Every one of the Generation of Miracles had the same feeling when they met Kagami. At first it was only a feeling, but after playing against him, they were certain. Kagami is like the Generation of Miracles. He is the same type as them, but didn't become part of them, he is the member that followed a different path. He is the last to awaken with the same talent as the Generation of Miracles. He's a 'Miracle that isn't a Miracle' and the true light that met the shadow.
This was what Kise was thinking about after watching Kagami score one more time. That was the reason Kise felt so strongly about wanting to defeat Kagami, it was instinct. Just like he didn't want to lose against the other Miracles, he didn't want to lose against Kagami.
The game kept going and Kise's and Kagami's fight continued. Kise was having trouble with the red haired, because he blocked Kise's shots and got past him a few times. The more Kise failed against him, the more the blond fought harder and refused to give up. But that was only making him worse. The truth was that Kise was in pain, his foot was slowing him down but he was forcing himself to keep going because of his refusal to lose against Kagami.
However, his struggle didn't escape his coach's eyes or even Riko's. They noticed how Kise's jumps were starting to become lower and his moves slower.
Kise's coach didn't waste time. He got up and asked for a member change. As soon as Kagami scored again and the game paused, Kise was called.
"Kise, you're out." Coach Takeuchi said simply and Kise looked at him in disbelief.
"What? Why me?" the blond protested. "If you sub me out now-" he tried to say, but Kasamatsu cut him short.
"Kise. Listen to the coach." Kasamatsu instructed and Kise looked at him. "It's your leg, isn't it? It's been bothering you since that time." The captain said, referring to the time Haizaki stepped on Kise's injured foot.
"You knew." Kise murmured, he thought he had been able to hide his pain from his team. He quickly looked at Kasamatsu seriously again. "But you have to let me keep playing! I can play through the pain! If we lose again . . ." the blond insisted, but Kasamatsu wasn't having it.
"Considering where we are, you've already lost." He said and Kise's eyes widened. "I know you overworked yourself because you were desperate to win. It was wrong of Haizaki to step on your injured foot, but that's not an excuse. It's all part of the game and the game doesn't care." Kasamatsu lectured him and Kise clenched his teeth in frustration.
Kasamatsu was being rough with him, but if that was the way to make Kise stop hurting himself more, then so be it. Besides, it wasn't like Kise couldn't keep going for a few more minutes, it was just best for him to rest for a bit now. He would be back later, that was for sure. In the meantime, the rest of Kaijou would keep playing against Seirin and doing their best until their ace came back in.
Kise sat on the bench reluctantly. (Y/N) was looking at him worriedly, she didn't know his foot had been bothering him so much. Kuroko and Kagami also looked dejected that the blond had to step out, but that wasn't going to make them go easy on Kaijou. Doing that, feeling sorry for Kise, would only be more humiliating for him. If there was a time for giving their all and get the advantage, it was now!
The game resumed and Seirin had the ball. Kaijou's defense on them was tight, but they managed to give the ball to Kuroko and the blue haired scored with his Phantom Shot. Hayakawa was angry with himself. He thought that if he marked Kuroko better he could have avoided his shot. Kasamatsu was exasperated with him because Hayakawa was marking Kagami already, so apologizing for not being marking the invisible boy was stupid, but that's how silly Hayakawa was.
"You're supposed to be double-teaming Kagami, idiot!" Kasamatsu grumbled at Hayakawa. "Besides, if you stick closer to the invisible boy you'll only be more susceptible to his mis-whatever." The captain explained, but after saying that his own eyes widened. He had just gotten an idea, possibly even discovered how to stop Kuroko's Phantom Shot. He knew how his shot seemed to disappear!
With that thought, Kasamatsu told the others to leave Kuroko's Phantom Shot to him, he would take care of it. The others were surprised, but they trusted their captain, he definitely knew what he was doing.
