The basketball court was set, the match about to begin.
The starting lineups for both teams stepped onto the court, lined up, bowed, and prepared for the tip-off.
For Tōō Academy, the tip-off player wasWakamatsu Kousuke. For Kaijo High, it was Mitsuhiro Hayakawa.
Ready, go!
The referee tossed the basketball high into the air. Wakamatsu jumped first, reaching out to snatch the ball.
But Hayakawa, reacting a fraction later, struck with perfect timing. The ball flew straight into the hands of Kaijo's captain, Yukio Kasamatsu.
As the point guard, Kasamatsu immediately intended to organize an offensive play.
Suddenly, a black shadow flashed, the ball disappeared from his hands, and two figures—one black, one blue—raced forward across their half of the court.
The players on the court could only see the backs, unable to gauge the gap. But every spectator in the stands saw it clearly.
The black figure surged ahead, reaching the basket first, and soared to make a smooth, effortless shot.
The blue figure, arriving moments later, leaped to block—but his outstretched hand did nothing.
One black, one blue: Aomine Daiki of Tōō Academy and Kise Ryouta of Kaijo High.
Aomine's sudden steal and rapid dash left Kise lagging by a few beats, unable to catch up. He could only watch as Aomine performed a morale-boosting one-handed dunk.
BOOM!
Tōō Academy scored the first basket of the game, and the battle had officially begun.
In the stands, Shimizu Rena beside Haizaki Shogo marveled, even though she had seen Aomine play before. His speed was astonishing.
"Aomine-kun's basketball… every time I watch, it amazes me!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. The game just started."
Shogo replied, glancing at Midorima Shintaro, who remained calm and unreadable.
Kaijo players witnessing Aomine's terrifying speed for the first time felt an inexplicable fear.
The spectators, too, were stunned.
Especially Taiga Kagami at Seirin High. Aomine's rapid pace and the Generation of Miracles's strength shook him to his core.
Every Seirin player watched the fast-moving figure, memories of previous encounters with Haizaki Shogo resurfacing. Such speed—it's on the same level.
The team's mood dipped; teammates fell silent, leaving Kuroko Tetsuya uneasy. But to help them understand the Generation of Miracles's power, he explained what he knew.
"Indeed… the Generation of Miracles is overwhelmingly strong. Not even Kagami-kun can keep up. But they all share one weakness—they don't fully trust their own team."
"Kuroko, what do you mean?"
"Each member of the Generation of Miracles is incredibly talented. Each can single-handedly break through opponents. Because of this, we still have a chance."
His words were true. Basketball was a five-person game, and his explanation boosted his teammates' morale, igniting ambition for the upcoming Winter Cup.
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Rakuzan High's Rei Misawa, Kotaro Hayama, and Eikichi Nebutani stared in shock at the intimidating black figure.
"Hey! Rei-nee, if the captain isn't playing, are you sure the three of us can handle Aomine-kun?"
"Uh… you're all forwards. This is a question you should ask yourself."
"What?! Come on! I'm the small forward; Aomine-kun is the power forward. Right, Rei-nee?"
"We'll see… let's wait for Seijuro's opinion."
Nearby, Makoto Hanamiya at Kirisaki Daiichi High scoffed.
A bunch of fools… that speed is impossible to stop.
"Captain, Kaijo High… are they doomed?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
The debates in the stands went unnoticed by the players on the court.
Kaijo had possession, the ball back in Kasamatsu's hands. He was shocked; that insane speed meant losing control could happen in a heartbeat—a disgrace for a point guard.
Thankfully, Kaijo's ace, Kise Ryouta, stayed glued to Aomine, defending one-on-one, giving Kasamatsu a sigh of relief.
Reaching midcourt, Kasamatsu felt Tōō's relentless man-to-man defense closing in. Passing was impossible—all teammates tightly marked, even Kise's movement restricted.
Spotting Shoichi Imayoshi inside the three-point line, Kasamatsu didn't hesitate—he took the first three-pointer of the game.
SWISH!
The shot scored, immediately regaining lost points. Kaijo's players waved arms and cheered each other on. Even Kise shouted, "Captain, amazing!"
Kasamatsu merely replied, "I believe in you." Kise nodded, signaling he'd give it his all.
Shogo, watching from the stands, couldn't help but praise the decisive three-pointer.
Nice shot. Perfect timing.
It even recovers morale for a team under early pressure. If Kise is Kaijo's ace, Kasamatsu is its backbone.
Shogo glanced at Midorima—rarely did he show approval for someone outside the Generation of Miracles.
A sharp, clean three-pointer didn't just recover morale; it pressured the opponent.
Imayoshi, Tōō's captain, squinted at Kasamatsu's rapid return, catching the ball but internally grumbling: This is tricky… but easier than facing Fukuda Sogo.
Imayoshi crossed into Kaijo's half, passed to Ryo Sakurai beyond the arc.
SWISH!
A perfect three-pointer. Kaijo's briefly revived morale faltered—shock painted across their faces.
It was like punching someone joyfully, only to be punched back just as hard. Their heads nearly exploded.
"Come on, let's keep going! Close the gap!"
Kasamatsu shouted, snapping his teammates back to focus, ready to respond with even brighter energy.
He dribbled back to midcourt, intending to pass to Moriyama inside the paint.
But a massive hand intercepted midair—the pass was blocked.
The ball? Imayoshi, the calculating Tōō captain.
He snatched it, sped forward, and—three steps, layup, effortless basket.
BOOM!
Score: 7–3.
A four-point lead. Kaijo was crushed from the start; their space to survive was shrinking fast.
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