It was already dark in America, but Japan was at high noon.
Seirin Basketball Club.
Kuroko and Kagami arrived at the school's media room.
Izuki and the others had been waiting. Seeing them finally show up, he immediately complained, "You're too slow, Kagami. Didn't you say you wanted to watch?"
"Sorry, sorry..."
Kagami wanted to make excuses but couldn't think of any, so he gave up.
"Fine, just sit down already."
Izuki had them sit, then turned his attention to the TV screen.
Today, Tokyo was hosting a super street basketball exhibition game.
Perhaps because the domestic basketball atmosphere had improved so much in recent years, someone had organized this event.
They'd invited the internationally famous street ball team Jabberwock from America to play a friendly against a Japanese college all-star team.
The TV showed a female reporter at the venue.
Behind her was the site of the super street basketball exhibition.
"Everyone, can you hear this deafening cheering?"
"Behind me is the venue for the super street basketball exhibition match."
"Look—the venue is completely surrounded by passionate fans. The reason? Today's participating team is that super team."
The screen simultaneously cut to footage from the previous day—Jabberwock emerging from the airport.
The street ball team said to have dominated the entire world.
Jabberwock!
Average age: about 18. Young, but with flashy ball-handling that fans loved.
"Their skill level rivals NBA players!"
The female host said excitedly.
Their admiration for American strength was palpable.
The camera showed Jabberwock's full roster. Every single member was tall and imposing.
Then the scene cut to the venue, where a male host with a microphone was warming up the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"The super street basketball team Jabberwock's exhibition match is about to begin!"
Thunderous applause and cheering erupted.
Japan's basketball atmosphere really had improved. Inter-High viewership kept setting new records.
People had gotten used to watching games.
"Getting to see authentic American street basketball in Japan is so exciting."
"Yeah."
Kuroko and Kagami watched eagerly.
A teammate nearby had a peculiar expression. "But speaking of which, Kagetora-san is actually Jabberwock's local guide? Pretty impressive."
"How else would Coach and Hyūga have gotten tickets to watch in person?"
Izuki and the others chuckled quietly.
They'd long suspected their captain had something going on with their coach. The two of them gave off serious couple vibes.
Hyūga even cut Riko's hair sometimes.
"Wonder how their date is going."
Seirin was quite invested.
As they talked, both teams for today's match took the court.
One side: Japan's college all-star team.
The lineup included Kasamatsu Yukio, Imayoshi Shoichi, Okamura Kenichi, Miyaji Kiyoshi, and Kasuga Ryuhei.
"Here they are! Kasamatsu-senpai is on screen!"
Kise and others were also watching this match.
Seeing Kasamatsu, they started cheering.
Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara, even Akashi—all of them were tuned in.
With the Inter-High over and the Winter Cup still to come, they had no games to play. Of course they wouldn't miss this exhibition.
Facing the college team was Jabberwock, led by Nash Gold Jr.
Their captain Nash, center Jason Silver, shooting guard Nick, small forward Allen, and power forward Zack.
Two white players, three Black—that was the lineup.
The moment they stepped on court, Riko's eyes went wide.
The data she saw from Jabberwock's players was enough to shock her.
Then she looked at the college all-stars.
"They're on a completely different level!"
She had a bad feeling about this game.
But when play began, the situation completely defied her expectations.
Right from the start, Kasamatsu stripped Nash and started a fast break, with Miyaji finishing the layup.
Then Okamura caught an entry pass and powered through Jason Silver for a bucket.
Less than a minute in, the Japanese team had a dream 4-0 start, igniting the crowd.
And Jabberwock?
They just smiled and shook their heads, as if saying "of course" and "how boring." The disdain was evident.
They weren't playing seriously anymore—they just wanted this farce over with.
And so the college team, which had just begun to hope, faced a dimensional beat-down.
Nash moved first, using handles and footwork beyond Imayoshi's comprehension to make his defender look completely lost.
Then Nash suddenly spread his hands wide. Kasamatsu couldn't see the ball anywhere.
But the TV audience saw everything clearly—Nash had used godly technique to control the ball behind his back. When it dropped, he'd already thrown a no-look pass.
Allen caught and shot—three points.
"Amazing!"
Hyūga's jaw dropped.
This was a completely different level from them. Even Kasamatsu, who was just below the Uncrowned Kings, looked like a child against them.
Hyūga even felt Jabberwock had surpassed the Generation of Miracles.
But gradually, Hyūga and the others noticed something wrong.
After Nash humiliated Kasamatsu, Jabberwock's other players followed suit, each finding their own way to embarrass their opponents, making the college team look like fools.
"These guys are going too far!"
At Tōō, Aomine's face had gone completely dark.
Sure, showboating and taunting were part of street ball culture.
But doing it on every single possession? They were clearly treating the Japanese players like monkeys.
Over in Kanagawa, Kise's smile had long since vanished.
Kasamatsu was the senpai he respected most. Jabberwock was pissing him off.
Midorima, Murasakibara, Akashi, and the Kuroko-Kagami duo—all of them fell silent.
An inexplicable fury was building within them.
...
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