"I don't have time to explain it to you, so leave it to me." Kasamatsu said. "It's almost time for them to bench Kuroko, but I won't let them do it for free. I'll crush one of their weapons right before he goes out." He said looking almost sinister.
The game went on and Kaijou managed to score. Koganei looked at Riko.
"Coach, it's almost time to sub Kuroko out, right?" he asked her.
"Yes, the next time the ball goes out I'll sub him out. Mitobe-kun get ready to go in." she instructed and Mitobe nodded.
After that, their eyes widened slightly at what was going on in the court. Izuki had the ball and Kasamatsu was marking him, but he was marking him a bit far away. Why did Kaijou's captain leave so much space between them?
They got their answer soon enough. Kasamatsu had done that because that would make Izuki pass the ball to a certain someone instead of trying to shoot it himself. Izuki did exactly as Kasamatsu had planned, he passed the ball to Kuroko for him to make his Phantom Shot.
Kuroko positioned himself to shoot the ball and Kasamatsu put himself in front of him. But the dark haired captain surprised everyone again when he took a few steps back instead of being almost on top of Kuroko to jump and block the ball.
Kasamatsu had discovered that what made the ball seem to disappear was the fact that they were always too close to Kuroko. The opponents always thought that the ball's trajectory was high, but it was just the opposite. Kuroko being shorter than them and shooting the ball at the level of his chest instead of the top of his head like a normal player, made his opponents look down and lose sight of the ball when he shot it.
Because Kasamatsu took a step back from him, his field of vision was much larger and he could see the ball's trajectory perfectly. After that it was simply too easy to stop it, and that's what he did. When Kuroko shot the ball, Kasamatsu could see it, so he jumped and blocked it. Kaijou's captain destroyed Kuroko's Phantom Shot all by himself and Seirin couldn't believe their eyes. Not even Murasakibara had been able to do that, Kise only did it while using the power of two Miracles, and Kasamatsu did it all by himself, without any extraordinary power.
After that, the ball went out and Kuroko was called to be subbed out. Riko was worried because, although they were already going to sub Kuroko out, it gave the impression that they were doing it because Kasamatsu stopped his shot. That idea was wrong, but it could give the team and mostly Kuroko the wrong message. Riko didn't want Kuroko to think he was being called because he failed, that could hurt the team's morale.
Kaijou on the other hand was ecstatic. Their captain had just destroyed Kuroko's weapon and now he was being subbed out. There was no doubt Seirin would feel shut down.
Until a certain someone said something.
"Damn it, Kasamatsu-senpai, why do you have to be so cool?" (Y/N) suddenly asked loudly and the boy looked at her stupidly.
"Huh? What?!" he asked her, looking a bit annoyed with the lack of effect his actions had on her but also embarrassed with the compliment.
The boys from Kaijou were a bit dejected, that wasn't the reaction they were expecting Seirin to have. Seirin was supposed to feel defeated, but here their manager was, complementing the opposing captain.
The truth was that (Y/N) said that not only because she actually thought that what Kasamatsu did was cool, but also because showing that their plan didn't affect them would be the best response to their provocation. It would also help her own teammates not to feel too bad about it.
Kuroko didn't feel defeated either. He looked normal and he understood by himself that his subbing had nothing to do with his failed shot. He even apologized for having failed the shot just before being subbed out, he also didn't want to give the wrong impression to their opponents or the viewers. Well, what was done was done.
Kaijou looked at both (Y/N) and Kuroko. Just like that, those two showed Kaijou that this predicament wasn't going to put Seirin down.
Of course, they were both shocked that Kaijou beat Kuroko, but they didn't have to worry. After all, they had the rest of the team and Kagami fighting. They had confidence on them, they knew they could count on them, so everything was fine.
The game went on and Kagami was on fire. After Kuroko was defeated, his determination only grew. He was the ace and he had to protect his team, he had to support them all. The red haired was efficiently getting past his double marking and scoring, Kaijou was seriously having trouble with him and the way he was carrying his team. If Kaijou wasn't careful, Kagami would do to them what Kise did to Seirin.
