Zone?

Just now, because Ken Kaneki didn't immediately fall back on defense, Shibuya First Junior High found themselves in a 5-on-4 situation in the frontcourt. After a series of passes, the ball landed in the hands of the unguarded Wei Liu.

"Wei Liu, great chance, shoot it!" Kazuhiko Yamanaka shouted excitedly. Wei Liu didn't hesitate. As soon as he caught the ball, he jumped and shot. His daily mid-range shooting practice made him feel like this shot was definitely going in—if nothing unexpected happened.

But as if to spite him, the unexpected did happen.

"Hey, I'm talking to all of you. Let's put a stop to this heartwarming shonen manga scene right here!" Ken Kaneki's deep voice echoed from behind Wei Liu, the coldness in his tone sending a chill down Wei Liu's spine. Everyone present only saw a flash of gold before their eyes as the ball, which had just been shot, was violently swatted away by a large hand.

"No way?! He actually caught up?!" Feeling the immense pressure emanating from behind him, Wei Liu's heart pounded with fear, and the phantom image of a silverback gorilla on his body gradually dissipated.

"Bang!" The basketball hit the backboard with a loud thud. Before anyone could react, Ken Kaneki leaped up again, catching the ball firmly in his hands.

"Fall back!" Daisuke Narumi was the first to react, warning his team to watch out for Teiko Junior High's fast break. However, by the time they had all retreated to their positions, Teiko didn't attack. Instead, the Teiko Junior High players stood still, like elementary school students caught misbehaving by their teacher, hands behind their backs, heads bowed, afraid to meet Ken Kaneki's gaze.

"Look at your flustered expressions! Where's the usual victorious Teiko?" Ken Kaneki scanned his teammates, his golden irises emitting a heart-stopping electric glow. "Have you all forgotten your responsibilities? You get flustered when things go slightly beyond expectations! You lose your composure when the score gets close! If you feel too much pressure and can't play well, you can ask me to sub you out!"

"Sorry, Ken-chan," Atsushi Murasakibara mumbled, unsure of what to say. Shintaro Midorima and Daiki Aomine also bit their lips, fists clenched, their faces full of resentment.

"No need to apologize," Ken Kaneki's eyes glowed even brighter. "I said it, Shibuya First Junior High is going to lose today. No one can save them. My words have never been wrong. No matter how you play, the outcome won't change!"

Ken Kaneki paused, looking at his dejected teammates. He suddenly tossed the ball carelessly towards the frontcourt, causing the most absurd turnover Teiko Junior High had seen since the start of the qualifiers.

"Ken-chan?"

"Kaneki?"

The Teiko players erupted in confusion, not understanding Ken Kaneki's intention.

Ken Kaneki, however, acted as if nothing had happened and continued speaking to his teammates, "No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. Now I've made a mistake just like you. From now on, those who are prepared to fight to the death and refuse to lose, come with me and take down Shibuya First Junior High. If you play as I say, and we lose in the end, you can all say that my mistake led to the defeat. I will bear all the responsibility."

"Ken-chan..."

"Kaneki..."

The Teiko players looked at Ken Kaneki with complex expressions, falling silent for a long time.

"Ha, what a pain. I'm still the captain, so how can it be your turn to take responsibility!" Shuzo Nijimura chuckled, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Then I'll leave everything to you, Ace! There are no cowards who flee in the face of battle in Teiko Junior High!"

"A prodigy! He's definitely entered the zone!" Kagetora Aida, who had been intently watching Ken Kaneki, was utterly astonished. "I never doubted Ken Kaneki could enter the zone, but I never expected him to reach this level at such a young age!"

"Zone? What's that?" Reiko had never heard the term before.

"Under normal circumstances, no matter how outstanding an athlete is, they can only perform at 80% of their potential," Kagetora Aida said, trying to calm his excited emotions, his voice trembling slightly. "But for a few exceptionally talented players who have undergone extreme, rigorous training, they can enter a state called the zone. In this state, their minds filter out all unnecessary information and focus solely on the game before them, allowing them to unleash 100% of their potential."

"Dad, are you saying that Ken Kaneki, who is already this strong, is only performing at 80% of his ability?" Reiko felt her worldview had been shattered.

"It's hard to say for sure..." Kagetora Aida looked at Ken Kaneki's expressionless, god-like face with complex eyes and sighed. "The impact a chosen genius has on a game after entering the zone cannot be simply calculated with mathematics!"

"What's going on?! This sense of oppression!" As soon as they crossed half-court, Kotaro Hayama, the most talented among them, clearly felt a mountain-like, heavy pressure emanating from Ken Kaneki. "Could the entire half-court... be within the range of his influence?!"

Aside from the terrified Kotaro Hayama, the other Shibuya First Junior High players, although not directly targeted by Ken Kaneki's pressure, felt as if they had stepped into a demon god's territory the moment they crossed the center line. Their breathing became difficult, and a chill permeated their bodies.

"I'm sorry, Shibuya everyone. We're going to get serious now..." Ken Kaneki's voice reached their ears like a divine judgment. "If we can't crush you, it will give others the illusion that 'Teiko and Shibuya are teams of the same level'."

"Kotaro, catch!" Kazuhiko Yamanaka was the first to be overwhelmed by the heavy pressure. His sense of responsibility as a player forced him to suppress the urge to turn and run. He struggled to pass the ball to Kotaro Hayama.

"No, Captain!" Kotaro Hayama tried to stop Kazuhiko Yamanaka's action, but he saw a figure moving more than twice as fast as Kotaro Hayama had just been, flashing past to steal the pass. The wind generated by the speed whipped against Kotaro Hayama's face. By the time he reacted, the figure was already hanging from his own basket.

"This feeling..." The figure on the basket released his grip and landed, looking at his palm excitedly. "This is great, I feel an endless stream of power surging within my body!"

"Blondie! Again!" The figure turned his head and looked at Kotaro Hayama with excitement.

"This situation is troublesome," Reiko frowned, looking at Daiki Aomine, who had made the first move. "Let alone Ken Kaneki, even that dark-skinned kid alone is too much for Shibuya First Junior High to handle... But this shouldn't be happening... Could it be... he's also entered the zone?"

Kagetora Aida remained silent. He also thought this was the most likely explanation, but for some reason, he felt that the root of everything still lay with Ken Kaneki.

"Although that situation is almost impossible, if it really is that kind of situation..." Kagetora Aida dared not think further.

But he didn't notice that just moments ago, not only Ken Kaneki, but all the Teiko players present had a flash of golden electricity in their eyes. If observed closely, besides Shuzo Nijimura, a trace of other imperceptible colors was mixed within the electricity of the rest.

Bung Bung drank a bit at a social event tonight, and his thoughts are a bit unstable. This chapter has been revised many times, and I'm truly sorry to everyone. Consider it one chapter owed, and I'll make it up tomorrow during my rest. Finally, please collect, follow, recommend, and vote for monthly tickets. Thank you! ~(￣▽￣~)(~￣▽￣)~