Chapter 9
Ryōta Kise meets up with the Seirin High basketball team on their way to a practice match with Kaijō High, wanting to guide them to the gym. However, he ignores greetings from Riko Aida and Taiga Kagami and focuses on speaking directly with Tetsuya Kuroko. Kise expresses disappointment at Kuroko's rejection of his offer and turns his attention to Kagami only when told to stop being sarcastic. He declares his intention to crush Kagami with everything he has, intrigued by the person who has inspired Kuroko to make such bold statements. Kise also looks at Kaito, expressing anticipation for a battle against a fellow miracle. This leaves the Seirin team confused, as they still haven't received confirmation if Kaito is actually part of the Generation of Miracles. Kaito sighs and gives a look that implies he will explain after the game.
Upon reaching the gym, Seirin discovers that it has been split in half, with only a half-court reserved for their practice game against Kaijō. The other side is used for Kaijō's regular practice. The team's coach, Genta Takeuchi, explains that due to the lack of learning opportunities for the players sitting out, only a simple arrangement was made. He tells Seirin that if they can give a beating to Kaijō's regulars, he will be forced to let Kise join the game. Takeuchi warns Kagami not to make claims about defeating the Generation of Miracles if he can't even accomplish that. Kaito calmly states that their battle will have to wait a little longer. This statement only arouses Kise's spirit further, intensifying his curiosity about Kaito's true strength. The limited half-court and Kise not playing annoy and frustrate the Seirin players, except for Kaito, who remains unfazed.
As both teams line up, the referee asks for Seirin to have all five players on the court. However, the referee doesn't notice Kuroko's presence. The players from Kaijō, including their regulars and those practicing on the other side of the gym, are surprised by Kuroko's introduction. The coach dismisses it as ridiculous, expecting Seirin to have only decent players despite their boasting. Kise corrects the coach, emphasizing that Seirin isn't just decent. The game begins with Kaijō winning the tip-off.
During the game, Riko uses her ability to observe the opposing players through their clothes and realizes that Kaijō's players have significantly higher numbers than Seirin's players. She wonders how far Kagami and Kuroko's abilities can carry the team. The match starts with Kuroko stealing the ball and going on a fast break. Although Yukio Kasamatsu catches up to Kuroko due to his slow speed, Kuroko quickly passes the ball to Kagami, who dunks it so forcefully that he breaks the hoop. This brings the game to a halt, much to Takeuchi's annoyance. The match is forced to continue on the gym's full court.
Kise is finally put on the court, but he notices that Kaito remains seated on the bench. This annoys Kise, as he feels that Kaito is underestimating him. Kise waves to his fangirls, but is promptly kicked and scolded by Kasamatsu. Kasamatsu asks Kise about Seirin's number 10, and Kise simply responds with Kagami's name. Excitedly, Kise begins to talk about Kuroko's talents instead. Kasamatsu hits Kise
again for being too happy and remarks that it would be rude not to "return the favor." Undeterred, Kise follows through and dunks the ball with even more force than Kagami, though he fails to break the hoop. He is kicked once again by Kasamatsu, disappointed that Kaito doesn't react to his display.
The game continues, with Kuroko successfully passing and stealing the ball, leaving Kasamatsu questioning who he really is. Kagami attempts a fadeaway shot but is blocked by Kise. However, Kise quickly turns around and successfully scores using the same move. Shinji Koganei, along with the other players on the bench, is bewildered by the high pace of the game after only three minutes. Kuroko, feeling the toll on his body, requests a timeout to rest and allow Kagami to calm down. Riko also calls for a timeout to regroup the team.
At this point, the score stands at 22-25 in Kaijō's favor. Takeuchi harshly scolds his team for allowing Seirin to score so many points. Kasamatsu takes the opportunity to ask Kuroko about his abilities. Kise assures Kasamatsu that Kuroko won't be a problem for much longer. Kuroko and Kise simultaneously reveal that Seirin has a weakness. However, before they can explain further, Kuroko admits that the high-paced game has quickly diminished his effectiveness. Riko hits Kuroko for not revealing his weakness sooner, frustrated by the delay in information. Riko then turns her attention to Kaito and asks if he knew about Kuroko's weakness. Kaito simply nods, seemingly oblivious to the intense anger radiating from Riko. Riko tries to hit Kaito in her frustration, but Kaito effortlessly dodges her attacks, further aggravating Riko. Finally, Riko gives up and glares at Kaito with a tick mark of irritation visible on her face.
The game resumes with Seirin changing their defense from man-to-man to a box-and-one zone defense, aiming to stop Kise. However, a three-pointer from Kasamatsu widens the score gap to 28-22 in Kaijō's favor. Kagami tries to pass the ball to Kuroko, but it gets intercepted by Yoshitaka Moriyama, indicating that Kaijō is growing accustomed to Kuroko's presence. The gap continues to widen until the score reaches 33-25 in Kaijō's favor.
During an out-of-bounds call, Kise conveys his belief to Kagami that the Generation of Miracles is on an entirely different level, implying that the gap in strength between their teams is too significant for Seirin to overcome. He emphasizes his ability to copy and improve upon any move used against him, igniting Kagami's competitive spirit. Kagami confidently states that it's too early to make such claims, asserting that Kuroko is Kise's weakness since he can't copy what he can't see. The game intensifies as the battle between Seirin and Kaijō unfolds.