Rakuzan had just scored 2 points, but in the blink of an eye Aomine Daiki answered right back. The score barely even felt like it had changed. It was as if nothing had happened at all—and that made it even harder to accept.
Mibuchi Reo held the ball, preparing to pass to Mayuzumi Chihiro, who was open nearby. He intended to reset the possession and stabilize their rhythm.
But then—
A hand suddenly reached in.
The ball was stolen.
And in the next instant, it was gone.
…What?
Rakuzan's players were still stuck in the aftermath of Aomine's previous play. The sudden steal hit them like a shockwave.
Mibuchi's eyes and mouth both opened wide in disbelief, frozen in pure panic.
On the court, only one Rakuzan player reacted in time—Hayama Kotaro, the only one with instincts sharp enough to keep up.
He chased after Aomine immediately.
But it was useless. The speed gap was too great.
Aomine reached the basket.
He didn't even bother dunking.
With a casual swing of his arm, he bounced the ball off the backboard.
The ball spun softly—
And dropped into the hoop.
SWOOSH!
Tōō Academy 59 – Rakuzan 60.
Just like that, the gap was gone again. And the game was already threatening to flip at any moment.
Without Akashi Seijuro on the court, Rakuzan's strength felt noticeably weaker—even Seirin might have had a better chance, even though Kagami Taiga had not yet fully evolved.
"Rakuzan without Akashi Seijuro… feels completely helpless," someone muttered.
"Of course it does," another voice replied. "Aomine and Akashi are the strongest among us. Without Akashi, Rakuzan is going to get destroyed."
High above the stands, in the darkest section of the arena, the Yosen players watched from the shadows.
They looked almost like silent giants lurking in the dark.
Murasakibara Atsushi lazily stuffed a nutrition bar into his mouth.
"So the 'Uncrowned Kings' aren't that impressive after all," someone said.
"They're just slightly annoying, nothing more," another replied.
Murasakibara tilted his head slightly, recalling faint memories of those players—faces he could barely even remember clearly anymore.
=======
On the court, Rakuzan brought the ball up again.
Mibuchi crossed half court and passed into the paint.
Nebuya Eikichi immediately received it and rose for a powerful dunk attempt.
But—
A hand shot in from nowhere.
The ball was slapped away.
BOOM!
"Too slow. And you still want to dunk?"
Imayoshi Shoichi reacted instantly, scooping up the loose ball and pushing forward.
Tōō immediately transitioned into offense.
Imayoshi dribbled forward, noticing Mibuchi and Hayama closing in fast on defense.
He narrowed his eyes and spun—then passed the ball out to Sakurai Ryo, already in perfect shooting position.
Sakurai caught it and immediately rose into a shot.
No hesitation. No adjustment.
Just pure confidence.
This one is going in.
SWOOSH!
A perfect three-pointer. Clean. Effortless.
Tōō 62 – Rakuzan 60.
Tōō had taken the lead for the first time in the third quarter.
At that moment, Rakuzan's coach Eiji Shirogane called for a timeout.
=======
In another part of the arena, conversations continued among other spectators.
"Seijuro… Rakuzan is going to lose, isn't it?"
"Yes. If they can't stop Aomine, they will lose."
"Is there really no way?"
"There is… but it may not work."
Midorima Shintaro frowned.
"What exactly is the plan?"
"The only way," Haizaki Shogo said slowly, "is to stop Aomine's scoring ability directly."
"Stop Aomine?" Midorima's tone was skeptical. "Is that even possible?"
"I don't think it is," Haizaki replied calmly. "But some people don't believe something is impossible until they try it—and fail."
He glanced toward the court.
Rakuzan… you're thinking too simply.
The timeout ended. Players returned to the court.
Rakuzan had clearly changed their strategy.
They assigned two defenders to Aomine Daiki.
Aomine looked at them and smiled faintly.
Two people… huh.
Mayuzumi and Hayama were now tasked with double-teaming him. Meanwhile, Mayuzumi Chihiro handled the ball and advanced it into the front court before passing into the paint.
Inside, Nebuya received the pass and exploded upward for a dunk.
But—
Wakamatsu Kousuke met him mid-air and blocked it cleanly.
BOOM!
The ball flew out.
Sakurai Ryo recovered it instantly and pushed forward. Imayoshi followed close behind.
Only Mayuzumi managed to recover in time for Rakuzan.
A sudden 2-on-1 formed.
Sakurai passed back to Imayoshi.
Imayoshi stepped beyond the three-point line and fired immediately.
SWOOSH!
Another three.
Tōō's bench erupted in celebration.
The substitutes jumped up shouting and cheering.
Satsuki Momoi and Harasawa Katsunori, however, remained calm.
Kuroko Tetsuya spoke quietly.
"That shot… was influenced by Momoi-san's ability."
"Her prediction skill becomes stronger as the game progresses," he continued. "Unless the opponent makes an unpredictable change, their habits and patterns will be read completely."
"That's an incredibly powerful support ability!"
"Seriously strong!"
"Not only is she cute, she's also amazing!"
Aida Riko shot them a sharp glare but said nothing.
Even she had to admit it—Satsuki Momoi's predictive ability was terrifyingly effective.
"How can a basketball manager even be this much of a monster?" she thought bitterly.
Meanwhile, Haizaki Shogo smirked.
"Momoi… impressive."
"Of course she is," Midorima replied. "Facing her as an opponent would be nothing short of misfortune."
Haizaki glanced toward Aomine on the court.
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
Two defenders on Aomine… Rakuzan's coach must be dreaming.
Just as expected—
Aomine exploded forward.
He broke through both defenders effortlessly, stole the ball, and sprinted toward Rakuzan's half.
Mibuchi and Hayama chased him desperately.
Aomine suddenly stopped.
Then—he rose for a jump shot from long range.
A three-pointer.
And just as he released the ball—
Mibuchi collided into him from behind.
A foul.
The whistle blew.
The shot still went in.
SWOOSH!
Rakuzan Mibuchi Reo—defensive foul.
One free throw awarded.
Aomine stepped to the line under Mibuchi's shocked gaze and calmly sank the extra point.
Tōō 69 – Rakuzan 60.
The gap widened once again.
Rakuzan was slipping further behind.