Kagami could feel it himself—his condition today was exceptional.
Ever since that first match against Seihō ended, Yuuto's figure constantly appeared in his mind.
Every cell in his body urged him relentlessly to defeat this opponent.
To defeat the strongest!
Outside the arena.
"Ugh, so cold. But I didn't expect Aomine to come watch the game with us."
Imayoshi Shoichi and the other Tōō players had arranged to watch the match together.
Their high school basketball careers were already over, but as basketball lovers, they wouldn't miss a game like this.
He was just surprised that the usually lone-wolf Aomine had chosen to join them.
"Did the sun rise from the west or something?"
"Shut up."
Aomine had originally planned to come with Momoi.
But when he left home, he heard from Momoi's mother that she had already left ahead of him.
No need to guess—that girl had definitely run off to watch the game with Sora again.
Almost simultaneously.
"Murasakibara actually came to watch a game instead of hiding at home eating snacks? The sun really must have risen from the west!"
Okamura Kenichi said almost the exact same thing as Imayoshi.
Murasakibara's response was similar to Aomine's.
"So annoying, W-chin!"
He didn't hold back at all, mocking his captain's oddly shaped chin.
"It really is a W-chin."
"Definitely a W-chin."
The Yōsen teammates joined in the teasing.
"It's just a little cleft! Is that really worth all this ridicule?"
Obviously yes—how many people in this world had W-shaped chins?
Fukui Kensuke was about to add his own jab when he heard Imayoshi's voice nearby.
"Oh, isn't this our friends from Yōsen? What a coincidence."
"Imayoshi? Haven't seen you since summer. Though we've both lost by now."
Okamura immediately returned to normal.
Better to keep the team's internal banter private.
They were old acquaintances who'd known each other for a while, so they gathered together to chat.
"Yo, first time seeing you since the Inter-High started." Aomine found Murasakibara, his old teammate.
The two groups naturally merged and walked into the arena together.
"Yeah, feels like forever since I've seen Mine-chin."
"Hmph, when are you going to drop that weird nickname? You sound just like Satsuki."
"Doesn't it sound nice?"
"It's not about whether it sounds nice or not. Forget it. Where's the guy with the hair covering one eye?"
"Muro-chin? He went with his master, I think."
Murasakibara was quite curious about Himuro Tatsuya's master.
But still.
He was more curious about the game's outcome.
"Hey, who do you think will win?"
"Yuuto. I can't even imagine that guy losing. But..."
Aomine thought of his old teammate, Kuroko Tetsuya.
"If Tetsu's there, they might just create a miracle. That's why I came to watch in person."
Kuroko?
Murasakibara couldn't deny that Kuroko had qualities worth learning from.
Like that persistence and determination. But relying on just that wasn't enough to beat Yuuto.
...
Thirty minutes until game time.
Right now.
Both Seihō and Seirin players had come to the court for final warm-ups.
"We meet again, Yuuto!"
Kuroko approached, ball in hand.
Yuuto was the only person whose name he didn't add honorifics to, because he knew Yuuto disliked being addressed that way.
The people around him also called him "Yuuto" or "Yu" casually.
"Ah, haven't seen you since that beach training camp."
Yuuto tossed the ball to a teammate and chatted with Kuroko for a bit.
"But I watched your games. Very impressive. I'm not surprised you made it this far."
"Thanks, but we..."
"The only one we want to beat is you, the King of Seihō!"
Kagami noticed them and walked over.
In just one day, his physical stats had improved somewhat.
Not by much, but his muscle endurance had improved unexpectedly well.
This guy, the top stamina monster in Kuroko no Basket—it was no joke.
"I know. Challenging the strongest is every player's instinct. I look forward to seeing what you've got."
"We'll definitely make you see us in a new light."
Kagami spoke with absolute conviction, fire seeming to burn in his eyes.
"After losing to you last time, I've been waiting every moment for the chance to face you properly in a real match!"
Already fully in the zone mentally.
Yuuto also noticed something different about Kagami. His entire being was coiled like a spring, ready to explode.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Finally, Yuuto's gaze swept over Kuroko as well.
This Phantom Sixth Man had also made his preparations.
Watching their game footage, Yuuto noticed Kuroko had been deliberately restraining his Misdirection in recent matches.
Presumably saving it for today—whenever the team needed it, he could activate Misdirection Overflow at any moment.
...
Warm-ups ended.
Both teams returned to their benches for final preparations.
Yamashita Shigeo asked Yuuto to say a few words, so he kept it brief.
"This journey with all of you has been enjoyable. But now, the five of us starters need to go claim something."
"Here, let me congratulate you in advance—Iwamura, Kasuga, Ōmuro—you've all received invitations from top university programs. Don't carry any mental burden. This is what you deserve."
"I can stake my name on it: you absolutely earned all of this."
"So—let's climb to the top of the nation one last time!"
YEAH!
Everyone put their hands together.
"Seihō!"
"VICTORY!"
With a unified roar, Yuuto slipped on the wristband he and Sora had named "Infinity" and led his team onto the court.
Both sides lined up at center court.
Seihō starters: Kasuga Ryuhei, Tsugawa Tomoki, Yuuto, Ōmuro Yoshiichi, Iwamura Tsutomu.
Seirin starters: Izuki Shun, Hyūga Junpei, Kuroko Tetsuya, Kagami Taiga, Kiyoshi Teppei.
"Let's have a good game!"
"Let's have a good game!"
The referee brought the ball out. Both teams took their positions for the final time.
For the jump ball, Kagami volunteered and won it against Iwamura with his superior leaping ability.
In an instant.
All ten players on the court burst into motion.
The ball reached Izuki Shun. Without hesitation, before Kasuga could press up, he immediately sent it to an empty area.
There, Kuroko's ghostly figure appeared, his arm fully loaded as he struck the ball hard.
Cyclone Pass!
Building on the Acceleration Pass with added spin, making the pass even more penetrating.
Of course.
It also demanded more from the receiver.
"Cyclone? I can't catch this kind of pass!" Hyūga was alarmed.
Kuroko realized the problem too—he'd been too hasty.
Facing Yuuto again, he couldn't calm his emotions.
Just as he was regretting it, Yuuto appeared to personally solve their problem.
BANG!
The ball had barely crossed half-court when Yuuto's large hand intercepted it. The pass that had been raging like an angry beast was now like a tamed cat, resting obediently in Yuuto's palm.
"Calm down, Kuroko. The game just started."
...
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