The game continued.
Atsushi Murasakibara kept attacking with sheer physical force.
Since it was likely his first time facing this kind of style, Dicky Anthony didn't try to use finesse or quick hands to strip the ball. Instead, he chose to meet Atsushi Murasakibara head-on.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!!!
Dicky Anthony drew deep breaths, bracing himself as he collided with Murasakibara again and again.
Yet every time, he failed to withstand the overwhelming force and was repeatedly pushed out of position.
But there wasn't a trace of frustration on his face.
If anything, he was getting more excited.
His fighting spirit kept rising. His blood surged.
He was actually enjoying this.
In the past, Dicky Anthony had always relied on the simplest way to score—shooting. He rarely used physical confrontation.
But here, he had encountered a completely different way to play basketball.
And that difference made his body heat up, his blood boil, his competitive drive surge higher and higher.
It was as if this was how he was meant to play.
A grin spread across his face, and a pale gray glow slowly began to emanate from his body.
"Again!"
Dicky Anthony tossed the ball back to Atsushi Murasakibara, continuing the match.
On the sidelines.
Shuzo Nijimura was the first to notice something strange. He immediately turned his head.
"Miyamoto, what's going on with Anthony?"
Miyamoto Tokima watched Dicky Anthony carefully, deep in thought.
He was genuinely curious about what state Anthony had just entered.
"May, what's happening to Anthony's data right now?"
Satsuki Momoi glanced at Dicky Anthony, confusion appearing on her face as well.
"Hm? …Tokima, there's no special change. If anything, his data has actually gone down."
The moment those words came out, both Miyamoto Tokima and Shuzo Nijimura froze.
Gone down?
But Dicky Anthony clearly looked fired up. How could his numbers be lower?
Miyamoto Tokima fell into silence.
Nothing like this had appeared in the original story.
For a moment, his mind was filled with questions.
While he was still thinking, the match had already ended.
On the court, Atsushi Murasakibara continued bulldozing his way through with pure physical dominance, easily closing out the game.
A big reason it ended so quickly was that Dicky Anthony had insisted on going head-to-head.
After the game, the strange change in Dicky Anthony's body gradually faded.
The boiling blood, the surging heat—all of it disappeared.
And once it was gone, he was left stunned.
Why did I choose to go at him head-on?
Even he couldn't understand himself.
Going head-to-head with Atsushi Murasakibara was practically asking to lose.
What was I thinking?
Sensing something was wrong, Dicky Anthony immediately went to Miyamoto Tokima and described what he had felt.
After listening, Miyamoto Tokima was just as baffled.
What Anthony described didn't resemble any known state from Kuroko's Basketball.
If anything, it sounded more like…
…something from the series next door.
But that kind of state shouldn't exist here.
The only possibility was that something else had changed within Dicky Anthony's body—they just hadn't discovered it yet.
With no clear answer, Miyamoto Tokima could only set the matter aside for now and observe what happened next.
After the brief interruption, the matches continued.
Shuzo Nijimura versus Atsushi Murasakibara.
Shuzo showed absolutely no mercy. The moment he stepped on the court, he entered the Zone and scored five straight points, completely overwhelming Murasakibara.
Before Murasakibara even realized what had happened, the match was over.
After it ended, Miyamoto Tokima turned to the side.
"You getting on?"
Tatsuya Himuro gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Not for now. I'll play after I transfer."
He had his own plans. While handling the transfer process, he intended to train harder so that he wouldn't lose too badly in future one-on-ones.
Miyamoto Tokima nodded and didn't press further.
After losing the match, Atsushi Murasakibara's mood visibly sank.
Miyamoto Tokima smiled faintly.
"Little Murasakibara, let's go. Big meal."
Murasakibara's spirits instantly lifted.
"Let's go!"
Miyamoto Tokima waved his hand grandly and led the Kirisaki Daiichi group off for a feast.
.......
Yosen High School.
"What did you say?! You're quitting the club and transferring too?!!!"
Masako Araki held the phone, her face filled with shock as she shouted.
Tatsuya Himuro's voice quickly came from the other end.
"Yes, Coach. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid…"
Masako Araki felt like her lungs were about to explode.
It was one thing that Atsushi Murasakibara—one of the Generation of Miracles—had left.
Now even the team's main scorer was leaving?
What was this supposed to be? Poaching players by force?
But what could she do?
This wasn't a professional league. It was high school. If someone wanted to transfer, she couldn't force them to stay.
Some students transferred without even saying a word.
At least Tatsuya Himuro had the courtesy to call.
Still, Masako Araki was in no mood to be understanding.
"Get lost!"
She hung up.
On the other end, Tatsuya Himuro stared at the beeping phone, guilt in his eyes.
He looked up at the Kirisaki Daiichi players sitting ahead, waiting for their food.
"…Sorry, Coach."
He closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh before walking toward them.
This time, he had truly made up his mind.
He wanted to get stronger.
The moment he saw Shuzo Nijimura enter that state, his resolve had solidified.
He finally understood what his master had meant back in the United States.
"I felt a familiar yet unfamiliar presence from that young man. It resembles yours… but it's also different."
Master… he really is like me.
But he's already broken through that barrier.
Tatsuya Himuro knew that he and Shuzo Nijimura were similar—both players shackled by their own talent.
The difference was that Shuzo Nijimura had shattered those shackles.
He was still trapped.
He wanted to change.
He wanted to change himself.
Suddenly, he thought of his "younger brother."
Taiga…
...
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