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B'z and Mr. Children did have a fading era (around 1999 - 2002, when ayu and hikki pretty dominated the chart). Their sales were like 600K - 1.3 million per album and probly 400 - 700K per single (compared to hikki or ayu like around 2 - 4 million per album and 800K - 1.3 million per single). But you see no one would compete against them when they released singles (esp. B'z). I'm sure if Hikki or ayu threw out a single and against B'z for once during those few years, we would not see the no. 1 streaks that B'z has today (like... 33+ no. 1 singles continuously).
I'm not saying ayu's truly a legend at this moment, but the Japan industry is treating her like that. You see no big competitions existed whenever ayu released a new single (well probly except HEAVEN but who would figure out kanji 8 and Gorie would have beaten ayu for in the beginning?). If, let's say, Johnny decided to get kanji against ayu again, I'm pretty sure her next single will not get no. 1. But why aren't they? Cuz ayu haven't broken her no. 1 streak yet. As long as this streak exists, ayu can get an easy week everytime. That means, unless there's a new artists beating ayu all of the sudden, she is safe.
Now let's face the current problem. It's not kuroburo or EXILE against ayu, but ayu against her low sales. If she survives this time, we will see avex trying to place her next album release on a extremely safe week (wth no major acts releasing albums at least 2 weeks prior her release).
You can look at hikki as an example. No big acts would release single against her until the bomb sales of Be My Last. After Passion getting no. 4, she was never placed in a safe week again for her singles. (Keep Tryin' against Hyde; Flavor Of Life vs. winding road from kuroburo + ayaka; Beautiful World vs. EXILE vs. L'arc en Ciel).
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