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Seirin's rest area.
"Really?"
Hearing Kuroko's explanation, the Seirin members stared at him in disbelief.
What had they just heard?
If Kuroko was telling the truth, then this match…
Kuroko smiled slightly at everyone, then glanced at the panting Kagami.
"So… Kagami-kun, I might need some time."
Kagami grinned at Kuroko.
"Heh… It doesn't matter! I'll do anything to beat Midorima."
Though he said that, everyone could see Kagami's condition.
Sweating profusely and panting, he looked like he was nearing his limit!
"Kagami, are you really okay? Do you need to rest?"
Izuki Shun asked worriedly.
Kagami shook his head.
"No problem! I can hold on until the end, and besides..."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Midorima in the Shutoku bench.
"I won't give up before that Midorima guy."
Shutoku bench.
The Shutoku players' faces weren't very good.
They never expected their advantage to be broken by such an insignificant person.
Only Midorima remained relatively calm.
He knew Kuroko wouldn't come out unprepared.
But he was still shocked by Kuroko's performance.
He had never imagined Kuroko dribbling, because it simply didn't exist in his memory.
Shutoku's coach, Nakatani Hitoshi, addressed the group.
"Seirin's number 11 was indeed beyond my expectations, but even so, we still hold the advantage."
Kimura Shinsuke said, frowning.
"He's using dribbling."
Takao also said with a serious expression.
"Is that kind of dribbling really possible? It just disappears so suddenly, it's unbelievable!"
Otsubo Taisuke exclaimed.
"It's hard to believe, but we have to admit, that dribbling is the biggest threat right now."
Miyaji Kiyoshi reminded him.
"But like the coach said, we still have the advantage. While that number 11 is incredible, that number 10 has probably reached his limit!"
Nakatani Hitoshi nodded.
"That's right. After three quarters, it should be very difficult for them to stop Midorima's shots."
Midorima adjusted his glasses and said seriously.
"That guy isn't that fragile, and…"
He glanced around, his gaze landing on Kuroko in the Seirin bench.
He didn't think Kuroko would rely solely on that dribbling without any other tricks up his sleeve.
Beep…
The final whistle blew.
The players from both teams returned to the court.
The two sides locked eyes, their fighting spirit high, each with a determined look in their eyes.
Seeing the tense atmosphere on the court, Momoi spoke up.
"Finally, the moment has arrived!"
Ryu's eyes flashed, his gaze constantly shifting between the two teams.
Seirin and Shutoku quickly got into their stances.
The game began.
Shutoku launched an extremely fierce attack.
Takao, watching Izuki Shun's defense, passed the ball to Midorima.
Meanwhile, Midorima, receiving the ball, was immediately marked by Kagami.
However, he didn't care about Kagami's actions at the moment.
"Man and Ball as One" activated.
In an instant, Kagami felt that same feeling again—the basketball was right in front of him, almost within reach, yet he couldn't quite touch it no matter what he did.
'Damn it…that move again?'
Kagami gritted his teeth, desperately reaching for the basketball.
But the next instant, Midorima flicked the ball, and it landed in Miyaji Kiyoshi's hands.
This action shocked everyone at Seirin.
A pass…
He actually used "Man and Ball as One" to pass the ball.
Kagami's heart sank as he failed to stop Midorima.
'This is bad.'
He couldn't even defend against Midorima's dribbling using "Man and Ball as One."
Now, with the added pass, defending Midorima would be even more difficult.
Midorima glanced at Kagami, said nothing, and left.
Seeing this, Kagami's brow twitched uncontrollably.
'What an infuriating guy.'
On the other side, Miyaji Kiyoshi received a pass from Midorima and immediately charged towards Seirin's basket.
He quickly reached Seirin's three-point line.
Seeing Kiyoshi Teppei ahead, he didn't choose to continue the attack.
He knew he was no match for him.
Just then, Otsubo Taisuke gave him a look.
Miyaji Kiyoshi instantly understood.
Without hesitation, he paused, turned 180 degrees, and positioned himself behind him.
Blocking Kiyoshi Teppei's view, he then tossed the basketball to Kimura Shinsuke, who had just passed by.
Seeing the basketball in Kimura Shinsuke's hand, Kiyoshi Teppei already knew what to do.
But suddenly, a figure blocked his path.
