The Seihō vs. Yōsen matchup was set.
Basketball fans nationwide couldn't wait—they wished it would start immediately.
Every time Yuuto clashed with the Generation of Miracles, the sparks were unforgettable.
There was also an addictive sense of fate to it.
The feud between the Generation of Miracles and Yuuto had started in their second year of middle school—traceable back two, even three years.
That year.
The young Lion King Yuuto faced Teikō's merciless assault.
Despite dropping a game-high 50+ points, his fists couldn't match their numbers. He exited in bitter defeat.
The photo of him leaving the court that day still circulated in newspapers.
Everyone could feel his frustration and rage.
People assumed this lion king would share the fate of the Uncrowned Kings—going through all of middle school without a single championship, because Teikō was simply too dominant.
But a year later, the lion king returned to face Teikō.
He was stronger than before—and he'd brought stronger teammates to challenge them once more.
This time.
He created a miracle, defeating the so-called "strongest in history" Teikō and claiming the national title.
From that point on.
Yuuto and the Generation of Miracles seemed bound together, constantly mentioned in the same breath.
Thus—
Every clash between them sent fans into a frenzy.
But before that game, another matchup caught fans' attention.
Fukuda Sogo vs. Kaijō High.
"What's special about this game?"
Hyuuga Junpei's question was polite enough.
Everyone understood the current high school basketball landscape.
Yuuto sat on the throne. Behind him, the Generation of Miracles' various lords plotted to overthrow him.
Then came Seirin—a super dark horse with strength but lacking accolades and pedigree.
Beyond that, every other team was pretty much the same.
Kaijō happened to be one of those Generation of Miracles lords.
"The special thing about this game is that Fukuda Sogo's starting lineup includes—"
"Haizaki Shōgo?" Kagami asked, confused. "Who?"
"Homi Academy graduate, Fukuda Sogo first-year. The timeline and school all match up... could it be..."
The walking encyclopedia Koganei Shinji froze mid-sentence.
Then they saw Kuroko nod. "He's the teammate who helped us beat Teikō last year. Essentially Homi Academy's ace."
"What? He's Yuuto's right-hand man from Okukozome?"
The Seirin players' expressions changed immediately, their earlier dismissiveness gone.
Everyone now knew that Yuuto's victory over Teikō wasn't just due to his own absurd strength—he'd had excellent support.
Besides that quirky center still in Okukozome—the one who liked shooting threes from the arc while sticking his butt out—all four other starters had entered high school.
Shooting guard Sakurai Ryo was now Tōō's second-leading scorer, with lightning-quick, accurate three-pointers.
Another had joined the brand-new Seirin, becoming the Winter Cup's biggest dark horse—even defeating Tōō.
That was Kuroko Tetsuya, dubbed by media as the Lion King's left and right hand.
Now they'd encounter the final one at the Winter Cup.
"Kuroko, didn't you say before that he'd given up basketball?"
"Yes. After we won the championship, he did leave the court. I don't know why he's back."
Kuroko's expression was grave.
He knew Haizaki's personality all too well. Back at Homi, it was only Yuuto keeping him in check that made Haizaki somewhat manageable.
Now, with no one to restrain him, who knew what he'd become.
"So this is another grudge match between former Teikō and Homi players?"
Izuki Shun didn't know what to say.
The players from those two schools this generation—not a single ordinary one among them.
Every single one possessed overwhelming strength. They weren't being mythologized by fans—they really were that strong.
At that moment.
The game was about to begin.
Haizaki and Kise faced each other across the center line.
Neither spoke—just glared with murderous intent.
"Don't get in my way, Haizaki."
Finally, Kise broke the silence. No casual "little" prefix this time.
"Hmph. Like I care. Just let your basketball do the—"
Haizaki cut himself off mid-sentence.
Ever since returning to the court, those damn memories—being demolished by Yuuto—kept flooding back.
Kise found it strange but said nothing.
The referee brought out the ball.
The game began.
Jump ball.
Kaijō won first possession.
Right away, Haizaki locked onto Kise. Kasamatsu Yukio, seeing no opening, passed to a teammate who cut to the basket for an easy layup.
Fukuda Sogo answered immediately.
For the next three minutes, both teams traded baskets without either pulling away—the lead kept changing hands.
"His speed, strength, technique—all impressive. But there doesn't seem to be anything special." Hyuuga couldn't see what made Haizaki unique. But Kuroko beside him said, "It's about to start."
The moment he spoke—
Haizaki had the ball, guarded one-on-one by Kise.
Remember... it went something like this.
A brief recall, as if searching for his game feel.
The next second, Haizaki's entire body surged forward.
A jab step into a behind-the-back crossover, then mid-drive he bounced the ball off the floor, threading it through both his and Kise's legs—a double-nutmeg move.
"That's..."
"The move I just used!"
Kasamatsu Yukio gritted his teeth.
This monster—he'd known about him since a year ago.
Even with a new hairstyle and black-dyed hair, Kasamatsu recognized him instantly.
This guy possessed an ability similar to his team's ace.
"The same copying ability as Kise?"
"No. It's a more brutal pillaging!"
"Pillaging?!"
"Yes."
Kuroko's tone remained calm, but his teammates could hear the tension.
"It's not simple imitation. After copying, he uses powerful rhythm changes to subconsciously overwhelm his opponent. Once pillaged, a player temporarily loses their own technique!"
As he explained—
Kasamatsu had the ball again, attempting the same drive.
He wanted to see for himself whether his skill had truly been stolen.
The result was obvious.
Mid-nutmeg, the ball bounced off his own foot and went out of bounds.
"He actually turned it over—Kasamatsu of all people!"
"It's actually possible!"
In that moment, Seirin had no choice but to believe. Freaks like this really did exist.
This was even more lethal than Kise's copying—significantly so.
...
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