Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

"Whoa, whoa—wait, what is that?!"

"Akashi… he's broken the 80% limit too. He's found a way to enhance his game state."

While it wasn't full Zone, which completely unlocked a player's potential, Akashi had achieved something close—activating up to 90% of his capabilities. And for a player of Generation of Miracles caliber, that extra 10% was already a massive improvement.

It could practically be called a mini-Zone.

"It's useless," Aomine said bluntly. "Don't forget—Tendou was the first one to break through the 80% limit."

No doubt, Akashi's performance was impressive—but the obstacle in front of him hadn't changed.

He had breached the 80% barrier… but Tendou could do it too.

And how was Akashi supposed to defeat someone who could also level up his game at will?

Sure enough—

Even as Aomine spoke, Tendou had already closed the distance again.

Once past the 80% threshold, Tendou's already monstrous physical stats were pushed even further.

In fact, his improvement even surpassed Akashi's.

Among the Generation of Miracles, Tendou possessed the highest raw physical potential.

A composite score of 99—a body capable of exceeding even perfection.

On screen, it looked like Tendou's entire body was sheathed in aura, his every move watched by countless eyes, like he was cloaked in a translucent veil.

He breathed heavily, exhaling visible heat from his core.

Then—

He exploded, streaking across the court like a meteor. He caught up to Akashi and struck the ball like a blade of white lightning.

"Break!"

A massive wave of colored text and bullet comments flooded the screen.

With a resounding thud, the basketball bounced hard off the ground and was knocked from Akashi's control.

Hayama Kotarō was quick to react, darting toward the loose ball with explosive instinct.

He was one of the few players blessed with true animal-like intuition—his court sense was sharper than 90% of all players.

He reached out and secured the ball—only for trouble to arrive in an instant.

"Smack!"

The cunning Hanamiya Makoto had chased him down and immediately swatted the ball from Hayama's hands.

"What, is he your mom or something? Why're you so eager to hand the ball to Akashi?" Hanamiya sneered.

Then, without wasting a second, he tossed the ball toward Tendou's position.

Hayama's eyelid twitched. > "And like you don't do the exact same thing—always feeding Tendou. What right do you have to talk?"

Hanamiya only responded with a cold laugh.

But Tendou—Tendou had already predicted this whole sequence the moment he completed the steal.

As the ball flew his way, he turned and caught it with one hand, his back still to Hanamiya.

In the next moment, he took off like a shooting star, tearing across the court.

"Damn it!"

Rakuzan's players scrambled to get back on defense. Against Kirisaki Daiichi, if you didn't stop the fast break, you'd get torn apart.

Akashi was the fastest to recover.

Reo Mibuchi saw him sprinting back and felt a flicker of hope—only for that hope to die in the next second.

Because—

He saw that look on Akashi's face.

Cold, emotionless, just like that day.

"Zzzt!"

Twin streaks of red lightning flared out without warning.

"Zone?!"

Yes. Akashi had entered it.

Just like Aomine. Just like Tendou.

He became the third player capable of entering the Zone at will.

『Well duh—he's one of only two geniuses who can freely break the 80% threshold. Of course he can.』

『Told you—anyone who plays with the Emperor Eye is a walking cheat code.』

But now the crowd was asking something else:

『What's Akashi's trigger for entering the Zone?』

Aomine, Murasakibara, Tendou… they all had their own twisted, deeply personal triggers.

And now everyone wanted to know: what was Akashi's?

They didn't have to wait long.

The anime inserted a sudden flashback.

A scene from Rakuzan's gym, late at night, moonlight streaming through the windows.

Akashi stood alone on the court, reflecting on past games.

He spoke softly to himself:

"Today's match between Tōō and Kirisaki Daiichi… quite the dramatic turn. Even I didn't expect it to unfold like that."

"I've been in the Zone before. But what surprised me was… Tendou and Aomine—they were able to enter it through sheer will alone."

At that thought, Akashi calmed his body and steadied his breathing.

In the next moment—he stood before the doors of the Zone.

His eyes opened slowly, staring directly at the gateway.

"It's possible. As long as you have the talent and focus, you can easily stand before this door."

"What I lack… is the trigger. If I can just find that, I'll be able to fully control the Zone."

The vision ended as he was pulled back into reality—Reo, Hayama, and Nebuya entered the gym.

"Yo, Seijūrō, you're still here?" Reo said.

"Yeah, what's up?" Akashi replied.

Nebuya grinned. > "Nationals start tomorrow. Just thought I'd come get in one last stretch."

"Perfect," Akashi said, turning to face them. "Join me for a little warm-up."

"You want a one-on-one?" Hayama asked, stepping forward.

"No," Akashi replied. "One against three. I'll take all of you on."

The next shot cut to the aftermath.

All three Uncrowned Kings lay sprawled across the floor, unable to move.

Akashi caught the ball that bounced back to him.

His voice turned icy.

"Alright. With this, I shouldn't have any problems during the tournament."

"But remember—if I enter the Zone, it means things have gotten serious for Rakuzan."

"Also… here's my advice."

"My trigger—"

"Is abandoning my teammates."

That final line was delivered by Reo, narrating over the flashback.

Because when Akashi entered the Zone, it meant he had given up on trusting his team.

It meant he would carry everything alone.

"…Holy sh—"

Viewers were once again covered in goosebumps.

The Zone still had that overwhelming power. But for a traditional point guard to enter it by choosing to go full hero mode?

"I don't know, man… feels like only Akashi's second personality could trigger that…"

"First it was Tendou pushing everyone away as a kid. Now it's Akashi ditching his team in Zone. Teikō's captain and vice-captain were both psychos."

"Shirogane really had an eye for dangerous talent…"

No one had expected the story to go this way.

In a typical match, you'd expect narrative contrast—a hero and a villain.

Like Seirin vs. Kirisaki Daiichi, where Tendou was portrayed as a towering final boss.

Even his earlier matchups against Kaijō and Shūtoku had that clash of light and dark.

But this match? Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Rakuzan?

There was no "villain"—just two bosses going head-to-head to see who was the most dominant.

And it worked.

It felt fresh, and it made the final battle even more compelling.

"Zzzt!"

Akashi, wreathed in red lightning, surged forward.

He had shattered all of his own limits, unlocking his full physical potential.

Tendou, back turned, still saw everything—

"Zzzt!"

White lightning burst from his body.

He too stepped into the Zone once more.

"Monsters..."

That was the thought running through the minds of most viewers.

They were blown away.

...

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