From the body of the pitch-black monster, a hand suddenly shot out, intercepting Takao Kazunari's pass.
The monster vanished—
Revealing Tendou's emotionless face.
Normally, for dramatic effect, Tendou would let the Generation of Miracles show off a bit before shattering their hopes without mercy.
Because from the very beginning, Tendou had chosen the path of being a "stats monster" —
And crafted his matches accordingly.
Let the audience first see how powerful the opponent's move was—
Only then could the shock be maximized.
That had been his plan all along. The rightful source is novel·fire·net
But as time dragged on, especially now when his popularity growth had slowed, Tendou found himself growing tired of these "friendship games" with the Generation of Miracles.
The act had gone on too long.
He had almost forgotten what kind of person he really was.
"I'm done watching your clown show."
Tendou stood tall, holding Takao's pass firmly aloft with one hand.
The stadium instantly fell silent.
Even Shūtoku's fans, who had been cheering wildly, were suddenly cut off—
As if someone had grabbed their throats.
Otsubo, Miyaji, Kimura—
All froze in place, stunned.
They had fought for position, prepared to rebound in case Midorima missed.
But now, none of that mattered.
The alley-oop three-point play that Takao and Midorima had painstakingly crafted over the summer—
That they were revealing to the world for the first time—
Why was it destroyed the instant Tendou laid eyes on it?
"Was it... the Six Eyes?!"
Tōō's players murmured from the stands.
"Who knows... his eyes are more mysterious than Akashi's Emperor Eye,"
Even Aomine remained silent.
Maybe they hadn't fully understood the Six Eyes yet.
Until now, everyone thought Tendou's eyes simply identified what type of player someone was—
For example, Hyūga Junpei's step-back shooting, Miyaji Kiyoshi's drives to the basket, Kasamatsu Yukio's pull-up jumpers.
They thought Tendou's eyes could at most see player data and habits—
Combining the advantages of the Hawk Eye, the Data Eye, and the Emperor Eye.
But none had considered—
That he could even perceive potential team combinations in advance.
The Rakuzan players looked to Akashi for an answer.
Akashi shook his head, signaling that he, too, couldn't predict a complicated high-difficulty combo like Shūtoku's alley-oop three.
In the original story, even Akashi needed to see Shūtoku run it a few times before catching on.
He spotted it and crushed it instantly—
Proving that the Six Eyes could see far more than the Emperor Eye.
"Observation... analysis... prediction..."
"Maybe it's not that the Six Eyes see the future."
"Maybe Tendou sees the present so clearly that he extrapolates all possibilities."
"It's the person who's strong.
Even without the Six Eyes, Tendou would still be the strongest high school player in Japan."
Hayama Kotarō gulped.
He thought back to that fateful day at Nationals, when even the fully awakened Emperor Eye couldn't suppress Tendou.
Just like Tendou had said:
"You rely too much on your eyes, Akashi."
Maybe it wasn't that the Six Eyes were invincible.
Maybe it was that their user was on another level altogether.
Tendou snatched the ball, the shadowy monster behind him like a guardian spirit—
Or like a demon king standing at the gates.
"The so-called 'trust in teammates' is just an excuse to cover up your own incompetence."
"Let me show you, Midorima—
What real basketball looks like."
As his words fell, Tendou accelerated explosively.
His speed climbed higher, his form becoming even sharper.
Midorima landed from his jump and immediately turned to chase—
Only to realize, even without the ball, he couldn't catch Tendou anymore.
"He's broken the 80% limit!"
Midorima was shocked.
During the first half, Tendou hadn't even gotten serious.
"Don't give up running. Muscles only truly give up when you yourself choose to stop."
Midorima ran with all his might, chasing Tendou's distant back.
His teammates would create an opportunity for him.
Takao was the first to sprint back on defense.
After the crushing defeat against Teikō in middle school, Takao had sworn to himself:
He would make the Generation of Miracles recognize his strength.
That's why he chose Shūtoku—
A traditional powerhouse.
It was his base from which to challenge the elite.
Yet on his very first day, he accidentally bumped into Midorima again.
And from that moment on, he knew—
Their destinies were intertwined.
Even if Shūtoku beat a Miracles team, it would be through Midorima's power.
So he shifted his mindset—
Determined to deliver passes that even Midorima would acknowledge.
Today, his pass had been intercepted before it even reached Midorima.
It was hard to accept.
"Stop him, you bastard!"
Takao roared internally.
He noticed his teammates hustling back.
None of them had given up on this possession.
Golden lightning suddenly ignited around Tendou's feet.
No double move, triple move, or quadruple move—
Just pure Thunderclap Flash.
This was the true speed of Thunderclap Flash:
A full-power boost of 30%.
"He's shattered the limit!"
The moment he burst forward, Tendou seemed to become a tornado tearing down the court.
Shūtoku's players, even Takao, were left far behind.
Tendou shot across half-court, heading straight for an unguarded basket.
At this moment, even Miyaji Kiyoshi and the others felt their pupils tremble.
In front of Tendou, it all seemed like a joke.
He alone could annihilate everyone.
"People love to call role players 'the pieces that complete a championship puzzle.'
"But the shape of the final puzzle—what it becomes—will always depend on the team's core."
"In your puzzle, Midorima, there's no championship."
"Just the shape of Shūtoku."
"You're the same as Murasakibara, Kise, and Kuroko— All you managed to complete was a 'Shūtoku-shaped' puzzle."
Tendou landed lightly, slowly turning to face Midorima.
His expression was calm—
As still as the surface of a lake.
『Holy crap... Legendary...』
Fans watching the stream couldn't help screaming.
『Forget MVP. This guy's aiming for the Puzzle King title now?!』
『Puzzle King? Don't be stupid—Tendou's totally right.』
『Only Tendou could make even metaphors sound this badass. Truly my king!』
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