Kagami was about to dunk the ball, but Kobori tried to block him. With great speed, Kagami stopped his move and instead threw the ball back towards Kiyoshi. It had been so fast and unexpected, Kiyoshi was even surprised when he had the ball on his hands. He quickly recovered and shot the ball himself, giving Seirin another two points just as the buzzer sounded.
The second quarter ended and both teams were tied, 44-44. Seirin had reached Kaijou and they were now on the same level for the third quarter.
Seirin cheered at their success and Kaijou was frustrated. Kagami was really difficult to deal with, especially when they didn't have Kise to help them. They had lost the gap Kise had given them.
The crowd was cheering, the game was being really entertaining and tense.
Both teams made their way to the locker rooms for the 10 minutes break. At the same time, Rakuzan had just arrived at the stands and were sitting down. They were going to be able to watch the second half.
(Y/N) was walking down the corridor. The team had nothing to discuss so she took the chance to go to the toilet. Riko decided that they were going to keep doing what they were doing, they were tied and things were going well, so no changes were needed.
As the girl walked, a boy was running down the same corridor and almost crashed with her. He almost didn't see her because of all the running.
"Oh, sorry, sorry!" He apologized energetically.
(Y/N) looked at him and recognized him. He was Kotaro from Rakuzan. If he was here could it mean their meeting was over?
"It's alright. You're Hayama-kun, right?" she asked him and he looked at her with more attention.
"Hey, you're that girl from before!" he exclaimed loudly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"We're on a break before the second half starts." She explained nicely. "Is Rakuzan's meeting over? Are you guys going to watch the second half?" she asked.
"Yeah, the others already went to the stands. I just came to get this and am already going back." Kotaro explained as he showed what he had on his hand. (Y/N)'s eyes grew curious.
"Oh, that's the sports magazine!" (Y/N) said as she looked at his hand. Kotaro smiled and showed it to her.
"Yeah, I like to read some stuff from these, and this one came out today." He said with his typical smile.
"Can I see it?" the girl asked him and the boy passed her the magazine. (Y/N) looked for a bit until she found what she was looking for. "There it is. Seirin's interview is here." She said and Kotaro looked curious.
"Really? It's cool that your team got to be in the magazine." He said and (Y/N) nodded.
She had just seen that her interview was also there and those men wrote her exact words on the paper. She couldn't help but smirk.
"Would you do me a favor, Hayama-kun?" she asked the boy and he looked curious again. "Would you make sure your captain sees this?" she asked him, referring to the interview.
Kotaro was confused, but he accepted.
"Ok, but he's not really interested in these things and it's not like he cares about Seirin." Kotaro said honestly.
(Y/N) ignored the jab at her team and kept smiling.
"Just tell him I asked him to." She said as she turned to walk away. "Thanks, Hayama-kun!" she said as she disappeared.
The boy stayed there, looking even more confused, why would his captain read an interview just because she asked?
The boy shrugged and decided to go back to his team. When he got there, he sat down.
"Did you get it?" Nebuya asked him as he looked at the blond.
"Yup." Kotaro answered and he showed them the magazine. "Something strange happened, though." The boy said and the others turned to look at him, Akashi only moved his eyes. "I met Seirin's manager when I was running back here and she asked me to ask the captain to read their interview." Kotaro explained.
"Seirin was interviewed for the sports magazine? Impressive." Leo said.
"But why would the captain read the interview just because she asked?" Kotaro asked.
Leo looked at him like he was stupid.
"Kotaro, how can you not have realized? Seirin's manager is Sei-chan's girlfriend." Leo explained and Kotaro's eyes widened.
"What?! Really?" he asked stupidly and the others sighed at his obliviousness.
Leo took the magazine from him and looked at the interview. He turned the pages quickly until he got to the end of it and realized that the girl had also been interviewed.
"Oh, maybe this is the reason for her request. She was interviewed as well." Leo said and Akashi turned his eyes to him, actually looking a bit more interested.
