Who am I?
I am...
You are my weakness.
By winning, I tried to keep them together... all of them that were irreplaceable.
Our sin will never fully dissipate.
If we were going to lose, I thought that might be a good thing as well. However...
It doesn't look like that after all.
Who, you ask? How outrageous.
74Q. SO IT WAS YOU
Send you out? Akashi... You were in pieces just now!
You better be all right!
Yeah. I showed myself in such poor form. About that, I really do feel bad about it.
I'm sorry.
You're kidding me... Sei-chan apologized?
I want you guys to lend me a hand one more time... to win against Seirin.
RAKUZAN - SEIRIN
Defense! Defense! Defense!
We're gonna stop this one!
Yeah!
Let's go, Kagami-kun.
Yeah.
What is it? There's something different about Akashi compared to everything up till now...
He's coming! Concentrate! If I don't use all of my nerves, I can't defeat Akashi!
It's been a while...
...Kuroko.
A beautiful shot. Good job, Mibuchi.
No way... Sei-chan cheering for me?
And that pass just now... The location, the timing...
Even the angle of the ball's seams as I caught it was perfect.
This is the first time I've ever felt so good about a shot during a game.
What's with all this? It's getting me all worked up!
Man... I already know from that one pass just now.
That's the pass we were used to getting.
Which means...
Akashi is back to his old self...
What? You serious?
Now that Akashi's real self has awoken...
...there's no doubt they're far more formidable than before.
So, we're starting the real deal from here, huh... Excellent!
Crap! What a pass! And this space is...
It's where I'm the best at!
This speed, and this pause... This isn't good. This is totally Hayama's form!
All right!
Akashi's complete change after the time-out...
It looks like Rakuzan has gotten back up to speed, but we're scoring as well.
But... I have a bad feeling about this. What is this feeling that something is wrong?
Strange... What does this all mean? He really is amazing...
But someone of this level makes me fear the other Generation of Miracles guys more.
That chill down my spine earlier... Was it just me?
But Akashi is a lot more... Normal than I thought, isn't he?
Normal? Anything but. From someone that plays the same position, he's nothing short of a monster.
A high-speed pass with no motions before... Dribbling skills so he doesn't have to look...
And a perfect understanding of the game due to his vision.
It looks like Akashi is merely assisting, but that's not all there is...
The players who are receiving Akashi's passes are moving better and better.
A perfect pass creates the perfect rhythm.
Akashi uses Emperor Eye to understand everyone, ally or foe...
...and passes that are normally impossible to manually recreate...
...he controls them at will to draw out his teammates' potential to their limits.
Whoa...
ZONE?
No... This is where it begins!
Don't brace yourself so much. You don't have to worry, it won't be what you think it will be like.
Though this is ZONE, it's merely me reverting to my condition moments ago.
I myself will no longer be changing so drastically.
However... I can't quite say the same for the other four.
Impossible...
All five... are in the ZONE!
No way... Isn't ZONE only for the Generation of Miracles or people like Kagami...
I thought only the chosen could enter...
That's not a perfect version of ZONE.
Their powers are all being drawn out infinitely close to ZONE thanks to Akashi-kun's powers...
It's possible for them because the Five Kings have enough talent to do so.
What should we do about something like this...
Of course, there's nothing you can do now!
Even I'm starting to feel sorry for Seirin now because it's so tragic.
This pressure... No good. I can't step in to make a normal shot, let alone a Barrier Jumper!
Iduki!
Drats...
Not good! Get back!
This speed...
Not gonna let you!
Then, how about this?
Lightning Dribble, Level 5!
Dammit! So this guy is of a different level after all!
Is it all right, Akashi? I don't care if they take it from us tossing there...
Though, if your current self is saying so, I'm sure it's all right.
What? Nebuya's alley-oop?
Not yet!
Kagami!
No...
That is no longer your territory, Kagami.
Wha...
I can't reach?
Impossible...
What do we do... We really are in trouble now...
And that time has finally come...
...for Kagami to be at his physical limits!
I feel short of breath...
My arms and legs feel so heavy they feel like someone else's...
My thoughts are muddled and I can't even properly assess the situation...
Dammit... This is bad... I'm totally empty now!
Not good... He broke out of ZONE too. Kagami is totally out of gas...
Without him, there's no chance at victory! And I can't use any more timeouts...
Isn't there... Isn't there something I can do?
Dammit... Not yet!
You're not looking as sharp anymore! Do you think I'd let you shoot something like that?
No good... I can't get the right position...
So your knees are finally screaming for mercy? But I'm not gonna go easy on you.
After all, this is a competition!
This is perfect! I'll pay you back for what you did earlier!
Watch, watch, watch! Read Hayama's movements!
I don't have to stop him! At the least, I can cut the momentum with a foul!
That way, we can reset it once, and give Kagami a moment to rest... however short!
