"Kiyoshi-senpai, can I jump for the tip-off?"
"Huh? Well, I guess you do have the height advantage… but for our offensive rhythm, I usually—Ah, whatever. Sure, go for it."
"Got it!"
"Both teams, please prepare for tip-off."
The referee stepped to the center circle and gestured to the jumpers. Kagami and Nebuya stepped out and took their places.
"Wait, Kagami's jumping?"
Kota blinked in surprise from the stands.
"Seirin usually has Kiyoshi do that. Secret weapon, maybe?"
BEEP!
The whistle blew, and the ball flew into the air.
Kagami's eyes narrowed. He leapt—explosively—beating Nebuya to the ball and tipping it back to Seirin's side.
"Tch. That vertical's no joke…"
Nebuya clicked his tongue. Kagami's hops had clearly caught him off guard.
Before Rakuzan's defense could even set up, Izuki dribbled just twice before firing the ball toward a wide-open spot on the court.As expected, Kuroko was already there.
Without stopping, Kuroko took a sharp breath and pushed the ball forward—changing both the angle and the speed in one smooth motion.
A streak of orange tore across Rakuzan's half. Hayama, the closest defender, dove for it—but he was too late.
The ball zipped straight into Kagami's hands.
"Crap—when did he even—?"
Akashi's eyes narrowed. He already saw how this would end.
Kagami faced Nebuya's help defense head-on and jumped — high. Higher than anyone else. So high Nebuya could only gape.
And then—BAM!
Kagami hammered the ball into the hoop.
Only ten seconds in, and Seirin had drawn first blood with Kagami's athleticism and Kuroko's pinpoint pass.
"That's just the start…"
On Seirin's bench, Riko bit her thumb, smiling.
They hadn't drawn up that play just for a flashy opening score. That was just the bait.
"That move… I taught him that 'Trigger' move."
From the stands, Aomine narrowed his eyes.
"Trigger, huh…?"
Kota's eyes flicked to Kagami again, surprise lighting up his face.
"Wait… no way—he's in the Zone?!"
"That girl coach from Seirin… she's something."
Even Araki gave rare praise. That setup play had been flawless — Yosen probably wouldn't have been able to stop it either, not without knowing what was coming.
Even Kota had to admit, it'd be hard for Kaijo to defend against that exact play. Kuroko's support boosted Kagami's threat level dramatically.
On the court, Kagami — fully in the Zone — repeatedly broke through Rakuzan's interior, forcing Hayama to scramble.
On offense, Akashi's passing still cut through defenses like a knife,but Kagami's scoring efficiency was insane.His current performance was more than worthy of the "Generation of Miracles" label.
"He really does remind me of you."
Kota mused aloud, side-eying Aomine.
At first glance, their styles were different—but if you looked closely, Kagami and Aomine's game flow was very similar. The difference was, Aomine held full control of Too's offense, while Seirin still distributed the ball through their upperclassmen.
Aomine didn't deny it. He spoke calmly:
"Knowing him… he won't let Kagami keep running wild forever."
And sure enough—just three minutes in, Kagami had taken control of the match.
Score: 10–4. Seirin leads.
Rakuzan's coach didn't call a timeout. He rarely needed to—Akashi's command was enough.
Akashi clapped once.
"Keep the offensive rhythm steady. On defense, Hayama, switch with me."
Even though Hayama was better than 99% of small forwards nationwide… that remaining 1%? Yeah, they all happened to be from other Miracle-era schools.
No one questioned Akashi's call. Since their loss to Kaijo, he'd returned to his original persona—but his words were still law at Rakuzan.
Next Seirin possession. Kagami went to make a move—only to realize…
Defense switched.
Akashi now stood in front of him. He paused for just a beat, then raised his arms high, eyes burning.
"Pass it — Izuki!Let me prove I can break through even him."
Izuki hesitated — only for a second. Then he made the pass.
"Ooh, ace vs. ace!"
Kota leaned forward, chin in hand, grinning. He really wanted to see how far Kagami had come.
Kagami caught the ball and inhaled. He didn't attack immediately.
Akashi's face remained neutral. His eyes flicked left and right, scanning. His stance? Loose. Casual.
They stayed locked like that for five… six seconds.
Then—Kagami jab-stepped, feinted, and drove left.
Akashi tilted slightly. With Emperor Eye active, he read Kagami's move, reached out—
— and made contact with the ball.
Kagami frowned, but the Zone boosted his reflexes. Akashi's steal didn't completely break his rhythm. Kagami adjusted mid-dribble, kept pushing through, and leapt again.
Nebuya came to help — too late.
SLAM! Another Meteor Jam. Another two points.
"Whoa. Clean play!"
Kota couldn't help but praise it softly. He hadn't expected Kagami to actually score on Akashi head-on.
Then he turned to Aomine.
"Hey, between you and Akashi, who wins one-on-one?"
Aomine blinked. He scratched his head.
"Uh… probably me?"
"That weak, huh? Kagami just scored right on Akashi, you know."
Kota gave him a look of mock pity.
Of course, he knew Akashi wasn't being serious yet. But if there was a chance to mess with Aomine, how could he not?
Predictably, Aomine's face flushed.
"He wasn't trying! Don't tell me you didn't notice that!"
Kota shook his head like a bobblehead and covered his ears.
Aomine actually pulled his hands away and shouted straight into them.
Momoi, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but smile.
"They're really close now, huh. Not long ago, they couldn't even stand the sight of each other."
Back on the court—
"That look on your face…You really think you've got me figured out, huh?"
Akashi dribbled up slowly, stopping near Kagami.
Ace Duel: Round Two.
Kota and Aomine immediately snapped out of their bickering and sat upright.
"Let's go."
Kagami slapped his cheeks, fired up. He was ready to dominate both ends of the floor.