The match was over.
The sweat dripping down Souta's face wasn't just from exhaustion—it was from excitement.
He had broken past Akashi's defense.
Even if it was just once, it proved something important.
The Emperor's Eye wasn't invincible.
But it wasn't enough.
As he sat on the bench, watching the Generation of Miracles converse after the match, he knew one thing: He was still behind.
His erratic, unreadable movements had allowed him to bypass Akashi's foresight for a moment, but he lacked the refinement to make it a consistent weapon. Worse, his body couldn't fully keep up with his own playstyle yet.
I need to get stronger. Faster. More precise.
He exhaled and wiped his sweat away.
His fight wasn't over. It was just beginning.
The Training Begins
After school the next day, Souta found himself in the Teikou gym long after practice had ended.
The court was silent, with only the faint squeak of his sneakers echoing through the empty space.
He had already trained with Kuroko to refine his misdirection.
He had already studied Akashi's playstyle to understand his weaknesses.
But now, he needed something more—absolute control over his body.
His new playstyle relied on breaking rhythm, but the problem was consistency. There were still times his movements felt unnatural, moments where he nearly lost his balance.
That meant one thing.
He needed to master his footwork.
Souta tossed a basketball aside and focused purely on movement drills.
He started simple—shifting his pace between slow and fast, cutting in different directions.
Then, he incorporated missteps on purpose—adjusting his balance mid-air, using his body's momentum against itself.
It was a brutal process.
His legs burned.
His core screamed in protest.
But he kept going.
One hour passed. Then two.
By the third hour, his jersey was soaked in sweat.
But as he moved, he could feel it.
His body was adapting.
He was beginning to break past his limits.
An Unexpected Visitor
As Souta finished a final sprint across the court, a voice called out from the entrance.
"You're still at it, huh?"
Souta turned, breathing heavily, to see Aomine Daiki leaning against the doorframe.
"Shouldn't you be out sleeping somewhere?" Souta smirked.
Aomine grinned, walking into the gym. "I was, but I got bored."
Souta scoffed. "So you came here?"
"Figured I'd see what you were doing," Aomine said, spinning a basketball on his finger. "And, man… you really don't stop."
Souta wiped his forehead. "I don't have a choice."
Aomine watched him for a moment before chuckling. "You remind me of how I used to be."
Souta raised an eyebrow. "Used to be?"
Aomine shrugged. "Before I realized that nobody could keep up with me." His voice carried a tinge of something—almost boredom. "Back then, I trained like crazy too. But eventually, I stopped."
Souta frowned. He knew Aomine's story. The guy was a monster, but his dominance had made him lose interest in basketball.
Souta wasn't about to let that happen to himself.
"That won't happen to me," he said firmly. "Because there's always someone stronger. And if there isn't, I'll just push past my own limits."
Aomine studied him for a second before grinning.
"Then show me," he said. "One-on-one. Right now."
Souta's heart pounded.
A one-on-one against Aomine Daiki?
This wasn't just a game.
This was a test.
And he wasn't going to back down.
Facing the Wild Beast
They started immediately. No unnecessary warm-ups. No time to overthink.
Aomine dribbled lazily, his movements fluid like a wild predator toying with its prey.
Souta knew that if he hesitated for even a second, Aomine would destroy him.
So he didn't.
The moment Aomine stepped forward, Souta reacted.
He forced himself to move without pattern, keeping his steps erratic. His body shifted weight unpredictably, keeping Aomine from reading his movements easily.
But Aomine…
He was something else.
No matter how fast Souta moved, Aomine moved faster.
His reflexes were inhuman, his instincts sharper than anyone Souta had ever faced.
Within seconds, Aomine blew past him and scored effortlessly.
Souta gritted his teeth.
Again.
This time, he anticipated Aomine's drive and shifted his body at the last moment.
And it worked—for half a second.
Aomine smirked, adjusted his body mid-air, and scored anyway.
Souta couldn't stop him.
But he refused to give up.
He kept adapting. Kept adjusting.
And on the tenth possession, something changed.
Aomine went for his signature fadeaway jumper—
But Souta moved before he did.
It wasn't prediction. It wasn't foresight.
It was pure instinct.
And for the first time in the entire game—
Souta blocked Aomine's shot.
The ball bounced away, and there was silence.
Aomine stared at him, eyes wide in surprise.
Then, slowly, his lips curled into a grin.
"Heh."
He walked over, picking up the ball.
"You really are interesting," Aomine said. "Most guys would've given up by now."
Souta smirked. "That's not how I do things."
Aomine tossed him the ball. "Keep training. You might actually be able to keep up with me someday."
With that, he turned and left the gym.
Souta stood there, heart still pounding.
He had blocked Aomine.
Even if it was just once, it meant he was getting closer.
He wasn't at their level yet.
But soon…
He would be.
The Next Step
Later that night, as Souta lay in bed, his Basketball System activated again.
[Challenge Progress: Defy the Emperor – 50% Completion][New Skill Unlocked: Instinctive Response]
Souta's eyes widened.
Instinctive Response?
He quickly checked the description.
[A skill that allows the user to react purely on instinct, bypassing conscious thought for faster decision-making.]
His breath caught in his throat.
This…
This was exactly what he needed.
If he could refine this skill, he wouldn't just be unpredictable—he would be unstoppable.
His journey wasn't over.
It was only just beginning.
And soon—
He would surpass even the Generation of Miracles.