You can't win against me.
The title of phantom sixth man... I'm sorry, but I don't plan on relinquishing it yet.
You overwrote it... with me?
I still need your help.
I am counting on you for Rakuzan's victory.
The ball disappeared...
Can that be...
Misdirection Overflow?
No, it's slightly different. He easily gathers everyone's lines of sight.
That's what Akashi-kun used to guide Kagami-kun's line of sight.
71Q. IN MY OWN WAY, I'M DESPERATE
Yeah!
Nebuya!
Heh, stop me if you can, Kiyoshi!
Muscle Dribble!
Going one-on-one after Akashi's pass and forcing it in... His offense was like a show of power.
Dammit!
Furthermore, how Akashi is using Mayuzumi...
Merciless... is the only way to put it.
His only job is to stand in Kagami's field of vision.
Being used like that must be more of a shock.
The only thing keeping him from recklessness is standing on the court in that uniform.
The barely remaining sense of duty as a player is robotically keeping his body moving.
All right!
RAKUZAN SEIRIN All right!
Back to a 20-point lead. But if they can't stop Rakuzan's offense, the lead won't get any smaller.
- Dammit... - How can we...
De-fense! De-fense! De-fense!
Their offense is one-on-one with three Uncrowned Kings. To cut their lead...
...you second years have to stop the Kings! I'm counting on you!
Tsuchida-senpai...
De-fense! De-fense!
Man, they're getting riled up.
But well...
It's impossible for you.
To be honest, I'm not feeling motivated. Kagami would be more decent, but this guy?
Can I ask one thing? What do you guys think of Mayuzumi?
Nothing really. That's just a good way to use him. Something wrong with that?
I don't have any complaints. However... I don't want to lose to it either.
Oh, I see.
I'm sure three would be enough, but that was a bit irritating, so here goes.
Four!
Hayama's Lightning Dribble!
I can't pass him even with four?
He sees the overall moves with Eagle Eye, so he falters less from my speed?
How mental state affects performance is huge. How one thinks drastically changes someone.
Though not perfect, he did handle that monster all this time.
The camel (rakuda) said...
Compared to Akashi, this is a lot easier (rakuda). There we go!
- He found it funny? - I'm real sorry.
Honestly, I underestimated you. Okay...
Here goes... Five!
What power... So this is an Uncrowned King being serious...
But still... Oh man, nothing like this ever happened before. It scares me.
Even in this crisis, I'm so calm right now that it scares me.
He's coming!
He got by!
Eagle Spear!
You won't make it in time. Not at that level.
What? On the second already? No good, his dribble's too fast!
Iduki.
- Sorry. - Don't worry. Let's get one back.
No, I don't mean that.
I'm honestly happy how I got a tremendous opponent like that to go all out.
A moment like that excites me.
Iduki...
Leave Hayama to me. I'll make sure to do something about him.
- The Kagami bug... You've totally caught it. - I don't quite like how you put that.
Akashi, keep giving me the ball!
I plan to.
But don't make any stupid mistakes.
Of course! There's only crushing them at full power!
Here he goes again! Hayama's unstoppable!
But just now... he was watching.
After he got passed, he chose not to attempt Eagle Spear and was observing.
Iduki-senpai...
Kuroko... It's all right. Let me try one more time.
Next time, I'll stop him!
All right, all right... You seem to wanna stop me no matter what.
But well... It's a disappointment for you, but no matter what you do...
...it's impossible!
This is...
This is where my battle begins! I'll nab him!
Kuroko!
I figured something out after being passed so much. His dribbling is absurdly fast. But...
...there's tremendous strain on the receiving hand.
From that point, when he cuts back again, there's a moment he stiffens.
That's what I thought you'd be up to.
He dodged that?
He read that move...
This is where he uses Eagle Spear?
- No good! I can't get him after all? - That should've been a blind spot!
Iduki read several moves ahead, but Hayama's Wild and reflexes surpassed him! Hayama wins this!
But are you all right there? That's in the off-limits territory from the dangers of a beast...
Crap!
- What was that? - Kagami's block!
They stopped Rakuzan's offense!
Kuroko!
Koga, pass! Behind you, to the left!
- Jeez, don't give away spoilers! - Whoa, that was close!
Go!
Hayama is...
An alley-oop?
RAKUZAN SEIRIN
- Kagami's alley-oop! - It's only one step, but we're moving forward!
Good going!
It's not just defense but offense too...
He's grasping the situation with Eagle Eye, but how many moves ahead is he reading?
No matter how much mental leeway I get, it won't negate our difference in skill.
I'm no match for you. But whether or not I can stop you is a different story.
I'm just glad you weren't smarter than me.
Oh yeah?
Hey, Kotaro! Throw it in!
Five seconds!
Damn you! Don't flatter yourself just because you stopped me once!
You!
Why're you passing to me, idiot! Forget who's on me?
Crap!
RAKUZAN SEIRIN All right!
Consecutive baskets!
All right!
RAKUZAN SEIRIN
You!
Hold it! What do you think...
How did this happen?
