Indeed, before arriving at the arena, Daiki Aomine had been training nonstop.
On top of that, he had run at full speed after encountering that suspected international criminal on the way here.
Forget warming up—he was already in peak condition.
Katsunori Harasawa studied Aomine's state and saw that he truly didn't need any warm-up.
"Alright. But make sure you're back before the third quarter starts."
"Yeah, I will."
With that, Harasawa said nothing more and let him go.
After Aomine left, Harasawa turned to the rest of Tōō.
"Okay, gather up. Let's go over our plan for the second half!"
...
Meanwhile, Aomine wandered around inside the arena. On the surface, he looked completely calm, but one question kept nagging at him.
Who exactly was that foreigner?
And why had he targeted him?
The doubt lingered in his mind.
Of course, the answer would only come later.
...
Just before the third quarter began, both teams were already at their benches, loosening their joints and preparing for the second half.
Seirin's players were stretching and discussing tactics when—
Step.
Step.
Step.
The sound of footsteps echoed like heavy blows against their chests.
An uneasy feeling spread through them.
Almost instinctively, they turned toward the source of the sound.
The moment they saw who it was, their expressions tightened.
'W-What a presence…!'
Junpei Hyuga's eyes sharpened, his face turning grave.
Taiga Kagami stared at the approaching figure as a surge of danger flared inside him.
A warning instinct.
In the stands.
Shintaro Midorima and Ryota Kise also saw who it was, their expressions growing serious.
"Midorima, I'm not seeing things, right? Aomine actually came?"
Midorima adjusted his glasses with his left hand, his tone calm and precise.
"The opponent is Kuroko. It's only natural for Aomine to show up."
On the court.
Step…
Step…
Step…
Wearing his jacket, Daiki Aomine walked onto the court at an unhurried pace, his expression lazy as ever.
When he reached Seirin's side, his eyes settled on Tetsuya Kuroko.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across his face.
"Long time no see, Tetsuya. I thought you'd quit basketball after that. Looks like I was wrong."
Kuroko met his gaze without hesitation, his eyes firm.
"You've never really understood me."
Aomine paused, then let out a soft laugh.
"Is that so? Then I guess I'm curious to see what the real you looks like."
He didn't say anything more and started walking toward Tōō.
As he passed Taiga Kagami, he stopped again and turned slightly.
"So this is the new light Tetsuya chose?"
His eyes slowly scanned Kagami from head to toe.
"Light… kind of weak."
Kagami immediately snapped.
"What did you say?!"
Hyuga and Shinji Koganei quickly grabbed him to stop him from rushing forward.
Aomine blinked in mild surprise—then smiled.
"So this light's got a bit of temper."
"Interesting."
With that, he continued toward Tōō's side.
Shoichi Imayoshi greeted him with a faint smile.
"You're here. I half-expected you to start a fight with Seirin."
Aomine stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"They're not worth getting mad over. I've dealt with things way more annoying than that."
As he spoke, he stretched his arms, crossing them in front of his chest and pulling them back.
Katsunori Harasawa twirled a strand of his fringe.
"Alright. Get ready to go in."
All the Tōō players except Aomine shouted in unison.
"Yes!"
...
On Seirin's side.
The team gathered around Kuroko.
"Kuroko, who was that? That's the Aomine you were talking about, right?"
Shinji Koganei glanced nervously toward Tōō as he asked.
The others looked at Kuroko, waiting.
Under their gaze, Kuroko nodded.
"Yes. That was Aomine-kun."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
A thin bead of sweat slid down Hyuga's forehead.
"The worst-case scenario just happened."
Even without Aomine in the first half, Seirin had struggled.
Now that he was here, things would only get harder.
Riko Aida unconsciously began biting her thumbnail, her mind racing.
'Aomine actually showed up… What do we do now…?'
The sudden development had caught her off guard.
'No choice. We stick to the original plan!'
"Everyone, we go with what we planned. Hyuga and Izuki, lock down the glasses guy and the mushroom-head."
"Mitobe, you handle the pressure inside."
"As for Aomine…"
Riko took a deep breath.
"Kagami, he's yours."
Seirin responded in unison.
"Yes!"
They had no intention of playing Kuroko at the start of the second half. His ability couldn't be sustained for an entire game.
He had to be subbed in and out; otherwise, his misdirection would lose its effect.
Kuroko had played almost the entire first half—his presence had already grown too noticeable.
He couldn't return immediately.
Which meant that for the time being…
Seirin would have to endure the pressure on their own.
...