Although the Seirin players were confused, they had no intention of changing their approach.
After dribbling past half court, Shun Izuki immediately passed the ball toward Tetsuya Kuroko.
Kuroko's eyes swept across the entire court as he analyzed the best positioning for his teammates.
Once he locked onto a target, Kuroko instantly slapped the ball toward him.
Smack!
Smack!!
Two sharp sounds rang out as the ball was struck, and Seirin's players were instantly thrown into shock.
Even Kuroko's expression changed slightly.
Kazunari Takao had intercepted the pass.
The moment he stole the ball, Takao flung it straight toward the frontcourt.
Kiyoshi Miyaji, already sprinting ahead, didn't hesitate for a second and laid the ball cleanly into the hoop.
Junpei Hyuga stared in disbelief, murmuring,
"How… how could Kuroko's pass actually…"
Shun Izuki exclaimed loudly,
"Just like I thought… just like I thought!"
Hyuga immediately turned to him.
"Izuki, what are you talking about?!"
Izuki stared at Kazunari Takao with a grave expression and said in a low voice,
"He has the same kind of eyes as me. No—his are even stronger."
"He has Hawk Eyes, and his field of vision is even wider than mine!"
"He can observe the entire court. Which means Kuroko's Misdirection..."
"…is useless!"
On the court.
With Tetsuya Kuroko shut down by Kazunari Takao, the flow of the game quickly tilted into a one-sided affair.
Shintaro Midorima's three-pointers left Seirin completely unable to respond.
Just like that, the game reached the final moments of the second quarter.
Seirin's players took up their positions, tense and ready.
Shintaro Midorima caught a pass from Taisuke Otsubo. His gaze briefly shifted toward Miyamoto Tokima in the stands as he thought to himself,
Watch closely. I'll show you how much I've grown.
Midorima stopped dribbling, brought the ball together in both hands, and assumed a shooting stance.
Seeing this, the Seirin players all felt their hearts skip a beat.
Kagami muttered,
"Hey, hey… what's he doing? How far is that from the hoop?!"
Hyuga was even more incredulous.
"You've got to be kidding me. There's no way that shot goes in from there!"
Even Kuroko's expression changed, his gaze turning heavy.
Under the stunned stares of the entire crowd and Seirin alike—
Shintaro Midorima jumped.
He rose high into the air, his left hand bursting with force as the ball soared upward.
As the halftime buzzer sounded, the ball dropped cleanly through the net.
Seeing the shot go in, Hyuga felt his mind explode with shock.
So that's what that sense of wrongness was…
His range isn't just the three-point line—it's… the entire court!
Damn it… if this keeps up, the score gap might not be huge, but our spirit… our fighting spirit might break first!
...
Halftime.
Miyamoto Tokima glanced at the scoreboard.
48–27.
Just as expected, Shūtoku was going to win this game.
Because Tokima was certain that Shintaro Midorima was still hiding something.
What Midorima had shown so far didn't quite match what he was truly capable of. There was a clear sense of mismatch.
Tokima was absolutely convinced—Midorima was holding something back.
Halftime ended quickly.
The game resumed.
From the opening possession, Midorima began demanding the ball and firing away.
Three after three went in.
After another three-pointer splashed through the net, some spectators had already started leaving their seats.
Midorima wasn't surprised in the slightest. In his eyes, Seirin was never the target.
He had only one target.
Miyamoto Tokima.
Suddenly—
A familiar aura began to emanate from Taiga Kagami.
Though it hadn't fully taken shape, it undeniably existed.
Midorima snapped his head around and looked straight at Kagami.
So he hasn't given up yet… and this presence…
Kagami stood there, his expression blazing with excitement.
So strong! This is Midorima! This just makes me even more fired up!
In the stands, Shuzo Nijimura's expression changed. He fixed his gaze on Kagami and laughed.
"As expected. If I still had doubts before, they're completely gone now. That kid definitely has Animal Instinct."
Miyamoto Tokima nodded slightly and replied calmly,
"True. But Midorima hasn't disappointed me either. I already know what he's hiding."
Nijimura froze and asked blankly,
"What is Midorima hiding?"
Tokima smiled faintly, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
"You'll find out soon enough."
On the court.
Shintaro Midorima had the ball again. Facing Kagami's defense, he didn't hesitate for even a moment before jumping.
Kagami watched Midorima's shot, his expression turning resolute.
I've been thinking about it—what should I do if Kuroko gets shut down?
Now I know.
I need to get stronger. I don't want to lose!
Kagami leapt upward with explosive force—his height actually matching Midorima's!
Midorima couldn't help but feel shocked.
How is that possible… that jumping power?!
In the stands, Ryota Kise looked thrilled, his heart pounding.
Now I'm sure of it.
That guy has the same kind of talent as us.
His talent is… innate jumping ability!
On the court, Kagami roared as he jumped.
"Ahhh!"
He stretched his arm with all his strength—his fingertips brushing against Midorima's ball!
The shot slammed into the rim, bounced twice, and still dropped in.
Otsubo murmured in disbelief,
"That was close… I've never seen Midorima's shot look like that."
Kazunari Takao stared at Kagami and muttered,
"That vertical leap… what the hell is going on?"
Possession switched.
This time, after catching the ball, Kagami used Rinnosuke Mitobe's screen to charge into the paint.
Facing Otsubo's defense, Kagami soared upward and smashed the ball into the hoop under Otsubo's stunned gaze.
Boom!
Otsubo stared in shock.
No matter how you look at it, something's wrong… that kind of jumping ability is way beyond a high schooler!
After the basket, Seirin's fighting spirit began to recover.
Aside from Kagami, the other four players immediately fell back on defense.
In the original story, this would have been the moment Seirin sounded the horn of their counteroffensive.
But unlike the original—
Shintaro Midorima was perfectly calm.
He adjusted his glasses and took the pass from Otsubo.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Midorima dribbled steadily, his eyes fixed on Kagami.
"So this is your response?"
Kagami clenched his teeth, glaring back at him, his expression one of pure refusal to give up.
Midorima closed his eyes and murmured softly,
"I understand. But it's nothing more than futile struggle."
Then his eyes snapped open.
His green irises sharpened like blades.
"Prepare to face your defeat!"