Chapter One Hundred One: Birth of the Kanto Final Four
The referee's whistle pierced the air, signaling the end of timeout. Both teams returned to the court.
Kagami walked beside Hyuga, looking slightly uncomfortable. He scratched his head and spoke in a low voice. "Hyuga-senpai, I'm really sorry about earlier..."
"Hm?" Hyuga glanced back at him, his tone flat. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it."
Kagami visibly relaxed.
"After the game ends, I'll beat the crap out of you to make myself feel better." Hyuga adjusted his glasses with complete seriousness.
"Huh?!"
"What do you mean 'huh'? Your attitude back there was absolutely terrible."
"Ugh... I understand."
"But—" Hyuga's tone softened as his gaze shifted to the court. "For now, focus up and let's win this game first!"
"Yes!!" Kagami responded, fighting spirit blazing in his eyes.
Timeout ended. The game continued. Kuroko returned to the floor.
Seirin's possession.
"Oh? That guy's back on the court?" Mitsui immediately locked onto Kuroko with heightened awareness. "But I've already figured out your passing completely."
Seirin inbounded from the baseline. Izuki controlled the tempo, pushing past halfcourt with noticeably more patience than before.
"Looks like their adjustment actually worked. Kagami isn't charging in recklessly like before." Kise observed from the stands.
"Stabilizing the tempo is good," Kasamatsu said calmly, arms crossed. "But whether they can actually turn the situation around is still hard to say."
"Kuroko's having trouble passing like he did in the first half, right? Putting him back in at this point carries serious risk. Can he really be the key to breaking through?"
"He definitely can!" Kise's tone carried absolute, unreserved trust.
Kasamatsu glanced at him but said nothing more.
On the court, with Mitsui redirecting his defensive attention to Kuroko, the pressure on Hyuga's shoulders suddenly lightened.
Although the substitute defender Sakuragi possessed excellent athletic ability that made finding clean looks difficult, his defensive experience remained insufficient. Hyuga could still accomplish other things.
"Swish!"
Hyuga caught Izuki's pass and used a pump fake to lift Sakuragi, then quickly sliced past him toward the paint.
This time, however, Hyuga chose not to force a shot. He knew he couldn't shake Sakuragi that easily. After surveying his teammates' movement, he quickly fired the ball to Kuroko coming out to receive.
Mitsui immediately pressured Kuroko. "It's useless! I've already figured out your rhythm!"
"Then I'll just change my rhythm." Kuroko's response was perfectly calm. This time his pass wasn't as concealed as before—instead, there was a small preparatory motion, like gathering power.
Mitsui predicted the passing lane precisely and reached to intercept! But—
"THUD!"
A heavy sound!
The ball exploded from Kuroko's hands, accelerating into an orange blur nearly invisible to the naked eye, threading through Mitsui's fingertips!
On the other side, Kagami cut to the basket, catching this cannonball pass at the perfect moment and rising into the air!
Akagi jumped to contest, his massive frame blocking the rim.
"Smack!"
Kagami didn't challenge Akagi head-on. Instead, he hammered the ball toward the floor.
The basketball bounced precisely, threading past Akagi's side and reaching the temporarily open Mitobe's hands.
Mitobe easily finished the layup.
[Seirin 53 - Shohoku 55]
"Beautiful! You can do that?!" Sendoh couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "He's really taken passing to another extreme."
"Yeah." Yagami's eyes gleamed. "Mitsui-senpai clearly predicted the direction, but he couldn't intercept because the passing speed and power suddenly increased."
After gradually adapting to Kuroko's off-ball movement patterns, Yagami now observed his passing technique and felt genuine appreciation.
Overall, Kuroko's passing style could be divided into two modes:
The first was the "standard version"—relying on clever timing and concealed wrist movements, using a momentary tap to change the ball's direction, silently delivering it to teammates' hands.
The other was what they'd just witnessed—the "accelerated version." It featured an obvious gathering motion, clear passing target, sacrificed some concealment, but gained cannonball-like speed and power that made interception nearly impossible.
Change of possession. Shohoku's offense.
After Kuroko returned to the floor, he definitely injected Seirin's offense with more unpredictable variations. However, the flip side was that he inevitably became an absolute defensive liability.
Sakuragi actually benefited greatly from this.
In the process of facing Kuroko's defense, he gradually adapted to maintaining his shooting rhythm under pressure. In a sense, this game had become Kuroko's tailor-made "contest shooting training" for him.
"Swish!"
Sakuragi received Miyagi's pass in the right post. Facing Kuroko's defense, he no longer hesitated. Lower shoulder, jump, release—the motion flowed smoothly, the ball tracing a stable arc—
"Swish!"
