The gym was packed.
Teiko's opponents this time were Rakuzan Middle—a strong contender, known for their tight defense and disciplined offense. But no one expected them to win. After all, this was Teiko.
The Generation of Miracles.
The game began like any other. Gojo started on the bench, arms folded, sunglasses in place. Kuroko, silent and unreadable, warmed up with the rest.
First quarter: dominance. Aomine cut through defenders like a blade through paper. Midorima dropped threes with mechanical precision. Murasakibara barely had to jump to block shots.
But something was... off.
Kise hesitated before passing to Aomine. Midorima avoided eye contact with Gojo, who had been subbed in halfway through the quarter. The once-perfect rhythm of Teiko's offense stuttered, just slightly—but enough to show in the scoreboard.
End of first quarter: Teiko 22 – Rakuzan 20.
In the huddle, Akashi's voice was calm, but his eyes burned. "You're not following the plan."
No one answered.
Gojo leaned in. "Maybe the plan's broken."
A sharp silence.
Second quarter started. Gojo and Kuroko were on the floor together now. The moment they touched the ball, the energy changed.
No-look passes, alley-oops, behind-the-back lobs—it was chaos, but it worked. Rakuzan's defense scrambled to keep up. Teiko surged ahead.
But Aomine stopped moving. Midorima stopped shooting. Even Kise began playing like he was on a different team altogether.
It became clear: the Miracles weren't fighting the opponent anymore. They were fighting each other.
By halftime, the score was Teiko 40 – Rakuzan 38.
Back in the locker room, Akashi slammed his clipboard onto the bench.
"This team is not a stage for your ego," he hissed at Gojo.
Gojo didn't flinch. "And it's not a puppet show for your control."
Kuroko stood up, voice soft but firm. "You're both wrong."
They turned.
"We're losing the team, not the game," Kuroko said. "Because we stopped trusting each other."
Silence.
For a moment, even Akashi didn't speak.
Outside, the buzzer rang. Third quarter was starting.
And Teiko, the invincible, was about to find out what happened when gods turned on each other.