"How… how could this happen?"
Aida Riko's eyes went blank, pupils dilated, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Just a minute ago, Seirin had looked in control, but after only two possessions, the situation had completely reversed.
Seirin continued to push forward, yet every attempt seemed futile. The game rhythm felt as if it had returned to the first quarter.
Seiho's defense had completely eradicated the last trace of Seirin's "Phantom Step" flaw. On the court, Seirin's players felt suffocated, passing lanes vanished, and even moving the ball became extraordinarily difficult.
When the ball reached Kuroko, there was nowhere to pass.
Fatigue began to show.
Even though Seiho had been applying full-court pressure all along, as a powerhouse, their stamina base far exceeded Seirin's.
After all, Aida Riko, despite her precocious "data eye" skills, was still just a second-year high school student. Compared to veteran coaches like Matsumoto Yukinori, she was far too inexperienced.
Meanwhile, Seiho's mastery of the "Phantom Step" minimized their own energy expenditure.
So while Seiho ran more on paper, Seirin's stamina drained even faster…
Previously, they had managed to sustain bursts of effort, but now, with their final strategies exposed, their morale and willpower collapsed instantly. Accumulated physical and mental fatigue hit all at once.
With depleted stamina, Seirin couldn't shake off Seiho's tight marking. With defenders glued to them, even Kuroko couldn't find a passing lane.
For a moment, he simply held the ball, frozen.
All eyes were on him. After several seconds, Kagami Daiki suddenly accelerated into an open space. Kuroko passed immediately.
============
Kagami received the ball and without hesitation, spun into a drive.
"No way we're giving up this easily!"
With a roar, he unleashed unprecedented speed. Tsugawa Tomoki tried to react, but as Kagami pivoted, it was as if only a blur passed before his eyes. Kagami vanished.
"So fast!"
Tsugawa was genuinely shocked. This wasn't trickery or flashy footwork, pure speed carried Kagami past him. The last time he'd seen such a player was back in middle school against Teiko.
Could this guy really be the "miracle generation"?
The thought crossed Tsugawa's mind, but in the next instant, it shattered.
Almost simultaneously with Kagami disappearing from view, a brutal force struck Tsugawa's left side, sending him stumbling backward…
THUD!
BEEP~~~
BEEP~~~
"White #10, charging with the ball."
The referee's whistle, mingled with the electronic buzzer ending the third quarter, rang out. In an instant, all of Seirin fell silent.
============
"Four fouls?"
Kise Ryouta and Midorima Shintaro in the stands were stunned.
They glanced at the scoreboard: 56–40, then at Seirin's dejected players leaving the court, unsure what to say.
Yukio Kasamatsu sighed. "It's over. The outcome is decided."
Kise widened his eyes. "Wait, senpai! Didn't you tell me that nothing is certain until the last second? There's still a quarter to go, and Seirin is only down by 14 points. That's nothing, they could still come back!"
Kasamatsu gazed deeply at Kise. "It's not that simple. Seirin's biggest problem isn't the point gap… or Kagami's four fouls. It's something far more critical…"
============
Aida Riko bit her lip, frustration etched across her face.
She opened her mouth several times, yet no words came out.
Seirin had truly played all their cards.
Many starters were already struggling with fatigue.
Kagami had four fouls.
Even if he could suddenly explode like he had against Shutoku, the four-foul limit would constrain all offensive moves.
If Seirin still had a sliver of hope, it rested entirely on Kuroko.
============
Two minutes of rest passed quickly.
On the other side, Seiho lined up, eyes gleaming with precision.
"Let's go. Time to give Seirin the final strike."
The fourth quarter began, with Seiho taking the first possession.
Their formation hadn't changed much, but strangely, Seirin felt… off.
At first, no one could pinpoint why.
Then, during Kasuga Ryuhei's dribble penetration, he seemed to casually bypass Kuroko. Seirin hesitated, sensing something unusual.
On the next possession, when Kuroko moved to screen Kasuga,
"Trying that move again? It won't work on us now!"
Without warning, Kasuga turned and smiled faintly at Kuroko, greeting him.
Kuroko froze.
Seirin's other players felt chills run down their spines.
"…Kuroko… he's been seen?"
"Of course he's been seen. The most noticeable object on the court is the basketball itself. For three full quarters, Seiho focused on everyone else, forcing Seirin to handle the ball through Kuroko…"
Kasamatsu, face tense, continued:
"This was a deliberate ploy. Even if Seirin suspected Seiho's trap, they had no choice but to accept it."
"Technically, Kuroko's invisibility had been fading since the third quarter. Seiho just pretended not to notice, luring him to expose himself fully."
"The greatest targeting… is not targeting at all. Seiho has been calculating Kuroko from the very first quarter."
"Right now, in Seiho's eyes, Kuroko is just like any other player…"
=============
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