Nothing but net!
[Seirin 53 - Shohoku 57]
Change of possession. Seirin's offense.
Izuki pushed the ball past midcourt and passed to Kagami on the right wing, then immediately moved left to set a solid screen for Hyuga.
Kagami caught the ball and attacked without hesitation, driving hard.
Just as Shohoku's defense collapsed, Kagami decisively kicked the ball to the wing.
The basketball didn't fly directly to Hyuga, but instead went first to the seemingly open Kuroko. Mitsui quickly closed out, ready to apply pressure.
However, Kuroko's touch time was almost negligible. His wrist flicked at an extremely concealed angle, and the ball suddenly changed direction, drawing a bizarre arc through the air, bypassing the defense and flying precisely to Hyuga, who'd used the screen to find space!
"That type again?!" Mitsui's heart jumped. He hadn't expected Kuroko to switch back to this unpredictable rhythm without warning.
Hyuga caught the ball cleanly beyond the arc. Sakuragi fought over the screen, but his contest came half a beat too late.
"Swish!"
Clean stroke, three-pointer!
[Seirin 56 - Shohoku 57]
Seirin executed nearly perfect team offense, closing the gap once again.
Coach Anzai unconsciously straightened in his seat. This situation was exactly what he least wanted to see.
Kagami's physical gifts matched Sakuragi's, plus he possessed excellent on-ball scoring ability. Without question, he was Seirin's ace.
However, Coach Anzai's mind remained calm.
Kagami's offense remained immature—mostly relying on powerful dunks and finishes near the rim. His mid-range and perimeter shooting consistency wasn't enough to constitute a lethal threat.
Shohoku's interior featured Akagi and Sakuragi, sufficient to effectively limit Kagami's attack patterns. Even if he occasionally scored, as long as Shohoku could respond equivalently on offense, the situation remained under control.
More importantly, with such an energy-draining, aggressive playing style, it was hard to imagine Kagami could maintain this intensity until the final buzzer.
But Kuroko's return to the floor changed everything.
This "Phantom Sixth Man" reconnected Seirin's offensive flow, ensuring the scoring burden no longer fell solely on Kagami.
When Izuki, Hyuga, and others became activated, Seirin's offense became three-dimensional and difficult to defend. The pressure on Kagami's shoulders dramatically decreased, and the spacing created by his teammates made him even more dangerous.
Coach Anzai had originally estimated they'd secure victory in the third quarter. Now it seemed closing the net would require a bit more time.
"Tweet!"
The third quarter buzzer sounded.
[Seirin 72 - Shohoku 74]
The electronic scoreboard showed the score remained tight.
Seirin's offense flowed smoothly. If they kept clinging to the score like this, a fourth-quarter comeback wouldn't be surprising.
In Seirin's huddle, morale ran high. They seemed to always play these kind of comeback games lately. A mere two-point deficit with an entire quarter remaining—they had plenty of confidence.
In the stands, the Ryonan players heatedly discussed the game situation.
"Can't believe that even with Akagi completely dominating the paint, Seirin's still hanging close." Uozumi crossed his arms, his tone carrying disbelief.
"Kuroko Tetsuya, strange point guard. Kagami Taiga, very strong." Even Fukuda couldn't help offering his concise assessment.
Ikegami analyzed thoughtfully: "Mitsui's performance this game is being suppressed by their captain Hyuga. Looks like he needs more work on defense. Same with Rukawa—he and Kagami are trading buckets, but Kagami's obviously doing more in other areas."
"The fourth quarter's gonna be intense..." Koshino sighed.
Coach Taoka had been silently listening to his players' discussion, his brow slightly furrowed. He suddenly asked: "Sendoh, Yagami—what do you two think? Who's going to win?"
Yagami and Sendoh exchanged glances. Both clearly had definite answers.
"Shohoku." They spoke in unison.
"Huh? It's only a two-point game. Victory's still up for grabs, isn't it?" Aida asked, confused.
"The situation's actually quite obvious." Coach Taoka nodded with satisfaction. "What Seirin can accomplish against Shohoku has probably reached its absolute limit."
"Coach Anzai will definitely adjust in the fourth quarter," Yagami added calmly, his gaze sharp. "After observing the third quarter, Seirin's fatal offensive weakness has become crystal clear."
"Exactly." Sendoh chimed in, a hint of regret in his eyes. "At the end of the day, that kid can only pass..."
---
The fourth quarter began. Shohoku's possession.
