Zzzzt!
Electric sparks surged around Haizaki as he blew past Izuki Shun.
Izuki was no match.
He tried to stop Haizaki's drive from behind, but his arm unexpectedly struck Haizaki's instead.
BEEP!
"Seirin #5, defensive foul!"
The referee's whistle came without hesitation.
Izuki raised his hand to acknowledge the foul, though his heart sank.
His Eagle Claw Pass—had been stolen just like that.
"Izuki!"
"Senpai!"
"I'm fine. I mentally prepared for this from the beginning. Don't worry, I'm good~"
Izuki took a deep breath.
Seirin had, of course, anticipated Haizaki's ability.
The fact that Hyūga was using only standard shooting was already proof of that.
Kirisaki Daiichi possession.
Tendou took the ball from Hanamiya.
In front of him stood Kagami Taiga, unflinching.
His eyes burned with aggression, like a wild beast waiting to pounce.
"Even more intense than Aomine's presence…"
This was, without question, the fiercest Wild Instinct Tendou had ever seen.
More overwhelming than Aomine's black panther aura or Hayama's cheetah-like instincts.
A true King of Beasts.
Only that prehistoric tyrant-dragon center from the movie version could claim to surpass Kagami's wildness.
"…But it's still not enough."
No sooner had Tendou spoken than a black blur appeared at Kagami's side.
Kagami flinched in shock, only to realize—
it wasn't a creature.
It was Tendou, who had already shifted to his left flank.
Silent. Swift. So fast that even the naked eye could barely track him.
Kagami turned his body, but Tendou was already on his other side again—
ghost-like.
In the blink of an eye, Tendou shifted from left to right and completely left Kagami behind.
"Damn it, it's not over yet!"
Kagami growled and spun back to chase.
His powerful instincts pushed him to the best possible reaction.
Skid!
Tendou suddenly stopped mid-drive, planting his feet with precision.
"Mirage Shot!"
Kagami, anticipating a sudden pull-up jumper, immediately slammed the brakes.
He crouched low, legs tensed, ready to unleash his legendary vertical jump.
But just as he did—
Tendou launched forward again, gliding past like a dragon's tail sweep and soared into the paint for a smooth layup.
"Don't lump me in with Aomine and the others," Tendou said, landing lightly.
"Beating them doesn't mean you're ready to challenge me."
And as he jogged back, the ball finally dropped through the net with a clean swish, right in front of Kiyoshi Teppei's helpless stare.
WAAAH!
The north-side stands erupted in cheers.
Though this was Tokyo and technically a home game for both teams, Kirisaki Daiichi and Tendou had the fan advantage.
The tiny Seirin supporter section was completely drowned out.
"Tendou!"
"Number one in the country!"
"Tendou!"
"Number one in the country!"
Their chants were loud, though the slogans were a bit awkward.
Tendou casually walked past Kagami, whose eyes followed him intently.
"Tendou… is really strong," Kagami thought.
He could feel it—he'd grown stronger since Nationals, but the gap between him and Tendou still felt wide.
"Damn it… at this rate…"
"Ow ow ow ow!"
Kagami's thoughts were cut off by someone tugging his jersey.
He turned angrily—of course, it was Kuroko, wearing a serious expression as always.
"What are you doing, Kuroko?!"
"Didn't we agree? We're going to beat the Generation of Miracles together."
"You…"
Kagami didn't argue.
In fact, he was grateful.
Kuroko's words calmed his surging frustration.
That's right—he couldn't beat Tendou alone.
But they weren't alone. They were a team.
Smack!
Kagami slapped his cheeks hard to snap himself out of it.
"I got it. We'll defeat him—together!"
"Mm!"
Kuroko smiled again.
...
Transition to defense.
Except for Tendou occasionally walking back like some smug old man, the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi retreated rapidly, giving Seirin no opportunity to capitalize.
Izuki still had no answer against Haizaki.
Knowing Izuki couldn't break through, Kuroko moved forward to receive the ball.
Izuki passed it off and screened Hanamiya at the same time.
But Haizaki quickly rotated back in front of Kuroko.
"We didn't get to say hello earlier."
"Long time no see, Haizaki-kun. It's really great to be facing you on the court again."
Kuroko assumed a triple-threat stance, sincere as always.
Haizaki didn't doubt the authenticity. Kuroko was clearly being honest.
"I'm here for revenge. Don't get me wrong."
"Understood."
With the formalities done, it was time to play.
Kuroko began dribbling—
fast and precise, almost impossible to read.
As Haizaki focused on guarding the drive, Kagami's imposing figure suddenly barreled into his peripheral vision.
Involuntarily, Haizaki turned to look.
Compared to Kuroko, Kagami was the greater threat.
That was all the opening Kuroko needed.
He capitalized on the moment Haizaki's focus shifted—and vanished from his blind spot.
"Nani?!"
By the time Haizaki snapped back, Kuroko had already slipped past him.
Damn it!
He cursed internally.
He knew Kuroko's misdirection secret—
yet still fell for it.
Haizaki couldn't override his own instincts.
He had always prioritized the most dangerous threat—and in that moment, it was Kagami.
Having broken past Haizaki, Kuroko went straight for a jump shot.
His speed wasn't built for distance—he couldn't keep running and still shake defenders.
He had to shoot now.
He stopped with a quick gather, brought the ball close to his chest in a pose like a hadouken, and launched.
It was his Phantom Shot.
Swish!
The ball hit nothing but net.
Kuroko had pierced Haizaki's defense and nailed the mid-range jumper.
"Damn it!"
Haizaki scowled, visibly displeased.
Despite having Momoi's intel, he still got fooled by Kuroko.
"Don't worry. Stick to our rhythm,"
Tendou patted his shoulder before jogging off.
"…He really doesn't take it seriously, huh."
That unshakable composure— it left even teammates like Hayama a little exasperated.
This man, the de facto leader of the Generation of Miracles,
never seemed surprised by anything.
Reo Mibuchi shook his head.
"That must be what they call supreme confidence."
But… was it really just confidence?
Akashi, overhearing his teammates' chatter, fell deep into thought.
They all knew—Kuroko's misdirection and vision tricks wouldn't last forever.
Someday, defenders would adjust.
But Akashi didn't know when that day would come.
Tendou had once said he didn't know either.
But Akashi doubted him.
Because Tendou had a habit of trolling people.
Or teasing them, rather.
He even had a cat—cute and full of personality.
Kise had asked once if the cat bit.
Could he pet it?
Tendou paused, then nodded. "It doesn't bite. You can pet it."
Kise reached out—
And was nearly clawed across the face before even making contact.
He almost walked away with permanent scarring.
So no—Tendou's words couldn't be trusted completely.
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