Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

Akashi had already mastered the playbook for how to use a Sixth Man.

In an ideal scenario, Mayuzumi Chihiro would stay on the court until his misdirection effect wore off.

But reality rarely unfolds in the most favorable way. It's full of unpredictable variables.

What Akashi needed to do was ensure that when those surprises came, he could still secure maximum benefit.

That was a survival principle ingrained in him by the Akashi conglomerate.

Sacrificing a single player like Mayuzumi in exchange for the team gaining a lead? Completely worth it. That lead could very well be what secured the final victory.

But the prerequisite was—he needed to subdue the beast in front of him.

At the very least, he had to suppress Tendou's offensive output.

Akashi stopped initiating attacks. He lowered his stance, keeping his body in optimal readiness to respond at any moment—waiting for Tendou to make the first move.

"That kind of wide-open opportunity? Kirisaki Daiichi won't be getting any more of those."

Rakuzan had also shifted to tight man-to-man defense.

They had the confidence to do so. With the deepest roster in the nation, they could afford it.

"I see... cut off Tendou's connection to the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi and force him into isolation plays."

"If that works, even if Akashi can't completely shut down Tendou, he'll still reduce Kirisaki Daiichi's overall scoring."

This was Rakuzan adopting the "Jordan Rule" against Tendou.

Betting on one thing: that Tendou couldn't beat Rakuzan single-handedly—not when the one defending him was Akashi Seijūrō.

And only Akashi had the ability to even attempt to break Tendou's insane passing rhythm.

But Tendou's passing couldn't be completely cut off.

Back in the movie version, Nash had already demonstrated how to get around the Emperor Eye and still deliver a successful assist.

Facing Akashi's frigid gaze, Tendou took a step back, hiding the ball behind him.

A split-second later—

"Break!"

A flash of silver-white cut through the air.

Before Akashi could even register what happened, Tendou had already passed the ball.

"He passed it! He avoided the Emperor Eye's insight!"

"But… passes like that are bound to lose quality."

Midorima focused his gaze.

Tendou's pass had clearly been forced. His form and power didn't match the usual quality of his assists.

But Tendou's lips curled into a subtle smile.

"For him, any moment is the perfect opportunity."

The ball shot from Tendou's hands like a cannonball and landed cleanly in Hanamiya Makoto's hands.

The punk had just set a simple off-ball screen with a teammate, which caused his defender to switch—from Hayama Kotarō to Mayuzumi Chihiro.

As the new Sixth Man, Mayuzumi surpassed Kuroko in almost every way.

But his stats still hadn't broken past the tier of an average high school player.

And Hanamiya, one of the Uncrowned Kings, felt no pressure at all.

Hanamiya took the pass and exploded immediately. He blew past Mayuzumi in a single step, even giving him a classic "Bad Boy Elbow" on the way to ensure he couldn't chase.

Rakuzan's man-to-man defense instantly began to break down.

Seto Kentarō and Hanamiya flowed in perfect sync, pulling Nebuya Eikichi away from the paint.

Rakuzan's defense began to stretch thin, like a team unable to cover all angles at once.

While they hesitated, Hanamiya had already driven to the rim and banked it in.

Another successful possession.

"Looks like your new Sixth Man isn't all that advanced. At the very least, he can't fix the defensive black hole issue," Tendou said casually as he walked past Akashi.

Whether it was Kuroko or Mayuzumi, both of their physical attributes were below average.

That's the price of being a phantom Sixth Man.

It's like Jurassic Park—in order to avoid becoming a T-Rex's lunch, humans had to be tiny, quiet, nearly invisible—even their breathing had to be silent.

For Kuroko and Mayuzumi, every other player on the court was the predator. And they were just fragile, vulnerable prey.

To survive, they had to make sure no one noticed them.

But Tendou's Six Eyes meant—

There was nowhere to hide.

If they dared step up, he would grab them and smash them flat.

Akashi was silent again.

Of course he understood the weaknesses of both Mayuzumi and Kuroko. That's why he had long declared: Kuroko's basketball couldn't win.

Players like them could only defend through surprise.

Sneaking up to an opponent and stripping the ball before they noticed.

But that kind of defense always carried risk.

Especially with someone like Kuroko—if he tried it against Tendou, it would be a death sentence.

With such minimal physical stats, once Kuroko left his man, Tendou could just casually throw a pass to an open man.

Kuroko wouldn't even be able to rotate back in time.

Akashi had accounted for this from the beginning.

He was silent now not because of doubt—but because he couldn't sever Tendou's passing lanes.

Tendou's preparation for this game was not inferior to his own.

The game had only just begun, yet the depth on display was already staggering.

"Just as expected—this is a super high-level showdown," Kise summarized.

"Yeah… I feel like all my pre-game predictions are barely scratching the surface," Momoi admitted.

Mayuzumi's appearance had disrupted the rhythm she thought she understood.

Akashi had predicted her interference and made adjustments.

Tendou, in turn, had predicted Akashi's adjustments and made his own.

In the end, this match was anything but straightforward.

"This is what it means to be playing five-dimensional chess…"

Their battle wasn't just physical or technical—it was a mental war, too.

Their brains were locked in constant combat.

Buzz—

The first quarter ended quickly.

Mayuzumi Chihiro was the top scorer so far—putting up 14 points in the first quarter alone.

"Wow, that #5 from Rakuzan is incredible."

"Fourteen points in a quarter? Even Tendou didn't score that much."

"Wait, how come there's no info on a guy this strong?"

"That's Rakuzan for you. Aside from Akashi and the Uncrowned Kings, they even had this genius hidden on the bench."

"Seriously, Rakuzan's depth is terrifying."

The audience buzzed with chatter, heaping praise on Mayuzumi's outstanding performance.

But—

Those compliments left Mayuzumi stunned, frozen in place.

Why… why did the crowd notice me so easily?

He quickly reviewed the entire first quarter in his head—and his heart skipped a beat.

"Akashi…"

"You've done your part. Take a break and recover now."

The only response was Akashi's cold, commanding tone—uncompromising and final.

Only now did Mayuzumi realize...

Without even noticing, he had already been discarded.

...

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