That steal was... because I lost my cool.
I lost my cool because Iduki taunted me.
I fell for such a taunt because I was totally looking down on him!
Akashi.
Sorry. I'll hold off on one-on-ones for a while from here.
I really want to retaliate right away...
He's a top-tier player. Plunging in without thinking means trouble.
I see. It looks like you've cooled off now. Then that's fine.
- I'll let it pass until we fully recover. - You really saved your life there.
If you got hotheaded and tried to retaliate... I don't know what would've happened to you.
Kagami's superwide defense...
Dammit... More... I need to focus more!
When I enter Zone, I feel like I'm sinking deeper and deeper into water.
And the deeper I dive, the more I feel my senses being honed.
There's a lot more to Zone though...
Kagami, you idiot! This is...
...not far enough.
Crap.
You are slacking.
Your focus on Zone lessened your vigilance against threes.
Take the utmost care and do not let up the slightest...
...if you intend to stop me in my tracks.
That said, it is a matter of time.
Even if you entered Zone to keep clinging on, your stamina will run out in due time.
- Don't worry, Kagami! Let's score! - Yeah!
Go, go, Seirin! Push, push, Seirin!
RAKUZAN SEIRIN
That was a solid return, but...
We don't have a shooter. If it's just threes, Kagami, Koga, and I can do it.
But our success rate is far from Hyuga's.
Rakuzan has a shooter who's far scarier than Akashi. If they decide to abuse threes...
Mibuchi!
I'm not like Kotaro. How spirited I am doesn't change based on who I'm facing.
Why do you look triumphant?
Why? It's like, "How was that? Isn't our Iduki amazing?"
- Huh? - You say, "Huh"...
...but don't we have the momentum now?
So, like, I'll do my best too!
It's hard to react to this!
He changed in an instant... Is he a natural? He might be like Kotaro.
Coach...
To be honest, this matchup is where the skill difference is the biggest.
Koganei-kun started basketball in high school, but...
...his reflexes nurtured by tennis are bona fide!
He's got something as a greenhorn who came this far.
I can't make predictions based on experience.
So I have to focus all my nerves on how the opponent acts!
Can this be?
The Wild? But levelwise...
...it's about that far off.
Pretty tiny!
I can go against him with a normal three. But I can't drop my guard against these Seirin boys.
I'll use an Earth shot here...
He took a step back? Did he expect me to use it?
That can't be. That's impossible.
But if he took a step back, that just means it's easier to shoot a Heaven!
Oh no, too much finger contact...
What the?
- Dammit! - He's a cat all right, but a wildcat.
You really can't drop your guard with Seirin players.
To think he'd react to the switch to Heaven from Earth.
I won't let you score the same way!
Senpai!
All right! Nice!
- That helped a lot, Kagami! - Sure!
Uh-oh... They're catching up to Kuroko-kun's passing speed.
We can't widen the defense when short a shooter.
Kiyoshi.
You made zero show of trying to come at me. Gotten pretty tame, huh?
Kiyoshi.
Your face looks scary. Come on, let's have some fun.
It's all right to use that line, but I feel like you're trying to humor me like a kid...
- There, there. - You look like you're having fun.
It's not like I'm doing this for fun, so in my own way, I'm desperate.
But it is fun after all to be a part of the game!
He's amazing in a way, to start in high school and become an average player.
So he has a good sense and put in lots of effort.
Sorry to interrupt the praise. How good's the question.
An average guy's no match for the Five Uncrowned Kings. And here comes Mibuchi!
He's a benchwarmer, right?
- Must've been a fluke before. - No way he can stop this.
Don't let these guys who don't know a thing say whatever they want, Shinji!
This is...
Even if you figure it out, you'll be helpless.
- A no-fake three? - No, this is...
Void.
You're joining the basketball team? What about tennis?
I quit. It wasn't meant for me.
You know... You quit baseball, soccer, and swimming...
You haven't kept at anything, have you?
I'm telling you they weren't meant for me.
Shinji, some things are meant for you. Some aren't.
But no sport is fun from the start, and there are things you'll understand by keeping at it.
Things I'll understand by keeping at it...
I still don't have a good grasp, but I do think lots of things now.
Maybe b-ball's been fun lately. Because all sorts of things happened.
So I want to win no matter what... and stuff!
He lunged at big sis Reo's Void?
He didn't reach, but...
Fall out!
Crap... I think I missed the chance of a lifetime there...
Next time, Void will be...
- Unstoppable? That can't be! - Why?
With that shot, Mibuchi saw two truths.
One was that Koganei-kun, by some means, escaped Void's paralysis.
The other was that even then, he couldn't reach far enough.
Next time, even if it's read, he won't hesitate to shoot.
Just now, when he wasn't expecting it, was the first and last chance.
That wasn't the last one.
Thanks to Koga, I see how to tackle the three types of shots...
And I see through it all now... What Void is!
- Hyuga, you'll play? - I know the risks, but I don't think it's reckless.
I'm no match for you.
72Q. A WARNING We're gonna win, smile, and keep playing!
Sure!