Aida Riko watched the score gap refuse to shrink and began to feel anxious.
"Kuroko, did he always know this move?"
Kuroko looked at her seriously. "No. As far as I know, Midorima's range only reached half-court. I also just learned he can shoot from that far."
While Seirin worried about the score, Kagami Taiga, wrapped in a towel, suddenly laughed.
"Amazing… so this is Midorima…"
Hyuga Junpei frowned. "Eh… Kagami always laughs when he meets a strong opponent, but this feels different…"
Kuroko looked at Kagami too, as if seeing someone familiar.
"Coach, leave Midorima to me!" Kagami suddenly said.
"Ah? B-but…"
"Please believe in me, Coach!"
"…Sigh. It seems this is our only option."
…BEEP—! Break time ended.
Midorima looked at Kagami. "What's with that expression? Whatever… I'll crush you with everything I've got."
Right away, Takao passed to Midorima.
The moment Midorima caught the ball, Kagami charged like a cannonball. When Midorima raised the ball, Kagami's shadow blocked his vision.
"What?!" Midorima saw Kagami's fierce face reflected in his glasses. When did he—? And that jump height…
As the ball left Midorima's fingers, Kagami's hand was only centimeters away.
Swish!
The shot still went in… but Midorima's hand trembled slightly after landing.
"No… not enough. I need to jump even higher!" Kagami slammed his fist on the floor, eyes burning.
On Seirin's next attack, Izuki made a behind-the-back pass. Kuroko slipped past Takao again and flicked the ball to Hyuga on the perimeter.
Hyuga hit a three. "Don't underestimate me!"
Possession changed.
Takao crossed half-court, slipped past Izuki, and bounce-passed through Hyuga's legs to Midorima.
Midorima stepped outside the arc. Kagami roared and leaped.
The shot was perfect—but Kagami was still rising. His fingertips barely grazed the underside of the ball.
Clang!
The ball rattled twice… then dropped in.
The arena went silent.
Kagami stared at his hand. "Just… a little more…"
Midorima stood stunned. "He actually touched it… and he's jumping higher each time…"
Kimura muttered, "I've never seen Midorima's shot go in like that…"
On the bench, Riko dropped her bottle. "Kagami… he found a breakthrough!"
Kuroko walked beside him. "Just a little more, Kagami-kun."
Kagami grinned wildly. "Yeah. I've seen that height now."
Midorima asked suddenly, "What's your constellation?"
"Huh? Leo."
Midorima remembered his morning fortune: Cancer is lucky today, but has the worst compatibility with Leo…
"…This horoscope is really accurate."
Seirin attacked again, Hyuga hit another three to keep the gap close.
Momoi panted, "Seirin's No. 4 isn't Midorima's level, but he's scoring a lot too!"
Chizuru nodded. "He's a reliable teammate."
Takao laughed. "Nice! But even earthlings can't stop our Midorima!"
Hyuga shouted, "Zone defense! Leave Kagami alone on Midorima!"
Aomine raised an eyebrow. "A box-and-one?"
Shidou grinned. "Full-court pressure… nice persistence…"
Chizuru frowned. "But I feel Midorima-kun is hiding something."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Momoi asked.
Chizuru explained, "His long-range threes need time to set up. With Kagami jumping higher and higher, he should adjust. But he's still calm… like he has another plan."
Kise nodded. "Little Midorima is the hardest worker in the Generation of Miracles…"
He remembered their middle-school days—bandaged fingers, endless practice, lucky items from horoscopes.
Aomine and Momoi looked surprised at how well Kise knew him.
Shidou smirked. "Maybe that's why Poker Face wanted the Kaijo vs. Seirin match."
Kagami stared at Midorima. He remembered losing badly in the practice game.
"This time… I won't let you shoot."
Midorima stepped right, jab-stepped, then suddenly drove.
"Don't get past!" Kagami chased, but Takao blocked him.
"Two-on-one!"
Kagami broke through anyway. "I figured out your weakness! The farther you are, the longer your hang time—and you always shoot left-handed!"
He leaped to block.
But Midorima smirked. "Who said I only shoot left-handed?"
In mid-air, he switched to a right-hand shot!
Kagami froze. "A right hand?!"
The ball hit the rim… bounced high… then dropped in.
"Impossible…" Hyuga groaned.
Midorima exhaled. "My fortune told me to prepare a second plan."
Kagami slammed the floor. "You hid a trump card…"
"It's not hidden," Midorima said calmly. "My right hand is only 70% accurate. I used it because I had to."
Kagami clenched his fists. "…Damn it."
Takao laughed. "Stop staring at Shin like that!"
Momoi gasped. "Shin can shoot with his right hand too?!"
Aomine shrugged. "Not surprising."
Chizuru looked at silent Shidou, puzzled.
Kise noticed Shidou's faint smile—he was still copying everything.
Seirin attacked again. Takao stuck to Kuroko.
"This time I won't lose you!"
But Kuroko's figure warped in his vision—then vanished.
"What?!" Takao panicked.
Kuroko had already flicked a pass through Kagami and Midorima to Hyuga.
"Hyuga-senpai!"
Hyuga shot—but Miyaji grazed the ball.
It bounced high.
"Mine!" Mitobe grabbed it and made a turnaround hook.
Score!!!