Chapter 222: Revealing His True Strength!

The crowd erupted into loud cheers, thoroughly engrossed in the ongoing match. The intense duel between the aces of both teams provided a thrilling spectacle.

In the earlier showdown, Kaijo High secured additional scores thanks to Kise entering the zone. However, the dynamics shifted when Tsuna, with his own entry into the zone, managed to level the playing field, keeping the score stagnant for a considerable period.

As the duel pressed on, Tsuna felt an increasing sense of being submerged deeper and deeper into his consciousness.

The relentless intensity of the match seemed to consume him.

Kise sensed an unusual intensity emanating from Tsuna's focus.

Despite this, Kise dismissed the feeling, choosing to focus on the game. Dribbling the ball with remarkable speed, he seamlessly integrated his moves with Tsuna before executing a swift crossover.

Realizing that relying solely on Aomine's technique wasn't enough, Kise amalgamated both of their moves to break through Tsuna's formidable defense.

"Wha!"

With the agility borrowed from Aomine, Kise's eyes widened in disbelief as he felt a subtle graze on the ball from behind.

Tsuna's figure appeared, his hand outstretched toward the ball, causing it to slip from Kise's grasp.

In a sharp motion, Tsuna snatched the ball away.

A peculiar sensation gripped Kise as he observed Tsuna's focus, a concentration that seemed to transcend its usual limits.

"Did he get even faster? How? Is he delving deeper into the zone?" Confusion ignited in Kise's eyes, and a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. 

As Tsuna advanced with the ball in hand, his consciousness reached a critical juncture, and he found himself looking around with an uncommon frown marring his face.

"Hmm? This is unexpected..."

Unlike Aomine, who discovered someone guarding another door after the entrance to the zone, and Kagami, who experienced a similar phenomenon with Kuroko guiding him.

Tsuna faced a different reality.

He could only perceive an imposing wall that spanned the entire room as if the existence of the door that led to the Direct Drive Zone had never been part of his reality.

He soon shook his head lightly at this. 

Surprise flickered across Tsuna's face, but he didn't let it bother him much. After all, he had the throne, and he couldn't help but think it probably rejected such an inferior setting.

A chuckle escaped him, and he muttered, "Fucking arrogant..."

"But, I like it. This just makes things more interesting! Let's see if they can push me to use that..." A silent smirk played on Tsuna's lips as he snapped back to reality, moving forward with the ball in hand.

Kise was undeniably a genius.

While Murasakibara wielded Herculean physics, Kise possessed the sharpest mind. The ability to replicate a move with just a simple observation felt like a cheat code to success.

It would be a lie if he claimed he didn't covet such a gift. But for Tsuna, it didn't matter. He firmly believed in the mantra that hard work triumphs over talent.

That conviction fueled his determination, and now, he was playing with utmost seriousness!

Nijimura and the others at Fukuda Sogo couldn't help but exchange surprised glances as they observed their captain's transformed demeanor.

His presence had become refined and sharper, reminiscent of the time they witnessed him taking on Jabberwock single-handedly.

"Kise doesn't stand a chance now!"

As Kise closed the gap, Tsuna remained unfazed.

With impeccable timing, he unleashed a sharp crossover, a move executed with such finesse that it left Kise momentarily stunned.

A sharp glint flickered in Kise's eyes as he reacted, attempting to put a halt to Tsuna's seamless advance.

However, Tsuna seemed to have anticipated Kise's movement as he spun his body in the same direction.

Without missing a beat, Tsuna approached the basket with a grace that hinted at an impending dunk.

The court held its breath, spectators captivated by the fluidity of his movements.

Simultaneously, Kise's form merged Aomine's agility with Kagami's leaping power. As he ascended, the looming presence of Murasakibara seemed to assimilate with Kise's figure.

Kise's hand extended a determined effort to block the ball in Tsuna's possession.

"...!?"

Disbelief flashed across Kise's face as the force behind Tsuna's dunk seemed to transcend all expectations. The sheer power behind the move shattered Kise's attempted block, leaving him momentarily frozen.

With a resounding "bam," Tsuna slammed the ball through the basket, the force of the dunk resonating through the gymnasium.

The shockwave of the impactful play rippled through the air, leaving the crowd gaping in astonishment.

Shutoku players found themselves involuntarily standing in shock, their expressions ranging from disbelief to awe.

Midorima had his eyes wide open as he adjusted his glasses.

Tsuna's figure elicited a complex emotion in him, and despite his reserved nature, he couldn't help but clench his fist tightly.

Thoughts raced through his mind, "...Will I be able to force him up to this point like Kise did if we ever face each other again?" 

Seirin's players mirrored the astonishment, rising to their feet in collective shock.

Words proved inadequate to capture the whirlwind of emotions that gripped them, and all they could do was look on with wide-eyed disbelief.

Even Akashi, seated with his team, couldn't conceal his surprise.

The attempted block was a spectacle that everyone, even those seated in the audience, could feel.

Kise had seamlessly combined Aomine's agility to accelerate his jump and then harnessed Kagami's jumping power, infusing his figure with an extraordinary force.

To compound the challenge, Kise had assimilated Murasakibara's defensive form mid-air, unleashing a powerful block that transcended Murasakibara's own raw strength.

And yet, against all odds, Tsuna had broken through.

On the other side of the crowd, Aomine couldn't conceal the widening of his eyes as he observed Tsuna's figure landing on the ground after the powerful dunk.

"...Is this his true strength?"

Aomine muttered with a hint of astonishment in his voice as he tried to comprehend the unexpected feat.

Momoi was also frozen in a state of shock.

Her hand instinctively covered her mouth, and her eyes widened as she stared at Tsuna's figure.

A wry smile played on Alexandra's lips as she shook her head lightly, unable to contain her amusement.

"He's truly been pushed to be this serious?"

A sigh escaped her as she observed Tsuna's figure.

Images of Tsuna's rigorous training from his early childhood flashed through her mind, eliciting a slight smile.

It seemed, for once, Tsuna might find a bit of enjoyment in the game.

However, her smile faded as she noticed something amiss. A frown creased Alexandra's brow before she sighed, "Never mind, not in this game, it seems..."

[Author's Note]

Hey, everyone! I noticed some concerns about Kise entering the zone in my story.

My apologies for that! 😅

In the original canon, Kise pushed the limits of his perfect copy against Seirin, even with an injury.

Plus, the power dynamics with Tsuna's existence were different. I thought that, it made sense for Kise to enter the zone, especially since he had no injured this time and had shown big improvement.

I had Kise enter the zone to act as a trigger for Tsuna to showcase his true strength (obv without Conqueror Eyes).

And yeah, Kise had overdone it as well, and there would be consequences for that.

But, well, I might have gone a bit overboard, so thanks for the feedback!

I'll keep this in mind for future work. Thanks for understanding! 👍

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