Kaijo two-pointer!
Kaijo three-pointer!
Seirin defensive foul!
Out of bounds, Kaijo ball!
After the early timeout, the game resumed, and just as Kota predicted, even though Seirin tried to adjust, without surpassing the Zone — or even being able to enter it in Kagami's case — Kaijo's offense was an unstoppable flood, leaving Seirin helpless.
13-4.
Kaijo leading, three minutes left in the first quarter.
Kagami, struggling under Kise's defense, faked a shoulder feint, pulled up for a mid-range jumper—clank.
"Damn it…"
Kagami gritted his teeth. Even with Kuroko's help, he couldn't find any room to pull the trigger. Even when the perimeter defense had gaps, Kise shadowed him relentlessly, and Kobori or Hayakawa would double him from time to time. The suffocating, targeted defense was unbearable.
Of course — it was all Kota's doing.
He'd studied Seirin's playstyle carefully. Though they played as a team, their offense always instinctively leaned toward Kagami. That wasn't unusual—after all, it's normal for a team's ace to dominate possession.
But Kagami had a fatal flaw: He needed to pull the trigger to enter the Zone! Without it, he had no way to break through Kaijo's wall.
Once Kota realized that, shutting Seirin down was easy.
Kise man-marked Kagami. Whether it was via Perfect Copy or even fouling, his mission was simple: Don't let Kagami fire off the Meteor Jam and trigger the Zone. Shut him down entirely in the first half.
Everyone knew Seirin, like Too Academy, was a pure offense team. But when an offense-first team couldn't score, what was left of their defense?
Kota demonstrated that answer: nothing but a pile of mud.
A couple of dribbles and a step-back — hesi pull-back — forced Izuki to lean forward. Kota's Zone range was terrifying; he could even pull up from way beyond the arc.
Seeing Izuki bite, Kota's hands shifted—an easy hesi blow-by.
Hyuga rotated in to help. Kota glanced at Kasamatsu —now wide open after the rotation.
Kasamatsu crouched slightly, ready to catch and shoot. Kota was about to pass when suddenly his arm hair stood on end.
Danger Sense.
Kota trusted that instinct fully. He aborted the pass, spun tightly against Hyuga's body, slipping past him cleanly.
Kiyoshi, boxing out Kasamatsu under the basket, saw it and immediately disengaged, lunging to block.
"Quick on the rotation, huh…"
Kota muttered, changing gears again. He gathered the ball, drove into Kiyoshi, and just as Kiyoshi overcommitted—he tossed the ball up weakly.
An obvious airball… or so it seemed.
BEEP!
The whistle blew.
Shooting Foul.
Two free throws.
Kiyoshi opened his mouth to protest, but stopped, scratching his head when he saw Kota's smug grin.
"Kids these days are really something…"
While Kiyoshi was still reflecting, Kota calmly sank both free throws.
15-4.
The gap ballooned past 10.
Seirin Bench
Riko gnawed on her nails, mind in turmoil.
She'd already used one timeout. Calling another this early in the first quarter felt wasteful—but let it go and things might collapse even faster.
"What should I do? Call it or not?"
Just as she wrestled with the decision, Kuroko silently appeared by her side, flashing her an OK sign.
That calmed her. Riko clasped her hands together and prayed silently.
On the court, Kuroko vanished into Kaijo's ranks, weaving stealthily between defenders. But somehow, his signature misdirection steals were useless against Kota.
Not because Kota could see Kuroko — he couldn't. But every time Kuroko appeared to steal, Kota reacted almost instantly, protecting the ball without fail.
"You can't see me either, right, Kota-kun?" Kuroko's eyes lowered, scanning the court. He quietly positioned himself near Kasamatsu.
Izuki's Eagle Eye caught the movement, and he shifted his defense slightly left, leaving a clear gap on the right.
Kota frowned. He noticed Izuki's deliberate shift—but turning down a free lane would be foolish.
Without hesitation, Kota drove in, his bulk easily brushing past Izuki. Hyuga closed in to help.
Once again—Kasamatsu was left wide open on the perimeter.
Kota glanced at him, feigned the pass, and Danger Sense stayed silent. Confident, he fired the pass.
The pass was textbook—slightly high, right in Kasamatsu's preferred catch zone.
Kasamatsu took a breath, readied his shooting form—but suddenly his balance wobbled. He looked down—
Kuroko had stripped the ball!
"Damn it—when did he get here!?"
Before Kasamatsu could recover, Kagami was already sprinting full speed toward Kaijo's basket, eyes burning with determination.
"This one… I'll fire the trigger for sure!"
Kuroko's pass zipped across half-court, landing perfectly in Kagami's hands.
From the free throw line, Kagami took off, his body stretching mid-air, ball cocked back — Meteor Jam locked and loaded!
Behind him, Kise's eyes narrowed, golden light flashing — Perfect Copy: Murasakibara. But even then, he knew: This time, the Kuroko-Kagami connection was flawless. He couldn't fully stop Kagami.
So be it then.
Kise jumped anyway, though his form lacked full power. Kagami soared higher— but Kise wasn't aiming for the ball.
SMACK!
The loud slap echoed—hand contact.
BEEP!
Kaijo foul—shooting foul.
Seirin, two free throws.
Kagami's trigger…jammed.