A screen?
Kiyoshi Teppei had a bad feeling and quickly shouted,
"Stop him..."
But it was too late.
Kimura Shinsuke dribbled to the basket, then leaped with the ball in both hands, easily making a layup.
Swish...
The sound of the net swishing through the air rang out.
The basketball went in successfully.
76 to 78.
From the start, Seirin suffered a heavy blow.
Faced with such a fierce attack, the Seirin players were naturally unwilling to admit defeat.
Seirin inbounded the ball.
Izuki Shun dribbled the ball.
Because of Takao's defense on Kuroko, Izuki Shun could now fully utilize his Eagle Eye ability.
Even though Kimura Shinsuke tried his best to stop him, he was still beaten.
Soon, Izuki Shun found a target to pass to.
With a flick of his arm, the basketball flew towards Hyuga Junpei.
Seeing this…
Kuroko began to run, trying to change the ball's trajectory and move towards Kiyoshi Teppei, who was positioned inside.
However, Takao, with his Hawk Eye, had already spotted his movement and flashed forward, firmly blocking his path.
"I won't let you get through so easily."
Kuroko didn't speak, staring expressionlessly at his opponent, his mind racing with a countermeasure.
Thud…
The basketball landed in Hyuga Junpei's hands.
His movements were incredibly swift.
The moment he received the ball, he immediately assumed his shooting stance.
But before he could release the ball, a figure flashed past.
Then the basketball vanished from his hand.
"What?!"
Kiyoshi Teppei's pupils contracted, and he quickly looked towards the shadow he had just seen.
Midorima?
He saw the basketball was already in Midorima's hands.
Midorima was still making a jumping motion.
The basketball was thrown.
"Damn it, when did this happen?"
Hyuga Junpei's eyes widened in disbelief.
Just then, Kagami, arriving late, looked up unwillingly at the flying basketball.
Swish…
The orange shooting star fell into the net again.
Shutoku scored another 3 points.
76 to 81.
Damn it!
'This can't go on, what do I do? What should I do?'
Kagami roared inwardly.
He turned to look at Kuroko.
'Is he done yet? Kuroko…'
Kuroko was currently trying to get past Takao's defense.
No matter where he ran, Takao would stick to him like glue.
"Heh… With me here, I won't let you run around. Your dribbling is indeed impressive, but now that you don't have the ball in your hands, you probably can't use that move anymore!"
Hearing Takao's analysis, Kuroko didn't refute him.
"You're right, I can't use that dribbling move right now, but…"
As he spoke, Kuroko shifted his feet slightly, deliberately appearing in the center of Takao's field of vision.
"I don't plan to let you follow me like this forever."
Takao looked at Kuroko now, feeling an uncanny clarity.
'What's going on? Why does he seem bigger? So close…'
Kuroko seemed several times larger in his eyes, even obscuring the figures of others.
Suddenly, Takao's vision blurred, and Kuroko's figure disappeared from his sight.
"Gone...gone? How is this possible?"
Takao frantically scanned the entire court, trying to find Kuroko.
However, this time, he couldn't find Kuroko anywhere.
Bang...
Suddenly, the sound of a ball being dribbled rang out.
Takao looked over.
Only then did he see the figure he was looking for.
Kuroko was standing not far to his side.
He had changed the trajectory of the basketball, passing it to Kagami, who was already poised to attack.
Kagami, who had been holding back for so long, stepped into Shutoku's paint, intending to dunk with the ball in one hand.
However, a green figure suddenly appeared, stopping his furious attack.
Thud...
The basketball was swatted away by Midorima without any surprise.
Kagami, now without the ball, stared wide-eyed, his face filled with resentment.
'Failed again.'
Kagami landed on the ground, looking at his hands.
He had specifically returned to the United States for special training to defeat the Generation of Miracles.
In the end, it all ended in failure.
This left him somewhat disheartened.
"Kagami…"
Just then, Kuroko's voice reached his ears.
He turned his head and saw Kuroko's expressionless face.
Kuroko said seriously,
"Kagami, Midorima is very strong. You're no match for him right now."
Huh…?
Several black lines immediately appeared on Kagami's forehead.
"You're being a bit too blunt! Hey!"
Kuroko continued,
"You can't do it alone, so don't worry, I'll help Kagami-kun."
