Why would Aomine Daiki deliberately do something like that?
Haizaki Shogo fell into deep thought, his brows slightly furrowed as his gaze landed on the Tōō Academy bench—on that dark-skinned figure.
So, Aomine… what exactly are you trying to do?
Memories of Aomine flashed rapidly through his mind—every movement, every skill… until it reached that free, unpredictable style of his.
In a flash of inspiration, a thought struck him.
A direct clash between [Formless Shot]… and [Immovable King Form]?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. With Aomine's personality, there was no doubt—he was excited by the challenge.
He wanted to see just how far Kise Ryouta's [Immovable King Form] had progressed.
At that realization, Haizaki's eyes began to gleam.
Not just interested…
This is that hunter's thrill… that excitement when you spot worthy prey.
During the break after the third quarter, discussions weren't limited to Haizaki's group. The entire arena buzzed with chatter, opinions flying everywhere.
In the stands—Rakuzan High's section.
"Hey, hey, hey! Reo-nee, monsters like this are on the court… and you're telling me the captain still won't play?"
"…I don't know. Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Nebuya Eikichi withdrew his gaze from Kise, speaking with a hint of awe.
"Even if the three of us went together… we'd probably still get crushed. How do monsters like this even exist in high school?"
Mibuchi Reo and Hayama Kotaro shot him with disdainful looks.
This big guy—aside from his physique—really didn't use his brain much. The two of them were utterly speechless.
On the opposite side, Seirin High's section had a much more harmonious atmosphere. Everyone discussed things openly, solving problems together.
"Kuroko, do you know the skill Kise used in the third quarter?"
"Sorry… I don't."
Kuroko Tetsuya lowered his head slightly.
"The Generation of Miracles I knew… isn't the same anymore."
A trace of discouragement lingered in his voice.
Though he was the Phantom Sixth Man… he was still just the sixth man—not a true member of that elite group.
That was the fundamental difference.
The gap between an ordinary person… and a genius.
An unbridgeable chasm.
Aomine was no longer the Aomine he once knew.
Kise was no longer the Kise he once knew.
Even Haizaki—their previous opponent—was no longer the same.
What Kuroko didn't fully grasp was simple—
The world changes. People change.
And geniuses… grow even faster than anyone else.
"Kuroko, let's do our best together! We'll beat them—we'll become number one in Japan!"
"Kagami-kun!"
Every member of Seirin turned to look at Kagami Taiga, whose fighting spirit burned brightly.
This first-year had, somehow, become the driving force of the team.
That was the difference between someone with Generation of Miracles–level potential.
Even at their lowest—they still stood above others.
Even mentally.
While Seirin found renewed momentum through their discussion, the three-minute break ended quickly.
The fourth quarter was about to begin.
In Kaijo's rest area, Kise Ryouta sat with a towel over his head, his body drenched in sweat.
At the sound of the whistle, he pulled it off and followed Kasamatsu step by step toward the court.
The towel he left behind was soaked—water splashing across the bench.
Seeing this, Coach Takeuchi Genta's heart skipped a beat.
Anxiety surged within him.
He clenched his fists… loosened them… then clenched them again.
In the end, he muttered to himself as if making a decision—
If something goes wrong… I'll pull him out immediately.
But if I sub him out now… he won't accept it.
And that was true.
Not just Kise—every Kaijo player would feel the same.
On Tōō's side, Aomine wiped his sweat and handed the towel to Momoi before walking toward the court.
His presence was overwhelming—almost oppressive.
Kaijo had possession.
Kasamatsu brought the ball past half-court and, without hesitation, launched a three-pointer.
Swish!
The ball dropped cleanly through the net, narrowing the score gap once more.
Sakurai Ryo, who inbounded for Tōō, was visibly shaken.
Even in this situation, Kaijo's resilience and focus had rattled him.
The ball moved from Sakurai to Imayoshi Shoichi. The scheming, bespectacled player dribbled forward before passing it back.
Sakurai took a quick three—
But missed.
Clearly, he hadn't recovered from the earlier shock.
The rebound was snatched by the ever-energetic Mitsuhiro Hayakawa.
The ball quickly transitioned through Kasamatsu—
But he was merely a relay point.
Its true destination—
Kise Ryouta.
Ball in hand, Kise narrowed his eyes at Aomine, who stared back without blinking.
Then—he attacked.
Driving forward, he collided head-on with Aomine, using the contact to create space—
A smooth hook shot followed.
Thunk!
The ball dropped into the net.
The score jumped to 74–56.
The gap had shrunk—from 23 points to 18.
Little by little, the difference was closing.
Even the audience began to sense it—
A chance for a comeback.
Cheers for Kaijo rose in waves, growing louder and louder.
Mixed within them were countless high-pitched screams—
There was no need to guess—
Those were Kise's fangirls.
Even the players on the court could hear it.
Coach Harasawa of Tōō frowned slightly from the bench, but said nothing.
He had seen scenes like this many times before.
The outcome was already decided—
Nothing would shake Tōō's resolve to win.
"I'm sorry!"
Sakurai Ryo apologized repeatedly to his teammates—
But was met with casual reassurances.
"Keep going—we've got this!"
"Everyone makes mistakes—just stay sharp!"
"Keep shooting!"
Meanwhile, Aomine ignored it all.
Receiving the ball from Imayoshi, he stepped into Kaijo's half.
Facing the fully focused Kise, Aomine exploded forward with terrifying acceleration—
Breaking past him and leaping high for a one-handed dunk.
Kise's hand shot out—
A powerful block slammed the ball away.
The ball flew off, landing in Kasamatsu's hands, who immediately dashed downcourt.
All players from both teams followed in pursuit.
From Tōō's bench came Coach Harasawa's shout—
"Defense!"
Tōō's players reacted quickly, retreating in time—
Especially Imayoshi, who stayed right on Kasamatsu's heels, buying precious time for their defense to set.
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