"The First Team vs. the Second Team, elimination match for the last spot—begin!"
The opening tip-off came as a surprise, with the Second Team securing possession.
Not long after, within the view of the first-year regulars watching from the stands, one of the First Team's bottom-ranked players suddenly looked like a headless fly, darting left and right with panic all over his face.
"!"
Huh?
The player he had been guarding all this time…
That blue-haired kid…
Where did he go?!
Meanwhile, on the Second Team's side, the point guard was carefully scanning for an opening. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kuroko Tetsuya appeared beside him, signaling for the ball. Startled but acting on instinct, the point guard passed it to him.
Only after releasing the ball did he realize
Wait, what?!
Where did he come from?
I was watching the whole court, and I didn't notice him at all!
Before he could even process it, the unbelievable happened.
As soon as the ball touched Kuroko's hands, he gave it a sharp push.
To everyone watching, it looked like the Second Team's point guard had passed into empty space. But in the next instant, the ball took a sudden ninety-degree turn mid-flight, like lightning bending in the air!
"…"
A sudden curve?!
What the hell just happened?!
Wait—when did that guy get there?!
The unexpected redirect left the opposing players dumbfounded. Even Kuroko's own teammates were shocked—after all, his skills had only been shown during the Third Team days. The teammate who caught the ball right under the hoop froze for a moment before Kuroko shouted:
"Shoot!"
"Ah?!"
"R-Right!"
Finally snapping back to his senses, the Second Team player scored.
"Huh?! It went in?!"
"What just happened?!"
"The pass completely changed direction—it was redirected midair! No, it wasn't luck, it was that guy, Kuroko Tetsuya!"
On the sidelines, the First Team players were left speechless, stunned by this unbelievable display. Among them, Haizaki Shōgo's eyes glimmered faintly with pride.
Hmph,
What's the fuss about?
On court, Kuroko began to shine.
His unpredictable presence—appearing out of nowhere—and his elusive passing made it impossible to track where the Second Team's offense would emerge.
For once, the Second Team was pressing the First Team hard, even if it was just the elimination match for the bottom spots.
"How is he here again?!"
"What's going on?!"
"No way…"
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
In the stands, Midorima Shintarō narrowed his sharp eyes, trying desperately to follow Kuroko's movements.
But…
It wasn't working.
The passes were incredible, yes, but what truly unsettled him was Kuroko's vanishing act. No matter how weak someone's presence might be, it shouldn't be possible to lose sight of them completely with just a moment's distraction.
It was as if he had really disappeared from the court.
The principle behind it…
What on earth was it?
At that moment, as Aomine watched with eyes sparkling like a child discovering a new toy, Shuzo Nijimura finally spoke up.
"Misdirection."
"A technique often used in magic to guide an audience's attention."
Aomine's grin widened, while Akashi and Midorima's eyes went sharp with interest.
"For example, if your right hand makes an exaggerated motion to draw the audience's eyes, then your left hand can prepare for the actual trick. This isn't only for magic—it applies elsewhere, too. Kuroko's technique is the same.
Because of how the human eye works, it naturally follows faster movements. If someone suddenly turns their head, our gaze instinctively follows. There are many such habits.
By exploiting them, you can manipulate where people look. That's misdirection—redirecting vision."
"As for Kuroko Tetsuya, he applies misdirection to basketball. Before attacking, he shifts his defender's eyes toward the ball or another player, so their focus drifts off him.
And combined with his naturally faint presence, this becomes his greatest talent. Put together, it makes him seem like he's vanished entirely."
Even if some didn't fully grasp the explanation, seeing Akashi, Midorima, and even Haizaki nod in agreement was enough for Aomine to follow along too.
"Eh~"
"So that's how it is~"
"Hm?"
Aomine noticed Murasakibara munching noisily beside him. Leaning in, he jabbed him with his elbow, whispering, "Hey, you even get what he just said?"
"Vision control, right~? Don't you get it, Aomine~?"
"…"
"…Yeah, I get it."
I get that you don't get it, idiot.
Then, Akashi suddenly spoke.
"I see. So the reason Senpai and Vice-Captain Shigure recommended Kuroko so strongly was because they recognized this unique ability and guided him?"
Nijimura nodded.
"Yes. Shigure was the first to notice how Kuroko's talent could be applied. Even the idea of 'misdirection' came from him.
But the training itself, Kuroko completed entirely on his own. And his results… have far surpassed my expectations."
Clap~
A hand landed casually on his shoulder.
Turning, he wasn't surprised—it could only be Akihito Shigure, the one with the audacity to interrupt like that.
Right now, he looked just like Aomine—eyes sparkling with curiosity, wearing a foolishly eager grin.
"Don't overstate it, Nijimura. All I did was point him in the right direction. As for how to actually achieve misdirection, the details were entirely your analysis. I had no idea.
But seeing this now…"
His grin widened.
"…you were completely right."
Akashi nodded slightly at that.
Coming from Shigure-senpai, known as a "technician" on the team, it wasn't surprising that he could conceptualize a new skill like this.
But still
He, too, had reached the same conclusion.
In that case…
Haven't I closed the gap between myself and Senpai, even just a little?
END OF CHAPTER
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