Boom!
The basketball bounced wildly like a rampaging beast, impossible to control.
It was Midorima's first time facing such an aggressive, overwhelming dribbling style.
Tendou's relentless advance forced him to backpedal again and again.
No matter what Midorima tried, Tendou always reacted first, making his defense completely ineffective.
Before, Tendou's dominance was just something Midorima had commented on from the sidelines.
Now that he experienced it firsthand, he finally understood the overwhelming sense of helplessness.
"Every move is being seen ahead of time!"
"Defense is completely nullified!"
Tendou pressed forward mercilessly, the pressure bearing down on Midorima grew heavier with each step.
Finally—
He had nowhere left to retreat.
His body lost balance and collapsed backward uncontrollably.
Thud!
Midorima landed on the court with a heavy thump, humiliated and shaken.
Tendou's gaze briefly swept over him, then he strode right past, ball in hand.
And then—
Bang!
The hoop groaned loudly.
Tendou hung from the rim after a powerful dunk.
Otsubo Taiga had tried to block him, but he was ruthlessly dunked right out of bounds.
"The fastest speed and the strongest strength — how could anyone possibly match it?"
The scales of victory were tilting heavily toward Kirisaki Daiichi.
Tendou had seized total control of the game.
"An 18-point gap... it's about to break wide open again!"
"This is Kirisaki Daiichi... this is Tendou Kageyoshi!"
Fans across the nation —
Even rival teams —
Were shocked by the dominance of Kirisaki Daiichi and the overwhelming power of Tendou.
Shūtoku was one of the very best teams in the country.
Only a few could even be compared to them.
Yet here they were, utterly suppressed.
Takao Kazunari recalled his time facing Teikō in middle school.
That was the most powerless he had ever felt in a game.
At the time, Midorima had been his opponent —
Confident, unstoppable, the pride of the nation.
Now, that same Midorima sat dazed on the floor, staring blankly, unable to immediately get up.
Takao understood that feeling.
He had once experienced it himself.
Takao walked over and extended a hand carefully.
"Come on, get up, Shin-chan."
Midorima heard him and was about to stand—
When suddenly another hand smacked the back of his head, hard.
It was Miyaji Kiyoshi.
He glared fiercely at Midorima.
"You four-eyed idiot! How long are you planning to sit there? You want me to smash your glasses?!"
Midorima froze for a moment, his hair mussed from the hit, looking slightly comical.
"Pull yourself together! Can't you see? They haven't given up!"
Kimura Shinsuke came over too, encouraging him, pointing toward the south stands.
At this moment, aside from Kirisaki Daiichi's fans and Tendou's personal fan club, most of the neutral spectators were now cheering for Kirisaki Daiichi.
But Shūtoku's fans —
Still shouted themselves hoarse, desperately trying to let their team hear their voices.
They were Shūtoku's "Sixth Man."
"It's not over yet! Get your head back in the game!"
Ootsubo threw the ball to Takao.
The three third-years sprinted forward together, their long shadows stretching far down the court.
The two first-years, watching their seniors' backs, were momentarily awestruck.
Takao Kazunari and Midorima Shintarō —
In pure talent, they could match anyone.
But in their hearts, they genuinely respected those three seniors.
"I really want to play more games with them."
"Yeah."
"After all... they're already third-years."
"Yeah."
Midorima simply gave a firm nod—
And had already stood up.
In the stands, Kuroko quietly noticed the shift.
He spoke clearly:
"The game isn't over yet."
"Kuroko?"
"Because...
None of them have given up!"
Tendou, watching through the virtual screen, also saw this moment.
This was Shūtoku and Midorima's shining hour.
Under normal circumstances, he would have admired it —
Smiling as he enjoyed the passion of basketball.
But now...
Tendou's focus sharpened.
Because he also saw Kuroko once again preaching his old belief—
That "not giving up means you can win."
...
Shūtoku's Possession.
None of their five players faltered, even as the deficit neared 20 points.
They embodied their team's core spirit—
Never surrender.
Takao and Midorima exchanged a glance—
Their resolve firm.
Ever since witnessing the terror of the Six Eyes, Midorima understood clearly:
If they wanted to win the championship, they would inevitably have to surpass Kirisaki Daiichi and Rakuzan.
No matter what road they took, they would eventually face Tendou or Akashi.
To defeat either of them, Midorima and Takao had secretly developed a move even more extreme than infinite screening:
The Alley-Oop Three-Pointer!
A move so difficult, even professional players rarely attempted it.
In practice, they failed far more often than they succeeded.
But...
Midorima's mind flashed back to their very first meeting, on the day he joined Shūtoku.
His future partner, Takao Kazunari, had bounced up to him, totally uninhibited.
"Yo, Midorima Shintarō-kun! I'm Takao Kazunari! You're joining the basketball team too, right?"
"I'm planning to join too.
Let's get along!"
At the time, Midorima found Takao's enthusiasm extremely off-putting —
Like a noisier version of Kise.
He was chatty, overly familiar.
Midorima's first impression of him:
A "frivolous" guy.
Especially when Takao had even laughed at the lucky item Midorima was clutching tightly.
The scene shifted to Shūtoku's daily training.
Midorima recalled how intense Shūtoku's practices were —
Even tougher than Teikō's.
Many new recruits, even those who had been stars in middle school, quickly quit.
Yet Takao, Despite Midorima labeling him "lightweight" early on,
Had stayed.
Not only had he endured,He trained alongside Midorima —
Pushing himself harder than anyone.
"That's right."
"Those seniors don't need to say anything. Even Takao is a guy you can trust."
Was the alley-oop three-pointer a reckless gamble?
No.
Midorima never bet on uncertainty.
Even if they failed more often than succeeded during practice—
Right now, they would succeed without doubt.
In his heart, there was no hesitation.
Because—
"In this team, no one leaves anything undone!"
Resolving himself, Midorima crouched low—
Gathering all his power.
"What the—?!"
Everyone watching froze in disbelief, even Akashi widened his eyes slightly.
"Shooting form... without the ball?!"
"Sei-chan..."
Mibuchi Reo instinctively turned toward Akashi, seeking confirmation.
Akashi said nothing.
But his thoughts mirrored Mibuchi's —
He simply found it hard to believe.
Meanwhile, Takao, who had been closely observing Midorima, instantly shook off Hanamiya Makoto's tight defense, and hurled the ball toward Midorima.
His passing precision made it clear:
This ball would land perfectly in Midorima's hands.
"It really is... an alley-oop three-pointer!"
By now, everyone understood.
Shūtoku was attempting the impossible.
Spectators held their breath, shocked, expectant.
Midorima's fans flooded the screen with green-font cheers like "Go for it!"
However—
Before the ball could reach Midorima, a shadow suddenly cut between them.
It happened so suddenly, no one had any time to react.
It was a monstrous figure, its black hair flying wildly.
Then, a pair of hands shot out from the monster's body,
Intercepting the ball in midair.
"I don't want to watch your show right now."
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