"Read it." Akashi ordered, catching their attention.
"What?" Kotaro asked.
"I told you to read it. Her interview." The red haired said curtly.
Kotaro took the magazine back and started reading. He read the part where the girl said how she wasn't the reason for Seirin's victories and how they all worked together and about her dedication to her team.
"She's adorable." Leo said with a smile.
Kotaro kept reading and got to the question about Seirin still having to play against more of the Generation of Miracles.
"She said 'there's three down and only two more to go' and 'it's been fun defeating them all'!" Kotaro said loudly, enjoying the girl's nerve, and Leo smirked at Akashi.
"Sounds like a challenge, Sei-chan." He told the red haired, who smirked.
Kotaro kept readying and got to the next question. They were actually having fun reading this.
"Oh, they asked her who her favorite member of the Generation of Miracles is!" Kotaro exclaimed.
"Hmm, maybe that's why she wanted you to read it, Sei-chan. She's sending you a love message." Leo said a bit teasingly and Kotaro looked back at the magazine and kept reading.
"Let me see her answer, let me see, let me see . . . AH! She said Akashi Seijuro!" Kotaro said loudly. Akashi simply smirked, of course (Y/N) answered that.
"It only makes sense, she's his girlfriend after all." Nebuya said with a shrug.
Akashi's smirk vanished with what Kotaro said next.
"No, wait! She actually said 'I wouldn't say favorite. The one I dislike less is Akashi Seijuro.'!" Kotaro said and started laughing.
Leo and Nebuya looked at him a bit nervously. The hyperactive blond clearly didn't notice their captain's expression. The girl didn't send Akashi a love message, but a taunt.
"Kotaro, I would shut up if I was you." Nebuya told him.
Kotaro stopped laughing and looked at Akashi. He couldn't get used to how the younger boy could lecture him with a simple glare.
"Sorry, captain, it was a joke! A joke!" he said nervously. Akashi didn't say anything and just look back towards the court.
The others didn't notice, but the red haired smiled. That girl really knew how to irk him. The others also smiled quietly, they could see why their captain liked the girl.
The second half was finally going to start and both teams came out. The players went back to their positions and waited for the referee to start the third quarter.
Kise was still on the bench, no matter how much he insisted with his coach and team to let him play, he wasn't allowed to. His coach told him he would be able to go in in the final two minutes of the match. His teammates wanted Kise to play. Without him they wouldn't be able to stop Kagami, but they couldn't let Kise overwork himself. Kise reluctantly accepted, he had no choice after all.
The game started and although Kaijou was holding on, Seirin was unstoppable. Even without Kagami, there wasn't a single player from Seirin that Kaijou could leave unguarded. They were scoring, stealing and getting rebounds.
After four minutes, Seirin was 4 points ahead of Kaijou. Kise was getting more restless and his coach had to keep telling him to calm down, so he would have energy to play the last two minutes.
Kaijou was getting tense. Without Kise they were in trouble and Kasamatsu didn't quite like to admit that. They were going to keep fighting, though. They would keep doing their best until their ace came back!
Kasamatsu had the ball and Izuki was marking him. He passed by him, but Izuki used his Eagle Spear and tapped the ball from Kasamatsu's hand. The dark haired captain was frustrated with that as he saw the ball going towards Mitobe's hands. He wasn't going to give up, though. Kasamatsu made a dive forward and managed to tap the ball before Mitobe could grab it. With that, the ball went towards Kobori, who jumped to dunk it. Kiyoshi was right there and he managed to touch the ball before it entered, making it hit the side of the hoop and bounce back. Kagami tried to get the rebound, but Hayakawa was the one who got it and he dunked it.
The crowd cheered loudly for them. They were amazed by Kaijou's dedication and struggle because of their ace's absence.
Kaijou looked at Seirin with determination. They still had a lot to give. Seirin better not underestimate them.
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Thank you for reading!