The match between Tōō Academy and Kaijo High was so intense that everyone present was deeply shaken, each person carrying their own lingering thoughts.
Among them, the ones most affected were undoubtedly the members of Seirin High. As for players like Hanamiya Makoto, or the "Uncrowned Kings" from Yosen and Rakuzan, they still couldn't truly comprehend the terror—and helplessness—of facing a team backed by the Generation of Miracles.
Under the lead of Aida Riko, Seirin High walked out of the gymnasium. Every member wore a heavy expression.
"Kuroko… I honestly didn't expect the Generation of Miracles to be this strong… this overwhelming. I don't even know what price we'd have to pay to beat them."
"Kagami-kun, their strength is undeniable. But please believe in yourself—you're on that level too. You can lead us to victory against them."
Kuroko Tetsuya's words were encouraging, but when everyone thought about Kise Ryouta, none of them could bring themselves to feel relieved.
Would it mean that in future matches, Kagami Taiga would have to push himself like Kise—fighting with everything he had—just to grasp a sliver of hope?
No one dared to imagine such an outcome. No one wanted to see it.
Inside Tōō Academy's locker room, everyone was celebrating. After all, they had advanced to the semifinals.
But one person was missing.
Aomine Daiki had already left.
"Captain, where's Aomine?"
"He probably left ahead of us."
"He's not even celebrating with us?"
"You just injured your former teammate—would you feel like celebrating? Cut him some slack."
"…Yeah. That makes sense."
At the train station, Satsuki Momoi stood beside Aomine Daiki, who had a sports bag slung over his shoulder. She lightly held onto his sleeve, her voice filled with concern.
"Is Kise going to be okay?"
"I don't know. We'll find out when we get to the hospital."
"Why was he so determined to use the 'Immovable King Form'?"
"He didn't want to lose."
"Is it really that powerful?"
"It is. That's his personal weapon. Only he can use it—and only for about one quarter."
"Your hand… is it okay?"
"It's fine. Just overdid it."
That day, Momoi's heart was filled with worry. Her former teammate Kise Ryouta had been injured, and she didn't know how serious it was.
And Aomine… her childhood friend… his right hand was likely injured too, even if he deliberately hid it.
The weight of that worry crushed the usual confidence and optimism she always carried.
At the hospital, Kaijo High's entire team had gathered. Seeing that Kise had regained consciousness, tears shimmered in everyone's eyes.
Unable to move, Kise spoke softly, his voice faint.
"Sorry… as the team's ace… I couldn't take everyone… to the finals…"
"You already did everything you could," said Yukio Kasamatsu in a low voice. "If we didn't make it, it's not because you're weak—it's because we weren't strong enough. We held you back."
His words were meant not only to comfort Kise, but also himself and the rest of the team.
"Enough of that. Focus on recovering. Get back as soon as you can. We'll fight together again in the Winter Cup."
"…Yeah. The Winter Cup… we'll definitely win."
After staying for a long time, Kaijo's team eventually left. The ones who remained to take care of Kise were his two older sisters, who had rushed over as soon as they heard the news.
By the time Aomine and Momoi arrived, the team had already been gone for a while.
Momoi knocked on the door. A beautiful blonde woman opened it, exchanged a few words, then turned and went inside.
"Ryouta, there's a dark-skinned boy and a cute girl outside. They said they're your classmates from Teiko."
"Oh… it's Aominecchi and Momoi. Let them in, sis."
Soon, the silent Aomine and the worried Momoi entered the room.
Looking at Kise lying in bed, Momoi asked gently, her voice trembling with concern:
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine… just overused my muscles. I'll need some rest, but I'll be back."
Hearing that, both Aomine and Momoi let out a quiet sigh of relief, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from their hearts.
Aomine's demeanor gradually relaxed into his usual laziness, while Momoi began chatting cheerfully with Kise and his sisters.
Meanwhile, Aomine and Kise spoke quietly to each other.
"So? Aominei… my 'Immovable King Form'—pretty amazing, right?"
"Yeah. You didn't disappoint me. Congrats—you've finally found your own weapon."
"I have to thank you and Haizaki for that. Without you pushing me, I wouldn't have worked this hard—or completed it this quickly."
"The drawback's pretty big though… one quarter is too short."
"If I don't use it often, I can still last a whole game."
Aomine didn't deny it. Used sparingly, it could indeed last an entire match—and become a terrifying weapon.
But there was something he didn't say:
In some games, you won't have a choice. If you don't use it… you lose.
"Aominecchi… compared to Haizaki now, how do I measure up? Can I beat him?"
Aomine fell silent for a moment, reluctant to crush Kise's spirit.
"I want the truth. That's the only way I'll have motivation."
"…You're still miles away. When you can beat me, then you can challenge Shogo."
"…I see."
Those words didn't discourage Kise. Instead, they gave him hope.
He had finally taken a big step forward. Finally caught a glimpse of their backs.
Not long after, another tall boy with glasses was invited into the room by Kise's sister.
It was Midorima Shintaro—the first to leave earlier, yet the last to arrive.
In his left hand, he carried a Chihuahua plush toy. In his right, a bag of bananas.
Walking up to Kise's bed, he placed the plush at the foot and said seriously:
"You're a Gemini. This is your lucky item for today. I hope you recover quickly."
"Today's fortune for Gemini is poor. Your lucky fruit is bananas. I went quite far to get them for you."
His completely serious tone left everyone in the room staring at him in confusion.
But Midorima himself showed no embarrassment—only absolute seriousness and conviction.
After all, someone with that level of confidence would never feel awkward. The only ones embarrassed were those who didn't understand him.
After finishing, Midorima looked at Kise again and added:
"Congratulations. Your 'Immovable King Form' is indeed impressive."
Finally hearing something normal, Kise let out a weak laugh.
"Even if you say it's impressive… then it really must be."
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