Miyagi pushed past halfcourt, surveyed the situation, and chose to pass to Sakuragi posting up on the wing—this had become Shohoku's standard opening sequence in the late third quarter.
Seirin adjusted quickly. Kagami didn't hesitate to leave his assignment Rukawa and collapse toward the paint for help defense.
Rukawa stood open, but Sakuragi completely ignored him, clearly unwilling to pass.
"So that's it!" Aida Riko's eyes suddenly lit up. If only they'd discovered this earlier!
"Sakuragi, pass the ball!" Kogure shouted from the sideline.
But Sakuragi acted as if he hadn't heard, forcing a shot through the double-team.
"CLANG!" The ball crashed hard off the back iron, bouncing high.
"That idiot!" Akagi cursed under his breath, preparing to jump for the rebound.
But Mitobe had already planted his feet, using every ounce of strength to pin Akagi behind him, refusing to budge!
Kagami crashed into the paint, jumping for the second effort, targeting the rebound falling toward Akagi.
"!!??"
"Kagami, watch out!" Panicked shouts erupted from Seirin's bench.
Kagami felt intense danger approaching!
Rukawa launched from behind Kagami, fully extending his body in mid-air. His right hand reached above Kagami's apex, grabbing the falling ball first and viciously jamming it through the rim over Kagami, who hadn't fully reacted yet!
"BOOM!!"
Kagami stumbled forward several steps after landing.
Rukawa had just posterized Kagami with a thunderous putback dunk!
[Seirin 72 - Shohoku 76]
"???"
The entire arena fell into stunned silence before drowning in an eruption of noise.
"RUKAWA! RUKAWA!"
"Idiot, I don't need your passes." Rukawa shot Sakuragi a cold glance, his expression emotionless as he sprinted back on defense.
"ARGH! Damn you, fox!" Sakuragi looked even angrier than anyone on Seirin.
---
Change of possession. Seirin's offense.
The instant Seirin's players reached their positions, they discovered with shock that Shohoku's defensive formation had undergone a massive transformation!
Kuroko stood completely abandoned!
Mitsui locked onto Hyuga. Miyagi collapsed inside the arc. And the supposedly feuding Rukawa and Sakuragi now flanked Kagami on both sides with coordinated pressure, implementing an early double-team!
"How... how is this possible...?" Coach Aida's pupils constricted, her mind going blank.
Shohoku's defensive scheme spread like a net, completely enveloping every player Seirin wanted as a scoring option!
At this moment, Aida clearly felt that in tactical chess, an insurmountable gap existed between herself and that calm "White-Haired Buddha" sitting across the court.
"Just as I thought." In the stands, Yagami understood. Coach Anzai's response matched his earlier prediction perfectly.
No matter how ghostly Kuroko's passing, it ultimately required a stable finisher to convert into points. And Kuroko himself lacked the ability to score independently—once strategically ignored, his threat diminished dramatically!
But Coach Anzai's execution proved even more thorough than Yagami anticipated.
Coach Anzai even made sacrifices regarding Izuki—defending drives but not jumpers, gambling on his perimeter shooting percentage rather than allowing him to easily connect passes or drive-and-kick, completely strangling Seirin's offensive flow!
Inside, Mitobe was helpless against Akagi's power. Outside, their only reliable shooter Hyuga was completely locked down by Mitsui. And their lone aggressive threat Kagami found himself drowning in double-team pressure, even catching the ball proving extraordinarily difficult.
Seirin's offensive system seemed to have its spine ripped out in an instant!
Izuki dribbled futilely on the perimeter, his vision scanning the court only to discover in despair that not a single reliable passing outlet existed! Kagami fought for position through the double-team, every hand raise accompanied by fierce physical contact.
The shot clock ticked away second by second.
"Swish!"
With no alternative, Izuki could only launch a three-pointer under Miyagi's "token" contest.
"CLANG!"
Predictably, the ball crashed hard off the rim, bouncing high.
Akagi secured the defensive rebound cleanly.
Miyagi received the outlet and showed no rush, calmly controlling the tempo. He patiently waited for Akagi to establish position in the frontcourt before slowly advancing past halfcourt.
Facing Seirin's still-dazed players, he chose the most reliable method—lobbing the ball high into the paint.
Akagi caught the entry pass in the deep post, back against the helpless Mitobe. With a simple, quick baseline spin, he used a soft runner to guide the ball cleanly through the net.
[Seirin 72 - Shohoku 78]
Change of possession. Seirin's offense.
The suffocating feeling on the court didn't dissipate—it only intensified with each passing moment.
