Kaijo calls a timeout.
Kota playfully slapped Kagami on the backside with a mischievous grin. Once again, Kise had cut off Kagami's trigger—even if it cost him another foul.
Takeuchi watched the visibly fuming Kagami, his face nearly black with frustration, and silently thought:
"This kid's a damn genius"
"You don't have to stick to him that tightly anymore" Kota said to Kise, glancing at the scoreboard.
"Keep some pressure on, but if he wants to enter the Zone—let him."
15-4, Kaijo holding a comfortable lead.
But the price Kise paid to keep Kagami out of the Zone wasn't cheap — two fouls already, and the first quarter wasn't even over. If Kise kept racking them up, Kaijo would only be digging their own grave.
Still, the impact of those two fouls was undeniable.
...
Seirin Bench
Kagami was rubbing his face in frustration. Multiple failed attempts to score had shaken his mindset. His naturally impatient nature didn't help—being targeted like this on the grand stage of the finals had him completely stuck.
Kuroko knocked lightly on his head, his voice cool and clear:
"Kagami-kun, you're not in a good place right now. Don't rush. Try to remember how it felt back then. Kaijo is strong — if you keep playing like this, our chances of a comeback will only shrink."
Kagami blinked, and the feeling of the fourth quarter against Rakuzan resurfaced in his mind.He nodded firmly, glancing across the court at Kaijo, battle-light reigniting in his eyes.
Timeout over. Both teams returned to the court.
Since Kaijo called the timeout after Kise's foul, Kagami's free throws had been delayed until now.
"Yo, Kagami-san—you're not gonna miss these, right?"
Kota stood with his hands on his hips, smiling teasingly.
Kagami ignored him, walked calmly to the free throw line, exhaled deeply, and took the ball from the referee, steadying his breathing.
Kota was a little surprised.
"With his temper, I thought he'd lose his cool after all that targeting."
Swish.Swish.
Both free throws sunk cleanly. Kuroko walked over, bumping fists with Kagami, exchanging a knowing smile.
Kota watched the exchange and clicked his tongue.
An angry Kagami wasn't scary. Only when he was calm like this could Seirin possibly reach the "state beyond the Zone".
That was the real threat—and what Kota feared the most.
Could Kota's Zone, paired with Kise's Perfect Copy, really beat Seirin at full strength?
Kota wasn't confident.
And he hated gambles he couldn't control.
Kaijo's possession. Kota dribbled past half court and noticed Kagami sticking close to Kise, which sparked a playful idea.
"Kagami-san" he called, eyes glinting. "Ever since I watched your game against Rakuzan, I've had this one question…"
Kagami glanced over, still shadowing Kise.
Kota smirked and waved him over provocatively.
"Akashi made you fall so easily, right? I don't think I'm any worse than him."
"Ha... Huh??"
The provocation hit like a slap. Kagami's veins popped; he wanted to yell for Izuki to switch but… he held back.
He breathed deeply, regaining his composure.
If he switched to guard Kota now, leaving Izuki on Kise, he could already imagine ten different ways Seirin would get scored on.
"Tch… not taking the bait, huh?"
Kota's grin faded slightly.
"The ones who bite don't bark."
"No fun then. Guess I'll have to take it out on you instead, Izuki-senpai."
Kota checked the shot clock—white lightning flashed through his eyes.
He made a simple drop step, seamlessly transitioning into a smooth, no-frills drive.
Izuki clenched his teeth, turned to keep up, and reached in for a steal—no way he'd just let himself get scored on.
But Kota's hairs stood on end — Danger Sense triggered.
He lifted his off-hand, swatted Izuki's arm aside, then subtly shoved him. Izuki lost his balance, stumbling back, nearly falling.
Without hesitation, Kota pulled up for a mid-range jumper—swish.
On the sideline, the referee frowned—there was contact, but it was borderline. After a moment's pause, he let it slide, signaling to the table.
Kaijo — two points.
Kota wasn't surprised. He'd already gauged the refs' leniency in the opening exchanges. With Born Actor in play, unless it was blatant, he could get through an entire game without drawing a foul.
"Don't worry about it, Izuki-senpai" Kuroko passed Izuki with a brief word of comfort before melting back into the court.
Izuki sighed — "Another one-on-one bucket over my head."
Akashi, Kota — why did they all just dominate him?
Dribbling up the court, Izuki glanced at the scoreboard.
20 seconds left in the first quarter.
"Sigh... So annoying. Now I have to manage the clock too. What if he steals it?"
"Slow it down! Slow it down."
Izuki held up a finger, signaling Seirin to position themselves. Across from him, Kota casually licked his lips, eyes locked on Izuki's dribble.
"Here we go again... he's gonna try for a steal."
But under the gaze of Izuki's Eagle Eye, Kota's slight movements didn't escape him.
"If I could just nail a three here, the momentum would shift… But… we're not on the same level. All I can do… is this!"
Izuki's eyes sharpened, and when Kota lunged for the gamble—he dodged cleanly!
With a sharp pull, Izuki whipped a pass into the paint for Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi caught it one-handed. He didn't check the clock — he trusted Izuki's timing.
Without hesitation, Kiyoshi spun, raised his left arm slightly to hold back Kobori, and flipped in a right-handed hook off the glass.
Seirin two points —
BEEP — end of the first quarter!
The ref blew the whistle twice. Seirin's buzzer-beater cut the lead to ten.
25-15, Kaijo leads.
Kota looked at Izuki and feigned surprise.
"Nice one, Izuki-senpai."
"It's just dodging a steal—not a big deal" Izuki muttered back, a little breathless but smiling nonetheless.