The pressure changed.

It wasn't louder.

It wasn't faster.

It was heavier.

Yuuto felt it the moment Ryu stopped smiling.

The dribble slowed—thump… thump… thump—each bounce echoing like a countdown. Ryu stood taller now, posture relaxed but commanding, red aura no longer flaring wildly but condensing inward, dense and controlled.

This was different.

This wasn't testing.

This was authority.

"Alright," Ryu said quietly, voice carrying only because the court itself seemed to listen.

"Let's see how far your eyes really reach."

The King of the Court stepped forward.

Yuuto lowered his stance instinctively, knees burning, breath ragged. His vision sharpened again—but this time it hurt. The court fractured into layers: passing lanes, rotations, help defense, weak-side shadows. Too much information. Too fast.

Watch the hips.

Ryu's hips barely moved.

Yuuto's heart skipped.

Too late—Ryu exploded.

Not with speed.

With presence.

He drove straight into Yuuto's space, forcing contact, forcing balance. Yuuto slid, absorbed the hit, stayed square—

Then Ryu stopped.

Dead.

Yuuto's body kept moving for half a step.

That was all it took.

Ryu rose.

Yuuto jumped late, arms up—

Swish.

Clean.

No rim.

No hesitation.

The crowd roared, but Ryu didn't react. He simply turned, jogging back, red aura pulsing once like a crown settling onto his head.

King of the Court.

Marcus clenched his fists on the bench.

"That wasn't speed," he muttered. "That was control."

Daniel's eyes were locked on Yuuto.

"…He forced the rhythm."

The next possession was worse.

Yuuto stayed in front again. He read the first pass. Disrupted the second. Forced Ryu wide.

And Ryu smiled.

"Good," he said. "Now break."

The pace jumped.

Ryu pushed in transition, dragging defenders with him like gravity. Yuuto chased, lungs screaming, vision narrowing. He could still see the court—but it was dimmer now, like looking through water.

Ryu flicked the ball behind his back without looking.

Hiroto caught it in stride.

Gold aura flashed.

Yuuto tried to recover—

Too slow.

Hiroto scored.

And just like that, Hakuro was up again.

Yuuto stumbled as play reset.

Just for a moment.

Daniel noticed immediately.

"Yuuto—don't force it!"

Too late.

The system reacted on its own.

SELF ACTUALIZATION — SECOND PHASE

Synchronization: UNSTABLE

Cognitive Feedback: OVERFLOW

Pain spiked behind Yuuto's eyes.

The court over-sharpened.

Every sound became noise. Every movement demanded response. His body lagged behind his thoughts now, like a signal with delay.

Ryu saw it instantly.

"Oh," he said softly. "There it is."

He attacked again.

This time, Yuuto read it perfectly.

He cut the lane.

He mirrored the hips.

He timed the contest—

But his legs didn't answer.

Ryu slipped past him, brushing his shoulder, moving like Yuuto wasn't there.

Layup.

Bucket.

The arena shook.

Yuuto turned—

And nearly fell.

Marcus was on his feet instantly.

"Coach!"

Coach Takeda's face hardened.

"Yuuto—breathe! Don't chase him! Anchor!"

Yuuto forced air into his lungs, hands shaking slightly.

Too much…

I'm seeing too much…

Ryu stood at half court, waiting, eyes bright—not cruel, not mocking.

Excited.

"This is what separates players," Ryu said, loud enough now for Yuuto to hear.

"Seeing the court doesn't make you King of the Court."

He took a step forward.

"Owning it does."

The pressure spiked again.

Hakuro moved as one.

Ren sealed the paint.

Minato cut the passing lane.

Hiroto floated—ready.

Yuuto tried to compensate, pushing harder, thinking faster—

And that was the mistake.

His foot slipped on the turn.

Just barely.

Ryu blew past him again.

Daniel rotated late.

Score.

Whistle.

Timeout Seiryō.

The crowd was electric.

On the bench, Yuuto collapsed forward, hands on his knees, vision swimming. Coach Takeda crouched in front of him immediately.

"You did good," he said firmly. "You pushed him. But this—"

He tapped Yuuto's chest.

"—this isn't sustainable yet."

Yuuto swallowed hard.

"…I could see everything."

Takeda nodded.

"And it nearly broke you."

Across the court, Ryu wiped sweat from his brow, still smiling.

Hiroto approached him, voice calm.

"He's unstable."

Ryu nodded.