Wha...
This is... Quasi Emperor Eye...
Kuroko!
Pushing! Black, #11!
Oh, so close!
No... isn't this actually a bad thing?
It's not just Kagami-kun...
All of them are close to their limits. Because of that, their physical abilities are falling!
On the other hand, Rakuzan's performance and abilities are rising thanks to Akashi-kun's powers.
There is just too much of a difference!
No good... There's nothing else we can do now. This is as far as we get?
Go for it, Kuroko! Don't give up!
Go for it, Kuroko!
Ogiwara-kun...
So that's...
If I recall, he was...
The opponent at the middle school national finals, and Tetsu-kun's...
Ogiwara-kun...
But... what I did to you...
Come on, Mochi. You should cheer for them too.
Oh, sure.
Oh, that's right...
Sheesh... I can't bear to watch.
Dammit, Tetsu! Kagami! You guys won against us, didn't you?
If you can't even defeat Rakuzan, I'll go after your heads!
Aomine...
Dai-chan...
Let me say the same goes for us! Go and win, Seirin!
Go, and defeat Akashi... and Rakuzan!
You're not going to join in?
There's no way I would.
Don't give up, Seirin!
It is not fun if it doesn't turn out this way.
Kuroko...
People cheering for you really gives you power, doesn't it...
Yes.
Can I get a minute?
RAKUZAN - SEIRIN
The Seirin team gathered up to talk about something...
But is there anything they can do to counter how Rakuzan is now?
If there is, that would be the ZONE that surpasses ZONE that Dai-chan was talking about, but...
Can they open it?
That huge door, and the guy standing in front of it...
At the least, I couldn't even get it to budge.
Putting Kagami on me, and a slightly tight man-to-man defense...
Nothing's changed from what they've been doing.
Kagami got some life back in him, but not enough to dive back into ZONE.
Same for the other four... They can move, but it's not like they've gotten any faster... But...
What is this mysterious pressure I feel from them?
Even in that fast pass work, the defense doesn't crumble...
Or rather, it looks like they're coordinating with something so they're moving in sync.
Sei-chan!
- What? - So good!
Kagami?
And when did he get into the ZONE?
I won't say that this was impossible. I had a bad feeling about this.
This isn't something I didn't expect!
He was ready for that?
Double-clutch...
What?
They stopped it!
What was that just now...
Their reactions to something that definitely caught them off guard were all spur-of-the-moment.
Yet still, why... Why can they coordinate based on how Kagami is moving?
I see... So that's what it was...
That's what was behind all of it...
Dai-chan?
Synchronizing to Kagami...
That can't be... So True ZONE is...
That's right... I'm not fighting by myself.
I'm fighting together with everyone!
No wonder why it wouldn't open. Because I chose to throw it all out.
It wasn't a gatekeeper.
The guy standing in front of the door...
So it was you, Tetsu...
Synchronizing all movements only with momentary eye contact with teammates.
An ultra-speed coordinated play based on Kagami's speed while in ZONE...
Direct Drive ZONE!
He got by! Let's go, Kagami!
To match Kagami's speed... I can't make it if I think about it.
Don't think... Let my instincts take over!
I'm sure we can do it! Believe in the bonds tying us together!
We did it!
What was that just now... It was so fast my eyes couldn't keep up...
A team play at the speed of ZONE... Is that really possible?
This is what is beyond that door... The ZONE past the ZONE...
No, this is the form that it was meant to be in... This is True ZONE!
I guess I won't be able to win after all... if I'm by myself.
Yup. That's right, Dai-chan...
All their hearts are beating as one... Seirin is an amazing team.
Yeah... And they get you excited watching them.
Someday I want to play against them.
Defense! We're gonna stop this one!
Yeah!
Concentrate! Don't overlook the center of gravity!
If I have to leave the game here, everything goes down the drain!
That is... Heaven?
Pass, Mibuchi! That's a trap!
Whoa, they stopped it!
All right! Let's go!
Get Hyuga, Mayuzumi!
This competition is so fierce... there's hardly time to breathe.
But right now, Seirin is the team that's pushing.
Akashi is supporting them with Emperor Eye...
...but even then Seirin's combination speed is ever so slightly faster.
If Seirin can block Rakuzan's offense one more time, there will be enough chance for them to score!
RAKUZAN - SEIRIN If that happens, it will be a three-point game... Well within reach.
Stop this and victory is in sight! Wring out everything you got!
Defense! Defense! Defense!
The winner... will be me.
It is a century before your time to defeat Rakuzan!
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
Even if Kagami entered True ZONE, Rakuzan's victory is unwavering!
We will not give up till the end. I will fight with all my strength with everyone!
75Q. MANY TIMES OVER Yeah, let's show them how we play basketball, Kuroko!
Sure, Kagami-kun!