Inside Teikō's gym, a low-pressure atmosphere hung like frozen leaden clouds, weighing heavily on everyone's heart. Aomine Daiki's solitary wildness was like the eye of a black storm, tearing apart the team's final barrier of cooperation; Kuroko Tetsuya's worries were like a silent undercurrent, surging beneath the calm surface with a crisis of value and existence; Bai Ze You's confusion was like a lost mist, shrouding the essence of basketball's joy. Yet atop this repressed ruin of collapsed ideals, a golden figure burned and evolved at an unprecedented speed, like sunlight piercing the clouds—that was Kise Ryōta.
Akashi Seijūrō's ironclad law of "Absolute Victory" might have been shackles to the others, but to Kise, it was a cruel yet efficient furnace. Under Akashi's cold, precise commands and the increasingly fierce atmosphere of confrontation within Teikō, his peerless imitation talent was forced to its limits.
On the training court, Kise's figure was almost everywhere. He was like a greedy sponge that could never be satisfied, madly absorbing the essence of every "Miracle" around him and trying to fit it into the "efficiency" framework Akashi had prescribed.
* Against Midōrima Shintarō's airtight defense, Kise's body adjusted in an instant. He lowered his center of gravity, his steps becoming swift and precise, then executed a textbook straight-step drive, cleanly getting past Midōrima! The movement was simple and efficient—the very "Absolute Correctness" Akashi advocated!
* Bursting into the paint and facing Murasaki-bara Atsushi's help defense, a golden gleam flashed in Kise's eyes. His body suddenly leaned back in the air in an Extreme Twist, the angle and fluidity even carrying some of Aomine Daiki's unreasonable wildness! Though the shot missed, the explosive power displayed in that instant made Murasaki-bara glance sideways.
* On defense, he tried to imitate Kuroko Tetsuya's "Misdire." Though he could not reach Kuroko's near-disappearing realm, his positioning and timing of interference became exceptionally tricky. He successfully cut off the opponent's passing lanes several times, earning a slight nod from Akashi at the sidelines.
* He even tried to imitate Akashi Seijūrō! During a fast break, his eyes grew unusually sharp—imitating the expression of Akashi's "Eyes of the Heavenly Emperor"—as he tried to predict his teammates' movements and made a precise full-court lead pass! Though his speed and timing were slightly inferior to Akashi's, that vision and courage were already far beyond those of ordinary players!
Imitation! Evolution! Imitation again!
Kise was like a high-speed learning machine, frantically honing his imitation skills within Akashi's cold mold of "efficiency above all." His movements were no longer merely similar in form; they had begun to carry a trace of each person he imitated's unique "spirit":
* When imitating Midōrima, his release posture and angle were nearly perfect copies, carrying a cold sense of calculation.
* When imitating Aomine, the explosiveness in his first step and savage aerial contact revealed wild power.
* When imitating Bai Ze You, even his Fake Moves and bodily flexibility and coordination carried a dizzying degree of deception!
* When imitating Kuroko, his deliberately low-profile positioning was also beginning to show results.
* When imitating Akashi, his poised command and precise passing were beginning to take shape!
His speed of evolution was astonishing! Every training session and every confrontation showed obvious improvement! He was like a tireless challenger, greedily absorbing the radiance of every genius around him, then transforming it into power of his own!
On the record board in Momoi Satsuki's hands, Kise's data was updating wildly:
**"Observation Record: Imitation Storm: Golden Evolution"** **"Core Drivers: Akashi's high pressure (survival instinct) + explosive talent (unlimited imitation) + competitive stimulation (Aomine/Bai Ze's stimulation)"** **"Imitation-Level Breakthrough:"** * **Surface Imitation (Movement Replication):** Completion 95% → 98% (extreme formal similarity). * **Mid-Level Imitation (Skills/Rhythm):** Completion 75% → 85% (such as Midōrima's shooting rhythm and Aomine's driving cadence). * **Deep-Level Imitation (Traits/Spirit):** Completion 40% → 65% (capturing Midōrima's sense of calculation, Aomine's wildness, Bai Ze's flexible deception, Kuroko's concealment, and the embryonic form of Akashi's desire for control)! **"Combat Efficiency:** Overall offensive efficiency increased by 35%; defensive efficiency increased by 28%" **"Akashi's Evaluation:** Close observation, resource allocation (targeted training). Regarded as the most promising and malleable "Ultimate Weapon Embryo" under the "Absolute Victory" system." **"Hidden Dangers:** Imitation Source Conflict (such as Aomine's wildness versus Akashi's efficiency), Risk of Self-Style Annihilation (overreliance on imitation), Mental Load (high-intensity imitation causing Brain Overload)"
"Wow! Little Kise! That behind-the-back dribble into a spin just now was exactly like Little Bai Ze's!" Momoi could not help exclaiming during the break.
