Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Emperor Eyes!
Akashi's eyes locked onto Midorima, who held his gaze before pivoting back into defensive position. A small chuckle escaped Akashi's lips as Mibuchi hustled behind the baseline to retrieve the ball.
As the game rolled on, the ball eventually found its way to Akashi.
He dribbled it deliberately while his teammates swiftly followed his lead and advanced, weaving into the defensive formation set up by Shutoku.
Takao shadowed Akashi as he closed the distance between them and adopted a tense expression while he put up his best defensive stance.
Despite the palpable pressure emanating from Akashi, Takao stood his ground.
His defense was unwavering, even in the face of the formidable opponent before him.
Takao trailed Akashi closely, squinting a bit.
"Now that I'm really paying attention, there's indeed something familiar about his vibe," he mused, shadowing Akashi's casual moves.
Yet, the moment their eyes connected, Takao sensed an unusual chill creeping down his spine.
The radiant ring in Akashi's pupils seemed to dwarf him, making him feel oddly small.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd step aside..."
As Akashi uttered these words, he made a swift move.
Takao blinked, only to find Akashi's stature seemingly growing taller and taller. Before he knew it, Takao found himself sitting on the court floor, bewildered.
"Huh?"
Confusion painted Takao's expression as he stared up at Akashi, who calmly glided past his fallen figure.
Disbelief painted the faces of Shutoku's players as they stared at Akashi in utter shock.
Midorima wore a similar expression and muttered, "...He immediately used that?"
"Is this all it takes to leave you frozen in your tracks? Disappointing, Shintaro..."
A voice sliced through the stunned silence, snapping Shutoku's players back to reality.
"Damn it! Kimura, move up!"
Otsubo's urgent cry reached Kimura, who swiftly hustled to close in on Akashi.
But alas, their efforts were in vain!
Kimura clenched his teeth, thinking, "I won't reach in time!"
They belatedly realized they had failed to react to intercept Akashi.
The crimson-haired player smoothly transitioned into a shooting motion, releasing the ball with a flick of his wrist. It sailed through the air, creating a satisfying swish as it found its mark in the basket.
"Whoaaa!"
"Rakuzan fired back in style!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, thrilled by the showcase of Akashi's prowess. Excitement soared through the roof!
Everyone was pumped up, and Tsuna couldn't help but chuckle, feeling Akashi's eyes on him for a moment. He shook his head, saying, "Trying to impress me with your smooth moves, huh? Adorable..."
"...Captain, isn't that Ankle Break?" Unable to contain his curiosity, he couldn't help but ask the question.
Ogiwara was genuinely surprised, his eyes widening as he witnessed Akashi effortlessly execute an Ankle Break.
"It is," Tsuna replied calmly, a light smile playing on his lips.
"..."
Observing the shock reflected on everyone's faces, Tsuna added, "Why? Anyone can do such a thing if they know how. It's not really surprising..."
"Well, if you put it that way, you're right..." Ogiwara scratched his head as he responded.
He came to the realization that the Ankle Break wasn't an exclusive skill of Tsuna's. There were many skilled individuals out there who could effortlessly break their opponents' ankles just as easily.
The misconception stemmed from the fact that they hadn't seen anyone other than Tsuna execute it in Japan, creating the impression that it was an exclusive skill of his.
On the other side of the audience, Seirin was also in a state of shock.
"...Akashi was actually skilled enough to pull off an Ankle Break?"
Kiyoshi mumbled, his expression filled with surprise.
Kuroko nodded in agreement, saying, "I briefly observed Akashi using his Emperor Eyes a while ago. With that ability, executing an Ankle Break should be a breeze for him."
Emperor Eyes empowered Akashi to pinpoint the exact moment when his opponents made a subtle adjustment in their footsteps, enabling him to take advantage of the situation.
"Emperor Eyes? What is that?"
"It's just his special eyes," Kuroko said as he looked solemn.
"These eyes let him watch his opponent super closely, so he could basically guess what they'd do next."
A somber atmosphere settled as Kuroko continued.
"Huh? Seriously, eyes like that exist?"
Everyone at Seirin was totally surprised by what they just heard.
A similar chat was going on at the edge of the crowd.
"He's not just guessing, he can see every little thing when someone moves – like how they breathe, their heartbeat, even the sweat and muscles contracting and stuff."
The voice sounded kinda uninterested and bored.
"So, with this, he can do his moves at just the right time, messing up whatever the other person is trying to do. He knows what they're gonna do before they even do it. Any attack they plan, he's ready for it, and all defenses fall apart in front of him."
Murasakibara kept explaining, and Himuro listened wide-eyed.
He tore open his snack and added, "Basically, he can see what the other guy's gonna do in the future."
Himuro wiped some sweat off his forehead, looking at the court where Shutoku was going all out, and Rakuzan was keeping up.
"So, how do you even battle someone with those eyes? Sounds like crazy powers to me..."
Murasakibara crunched on his snack, talking with his mouth full, "Dunno, but I'm pretty sure I'd lose for sure..."
Murasakibara might not get it yet, but facing Akashi made him uneasy, basically because he was scared of him.
What went down before had left a big mark on his simple, child-like mind.
"But maybe he can figure something out," he said, popping open another snack.
Himuro couldn't help but chuckle at how fast Murasakibara was munching away. "By 'him,' you mean Tsunayoshi?"
"Yeah, not sure why, but it feels like Tsunachin is still keeping stuff from us," Murasakibara said, casually glancing at the scoreboard where Rakuzan was slightly ahead.
"Seriously?"
It felt kinda unreal.
Tsunayoshi Kazama, as he was right now, already seemed like this huge deal that didn't quite fit into Japan's small scene.
But he's still hiding something? It was honestly hard to wrap his head around it.
Yet, even though it clashed with his usual way of thinking, Himuro found himself wanting to trust Murasakibara's gut feeling.
Back in the game, the first quarter wrapped up with Rakuzan High ahead at 19 - 20.
Both teams strolled back to their benches for a quick break.
The crowd was still buzzing, even during the break before the second quarter. They cheered for both Shutoku and Rakuzan, keeping the energy up.
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