Boom!
The thunderous slam dunk echoed across the court.
But all eyes weren't on Akashi Asuka. Instead, they were drawn to Kiyoshi Teppei's unusual state.
Kiyoshi, who had been lightly pushed to the ground by Akashi, didn't get up immediately. Even after Akashi put the ball through the hoop, Kiyoshi remained slumped on the floor, his face contorting with pain.
Finally, he couldn't hold back, clutching his knee and letting out a tortured roar:
"Ahhhhh~~~"
The scene sent shockwaves through everyone, especially the Seirin players, who rushed toward him.
"Kiyoshi!"
"Kiyoshi-senpai!"
"Teppei, are you okay?"
·····
Beep~~~
The sudden incident forced the referee to blow the whistle for a timeout.
Soon, Seirin's bench players and coaches rushed onto the court, while medical staff swiftly brought a stretcher.
From the stands, spectators began murmuring as they noticed what had happened.
"What's going on? Did someone get hurt?"
"Maybe it was an accident during that rebound scramble."
"The injured player seems to be Seirin's number 7! Didn't he already have an injury? I remember the last game against Rakuzan, he left the court early too."
During tournaments, accidents like this weren't uncommon, so the crowd simply murmured without much surprise.
Meanwhile, a certain former "Uncrowned Kings," humiliated by Akashi, chuckled quietly.
"Hahaha… tough luck, Kiyoshi. Running into me was bad enough, but now he's got someone even more ruthless than me to deal with."
At Seiho's side of the stands, many furrowed their brows upon seeing Kiyoshi injured and leaving the court.
"How could this happen? Kiyoshi was suddenly injured… could it be Akashi…?"
"No!"
Before the sentence finished, Midorima Shintarou interrupted.
It wasn't surprising that anyone might suspect Akashi. Regardless of his personality, his one-on-five feat against Kirisaki Daiichi High was a fact.
If someone pulled a sneaky move that no one could see, Akashi would be the most likely culprit.
However, Midorima quickly dismissed this idea:
"With his skill and personality, he doesn't need to do anything underhanded… but Kiyoshi's current state does relate to Akashi, to some extent."
"Why do you say that?" asked Takao Kazunari.
Midorima explained: "Although Akashi didn't directly injure Kiyoshi, the situation was intentionally created. Kiyoshi already had a knee injury, and in the past two battles against Yosen and Rakuzan, Seirin's paint endured tremendous pressure.
"After yesterday's Rakuzan game, Kiyoshi's leg was likely near its limit. In today's first quarter, Seiho attacked Seirin's interior relentlessly, and that massive pressure probably triggered his injury, leading to this scene."
Takao clicked his tongue. "So Seiho deliberately targeted Kiyoshi's leg? Wow… that's a pretty ruthless tactic!"
Midorima's expression remained cold. "Ruthless? Don't misunderstand. Exploiting an opponent's weaknesses is the essence of competitive sports. Besides, Seirin allowed him to play injured, these consequences are on them."
As Midorima said, many understood the true reason behind Kiyoshi Teppei's injury.
Some might see Akashi as cold, ruthless, or merciless…
But no one would think his actions were wrong. Even if Seirin was angry, it was only because of Kiyoshi's injury, not their tactics.
·····
"Seirin's in trouble."
Akasci Seijuro observed the teams returning to the court.
"Seirin was already at a disadvantage, and now losing Kiyoshi, their key player, not only exposes the interior, but also disrupts the team's coordination."
Kiyoshi wasn't just a center.
Together with Shun Izuki, he effectively acted as Seirin's two-court control, providing strong offense inside and out.
But now…
Boom!
Shortly after the game resumed, Tsutomu Iwamura easily scored in the paint.
Kiyoshi's substitute, Mizutobe, though competent, was no match for a national-level center like Iwamura.
32–27.
The score Seirin had clawed back through Hyuga's three-pointers immediately widened again with Kiyoshi sidelined.
Even Hyuga's three-point shots couldn't continue scoring.
After neutralizing Kiyoshi, Akashi dominated the paint, while setting up Ultra-Wide Defense to cover the entire three-point line, giving Seirin a déjà vu of their previous matchup with Yosen.
·····
"Kuroko!"
Izuki signaled from behind. Under tight defense from Kasuga Ryuhei, he passed the ball into an open area.
Just as the ball left his hands, Kuroko Tetsuya appeared in the space, reaching for the pass.
