Ｌｉｇｈｔ

eighty eight - authority

(Comment goal is 51 which happens to be my favorite number of all time 🥰)
(score recap – 58 Y to 50 S)

Murasakibara and Himuro were dominating in the new formation, and Sasaki wasn’t feeling inclined to help. He took care of his zone, which just so happened to be far away from the two in question, so no one could get onto him about doing anything wrong.

“We’re falling behind. Just one of them could be exceptional, but they’ve got both. How are we supposed to stop them?!” Sasaki heard Koganei ask desperately.

“It’s too reckless,” Izuki wiped his chin with his jersey, him and Sasaki looking at Kagami. The redhead was a panting mess. “Does Kagami have some kind of plan? Sasaki?”

“Nope, not from what I’m hearing,” He said, which was mostly true. The only plan going through Kagami’s mind was getting into the zone. The ones who wish to enter it most are the ones who are denied the harshest.

Murasakibara suddenly blocked a dunk from Kagami, sending the ball flying out of bounds, towards a certain blonde haired basketball player. “Hey, Kisecchi!” Sasaki called, jogging over to him as he picked up the ball.

“What’s with the last name calling? I thought we were closer,” Kise pouted, holding onto the ball as Sasaki sweat dropped.

“Right, sorry Ryouta,” He smiled apologetically. “Anyways, mind if I take that off your hands?”

“Sure,” He tossed him the ball before narrowing his eyes. “Ayacchi..”

“Thanks, man! I’ll talk to you after the game! Cheer us on!” The azurette beamed, running back to the court and leaving Kise high and dry.

“What was that about?” Kasamatsu questioned, stepping up next to Kajio’s ace.

“Oh nothing,” He obviously heard my thoughts and acted like that to avoid actually answering me, Kise grit his teeth. I’ll kill him, Kagami’s no good for Ayacchi. And the way he looked, Ayacchi was obviously not okay. Something must have happened while I wasn’t here. I better ask the others.

Miracles
✨World’s Finest✨: Guysssss what happened during the first three quartersssss
Unsurpassed Beast: what about em
✨World’s Finest✨: Ayacchi looked upset just now, like subtly like he was trying to hide it
Unsurpassed Beast: I’m not a mind reader like him so idk. I’d assume it’s something about Kagami since the dude is being a dumbass, or maybe its about the dude he’s been flirting with.
✨World’s Finest✨: AYACCHI WAS FLIRTING WITH SOMEONE?!
Cancer Nanodayo: Excuse me?
Cancer Nanodayo: You must have been seeing things.
Unsurpassed Beast: I wish I was. Istg if Murasakibara doesn’t end the douche I’ll do it myself
Cancer Nanodayo: No, I need you to hold off on killing him for now. Remember the weekly rule.
Unsurpassed Beast: what about it
Cancer Nanodayo: Haizaki is playing against Kise today.
Unsurpassed Beast: WHAT
Unsurpassed Beast: WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER DAMMIT MIDORIMA?! SATSUKI'S RIGHT NEXT TO ME, WHY DIDN'T SHE SAY ANYTHING?!
✨World’s Finest✨: Oh right, I spaced on that for a second
Cancer Nanodayo: In any case, I was planning on dispatching him after he loses to Kise, however I see that you may want to take care of it.
Unsurpassed Beast: Yeah, I sure as hell do. He's like us too, so there's no may he won't fall for Aya if he's left alive.
I Am Absolute: I see. I’ll take care of Hayate to make sure he doesn’t witness it this time.
Unsurpassed Beast: Tch, fine then.
✨World's Finest✨: Hey Akashicchi, when can I kill Kagami? He's been making moves at Ayacchi and I can't stand it!!!
I Am Absolute: Soon. Be patient, Ryouta. Every move we make must be calculated so that, in the end, Hayate will rely on us completely and will be ours completely. Am I understood?
Cancer Nanodayo: Yes.
✨World's Finest✨: Yes.
Unsurpassed Beast: Such technical tall, geez. We've already agreed on this so what's the point
I Am Absolute: Just to be sure.

Akashi smirked from where he stood, watching the game with another scout by his side. Things were proceeding well, all according to his plan. He couldn’t wait until everything would finally be set in place, just like Shogi.

Back to the game, Seirin had taken a time out. Koganei relayed the coach’s orders, saying that Hyuuga, Izuki and Kuroko should triple team Himuro and leave Sasaki and Kagami the inside. Instead of the entire three point zone, Kagami would be reduced to the paint.

Luckily, the redhead didn’t bring up any complaints, instead agreeing and apologizing for not being able to do what he said he would do. That’s some maturity right there, Sasaki thought as they got back on the court with a little over six minutes left.

“Hey,” Sasaki walked up to the redhead, drawing his attention. “Here’s a present for just then.”

“Huh—” Kagami’s stomach was imploded as Sasaki elbowed him. Coughing as he tried to regain the breath that had just been knocked out of him, Kagami suddenly stilled. “You—”

“You’re welcome~” Sasaki snickered, jogging away from the now zone-ified player. So I really can do it, he thought animatedly. I can open the doors of the zone for others by forcing my authority into their bodies!

Zone Authority. The Zone is the a state of extreme focus: the ultimate domain. Only the chosen are able to stand before its doors, yet many are denied entry by this fickle domain. However, those who do gain access may only be allowed to do so once in their entire lives.

Only the chosen few, sometimes not for hundreds of year, can be lucky enough to open these hulking doors a second time. Those who step inside the gates of the Zone more than twice are given what is called Zone Authority, meaning the unpredictable Zone is less fickle with them.

As for Sasaki, his Zone Authority is the highest anyone has ever been given. The many times he’s gone inside those hulking doors, the zone has given him the authority of having a longer lasting time limit. Not only that, as he just discovered, Sasaki can now judge others as worthy of the Zone and help them open the doors.

“Damn, I feel like an administrator or something,” The azurette looked extremely proud of himself, almost to the point of smugness.

The game restarted with a bang, Kagami being the most dominant player on the court. Right now, he really could cover the entire three-point area, Sasaki thought as Kagami blocked a shot from Okamura. Rebounds, points, blocks, Kagami was doing all he could to help the team.

“I truly believe that Kagami-kun is Seirin’s light,” Kuroko stated after said light had blocked a full power shot from Murasakibara. Of course, the statement hurt a bit, but it wasn’t like Sasaki wasn’t used to those kinds of things by now.

The finishing touch, the last straw for Yosen to realize that Kagami was now a threat on par with or beyond another generation of miracles’ player, was a block of Himuro’s Mirage Shot. He swatted it down like a fly, and Sasaki almost laughed at Murasakibara’s comment of how he was air walking.

That’s Seirin’s ace for ya, the azurette chuckled. He always comes through.

(bruh everybody needs to join me in giving Sauce a hug and telling him that he—not kagami, not anyone else—is the one always coming through and we love him for it.)