Izuki tried using his speed to force penetration, searching for any crack, but Miyagi shadowed him like a ghost, using precise footwork and physical contact to keep him confined to the perimeter.
Left with no choice, Izuki kicked the ball to the only open man—Kuroko.
Kagami continued calling for the ball. Kuroko cleverly delivered a bounce pass through traffic, threading it to his hands.
But the situation didn't change.
Even Kagami struggled mightily under Rukawa and Sakuragi's trap. Under their tight pressure and harassment, forget attacking the rim—he could barely maintain his dribble, like a beast caught in quicksand.
The basketball became a hot potato, quickly kicked back out to Kuroko's hands. Without a moment's hesitation, he transferred it to Hyuga, who'd used a screen to create slight separation.
Miyagi had excellent positioning on Izuki. Mitsui fought quickly over the screen.
Hyuga had no choice. He had to force a contested three-pointer!
"CLANG!"
Another harsh sound of iron. The ball missed the rim again.
Akagi grabbed another defensive rebound!
"Push it!"
Shohoku's players established frontcourt position. Akagi continued receiving entry passes for post isolation.
Kagami could only crash inside to help.
Akagi saw this and kicked the ball outside without hesitation. Rukawa caught it beyond the arc, space wide open before him.
He didn't hesitate. Bend knees, rise, release!
"Swish!"
The ball traced a perfect arc through the air, splashing through cleanly!
[Seirin 72 - Shohoku 81]
Nine points!
The gap had been ripped open to a dangerous margin in the blink of an eye!
In the stands, many spectators still hadn't fully comprehended how that suffocating sequence of possessions had unfolded. They only understood one fact viscerally:
Seirin's previously flowing offense had been brutally strangled by Shohoku's suddenly elevated defensive intensity, as if crushed by an invisible hand!
"Tweet!"
"Seirin requests timeout."
Aida Riko used her last timeout. Her mind swirled in chaos, the sudden reversal far exceeding her expectations.
One moment ago, she'd been excited about discovering the crack in Shohoku's armor—the friction between Sakuragi and Rukawa—already imagining leveraging it for a comeback. The next moment, Seirin's entire offensive foundation crumbled to dust.
The secret weapon who'd repeatedly performed miracles for the team—Kuroko—now looked so pale and powerless on the court, almost zero impact!
No, considering his defensive liability, his presence currently carried negative value for the team!
Kuroko hung his head, as if transported back to when he first started playing basketball, wrapped in that familiar, long-absent feeling of helplessness.
---
Timeout ended.
Seirin made their final, inevitable adjustment.
"Seirin requests substitution."
"Number 6 Koganei in, Number 11 Kuroko out."
Kuroko sat motionless on the bench, his figure appearing especially lonely amid the roaring arena.
"Looks like Seirin's out of options." Coach Taoka sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of regret.
This team was so unique—both their strengths and weaknesses extremely pronounced, just like Ryonan's predicament last year.
He couldn't help thinking: if Kuroko could develop reliable shooting in the future, or if Seirin's interior got reinforced... then this team would definitely become an extremely troublesome opponent at nationals.
---
The game continued.
Koganei's substitution didn't turn the tide—it felt more like a slow, inevitable "death" in an already unwinnable situation.
Shohoku's defensive strategy didn't waver. Even Sakuragi and Rukawa continued double-teaming Kagami.
Against the similarly shooting-deficient Koganei, Coach Anzai's arrangement had Sakuragi use his remarkable mobility to rotate from the Kagami trap to contest shots with lightning speed.
The game's final minutes felt unbearably long for Seirin's players who'd given everything, especially for Kuroko sitting on the bench, forced to watch helplessly as his team lost.
Precisely because they never gave up from start to finish, the insurmountable—and still widening—point differential felt increasingly suffocating.
[Seirin 82 - Shohoku 96]
The electronic scoreboard froze at the final score. The long buzzer announcing game's end echoed throughout the arena.
"TWEEEEET!"
Everything settled.
The game's MVP was unquestionably Akagi, who'd dominated both ends of the floor. He finished with 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks—absolutely dominant numbers.
In the stands, Coach Taoka slowly rose, his gaze sweeping across Ryonan's players. "Let's go. Next up, we face a Generation of Miracles member."
---
With this, all four Kanto Regional Qualifying semifinalists had been determined:
Tokyo's Touou Academy, Kanagawa's Ryonan High School, Tokyo's Shutoku High School, and Kanagawa's Shohoku High School.
The even more brutal, deciding battles would explode simultaneously tomorrow. Two semifinal matches would run concurrently, and only the victors would claim those precious tickets to the National Tournament!