Shutoku's ball.
Midorima caught it two steps beyond the three-point line, movements still clean and sharp. Kagami forced himself forward; when Midorima jumped, his calves trembled, but he still leaped with everything he had.
Smack!!!!
A clean block. Kagami swatted the ball away again.
"…As expected."
When he landed, Kagami froze. Midorima's expression hadn't changed at all—no frustration, no fatigue. He simply pushed up his glasses and jogged back on defense.
"This guy… what's wrong with him?" Kagami frowned, heart pounding. How could he stay so calm after getting blocked?
Even the Shutoku players were surprised. Takao opened his mouth to speak, but Midorima silenced him with a glance. Miyaji wiped his sweat. "Hey… this isn't like you…"
Midorima stood quietly on defense, eyes unreadable behind his lenses. His breathing was steady—far too steady for the final stretch of a game.
A chill ran down Kagami's spine.
---
Izuki grabbed the loose ball and passed to Hyuga, who shot immediately.
Three points.
Miyaji blinked in shock. "He didn't even adjust…?"
Midorima stayed silent on offense for a while, letting Kagami rest. But the calmer Midorima looked, the more Kagami felt like he was facing a coiled snake waiting to strike.
---
Seirin counterattacked again.
Izuki passed to Kuroko—Takao rushed him—
"Previous passes only changed direction… this one accelerates!"
Bang—!!!!
Kuroko's pass exploded forward like a cannonball.
Takao stared. "He just punched it out… And the one catching it isn't human either!"
Kagami caught it under the rim and jumped—
"Don't even think about it!"
Midorima jumped with him, palm slamming onto the ball.
Smack!
A phantom bamboo viper flickered behind Midorima.
Wild Nature—Bamboo Viper.
Aomine stood up. "That's… Wild Nature!"
The crowd grumbled, but he sat back down, grinning. "Didn't expect Midorima to awaken it now…"
Kagami grit his teeth and powered through, dunking anyway.
Boom!!!!
The arena exploded.
Midorima staggered back, phantom fading.
"…I didn't expect to be pushed this far," he admitted calmly.
Kuroko said quietly, "A dunk may be worth two points, but it lifts a team's spirit."
Midorima pointed to the scoreboard.
Still down 10. One minute left.
---
Shutoku attacked again.
Takao tried to pass to Midorima—but Kuroko stole it.
Hyuga ran for a fast break, stopped outside the arc—
A green blur blocked his view.
Bang!!!
Midorima caught the shot mid-air.
"When trailing, a three-pointer gives hope. When leading, it crushes the opponent's will."
He landed—and instantly shot.
Kagami jumped through pain, but the ball was already gone.
Instant Shot.
Swish.
The sound cut through Seirin's last hope.
Green energy wrapped around Midorima's hands.
The Limit of Thousand Times Tempering.
In the stands, Aomine stood again, eyes sharp. Kise whispered, stunned. Even Shidou nearly choked on his lollipop.
It wasn't over.
Kuroko tried another Ignite Pass—
Intercepted.
Midorima shot again.
Swish.
Beep—Game over.
Shutoku 83 – Seirin 71.
---
Shutoku celebrated wildly.
Midorima was buried under teammates. Takao laughed, "When did you secretly practice that?!"
On the other side…
Kagami lay on the floor, calves shaking. Kuroko stared stubbornly at the scoreboard.
"…We got crushed," Kagami said softly.
Hyuga slammed his towel down. Izuki hid his tears. Riko stood frozen.
They bowed.
"Thank you for the game."
In the locker room, Seirin packed in silence.
Their Inter-High journey… ended here.