"Eh? Aomine's team is actually trailing by several points. Could it be that Aomine didn't play?"
"Dun, it's all your fault—we missed the first half. Look, there isn't even a seat left."
"There's still the second half."
The towering Murasakibara Atsushi casually stuffed more snacks into his mouth as he spoke, his eyes scanning the stands, searching for familiar faces.
Everyone's here, huh… Should I go say hi? …Nah. It's too crowded. Too much trouble.
=======
Coach Katsunori idly twirled his long hair with slender fingers, his expression calm but distant, clearly deep in thought.
Inside his mind, questions and answers kept colliding, as if he were arguing with himself.
Should I let Aomine Daiki play now? Training has reached its limit… Imayoshi has already awakened his "instinct," so the initial goal is basically complete. The others still need more time… Then let's do it.
The coach stopped playing with his hair, placing a hand under his chin as his tone sharpened with authority.
"Third quarter—Aomine, you're going in. Crush them. Lead this team into the finals."
"Yes."
"Starting from this quarter, not only will we catch up—we will surpass them. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" "Yes!"
The Seirin players visibly relaxed the moment they heard Aomine's name. Confidence surged through the entire bench.
The suffocating pressure that had pinned them down seemed to loosen instantly.
The influence of the "Generation of Miracles" was not limited to the court—it extended into an invisible psychological dominance off the court as well.
=======
Rakuzan High – Locker Room Area
Rakuzan's coach, Eiji Shirogane, looked over the team in silence, deep in thought.
The captain, Akashi Seijuro, was not present at the venue. This alone had already unsettled several players, affecting their condition.
Shirogane still remembered what Akashi had said in his office days ago.
"We are not in our strongest state right now. Even if I lead them, victory is not guaranteed."
"On the contrary, without me, this season will force them to directly face the pressure of the Generation of Miracles. That is necessary growth."
"Also, our 'Uncrowned Kings' need more match experience. Let this season be their training ground."
"Of course… there are other personal reasons why I will not participate this season."
Shirogane could not deny the logic. If this had been before the rise of the Generation of Miracles, he would have dismissed it outright.
But now, fully understanding their terrifying growth rate, he had no choice but to accept it.
The so-called "Uncrowned Kings" truly seemed… powerless in front of them.
"We currently have the advantage. Keep controlling the tempo and slowly widen the gap. Victory will be ours."
"Coach, what if Aomine Daiki comes in for Tōō?"
"Even better. The three of you are strong enough to test his depth and help us understand his true level."
Mibuchi Reo, Nebuya Eikichi, and Hayama Kotaro all lit up at once. Their fighting spirit surged.
A challenge against the Generation of Miracles—just the thought of it was thrilling.
"I'll go first if Aomine comes in!" Hayama said eagerly.
"Go ahead, Kotaro. We're counting on you," Mibuchi replied.
Hayama's sharp canines showed as he grinned, his eyes glowing with excitement. His innocent yet feral expression made even Mibuchi feel slightly moved.
=======
Stands – Ongoing Buzz
Something feels different… The atmosphere is getting heavier. And more intense…
Koganei Shinji of Seirin narrowed his eyes. His instincts, sharpened by his "low-level instinct," picked up the change in the air.
"That's normal," Hyuga Junpei replied. "This game decides who goes to the finals. Of course it's tense. Everyone's probably waiting for Aomine's appearance."
"Even I'm starting to look forward to it," Kuroko Tetsuya said quietly.
"Me too," Kagami Taiga added. "My blood's heating up."
Coach Aida Riko and Hyuga glanced at the unusual excitement building in their teammates.
Is it only those with talent who can feel this kind of anticipation?
But there was no more time to think. The game was about to resume.
=======
Third Quarter Begins
The arena quieted completely as players returned to the court.
The moment Aomine Daiki, wearing jersey number 5, stepped onto the floor, the entire stadium fell into silence.
Even the referees' communication became clearly audible.
He's here…
The whistle blew. The third quarter began.
Tōō's possession.
Imayoshi Shoichi brought the ball past midcourt and immediately passed it to Aomine.
Aomine caught it.
Hayama Kotaro instantly closed in on him.
Aomine exploded forward.
The acceleration was overwhelming.
Even though Hayama reacted quickly, he was still two steps late. He turned and chased immediately—but it was pointless. He could not catch him.
Aomine entered the paint.
Mibuchi and Nebuya stepped in for a double team.
In an instant—Aomine shifted the ball, floated upward, and released a soft, effortless layup.
BOOM!
Two points.
Clean. Simple. Absolute.
Aomine glanced at Hayama, who had just caught up. There was a faint flicker of approval in his eyes—but it disappeared almost instantly.
"Instinct, huh… Not bad. That's already high-level."
Hayama, instead of frustration, showed excitement in his eyes. No discouragement—only eagerness to compete.
This was the nature of geniuses: none of them accepted being beneath another.
In less than twenty seconds after entering the court, Aomine had cut the gap by two points.
The "Generation of Miracles" was exactly that terrifying.
And those two points alone were enough to ignite Tōō's entire team. Their morale surged instantly, confidence returning like a flood.