Hearing this, Kagami's brow twitched before he asked,
"Have you finished?"
Kuroko shook his head.
"Not yet. This move is more difficult than I imagined, but if it's against Midorima alone, I think I'm quite confident I can succeed."
Hearing this, Kagami finally smiled.
"Then it's up to you now. I hope your method really works! What do I need to do?"
Kuroko also smiled and whispered something in Kagami's ear.
After a long while.
"Is this enough?"
Kagami asked doubtfully.
Kuroko nodded.
"It should work. I can't think of any other method for now."
Phew…
Kagami let out a long breath.
"In that case, let's do it this way for now!"
The match continued.
Shutoku's battle line had reached beyond Seirin's three-point line.
After stealing the ball from Midorima, he passed it to Takao, who was open.
Takao dribbled the ball and quickly crossed the center line.
The Seirin players rushed back to their own basket.
Takao grinned.
"Have you forgotten who our most terrifying player is?"
Before he finished speaking, he slapped the basketball from between his legs and passed it to Midorima, who was behind him.
"Oh no..."
Kiyoshi Teppei and the others sensed something was wrong.
They were only thinking about getting back on defense, completely forgetting that the opposing team had a terrifying presence.
A miscalculation!
At the same moment…
"Kagami..."
A loud roar reached everyone's ears.
Ah...
Kagami roared, his legs giving way, and he swiftly moved forward, blocking the basketball's path.
"How could this be..."
Takao exclaimed in shock upon seeing Kagami's action.
Midorima, waiting to receive the ball, also narrowed his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.
No one had expected this.
Kagami would suddenly exert himself and block Takao's pass.
Thud...
The basketball was in his hands, and Kagami revealed a triumphant smile.
He didn't stop, immediately dashing into Shutoku's paint, then leaping up, preparing for a dunk.
"Don't even think about it."
Midorima arrived just in time, leaping as well, his arms outstretched, blocking Kagami's dunking path.
Just then, Kagami's lips curled into a sinister smile.
Seeing that smile, Midorima felt a sudden unease.
Kagami stopped his dunking motion and tossed the ball downwards.
A pass?
Midorima's eyes widened as he watched the ball land in Kuroko's hands.
'Kuroko wouldn't shoot, but... what was that move?'
Kuroko, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, caught the ball Kagami had passed.
Kuroko stood at the free-throw line, holding the ball with both hands.
His posture was extremely strange, not like a shooting motion, yet it was clearly intentional.
Under everyone's bewildered, shocked, and horrified gazes, Kuroko finally pushed the ball away.
That's right, a push, not a shot.
The basketball flew straight into the sky and disappeared from everyone's sight.
How could this be?
The basketball vanished?!
Are you kidding me?
The entire Shutoku group stared in disbelief at this scene.
Midorima's eyes, hidden behind his glasses, narrowed even further.
Swish…
A soft swishing sound of the net swishing rang in everyone's ears.
The basketball went in.
78 to 81.
Seirin pulled back 2 points.
"Oh… that's the Phantom Shot!"
Ryu murmured, looking at Kuroko below.
Momoi, standing nearby, listened with curiosity.
"Phantom Shot? Ryu, do you know what that shot is?"
Ryu explained, "Don't you think? That shot just now was like a phantom, suddenly disappearing."
Hearing Ryu's explanation, Momoi also felt that the name "Phantom Shot" was indeed very fitting.
However, Ryu still narrowed his eyes slightly.
'Phantom Shot,' that must be the move they used against Yosen! That guy actually used it now; it seems Midorima's strength has exceeded their expectations.
Thinking this, he revealed a hint of interest.
He was eager to know how the final match would unfold.
Kagami's interception just now wasn't accidental.
He turned his gaze to Kuroko.
Others hadn't noticed, but he had seen it clearly.
Kagami only acted after Kuroko shouted.
It seemed Kuroko had done something, or discovered something.
And then there was the sudden use of the 'Phantom Shot.'
What was hidden beneath the 'Phantom Shot'?
---
I want to reach 20 paid subscribers this month so I can finish the novel. Thank you.
Subscribe to the paid plan on Patreon to read 30 advanced chapters.
+ I publish 3 chapters daily on Patreon, in addition to the other advanced chapters, which are 30+ chapters.
That's about 90 chapters a month.
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