It was twisted logic—everyone in Seirin knew it.
But they couldn't find a way to refute Tendou's words.
Because what they had done today was the exact same thing they did against Rakuzan at Nationals:
They benched Kuroko the moment he lost his effectiveness.
And yet…
They knew they owed so much of their journey to him.
Seirin wouldn't be where they were today without Kuroko.
So even if Tendou's words were wrong, they still hit like a blade.
Not because they agreed—but because they couldn't deny what they'd done.
The highest form of strategy is psychological warfare.
Hanamiya, watching his team's leader work, broke into a bright smile.
"You're darker on the inside than I am, you know that?"
"I'm just stating facts," Tendou replied calmly.
"If I were wrong, they wouldn't be this angry.
But because I'm right… they're like dogs whose tails I just stepped on."
Tendou glanced briefly at Kuroko, then turned his attention back to the court.
Plot armor? Protagonist privilege? Let them have their fun.
He was here to win.
The court is the modern battlefield.
Kindness to your enemy is cruelty to yourself.
...
"Isn't this… kinda bad?"
"Yeah. Really bad."
This game was the centerpiece of the day, drawing attention from all over Japan— including past opponents and allies.
Even Kaijō, who'd once sparred with Seirin in practice matches, was watching.
"Seirin's a fast-paced team," said their captain.
"When it comes to ball movement and passing coordination, they're among the best in the nation."
"But that's only possible because of Kuroko's passing and misdirection."
Without him, Seirin's threat level dropped drastically.
And the results were obvious.
With Kuroko off the court, Seirin's offense was struggling.
Kagami had no answer for Tendou's defense.
Their usual playbook had been read inside out by Kirisaki Daiichi.
Hyūga Junpei, the team's number two scorer, had been shut down—0 for 3 so far, not a single point to his name.
Haizaki's pressure had made it impossible for Hyūga to get off his signature shot.
"Why is everyone connected to the Generation of Miracles so damn difficult to deal with?!" Hyūga gritted his teeth.
Forget the actual Miracle members— even Haizaki, who only brushed up against them, was a top-tier player.
Even their manager, Momoi Satsuki, was basically a super-spy.
Hyūga had no doubt:
If Teikō hadn't disbanded, their dynasty would have lasted straight through college.
And speaking of Momoi…
Why was she so loyal to Tendou?
Wasn't she supposed to be Aomine's childhood friend?
During the match against Yōsen, Hyūga noticed her practically glued to Tendou.
Did they have that kind of relationship?
But—
Now wasn't the time for gossip.
It was time to fight.
"Izuki!"
With time on the shot clock ticking down, and Kagami still locked down, Kiyoshi was also swarmed.
Someone needed to step up.
Izuki didn't hesitate. He passed the ball to Hyūga, who had just found a sliver of space.
Hanamiya sneered and pressed up.
"Gonna shoot, four-eyes? You know Haizaki's just waiting to steal your little signature move."
A naked threat.
If Hyūga dared to shoot, Haizaki wouldn't hesitate to steal his "Inviolable Shot."
If he didn't shoot, Hanamiya had a great chance of locking him up.
Hyūga made his choice.
He retreated quickly and fired with no hesitation.
Swish!
The ball sliced through the air and hit nothing but net.
The Seirin captain rolled his neck and said coldly, "Watch closely, you piece of trash. I'll bury you with my scoring."
"Great shot!"
"Nice one, Hyūga!"
"Damn, the captain's in his black mode again!"
The Seirin bench exploded.
While Hyūga didn't have split personalities, he did sometimes "switch modes" in games.
When this version of him came out, his three-point percentage was basically 100%.
Nickname?
Black Mode Three-Point Hyūga.
"…What kind of bizarre setting is that?"
Tendou ignored the nonsense and shifted his focus.
To Haizaki.
Who was licking his thumb with a greedy glint in his eyes.
"Not bad," he grinned.
...
Back to offense.
Hanamiya dribbled across half-court and handed the ball to Haizaki.
He might hate the guy, but Hanamiya loved Haizaki's ability.
It fit Kirisaki Daiichi's style perfectly.
Seirin seemed to guess what was coming.
The moment Haizaki received the ball, Hyūga and Izuki double-teamed him.
"A double-team?"
"So that's Seirin's plan… deny Haizaki the chance to shoot," Takao Kazunari murmured, eyes lighting up.
Haizaki's Pillage only activated when the target made a successful move.
Stop him from scoring, and you shut down his ability.
"…But it's just a stopgap. There's no way Seirin can double him forever."
We know that!
Hyūga cursed in his heart.
They never expected to lock Haizaki down the entire game.
All they needed was a few more minutes— enough time to shift the momentum.
Facing the double-team, Haizaki looked completely unfazed.
Kagami might be trouble— but these two were nothing to him.
He activated his move, easily shaking Hyūga off his feet.
Now it was time to steal his signature shot.
"'Inviolable Shot,' huh?"
He stepped back to the three-point line, caught the ball—
But—
Shinji Koganei was already in front of him.
And he hadn't lost position at all.
"Nani?!"
Haizaki's face twisted in shock.
How could that benchwarmer move like that?
There was something… odd about him.
Wild Instinct.
"This loser… has Wild Instinct?!"
Not just Haizaki—everyone in the arena was stunned.
Everyone except Tendou.
Shinji Koganei—a backup player who'd barely seen 40 minutes of action since Nationals— had just unveiled a hidden trump card.
Wild Instinct.
An innate predator's feel for the game, like Aomine, Kagami, or Hayama.
Koganei's version wasn't quite the same.
Reo Mibuchi tilted his head, amused.
The Wild Instinct he knew came from beasts—Aomine, Kagami, Hayama.
And Koganei?
"A bobcat, maybe?" he chuckled.
"You've gotta be kidding me… I'm not losing to this guy."
Haizaki's face turned dark.
There was no way he was backing down now.
There was no way he'd let himself lose to this nobody.
---
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