Kagami turned his gaze toward Tendou, eyes burning with intensity.
Right from the tipoff, Yōsen showcased their legendary defense.
Seirin, one of Tokyo's "Four Emperors," had a well-known style.
Their gameplay centered on speed—their victories built around relentless fast-break offense.
That's the essence of a run-and-gun team—
Quick, explosive, and deadly once they find their rhythm.
But today, they were facing a massive challenge.
Against Yōsen's ironclad wall,
Their first three offensive possessions ended in complete failure.
"So… this is what it really feels like when you're facing them for real…"
Aida Riko frowned deeply on the sideline.
Kirisaki Daiichi had already shown the blueprint at Nationals—
Speed up the game. Push the tempo. Force transitions.
Yōsen's "Triple Towers" were terrifying in the half-court,
Their interior defense second to none in the nation.
But in terms of mobility?
They were arguably the slowest of all the powerhouse teams.
Riko entered this game hoping to replicate Kirisaki Daiichi's success.
From the start, Seirin used rapid passes and off-ball movement to generate looks—
But Yōsen shut it all down.
"Seirin's pushing the pace pretty hard."
Kirisaki Daiichi gave them a blueprint, and Seirin's a fast-paced team to begin with.
It's only natural to try and mimic them."
Midorima watched the court attentively.
If it had been Shūtoku facing Yōsen instead,
They probably would've tried something similar.
Yōsen's three towering bigs created immense pressure inside.
Playing a slow, methodical game against them?
But Midorima didn't fear Yōsen's height—
Because Shūtoku had the most lethal perimeter firepower in the country,
Allowing them to bypass Yōsen's strength entirely.
Aida Riko continued racking her brain.
After a quick calculation,
She realized Seirin's biggest problem right now wasn't shooting.
In a typical game, a team's field goal percentage tends to hover around 50–60%.
Fifty percent is average,
Sixty is enough to win,
And if a team ever hits 70% or more, it's usually a blowout.
But in high-stakes matches between elite teams,
Both sides are clawing for every point—
It's hard for anyone to maintain high percentages.
In this single-elimination match,
She believed her team—hardened by battles against Shūtoku and Tōō—could manage a 50% shooting rate.
Yōsen's defense was strong,
But they couldn't erase every shot attempt.
Every missed rebound meant a second-chance opportunity for Yōsen.
So even if both teams had similar shooting efficiency,
Yōsen would still have the edge in points.
"That's why Kirisaki Daiichi focused so hard on transition offense—
They kept speeding the game up to avoid those rebounding battles."
Seirin had the speed,
But they were still missing something vital.
Alex Garcia wouldn't miss a matchup —
A battle between "brothers."
Watching Seirin struggle,
Her gaze instinctively shifted to the stands.
In the summer, Tendou had absolutely dismantled Yōsen's perimeter defense.
He'd even cut off their interior offense entirely.
There were times when Yōsen couldn't even get the ball inside to their big men.
Kirisaki Daiichi didn't just outrun them.
Their defense was arguably even better than their offense.
Seirin scored their first field goal of the game.
After bricks from Hyūga and both Kagami and Kiyoshi being smothered at the rim,
Using his Phantom Shot to pierce Yōsen's defense.
The ball seemed to pass straight through Murasakibara's outstretched hand,
And dropped clean through the net.
"It's started... That guy, Tetsuya… Only he would think of a shot like that."
Aomine smiled at his old friend's success.
He's still as unique as ever."
Akashi arrived just then, walking over.
"Akashi? You came too?"
"Well, seeing everyone else here, I couldn't help myself.
Basketball's more fun when we watch together, right?"
He leaned against the railing with a soft smile.
Kuroko's basketball couldn't win.
But now, with Kagami Taiga, things had changed.
"Because Kuroko doesn't want to be left behind."
Kise joined them as well.
"The disappearing shot, the vanishing dribble—
The moment they stood together,
Everyone in the stands turned to stare.
One... two... three... four... five... six—
All six members of the Generation of Miracles were here.
That alone was enough to make the air feel heavier.
They were the creators of:
The longest win streak in middle school history
The most lopsided victories ever recorded
Three consecutive national championships…
Teikō's legacy was legendary.
It would be remembered forever.
"It's just… too flashy," Tendou leaned against the railing, exhaling lightly.
Akashi gripped the railing with one hand and nodded.
"You're right. It's almost too much."
Kise tilted his head. "I think it's really cool." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novelFirｅ.net
"I think Kuroko is just… different from us," Akashi said quietly.
"He's the shadow. At this rate, his visual misdirection might not last the entire Winter Cup."
How long would it hold out?
Even Tendou wasn't sure.
Akashi glanced his way—hoping perhaps Tendou could tell.
But Tendou shook his head.
He didn't know either.
Kuroko's misdirection had lasted well into Rakuzan in the original story.
But how long could he really sustain it?
Even Tendou couldn't say.
"But still... don't you feel something's missing?" Aomine muttered, staring at the court.
Kuroko's Phantom Shot had broken the scoring drought for Seirin.
He wasn't hogging the ball—
He passed based on the situation and set up his teammates.
He had already mastered the vanishing dribble,
Developed the Phantom Shot after the Tōō match,
And now, thanks to Mayuzumi Chihiro's inspiration, he had completed it before the Winter Cup even began.
Seirin wanted an inside scoring threat.
Right now, Kagami was locked in a constant battle with Yōsen's Triple Towers in the paint.
"Maybe it's strategy," Aomine mused.
"Hyūga and Kuroko alone won't be enough to break Yōsen.
If they want to win, they need interior scoring too."
They had to defend the paint as well.
Akashi saw the full picture.
Seirin was clearly trying to replicate Kirisaki Daiichi's success.
But they couldn't completely sever Yōsen's inside game like Tendou's team had.
So they could only rely on Kagami and Kiyoshi to try and manage it the hard way.
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