Back in middle school, after Seijuro Akashi said the words, "If you want to attack, then steal the ball yourself," Teikō gradually fell into a style of constant one-on-one play.
It was around that time that Daiki Aomine became extremely selfish with the ball.
After entering high school, that tendency only grew stronger.
Because his teammates weren't strong enough.
If I pass the ball and they can't score, then why should I pass?
That thought gradually took root in Aomine's mind, and from then on, he stopped passing the ball.
On the court.
Aomine had finally reached a conclusion.
If even I can't score, how could you possibly score?
Aomine closed his eyes and ultimately decided to keep playing solo.
Although Kirisaki Daiichi had been constantly moving the ball and playing as a team, Aomine understood something very clearly.
The reason Kirisaki Daiichi played so smoothly was because their players were strong.
They could score on their own, so their passing naturally flowed well.
But his teammates couldn't.
Maybe they could handle other opponents, but against Kirisaki Daiichi…
Absolutely not.
"Beep! Tōō High requests a timeout!"
The referee blew the whistle, and both teams returned to their benches to rest and discuss tactics.
After stepping off the court, Shuzo Nijimura watched Aomine's back and asked:
"Miyamoto, do you think that brat Aomine will understand?"
Miyamoto shook his head.
"I don't know."
To be honest, even he couldn't guarantee anything now.
Aomine's refusal to pass was even more extreme than in the original story.
In the original version, Aomine might still pass occasionally when cornered.
But now…
It was hard to say.
Miyamoto turned to look at Satsuki Momoi—his girlfriend and also the strategist of the team.
"Momoi, do you think Aomine will change?"
Momoi shook her head firmly.
"Aomine won't pass."
Nijimura frowned in confusion.
"Why? They're already in a desperate situation. Aomine can't even score right now."
"And we even left his teammates open. He should pass, shouldn't he?"
Momoi shook her head again.
"No."
"Right now Aomine is probably trapped in a misunderstanding… no, more like a dead end."
Haizaki looked puzzled.
A dead end?
"Miss Momoi, what dead end?"
Momoi continued explaining:
"Aomine's habit right now is playing solo. In his mind, there's probably a closed loop of thinking."
"And that idea is…"
"If I can score, why should I pass?"
"And if I can't score, then what makes you think you can?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone fell silent.
Yeah.
That was completely in line with Aomine's personality right now.
If I can score myself, why should I pass?
And if even I can't score, why would passing to someone weaker help?
Nijimura sighed helplessly.
"Looks like we've got a long way to go."
"I seriously don't know what's gotten into that brat Aomine. He's gotten this stubborn."
Haizaki still had a question.
"Nijimura-senpai, Aomine is already that strong. Why are you all so determined to make him pass?"
Nijimura smiled mysteriously.
"Haizaki, remember this sentence carefully."
"It's important."
Haizaki immediately straightened up and listened attentively.
Nijimura smiled and said:
"Basketball is a five-man sport."
...
"Beep! Timeout over! Both teams back on the court!"
Both teams stood up and returned to the court.
This time, Aomine's eyes looked even more determined.
It was obvious he had already convinced himself that his style of play wasn't wrong.
Miyamoto smiled helplessly and asked:
"Aomine, still planning to play solo?"
Aomine nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Miyamoto."
"After all, I don't think they can score against you guys anyway."
His voice wasn't loud, but every teammate behind him heard it clearly.
Kosuke Wakamatsu, unusually, didn't rush forward to argue. He simply gave a bitter smile and said nothing.
Ryo Sakurai looked aggrieved, muttering quietly:
"Sorry, sorry, sorry…"
There was no helping it.
Even though Aomine's words were blunt, they were the truth.
They simply couldn't beat the other players of Kirisaki Daiichi.
Miyamoto took in the expressions of Tōō's players.
With a sigh, he patted Aomine on the shoulder and asked:
"Tell me, Aomine."
"Have you already stood before the second Gate?"
Aomine froze.
Then he asked in shock:
"Miyamoto… you know about the second Gate?"
"Does that mean you…"
Miyamoto smiled mysteriously.
"Find the gatekeeper."
"Otherwise, you'll never be able to push open the second Gate."
After saying that, Miyamoto turned and walked away.
Aomine was left standing there, muttering to himself.
"Gatekeeper… gatekeeper… gatekeeper!"
"Where the hell is a gatekeeper supposed to be?!"
Just as Aomine was wondering how a gatekeeper could even exist, his vision suddenly went dark.
When his sight returned, he found himself standing in front of a solemn, towering Gate.
Aomine's pupils shrank violently.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Because the place that originally had only one Gate…
now had two.
Two Gates.
One black.
One blue.
The black Gate was surrounded by thick, swirling black mist, completely hiding its true appearance.
Through the fog, you could barely make out the outline of a Gate.
And standing before that black mist…
was a person.
Or rather, a figure entirely made of mist.
The most terrifying part was above the figure's head.
There was a massive cloud of mist.
And at the center of that mist, a faint red glow flickered—as if it could swallow everything whole.
However, Aomine had no idea what it was.
All he knew was that the moment he glanced at the black mist Gate, his legs began to lose control.
With great effort, Aomine forced himself to turn his head away so he wouldn't look at it anymore.
After turning away, he began breathing heavily, cold sweat soaking through his back.
He hadn't expected that simply standing in front of a Gate could make him break out in sweat like this.
After a while, Aomine finally felt control return to his body.
He couldn't help muttering a curse.
"What the hell is that thing…?"
Taking several deep breaths, Aomine steadied himself and turned to look at the other Gate.
This Gate looked completely normal.
It was identical to the second Gate he had seen before.
The only difference was that this time, someone was standing in front of it as well.
A shadowy figure.
So indistinct that the only thing Aomine could clearly make out…
was the figure's height.
And that height…
wasn't tall.
...