Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

The red lettering on the electronic scoreboard was glaringly bright.

It was so red it looked like it was dripping blood.

44: 29.

A 15-point difference is like an insurmountable chasm.

The past few minutes.

Hainan Affiliated High School.

This once-mighty army, which ruled Kanagawa for sixteen years, scored zero.

The stadium was deathly silent, except for the thud of basketballs hitting the floor.

Each blow felt like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of Hainan supporters.

"Too weak."

Lin Bei stood in the center circle, holding the ball with one hand.

Those heterochromatic crimson-gold eyes reflected several swaying figures opposite them.

Those weren't opponents; they were just a few soulless puppets.

Kiyota Nobunaga hung his head, his arms dangling limply at his sides.

Jin Soichiro was panting heavily, his eyes unfocused, and he was so exhausted that he couldn't even wipe his sweat.

Even Maki Shinichi, who was called the "Emperor".

At this moment, he also supported himself on his knees with both hands, and sweat gathered on his chin into a pool of despair.

"You can't even stand up anymore?"

Lin Bei casually tossed the ball up and caught it steadily, speaking in a relaxed tone as if he were chatting.

"If you can't stand up, why not just lie down?"

"As long as you give up, you won't suffer."

This kind of condescending pity is more insulting than any profanity.

"Shut...shut up..."

A low growl was squeezed out from Maki Shinichi's throat, which sounded as if it had been sanded.

Lin Bei raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? You still have the energy to speak?"

Maki Shinichi slowly straightened up.

My vision was completely blurred, and my lungs felt like I had swallowed a handful of burning coals; every breath tasted rusty.

But in the depths of that dark consciousness, he saw that door again.

That is the gate to "Zone".

The realm of gods, which was originally within reach, was shattered by Lin Bei's tyrannical and unreasonable power.

The door was closing, and the light was fading.

An unprecedented panic gripped his heart.

That is the fear of "mediocrity".

If we fall here, the era of Hainan will be over.

I, Mu Shenyi, am a sinner in Hainan!

"I won't allow it..."

"Absolutely not!!"

Maki Shinichi looked up abruptly, his eyes bulging with tears.

In the spiritual world.

Covered in blood, he frantically squeezed half his body into the closing stone door.

His fingernail broke off, bleeding profusely, yet he clung tightly to the door frame.

"Give me your power!!"

In reality, boom!

An invisible wave of energy exploded outwards from him.

The purple lightning that had been extinguished reignited.

No longer fleeting, it has transformed into a substantial, imposing pressure, as heavy as a mountain.

"Everyone, wake up!"

Maki Shinichi's roar made Kiyota Nobunaga tremble.

"The word 'defeat' doesn't exist in Hainan!"

"As long as I, Maki Shinichi, am standing, the match is not over!!"

The crimson-gold light in Lin Bei's eyes flickered slightly.

On the system panel, a data point was fluctuating wildly, breaking through the red line.

[Warning: Opponent's mental strength has exceeded the critical threshold]

[Activating the pseudo-Zone...]

[Shinichi Maki's Exclusive Skill: Emperor's Resonance (Pseudo-Zone - Group Amplification)]

"That's interesting."

A playful smile appeared on Lin Bei's lips.

"Prey that is struggling to survive tastes the best."

Mu Shenyi made a move.

Without any fancy dribbling, he transformed into a heavy tank, forcefully advancing despite Lin Bei's defense.

"Bang!"

The sound of muscles colliding is teeth-grinding.

Have you gotten heavier?

Lin Bei frowned slightly. Could he really increase his combat level when his physical strength was completely exhausted?

"Give me the ball!!"

Maki Shinichi forced a sliver of space during the confrontation, and the ball flew like a cannonball toward the bottom corner.

"Ah Shen! Throw it in!!"

This roar was magical.

The moment Jin Soichiro received the ball, it was as if he had been injected with a powerful stimulant.

That was the captain's will, and absolute trust.

