knew he was not taking the consequences in mind. Leave it to him to be facing a demon in the feudal era without knowing the threats! Before any of them could remind him of the CEO's real identity, their mouths dropped upon watching Kiyoshi already walking up to the small stage.

'K-Kiyoshi!' They yelled in horror inside their heads.

Sesshomaru's eyes glided to the corner, seeing the brunette male making his way up. The confident scent on him only made him want to chuckle at his naivete on his race. Even after that threat he made was not enough for them to know he was being serious.

"Psst~"

His ears twitched; he looked to the back side of the stage. Sesshomaru could feel a headache swimming its way into a full body ache the moment he made eye contact to Shippo's arms making an 'X' in front of his face.

"Be nice!" Shippo whispered. "Don't go killing anyone, okay?" Grinning, he curled his index finger over to his thumb to give him the 'ok' sign.

'Does the kitsune seriously think this Sesshomaru will go on a rampage? He underestimates this Sesshomaru's self-control.' Mentally scoffing, his focus returned to the brunette now standing before him: only a few feet below him. "Congratulations, Seirin." He spoke, handing the trophy over. "You have all proved yourselves through the obstacles of each team that participated in the tournament. For that, Seirin has earned the title of 'champions' for this year's Winter Cup Tournament."

Blasts of more confetti danced down on them as claps echoed from the present crowd. With the clear of Sesshomaru not killing them, Seirin quickly ran up the stage to touch the hard work they had given. Chuckling under her breath, Kagome followed suit, but took her time. She stopped before the stairs seeing the inuyoukai coming down after being bombarded with young teens. It made her feel warm and complete as she saw Seirin gather for a few pictures and share some comments to interviewers. All their hard work had paid off. All their tears and fears had been worth it. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

He raised a brow at her sudden bow of her head; he sighed as he took the steps down. "The games were all done by the teams. This Sesshomaru had nothing to do with it."

"I know," she nodded, coming to meet his eyes, "but I was thanking you for trusting them."

Before he could push the gratitude back, Sesshomaru watched the miko run past him and towards her team. The only time he had seen her run with such glee was when she reunited with her feudal group. That was probably the last time.

"Aww, how cute. She thanked you and you fell silent. Don't go around thinking you can steal her from me, inu."

Ignoring Koga's 'threat', Sesshomaru walked down the last step before making his way towards his awaiting clients. "This Sesshomaru has no intention of dealing with your so called 'love affairs', wolf. I have more important stuff to deal with."

"Yeah, yeah." Koga shrugged. Sneaking a glance at the stage once more, he smiled – sincerely – at the sight of the miko being picked up by Kiyoshi and then brought down for a final picture with Kuroko right beside her.

Just this once, he would allow them to touch her.

"I got to order new uniforms, and Riko-senpai wants me to prepare flyers for next year…" Sighing tiredly, Kagome flipped through the pages of her planner as she tried to organize her week in her room. Her eyes glided to see the current profiles of their players. They might have won the championship, but that did not mean it was over. 'We are going to get new players next year, and we are going to wait for Kiyoshi-senpai's recovery. Things will be different.' Grabbing Kagami's and Kuroko's profiles – Riko had created – she sighed. To think these two had changed her life in a matter of months. 'Tch, mostly because Kuroko-kun was persistent about us joining and working together.'

A smile broke into her lips before blinking twice seeing Kuroko's day of birth. Bringing the paper closer to her eyes, she quickly put it down before looking at her planner. 'January 31st…?' Counting from her current day to his birthday, she paled. 'That's in five days!'

Slumping lazily on her desk chair, she pouted. 'What kind of friends are we not remembering?' Counting the days again, she grabbed her phone from the side and clicked to make a call. She waited for the call to connect; her fingers grabbed a pen as she jotted down a list.

"Ah! M-Moshi moshi? Are you busy?"

MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: These basketball scenes had me writing until 4am almost each night...So long. But worth it. Here comes the hard part: one chapter left, everyone.

Please...review?

This fic has come a long way...

Thank you for reading!

Ja~ne!