Aomine smiled in a predatory way, his eyes gleaming with an almost feral intensity. It had been a few minutes since he stood face to face with Sae, and for the first time in a long while, he felt something that had become far too rare: a real challenge.
It wasn't just another game, nor just another ordinary opponent he would surpass effortlessly. There was something different about that moment—something that made his blood boil and his heart pound in his chest.
It was the first time he had felt like this since he began dominating everyone around him. Final year of middle school… and yet, someone appeared out of nowhere to face him as an equal. That wasn't supposed to happen. Not anymore. And yet, there it was.
His body reacted before his mind could fully process the situation. His muscles were tense, ready, and his grin widened with every more unpredictable move. This was what he wanted. This was what he had always sought, even without admitting it.
Someone capable of climbing to the same level as him.
Someone who wouldn't break.
Someone who wasn't just another face in the crowd.
Standing before Aomine, Sae did not share that euphoria. His expression was calm—cold, even. His eyes analyzed every movement Aomine made through his Spatial Awareness. Under normal circumstances, he would be excited. After all, this was Aomine Daiki, the legendary player of the so-called Generation of Miracles.
But no—something was wrong. This wasn't what he had expected.
Sae narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the way Aomine moved—still fast, still instinctive, still impressive…
Aomine was someone with excessive confidence and refined movements. Yet, he made decisions on impulse—someone who had stopped training because he believed himself unreachable… and someone who had stopped out of boredom or fear… in the end, they weren't so different after all. Both were stagnant. Both had stopped growing.
It was like a chair missing one leg—it might hold itself up for a while, but with the right weight, the right angle… it would inevitably break.
Bam!
The ball slipped from Aomine's fingers at the exact moment his body gave out. His knees hit the court floor with a dull sound, echoing through the brief silence that settled around them. His breathing came heavy, uneven, as if every inhale carried the weight of everything that had just happened.
He was exhausted.
But it wasn't just physical fatigue.
It was something deeper.
In front of him, Sae remained standing, completely steady, as if he hadn't spent nearly any energy at all. The ball rested naturally in his hand, as if it were an extension of his own body. His turquoise eyes shone in an unusual way—thin, vertical pupils, reminiscent of a predator at the top of the food chain.
The aura around him seemed to ripple like water.
Aomine, on his knees, felt as if he were facing something far greater than a simple opponent. It was like staring down a tsunami about to crash—inevitable, overwhelming, impossible to stop.
Then, Sae spoke.
"If that's all… then we're done here, Aomine Daiki."
The ball bounced once against the floor, the sound echoing like a full stop to that match. Unhurried, Sae averted his gaze, as if Aomine was no longer the center of his attention.
His eyes met Momoi's.
"I think we can reschedule our meeting. I'm tired after that… until next time, Satsuki-san." His tone softened slightly when speaking to her, but not enough to conceal the underlying disinterest he still carried.
He had already seen enough. Sae turned his back without waiting for a response, beginning to walk away from the court with calm steps. Internally, however, his thoughts remained active.
He had left Momoi there on purpose.
Aomine would probably say something—about challenge, about excitement, about finally finding someone on the same level. It was predictable. Almost automatic.
But that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was the possibility. A miserably small chance.
That Aomine would listen… and evolve.
And more importantly… that Momoi would hand over her data to him afterward.
Maybe he would ignore it—or maybe not.
There was always a margin.
[Ding!]
The sound echoed abruptly in his mind, completely breaking the flow of his thoughts.
[You have defeated a member of the Generation of Miracles!]
[Reward obtained: 1x Affinity Skill]
"Huh…?"
For a brief moment, his step faltered.
"Days in silence… and then this, out of nowhere?!"
A vein pulsed lightly on his forehead, almost bursting, although his outward expression remained practically unchanged. Anyone looking from the outside would never notice the faint irritation that had arisen.
Almost.
He raised his hand to his face on reflex, but stopped midway. He took a breath, steadying himself, and then opened the system.
His eyes moved quickly over the information.
And then, they widened.
"No fucking way."
…
Back on the court, the contrast was striking.
Momoi watched in silence, her eyes fixed on Aomine, still kneeling on the ground. But, contrary to what anyone would expect after such a clear defeat…
He didn't look shattered, nor frustrated, nor downcast.
Aomine was smiling.
His breathing was still heavy, his chest rising and falling rapidly… but there was something different there. Something alive. Something intense.
He brought one hand to his face, partially covering his eyes as he let out a faint laugh, almost out of breath.
"Hah…"
Another.
"Hahaha…"
And then, louder.
"HAHAHA!"
Momoi blinked, surprised—that wasn't normal.
But for Aomine, it was perfect. His eyes gleamed through his fingers, filled with excitement.
"Finally…" His voice came out low, laced with pure euphoria. "Finally, someone who can take me down like this…"
He slowly lifted his gaze in the direction Sae had gone, as if he could still see him there. The smile on his face didn't fade—it only grew wider.
"This feels way too good…"
That feeling… Aomine couldn't ignore it.
It was warm. Intense. Almost suffocating—and yet, addictive.
He remained kneeling for a few more seconds, his breathing still heavy, as his mind revolved around what he was feeling. It wasn't frustration. It wasn't anger. Nor was it wounded pride.
It was… something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Excitement.
Just imagining playing against Sae again made his heart seem to bubble inside his chest, as if each beat was stronger than the last. His fingers tensed slightly against the court floor, as if they were already eager for the next clash.
Images began to form in his mind—faster dribbles, more unpredictable movements, plays pushed to the limit. He saw himself playing with everything he had, holding nothing back, free from the suffocating boredom that had dominated his recent games.
Clashing once more against someone of that level…
No.
Against someone who had surpassed him.
That stirred something deep within him.
Aomine slowly raised his head, his eyes still shining with that newly rekindled flame. The smile on his lips was no longer just amusement—now there was certainty in it.
Conviction.
"He's my rival…" His voice came out low at first, almost as if testing the words. Then, firmer. "Definitely… he's the one who can defeat me."
And, strangely…
That didn't bother him.
From the sidelines, Momoi watched in silence. Her eyes analyzed every subtle change in Aomine's expression—the spark that had returned, the posture slowly rebuilding itself, the energy beginning to overflow once more.
Then, she smiled.
A genuine, relieved smile.
Because that… was familiar.
It was the Aomine she knew. The Aomine who chased victory, not the one who already saw himself at the top.
For a brief moment, an almost absurd comparison crossed her mind—as if he had returned from somewhere far away, as if he had come back from the very realm of death.
And maybe, in a way, he really had.
"Welcome back, Aomine-kun…" she murmured softly, more to herself than to him, as she watched that rebirth unfold right before her eyes.