Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

The ball plunged into the net like a meteor, raising a white splash from the rim and igniting a wave of roaring cheers that engulfed the entire arena.

Just as its title implied, the Meteor Dunk was the ultimate power move—dazzling beyond belief.

So dazzling, in fact, that Yōsen simply couldn't withstand it.

The score gap was continuing to widen. Kirisaki Daiichi's number one was really about to become… unstoppable.

All the way up to this point, there had been very few players who could even be compared to him. Even members of the Generation of Miracles found themselves at a disadvantage when facing him.

Now, not even a timeout could change things.

This was Tendou and Murasakibara's time—Zone vs. Zone. Ace vs. Ace.

The outcome of this match would be decided by these two alone. No other player had the qualifications to interfere.

Because battles within the Zone were just that intense—outside of the Zone, nothing could keep up.

At least, that's how it looked right now.

On the court, Murasakibara received the inbound pass from a teammate and immediately charged forward like an enraged bull.

Tendou stayed right on his heels, Six Eyes activated, reading every micro-movement and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Murasakibara was well aware of the situation. From his past experience and what he'd learned from his fellow Miracles, he knew one thing:

If he wanted to win, he had only one path.

He had to rise into the air with the ball and use a force no one could match to score a violent, decisive basket.

But while it sounded simple—just jump and dunk—executing it under the gaze of Tendou's Six Eyes was unbelievably difficult.

As long as he couldn't break Tendou's absolute foresight, Murasakibara would never even get the chance to jump.

"How do you stop someone who sees the future?" Many were thinking the same question.

"The future is absolute. No one can escape it."

Akashi's gaze was calm as he watched the two players on court.

He had already seen Yōsen's future—their fate was sealed.

Defeat was the only possible outcome.

Among the Generation of Miracles, the only one who could stand on equal footing with Tendou… was Akashi Seijūrō himself.

Because they both saw the future—and to master the future was to master everything.

The two giants streaked down the court at blinding speed, lightning trailing behind them as they surged into the paint.

Smack!

Just as Murasakibara caught the ball and prepared to end the possession with a slam, Tendou's arm struck out simultaneously.

There was no escape. It was as if his arm sliced through space itself—no matter what Murasakibara tried, it was already too late.

He had been completely locked down.

The ball was swatted away again—only this time, it bounced directly into the hands of Kenichi Okamura, who happened to be perfectly positioned under the rim.

Instinctively, he wanted to go up for a power dunk.

But just then, Tendou's gaze swept toward him.

Those Six Eyes sparkled with radiant light, like stars revolving deep in the void of space—captivating and terrifying, pulling him in with an irresistible force.

Okamura's foot, just about to step forward, froze in place. He hesitated, and the opportunity vanished.

"You idiot!" Araki Masako roared from the sideline, snapping him out of his trance.

They had witnessed Kirisaki Daiichi's game against Tōō Academy with their own eyes.

And passes like that? Suicidal.

Sure enough—

The ball hadn't even reached Fukui Kensuke yet when a streak of silver light ripped through the air.

Accompanying it was none other than its master: Tendou Kageyoshi.

Smack!

He intercepted the pass and, without pause, bolted down the court toward Yōsen's side.

"Murasakibara!" Araki yelled again.

Right now, only Murasakibara had the potential to stop Tendou.

And they had to stop him—if they let Kirisaki Daiichi extend the lead any further, there would be no comeback.

Murasakibara couldn't hear her shouts.

Inside the Zone, all external noise was filtered out.

But whether he heard or not didn't matter.

At this moment, all of Murasakibara's attention and thoughts were focused on one thing:

Predicting Tendou's next move.

Tendou had too many options.

The Mirage Shot, the Meteor Dunk, drives, fades, three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, layups—his offensive arsenal was massive. Each one was like a missile, destructive and unstoppable.

The problem was, Murasakibara had no idea what he would pick.

Because Tendou chose his move based on Murasakibara's reaction to the future.

Right now—

Wary of the Meteor Dunk, Murasakibara refused to give Tendou even an inch. He shadowed him closely, pressing his body against him.

He had no choice.

The moment Tendou crossed the three-point line, he would be within Meteor Dunk range.

But staying too close was risky too.

Tendou's driving ability was already considered the best in the country by fans and players alike.

"…Break."

Tendou whispered a word. His voice was soft—but his movement was explosive.

Murasakibara had the best reflexes of the Generation of Miracles.

But that was the problem.

He reacted too quickly.

Tap-tap-tap—

The ball bounced furiously in Tendou's hands, dribbling at a blistering speed, giving Murasakibara almost no time to respond.

Once. Twice. Three times. Four times—

In the span of a single breath, Tendou had changed direction four times.

And Murasakibara, matching him step for step, had adjusted four times.

But the fifth time—he couldn't keep up.

His balance crumbled. His body toppled.

Crash!

"Atsushi!"

"Murasakibara!"

"Damn it, this freak!"

The players from Yōsen clenched their fists in frustration as they saw Murasakibara hit the ground once again.

He wasn't just the team's core—he was their beloved, stubborn younger brother.

Seeing him get toyed with like this filled them with rage.

But it was useless.

Tendou stepped around the fallen giant and drove into the paint, banking in the shot effortlessly.

"Even Murasakibara—physically the most gifted player—can't match up to Tendou?" Seirin's players couldn't put their shock into words.

"With Tendou around, Murasakibara's just the strongest center, that's all."

Riko Aida had seen Tendou play before. This wasn't her first time witnessing his terror.

"Physically gifted?" Riko murmured, then said, "If Tendou didn't exist, then sure—Murasakibara would be the most physically gifted in the Generation of Miracles."

But under her trained analytical eye, Tendou's body was like that of a rampaging T. rex—a T. rex infused with chameleon DNA.

He wasn't just strong. He was adaptable.

"He has all the strengths of the other six Miracle players… in a single body."

This match wasn't even at halftime, yet Tendou's physical data had already spiked off the charts multiple times.

This kind of player—was beyond reason.

Compared to him, even Kise seemed normal.

Kise simply copied the skillsets of the Generation of Miracles. After just a few minutes, he was already risking injury.

Tendou?

He wasn't copying skillsets.

He was copying physical gifts.

And no matter how you looked at it, mimicking physical attributes was ten times harder than mimicking skills.

Yet somehow, Tendou was still perfectly fine.

What kind of freakish body did he have?

Was his entire body made of steel?

Well… honestly?

Pretty much.

...

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