Kise wiped away his sweat. His golden hair glittered under the lights, and his face wore his signature sunny smile, but deep within that smile was a sharpness and confidence he had never possessed before. "Right, right? Little Momoi! I've been working really hard! But..." His smile faded slightly as he looked toward Bai Ze You, who was practicing shots alone in the distance. His expression turned serious. "Little Bai Ze's... Hmm, how should I put it? That unique 'sense of rhythm' in his movements, and the 'magic of deceiving the world'... I'm still far from reaching it! I've only imitated the surface!"
Bai Ze You stopped shooting and looked toward Kise. He could feel the pure desire to improve his skills in Kise's eyes, along with his recognition of Bai Ze's abilities. That recognition was especially precious in Teikō's currently oppressive and twisted atmosphere. He walked over and picked up a ball.
"You want to see 'sense of rhythm'?" Bai Ze You's voice carried a trace of the long-lost interest belonging to the "White Phantom." He seemed to have temporarily set aside his confusion, finding a little of the urge to display basketball's beauty before this sincere "imitator," Kise.
Bai Ze You began dribbling. His movements were not fast, but every crossover, behind-the-back dribble, spin, sway of his body, rise and fall of his center of gravity, and step flowed like water and clouds, carrying a unique, innate rhythm. His body seemed boneless, flexible to the extreme yet filled with explosive power. A simple First Step was transformed in his hands into a perfect fusion of shoulder feint, eye deception, and shifting center of gravity, as though countless driving directions unfolded at once!
Kise's eyes lit up instantly, like the most precise camera, locking onto every minute movement Bai Ze You made! He could sense that this was more than technique. It was an art of controlling the body's limits, a basketball philosophy that made deception instinctive!
"That's the feeling!" Kise cried excitedly under his breath, his body unconsciously imitating Bai Ze You's movements. Though the form was similar, it lacked some of the spirit's agility.
Bai Ze You smiled faintly, then suddenly accelerated! Facing Kise's defense, he dropped his body sharply and feinted a powerful drive to the right! Kise immediately slid over to block him!
Fake Move!
Bai Ze You's core strength exploded, forcibly pulling back his forward momentum! At the same time, he made a swift behind-the-back pullback! The ball switched to his left hand! The entire motion was as fast as lightning and as fluid as a dance! Kise's center of gravity was instantly deceived!
Seizing the opening, Bai Ze You planted his left foot. His body swept past Kise's side like a white phantom! Facing the help defense, he displayed terrifying flexibility in the air, executing an extreme Extreme Twist, folding his body to evade the block before flicking his wrist lightly!
High-Arcing Bank Shot!
The ball traced a beautiful arc and dropped cleanly through the hoop!
Elegant! Deadly! An art brimming with deception!
The entire sequence flowed as one, perfectly blending flexibility, balance, Fake Moves, and finishing ability, filled with the unique beauty of the "White Phantom"!
"Th-That's incredible!" Kise stared in shock, his eyes filled with astonishment and fervor. "Little Bai Ze! So this is your 'phantom'! Not a simple imitation of movements, but... a realm! A realm of controlling the body and deceiving perception!"
Bai Ze You landed and breathed lightly, a long-lost smile rising from the depths of his heart. Before this pure "admirer" and "imitator," he seemed to have rediscovered basketball's original thrill and the joy of displaying its beauty.
However, this brief interaction, filled with basketball's pure beauty, was ruthlessly interrupted by a cold voice.
"Kise. Bai Ze."
Akashi Seijūrō had appeared at the edge of the court at some point. His red eyes swept over the two of them like cold probes.
"That exchange just now," Akashi said without a ripple in his voice. "Kise, your defensive center-of-gravity shift was 0.3 seconds too slow, and your anticipation was directionally flawed. Bai Ze, your drive selection carried a potential risk of being cut off by wing help defense, although the help never came. Furthermore, your final finish had a five-percent lower success rate than a direct layup in terms of efficiency rating. It was an unnecessary risk."