But at the last moment, another figure emerged from behind…
Slap!
The ball was stolen mid-air.
"What?"
"Impossible!"
Kuroko's eyes widened.
Aida Riko and the substitutes jumped up in shock, staring at Omuro Yoshikasu, who had executed the steal.
"So Kuroko was actually 'seen'?"
If Kiyoshi's injury was a subtle strike, this steal was a hammer blow.
Though Kuroko's presence had grown due to continuous shots, his real advantage lay in Misdirection, allowing him to "disappear" despite his growing presence.
"Counterattack!"
Seiho didn't care about Seirin's shock.
After Omuro's steal, Seiho launched a fast break. Akashi led, with Kagami close behind.
At the three-point line, Akashi made a sudden stop as the ball appeared in his hands. He went to shoot…
"Not so fast, Akashi!"
Kagami roared from behind and leapt to block the shot.
Admittedly, after awakening his talent, Kagami's jump was impressive. Despite nearly a 20 cm height difference, he nearly reached Akashi's release point.
But it was still just short.
A block requires a higher reach than a shot, and coming from behind made it even more difficult, and dangerous.
Slap!
The sound reverberated across the court. Seirin players' hearts skipped a beat.
Kagami, the would-be blocker, paled visibly.
The next moment, Akashi smirked slightly, flicked his wrist, and effortlessly released the ball.
Whoosh!
Beep~~~
The sound of the ball brushing the net, paired with the referee's whistle, became a dual symphony.
For Seiho, it was the sweetest music.
For Seirin, it was like the whisper of death.
"White #10, defensive foul!"
"Black #11's shot counts. Plus one free throw!"
The referee's call was Seirin's final verdict.
The free throw hit.
36–27.
Despair for Seirin. With Kiyoshi, they had maintained parity. The moment he left, the gap leapt from 1 point to 9.
Coincidence or not. Luck or not.
This result was a psychological and physical blow.
Aida had no choice but to call the second timeout.
·····
"That Seirin coach is pretty skilled!" Kasuga Ryuhei remarked from Seiho's bench.
"Indeed. To bring a team mostly composed of second-years this far is almost miraculous for a high school coach."
"Well… let's not get carried away. In the end, it's still up to the players on the court."
The atmosphere on Seiho's side remained light, in contrast to Seirin's tension. A relaxed mindset often brought out stronger performance.
Soon, the timeout ended.
Seiho returned to the court.
"All right~~ we've handled one. Now, let's take care of the next one!"
Thanks to Akashi's scouting, Seiho had tailored tactics for every Seirin player.
Even Rakuzan hadn't experienced such precision in the summer tournament.
After dealing with Kiyoshi, Seiho's next target was Kuroko Tetsuya.
"Ohhh~~ Seiho's switched defense again."
"Tsugawa's up against Seirin's 'mysterious boy' this time?"
"Have they finally figured out how to counter his dribbling and shots?"
Seiho's first-quarter setup was coming into play.
By letting Kuroko shoot repeatedly, they drew all eyes, causing his slight presence to vanish.
Without that advantage, simple misdirection became much less effective against Seiho.
Because…
Bang!Bang!Bang!
Akashi deployed Ultra-Wide Defense, sealing off the three-point area.
Seirin's offense was again forced to rely solely on Kuroko, the only hope to breach Akashi's defense.
Kuroko dribbled against Tsugawa, the ball bouncing rhythmically. The crowd quieted…
Until suddenly, Kuroko vanished from Tsugawa's sight.
Even prepared, Tsugawa was startled.
"Whoa~~ he actually disappears! This skill is insane!"
In the Kuroko's Basketball world, many skills sound simple in principle but involve complex, almost sci-fi execution.
Kuroko's ability was extraordinary.
"But Asuka's right, this skill is almost wasted on you."
Whoosh!
Tsugawa's mind raced, and in the next instant, he moved with blinding speed.
The crowd saw what seemed like two Tsugawas on the court. In a blink, he appeared in front of the breaking Kuroko.
Pressure Defense
Kuroko halted abruptly.
Seeing Tsugawa before him again, his face changed. So did all Seirin players'.
Even the "Generation of Miracles" spectators were stunned.
"Blocked…?"
"No way. Even if they figured out the disappearing dribble, there's no way to stop it so easily!"
"What did Tsugawa do?"