Inside the Teikō Basketball Gym, the atmosphere was subtle. Kise Ryōta's strange, exploratory movements, which tried to fuse different styles, had an extremely high failure rate, yet they were like a stone tossed into a pond, stirring up layers of ripples beneath the calm surface. Especially as he repeatedly tried to incorporate Bai Ze You's "Mirage" technique into himself, his clumsy yet persistent imitation and reconstruction inevitably drew everyone's focus toward the "original."
"Hey, Shiro, that blond kid seems especially 'fond' of you, huh?" During the break, Aomine Daiki took a gulp of water and nudged Bai Ze You beside him with his elbow, his tone carrying a hint of gleeful teasing. "He spends all day thinking about how to turn your 'slipperiness' into his 'slipperiness.' He's studying pretty hard."
Bai Ze You was wiping away his sweat with a towel. His movement did not stop at the words, and his calm gaze settled on the other end of the court. Kise was repeatedly practicing a "Bai Ze Style" change of rhythm that combined Aomine's explosive start with his own understanding. His movements were still somewhat stiff and jerky, but his focus and burning passion were plain to see.
"Yeah, I saw," Bai Ze You replied indifferently.
"You don't feel anything?" Aomine raised an eyebrow. "Watching someone take apart your signature moves like that?"
Bai Ze You lowered the towel, picked up a basketball, and spun it on his fingertip. His eyes were deep. "Feel anything? It's kind of interesting. He learns quickly, and he works hard." He paused, his voice calm yet carrying an indescribable certainty. "But, Aomine-senpai, some things can't be imitated."
"Oh?" Aomine grew interested. "Like what?"
Bai Ze You did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at Aomine. "Can other people imitate your 'wildness'?"
Aomine grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "Ha! What kind of joke is that? It's something in my bones!"
"Then what about Midorima-senpai's 'Absolute Accuracy'?"
"That calculation-obsessed freak's thing? Just looking at it gives me a headache!"
"Murasaki-bara-senpai's 'Absolute Strength'?"
"That guy's a monster!"
"Kuroko's 'gaze induction'?"
"...That guy's basically a ghost already!"
"Then," Bai Ze You's gaze returned to Kise, who was still working hard at his attempts. The corners of his mouth curved into the faintest smile, yet it brimmed with confidence. "My 'Mirage' isn't something you can copy just by looking a few times and breaking down a few movements."
The basketball in his hand stopped spinning and was held firmly.
"Every change of direction, every Fake Move, every shot taken while off-balance... is determined by my body, my nerves, my sweat, and... the way I play basketball, all together. That is the 'Unique' that belongs only to Bai Ze You." His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Aomine's ears, carrying undeniable weight.
Aomine looked at Bai Ze You's calm profile. For the first time, he did not argue. He merely clicked his tongue, though a trace of acknowledgment had appeared in his eyes. He understood what Bai Ze You meant. Just as his wildness could not be copied, Bai Ze You's flexibility, balance, and deceptiveness—qualities fused into his very bones—were also part of his existence itself.
Soon, a higher-intensity full-court five-on-five intra-team match began. Kise Ryōta was placed in the starting lineup (Red Team), alongside Akashi, Midori, and Murasbara. Bai Ze You, meanwhile, was placed in the substitute lineup (White Team), together with Aomine, Kuroko, and two second-year students. As if by fate, the two were matched up again.
Right from the start, Kise displayed his terrifying rate of improvement! He was no longer fixated on stiffly fusing the moves he had imitated. Instead, he consciously began using the rudimentary form of Imitation · Creation.
* On one possession, he used Akashi's pass. The instant he caught the ball, he imitated Bai Ze You's low-center-of-gravity ball-protection stance, immediately following it with an Aomine-style explosive first step drive! Although his strength and speed were inferior to Aomine's, the explosive power and suddenness of his start, combined with the stability of Bai Ze You's ball protection, allowed him to blow past the first defender in an instant!
* Facing help defense, he no longer tried to forcefully imitate Bai Ze You's complicated spin turn. Instead, he used a simplified version of Rhythm change stop (imitating Bai Ze's sense of rhythm). After making the defender's center of gravity rise, he immediately followed with a Midorima-style standard pull-up jump shot! His form was beautiful, and the basketball traced a high arc—"Swish!" Nothing but net!
