23:24.
The first quarter ended with Kirisaki Daiichi holding a narrow one-point lead.
The standout performer of the first quarter was, without question, Kuroko—he went 5-for-7 from the field, scoring a team-high 10 points.
Haizaki had no answer for his Misdirection Dribble and Phantom Shot.
Haizaki's Pillage ability had no effect. Just like Kise, he couldn't replicate Kuroko's innate low presence.
Whether it was stealing or mimicking, these abilities were still forms of learning—and no one could learn something they'd never possessed.
Talent… could not be learned.
What frustrated Haizaki even more was his inability to overcome instinct.
Every time Kagami violently burst into his vision, his focus shifted—automatically.
Haizaki was visibly displeased with his own performance.
Tendou, on the other hand, remained calm as ever. He picked up the whiteboard and sketched a few simple plays for the team.
"Don't worry about the score. And don't worry about Kuroko."
Kuroko's Misdirection and Phantom Shot were problematic for almost everyone—except for a few like Tendou and Akashi.
The fact that Haizaki couldn't defend it wasn't his fault. It wasn't a matter of individual failure.
But Hanamiya caught a different meaning in Tendou's words.
"'Don't worry about him'? You mean that invisible man's about to crash and burn?"
Tendou had predicted long ago: if Kuroko kept playing like this, he would bury himself.
Just like Rakuzan's Mayuzumi Chihiro, who was taken out during the Nationals using a similar approach.
"Not yet… but we're getting very close," Tendou said, glancing toward the crowd.
More and more fans were now talking about Kuroko's amazing performance.
The bad boys of Kirisaki Daiichi let out a collective sigh of relief.
They trusted Tendou 100%.
If he said Kuroko was done, then Seirin's shadow was on his way out.
...
The break flew by.
Second quarter began.
Kirisaki Daiichi possession.
Tendou with the ball, defended one-on-one by Kagami.
Seirin didn't dare double-team—afraid of Tendou's ghost-like passes.
Even the Emperor Eye couldn't catch those passes. Seirin's only option was to stick to their assignments and deny any wide-open looks.
"If it's just one-on-one, no one can stop Tendou!"
Just as Aomine said this, Tendou flashed to Kagami's side—
His dribble and acceleration were faster than Hayama's Thunder Dribble, fast enough that even raw Wild Instinct couldn't keep up.
The camera followed Tendou, and that same black shadow—the familiar "beast"—moved in perfect sync with him.
No matter how many times fans had seen it, it was still terrifying.
Kagami gritted his teeth and gave it his all.
He didn't want to give Tendou even a sliver of room to shoot.
He knew he couldn't stop the Mirage Shot, so he couldn't let Tendou get the shot off in the first place.
But smothering his jumper meant leaving himself exposed against a drive.
"Tch."
Tendou let out a quiet sound.
Suddenly, his entire body exploded into motion alongside the basketball.
To Kagami, it felt like the first time he played one-on-one with Aomine again—
Lightning-fast moves, unreadable footwork—
His brain saw it, but his body simply couldn't react in time.
Tendou's moves weren't as elaborate as Aomine's, but they were even faster.
Snap!
The ball smacked the court with a loud bounce.
Tendou slipped right past Kagami. And because Kagami had been defending so closely, once he was beaten, he had no chance to recover.
Tendou darted into Seirin's paint.
Kiyoshi rushed over to help, but he was already too late.
Seirin's defense was torn apart.
Tendou's eyes gleamed as he saw the unfolding future.
Then—he passed.
He smashed the ball sharply to the right side.
Almost the moment the ball hit the floor and bounced up, Haizaki arrived— took two powerful strides— and slammed it home.
Kagami had never even noticed the pass. His eyes had never left Tendou.
By the time he realized what happened, it was too late.
Tendou and Kiyoshi were between him and the action.
No way to stop it.
On the sideline, Aida Riko let out a helpless sigh.
They still couldn't stop Tendou.
This wasn't a tactical issue—it was classic hero ball.
Tendou was dismantling them using pure individual brilliance.
And they couldn't even risk doubling him— do that, and they'd give up even easier scoring opportunities.
To a coach, having a player like this was a dream.
Someone who was a system in and of himself.
And yet, ironically, Kirisaki Daiichi had no head coach.
Top coaches like Nakatani and Shirogane were all quietly grinding their teeth—green with envy.
...
Now it was Seirin's turn.
Izuki brought the ball up, scanning for opportunities.
He quickly noticed—Kirisaki Daiichi had quietly shifted into a 2–3 zone.
Hara Kazuya and Seto Kentarō held the fort under the rim.
If Kiyoshi received the ball, they'd collapse instantly.
Meanwhile, Kagami, their starting power forward, was being smothered by Tendou.
"Izuki-senpai."
Kuroko stepped forward again, asking for the ball.
Hanamiya shadowed him but couldn't really disrupt his passes—he wasn't the ball thief here.
Still, he pressured Kuroko hard, limiting his movement.
Seeing this, Kagami dashed into Haizaki's line of sight at full speed.
Whoosh!
Kuroko vanished from Haizaki's focus again.
"Damn you!" Haizaki cursed.
He turned—just in time to see Kuroko preparing to shoot.
From the sideline, Aida Riko clenched her fists tight.
"It's all up to you now, Kuroko!"
They all knew: this would significantly reduce Kuroko's time limit for using vision redirection.
Tendou had already exposed the weaknesses of that ability— but Seirin had made adjustments.
Or so they thought.
"Nani?!"
Just as everyone anticipated the shot— a hand burst into view, grabbing the ball mid-release.
"Tendou?!"
Kuroko's pupils shrank in disbelief.
Why was Tendou here?!
Had he predicted this?
Was he always lurking nearby?
"It's positioning," Akashi observed calmly.
"Hanamiya couldn't prevent Kuroko from receiving the ball, but his pressure defense helped Tendou close the gap."
"They forced Kuroko into Tendou's range—like herding a duck."
"You're too naive, Kuroko."
Tendou crushed the Phantom Shot attempt and smacked the ball to the ground.
Kirisaki Daiichi instantly broke out into a fast break.
Seirin was late to react—especially Kagami, who was furthest back.
He turned and sprinted, but how could a person outrun a flying basketball?
Tendou picked up the loose ball and launched it forward with both hands.
Whoosh!
The ball zipped past three defenders and landed perfectly in Hanamiya's hands.
Kagami rushed to contest, but Hanamiya passed it off with a bounce.
Haizaki caught it— and faced off against Hyūga Junpei—
Pull-up jumper—good.
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