Muscle memory takes over the body.

Jump and shoot.

A textbook pose.

"Whoosh!"

Three point hit!

44:32. Hainan finally broke their scoring drought.

"Back up!!"

"Defend the restricted area to the death!!"

Maki Shinichi clapped his hands as soon as he landed, his voice booming like a bell.

Kiyota, Takasago, Muto, and Ajin—a purple flame ignited in the eyes of all the Hainan players.

This is "Emperor's Resonance".

Shinichi Maki burned himself to become a lighthouse, forcibly boosting the attributes of the entire team.

This is an army of mortals who dare to charge against the gods in order to protect their honor.

Lin Bei advanced with the ball, and the air became thick.

Hainan's defense is like a tightening iron net.

"This kind of false bond is meaningless."

The Heavenly Emperor's Eye activated, instantly analyzing the vulnerability.

"Kneel down."

He made a lightning-fast change of direction, shaking off Kiyota.

But at the very moment of breakthrough.

Shinichi Maki and Kazuma Takasago simultaneously closed the gate to attack from both sides, their movements perfectly synchronized.

It's as if they share a single brain.

Was the prediction disrupted?

"Don't underestimate our bond!!"

Maki Shinichi roared and slammed his large hand down on the basketball.

"Snapped!"

The rhythm was disrupted, and the basketball rolled towards the sideline.

"Out of bounds! Shohoku has possession!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"They managed to defend against it?!"

"Hainan has successfully defended against that monster?!"

Lin Bei looked at Mu Shenyi, who was panting heavily but had a fierce look in his eyes, and gently moved his wrist.

The crimson-gold light in his eyes did not dim; instead, it became even more dangerous.

Even more...excited.

"very good."

"It's starting to pique my interest a little."

"Since you want to play team games..."

Lin Bei turned his head.

His gaze swept over the figure who had always remained outside the system.

Rukawa Kaede.

The aloof red fox was coldly observing all of this.

His eyes were filled with displeasure at Lin Bei's "lone wolf behavior" and a longing for Maki Shinichi's state.

"Hey, fox."

"How long are we going to keep watching that show?"

Lin Bei's voice was cold, as if he were assigning a task to a subordinate.

Rukawa Kaede glanced at him and coldly uttered three words:

"Mind your own business."

He was cursing, but his body tensed up instantly.

A demonic sword named "Rukawa Kaede" has been drawn.

The game continues.

Lin Bei received the ball, and Hainan's defensive wall closed in again.

Shinichi Maki stared intently at his shoulder.

"left!"

Maki Shinichi roared and led Kiyota to block the way at the same time.

Just as the three were about to collide.

The ball in Lin Bei's hand disappeared.

He wasn't looking at anyone, and his wrist wasn't shaking.

The basketball flew out from behind at lightning speed, as if by magic.

It passed through the gap between Maki Shinichi and Kiyota at an eerie angle, piercing straight into their hearts!

"What?!" Shinichi Maki turned around abruptly.

A red lightning bolt has already cut into Hainan's vulnerable interior defense.

Rukawa Kaede!

He was like an assassin lurking in the shadows, revealing his fangs the moment Lin Bei drew the fire.

Catch the ball, start moving, take off.

Kazuma Takasago panicked and tried to cover for him.

"Get out of here."

A cold glint flashed in Rukawa's eyes as he forcefully pulled back the lever in mid-air, dodging the block.

"boom!!"

One-handed dunk, the rim groans!

46: 32.

After landing, Rukawa Kaede did not celebrate, but simply glanced coldly at Lin Bei: "The transmission was too slow."

Lin Bei said expressionlessly, "It's because you ran too slowly."

The two brushed past each other without high-fiving, their eyes even radiating hostility.

One is a dictatorial tyrant, the other a lone beast.

But when faced with the absolute goal of "winning".

These are two monsters with top-tier talents.

They reached a chilling tacit understanding.