"Good shot, Kise!" Akashi praised him calmly.
"Nicely done!" Midori also pushed up his glasses.
Applause rang out from the sidelines. This shot demonstrated Kise's ability to initially fuse different elements. It was no longer simple imitation; he now had his own understanding and choices! He excitedly pumped his fist, his gaze unconsciously turning toward Bai Ze You, who was guarding him, carrying a hint of challenge and a desire for confirmation.
Bai Ze You returned his gaze calmly and gave a slight nod. Not bad progress. But this... still wasn't enough.
It was the White Team's turn to attack. Bai Ze You held the ball at the top of the arc, with Kise Ryōta—eyes blazing and full of fighting spirit—guarding him!
"Bai Ze-senpai! Please go easy on me!" Kise lowered his center of gravity, fully focused. He had just successfully fused techniques for one possession, and his confidence had soared. He desperately wanted to prove his path in front of the original "Mirage"!
Bai Ze You did not respond. He moved.
There was no flashy start, merely a simple crossover dribble in front of his body. Yet the instant the basketball passed from his right hand to his left, his shoulder, his gaze, and even the center of gravity of his entire upper body tilted dramatically toward the left with astonishing realism, like quicksilver pouring across the ground! It seemed as though he would break through to the left with all his strength the next second!
Inductive feint!
Kise's pupils contracted! He had imitated this move countless times! He immediately reacted, shifting his center of gravity rapidly to the left to seal him off!
However, at the instant his center of gravity shifted, Bai Ze You's left foot seemed nailed to the floor! His core muscles erupted with tremendous force, forcibly pulling his tilted center of gravity back in an instant! At the same time, his right wrist flicked deftly, and the basketball, as if given a soul, made a quick and hidden Crossover pull-back! As his center of gravity returned, he borrowed the momentum to suddenly dip his shoulder toward the front-right and drive off the floor!
The true direction of the drive—the right side!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye! Bai Ze You's shift in center of gravity was so fast it defied common sense, and the transitions were as smooth as breathing! Kise's center of gravity had been completely deceived toward the left. When he tried to forcibly twist his body around and chase to the right, his feet immediately became tangled, and he stumbled, nearly falling.
Bai Ze You swept past Kise's side like a white phantom! Fast—and filled with the beauty of deception!
"So fast! He pulled his center of gravity back?!"
"Kise-kun got completely shaken off!"
Shocked cries erupted from the sidelines.
But this was only the beginning! Murasbara Atsushi's huge body stood like a mountain in Bai Ze You's path to the basket! A terrifying pressure crashed over him!
Bai Ze You's gaze did not change, and neither did his speed! Just as he was about to collide with Murasbara, his body once again displayed that breathtaking flexibility and balance! He did not choose to meet force with force, nor did he stop abruptly. Instead, while sprinting at full speed, his body bent like a supple willow branch. Using his left foot as a pivot, he performed an Ultra-low center of gravity spin turn with an extremely small range of motion yet astonishing speed!
His body practically spun past Murasbara's enormous frame! During the rotation, the basketball seemed glued to his hand as he rapidly switched hands at an extremely low height to protect it! Murasbara's enormous palm swept past with a gust of wind, striking nothing but air!
"What?!" Even Murasbara widened his eyes in surprise. What terrifying core strength and body control were required for such an extreme rotation and ball control under the pressure of absolute strength!
Bai Ze You spun past Murasbara, and the basket was already wide open before him! Without hesitation, he took a step and leaped! However, Akashi Seijūrō appeared like a specter at his side and slightly behind him, his timing perfect to the slightest detail! His red eyes were as cold as ice, and his palm cut precisely toward the basketball in Bai Ze You's hand!
Heavenly Emperor's Eye prediction!
At the critical instant! Bai Ze You's waist and abdominal core erupted once again! His originally extended body forcibly performed an Extreme body fold and tuck in midair! At the same time, his right wrist flicked while holding the ball. Rather than going for a layup, the basketball passed beneath Akashi's blocking arm through an extremely narrow gap, as if by magic, and was *Bounce pass*ed!
The basketball spun fiercely. After striking the floor with precision, it flew toward the weak-side baseline!
There, Kuroko Tetsuya was like a genuine ghost. While everyone's attention—including Akashi's—was drawn to Bai Ze You's extreme maneuver, he had quietly appeared completely unguarded!