Akashi's gaze settled on Kise, carrying a trace of scrutiny. "Your imitation ability is worthy of recognition, but remember: imitation exists to serve 'Absolute Victory.' It means extracting the most efficient 'parts' and combining and optimizing them, not pursuing those flashy and impractical 'realms' and 'rhythms.' Focus on improving the efficiency and stability of the movements you imitate. Discard useless embellishments."
Akashi's words were like ice water poured over Kise's burning passion. The excitement on his face froze instantly. He looked at Akashi's unquestionable gaze, then at Bai Ze You, conflict and confusion flashing through his eyes.
The smile vanished from Bai Ze You's face as well, returning him to the calmness of training, but beneath that calm lay an even deeper coldness. Once again, Akashi had precisely snuffed out the spark concerning basketball's beauty that had only just begun to burn.
Kise lowered his head, his golden bangs covering his eyes. After a moment, he raised his head and once again wore a brilliant smile that seemed capable of melting every shadow. Yet Bai Ze You and Momoi could both keenly sense that hidden deep behind it was a sharpness—and a fire that refused to lose.
"Yes, Captain! I'll keep working hard and make my imitation even more 'efficient'!" Kise answered loudly. His tone was respectful, yet it seemed to contain some silent declaration.
Training continued. Kise Ryōta once again threw himself into his frenzied imitation and evolution. His movements remained efficient and met Akashi's standards. But when he faced Aomine Daiki's defense, golden light suddenly flashed in his eyes! Instead of choosing anyone's "standard" movement, he relied on the body instincts and experience accumulated through his mad imitation. Under Aomine's terrifying wild pressure, he created an unprecedented original breakthrough combination, fusing Midōrima's retreat-step rhythm, Bai Ze's flexible Fake Move deception, and Aomine's own explosive power!
He used a realistic Crossover Dribble to shift Aomine's center of gravity, then followed with a swift straight step and Aomine-style explosive acceleration! The instant Aomine forcibly chased him back through sheer wildness, Kise's core strength erupted. Imitating Bai Ze's Extreme Twist, he made an inconceivable fold in midair, narrowly evading Aomine's blocking hand, while imitating Midōrima with his wrist to send the ball into the hoop through an extraordinarily stable high arc!
Bang!
The muffled impact of physical contact!
Swish!
The crisp sound of the ball entering the net!
The entire movement was as fast as lightning, fusing the traits of at least three "Miracles," yet it was perfectly natural, carrying the nascent sharpness that belonged to Kise Ryōta alone!
Aomine landed and looked at Kise, who was pumping his fist in excitement after scoring. For the first time, surprise appeared in his eyes.
At the sidelines, a hard-to-detect glint flashed through Akashi's red eyes.
Bai Ze You looked at Kise, admiration showing in his eyes as well. This imitator was crossing the boundary between imitation and creation at an astonishing speed!
Momoi excitedly yet solemnly wrote on the record board:
**"Key Breakthrough: Imitation → Fusion → Creation!"** **"Action: Self-fusion of multiple Miracle traits (Midōrima's rhythm + Bai Ze's deception + Aomine's burst), completing an original high-efficiency breakthrough!"** **"Significance: Breaking free from pure replication and opening a New Stage of Evolution for the 'Golden Miracle'! Initially possessing 'Miracle-level' independent combat ability!"** **"Akashi's Attitude: Implicit Recognition (did not deny its efficiency)?"** **"Aomine's Reaction: Facing him seriously for the first time (surprise)!"** **"Bai Ze's Reaction: Admiration (for the breakthrough evolution)"** **"Risk Escalation: Kise's 'self-awareness' awakening (pursuing something higher, stronger, and more unique), creating a fundamental conflict with Akashi's positioning of him as a 'parts-based' tool!"**
Kise Ryōta, the "Imitator of Miracles" who had taken up basketball the latest, was completing an astonishing leap at an unprecedented speed upon the soil of Teikō's high pressure and collapse. He greedily absorbed the radiance of the geniuses, honing himself through imitation and breaking through through fusion, gradually revealing his own dazzling golden edge! His evolution was like a heavy bomb dropped into Teikō's stagnant water. The chain reaction it triggered would completely churn this great ship as it sailed toward an unknown abyss!
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