"But he didn't look away."

Hiroto's gold aura shimmered faintly.

"…Then he's real."

The buzzer sounded.

End of the 3rd quarter approaching.

Yuuto looked back onto the court, chest tight, legs trembling—but eyes steady.

Self-Actualization wasn't complete.

Not yet.

But he understood the truth now.

To challenge the King of the Court, seeing the game wasn't enough.

He would need the body, the mind—

And the resolve to stand in that pressure without breaking.

And as the final seconds of the third quarter ticked away, one thing was certain:

The fourth quarter wouldn't be about talent anymore.

It would be about who could remain standing.

The horn blared.

End of the third quarter.

For a moment, no one moved.

Yuuto stood near the sideline, hands on his thighs, chest rising and falling too fast. Sweat dripped from his jaw, splashing onto the hardwood in uneven drops. The court still felt… too clear. Lines lingered where players had just been. Passing lanes refused to fade. His brain hadn't shut the door yet.

Make it stop, he thought.

But his body was already learning.

Ryu walked past him on the way to the bench.

Not fast.

Not slow.

Measured.

He paused just long enough to speak.

"You lasted longer than I thought," Ryu said, voice calm, almost impressed. "Most people break the moment they try to see the court the way I do."

Yuuto looked up, eyes burning.

"I didn't break."

Ryu's smile widened—genuine now.

"No," he agreed. "You didn't."

That scared Yuuto more than any trash talk could have.

On Seiryō's bench, Coach Takeda didn't raise his voice.

He didn't need to.

"Everyone sit," he said firmly.

The players obeyed instantly.

Yuuto dropped down harder than intended, shoulders slumping. Marcus handed him a towel without a word. Daniel crouched in front of him, eyes sharp, analytical even now.

"You overextended," Daniel said. "You weren't defending anymore—you were trying to predict everything."

Yuuto nodded slowly. "…I know."

Daniel leaned closer. "The Watchtower doesn't see everything at once. It filters. You don't have that yet."

Itsuki, further down the bench, spoke up quietly.

"But he was close."

Takeda glanced at him, then back to Yuuto.

"Close is dangerous," the coach said. "Especially against someone like Ryu."

Across the court, Hakuro's huddle felt… different.

No shouting.

No panic.

But Ryu stood.

Red aura rolled off him now, heavier than before—not wild, not flaring, but settled. Like a throne had been placed at center court and he had finally chosen to sit.

"I'm done easing off," Ryu said flatly.

Minato straightened. Ren nodded once. Hiroto didn't speak—but his gold aura sharpened, tighter, brighter.

Ryu continued.

"They adapted faster than expected. That ends now. Fourth quarter—we lock it down."

He looked directly at Hiroto.

"You run the wings. I'll control the middle."

Hiroto met his gaze.

"…Understood."

Their coach said nothing.

He didn't need to.

This was Hakuro's true mode.

Back on Seiryō's bench, Shunjin slammed his fist lightly against his knee.

"We can't keep letting him dictate everything," he growled. "That's not basketball—that's a coronation."

Marcus cracked his neck, eyes never leaving Ryu.

"Then we don't play his pace."

Takeda raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Marcus looked at Yuuto.

"By trusting him—but not letting him drown."

Yuuto blinked. "…What?"

Daniel answered this time.

"You don't chase Ryu alone anymore. You anchor. You cut his options, not his movement."

Takeda nodded.

"Exactly. You don't need to see the entire court. You need to see your zone."

Yuuto swallowed.

Self-Actualization pulsed faintly inside him—quieter now. Less demanding. Less painful.

Like it was… listening.

"I can do that," Yuuto said softly. "I don't need everything. Just enough."

Takeda placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"That's how it starts."

The buzzer sounded again.

Fourth quarter.

The players stood.

As Yuuto stepped back onto the court, his legs still trembled—but his vision had narrowed. Focused. Controlled.

Ryu noticed immediately.

"Oh?" he murmured. "You learned."

Yuuto lowered his stance, eyes locked on Ryu's hips—not his eyes, not the ball.

"I'm not trying to be King of the Court," Yuuto said.

Ryu's smile sharpened.

"Good."

The ball was inbounded.

"And that," Ryu replied as he began to dribble, red aura surging once more,

"is exactly why this will hurt."

The fourth quarter began.

And every instinct in the arena screamed the same truth:

This game was about to decide who truly belonged on the throne.

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