Kuroko caught the ball without the slightest hesitation and made a standard push shot!
"Swish!"
The basketball dropped cleanly through the net!
The entire attack was as smooth as flowing water and as breathtaking as it was thrilling!
From shaking off Kise at the top of the arc, to using an extreme spin to escape Murasbara in the paint, to folding in midair to evade Akashi's steal and deliver a brilliant pass, and finally to Kuroko completing the finish! The entire sequence lasted only a few seconds, yet it displayed the essence of Bai Ze You's Unique "Mirage" to the fullest!
Supreme flexibility!
Inconceivable balance!
Fake Moves realistic down to the bone!
Extreme maneuvering in tight spaces!
A terrifyingly calm overall vision and passing court sense!
These were not things imitation alone could provide! They were instincts carved into the body through countless repetitions, basketball artistry forged jointly by talent and sweat, belonging only to Bai Ze You!
The sidelines fell silent, leaving only the repeated thuds of the basketball hitting the floor. Everyone had been stunned by the dazzling sequence.
Kise Ryōta stood where he was, dazedly watching Bai Ze You's back as he picked up the ball beneath the basket and calmly retreated on defense. The shock of being shaken off, the shock of witnessing Bai Ze You complete that extreme maneuver under Murasakibara and Akashi's double-team, and the composure behind that final brilliant pass... It all struck his heart like a heavy hammer!
The frameworks of the moves he had imitated earlier appeared so pale and laughable before Bai Ze You's smooth, naturally integrated "Mirage"! He finally experienced firsthand what Captain Nijimura and Bai Ze You had meant by "can't be imitated"!
It was not an accumulation of techniques. It was the resonance of soul and body! It was the way of existence unique to Bai Ze You!
A sense of defeat flooded over Kise like a cold tide. The imitation and fusion he had been proud of were unbearably fragile before something truly "Unique." He bit his lip tightly, his face paling slightly as confusion and self-doubt filled his eyes.
"See that, Kise-kun?" As Bai Ze You passed Kise while retreating on defense, he slowed slightly. His voice rang out calmly, without mockery, carrying only the detached tone of someone stating a fact. "This is my 'Mirage.' It belongs to me, and only me."
He paused, looking at Kise's dazed appearance, then added in a faintly encouraging voice, "Your path has only just begun. Find the 'Unique' that belongs to you. That's what being truly 'cool' means."
With that, Bai Ze You did not linger and ran back to his defensive position.
Kise stood where he was, Bai Ze You's words echoing in his ears. "Unique..." "Belongs to me..." He lowered his head to look at his hands, then turned toward Bai Ze You's white back, which had merged into Team Defense while continuing to radiate its own distinctive brilliance. An emotion stronger and more complicated than before surged in his heart. The sense of defeat had not vanished, but within it, something seemed to be taking root... a clearer realization and an even firmer longing!
On her recording board, in the blank space under the "Style Summary" section on the page concerning Bai Ze You, Momoi Satsuki forcefully wrote a new assessment:
"Core trait confirmed: 'The Unique Mirage'"
"Manifestation: Technique, body, consciousness, and instinct fuse perfectly to form an inimitable personal style."
"Essence: Not mere technique, but a way of existence."
On Kise's page, Momoi looked at the Blond Youth, who appeared dazed yet had a new flame burning deep in his eyes, and wrote:
"Subject observed: Kise Ryōta—status update"
"Encountered 'Phantom Barrier': Imitation/fusion attempts suffered complete defeat before the 'original.'"
"Current reaction: Intense frustration + deep cognitive shock + initial awakening to the concept of 'Unique'"
"Potential level: Maintained at S (frustration is the flame of tempering)"
"Core objective upgraded: From 'Imitation · Creation' to 'finding one's true self.'"
On Teikō's court, the white phantom used a breathtaking display in actual combat to announce his inimitability to everyone. Meanwhile, the golden imitator had crashed headfirst into the phantom's barrier and been left battered and bloodied, yet for the first time, he had truly seen the road ahead—the far more difficult yet brilliant path called "self." The Unique Mirage belonged not only to Bai Ze You; it also became a lamp illuminating Kise Ryōta's future path, though its light seemed painfully bright and distant at that moment.
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