Kuroko’s Basketball: Before Generation Miracles, I Already Crowned

Sidelines.

Coach Shirakane Ginzo stared at Akihito Shigure with a complex expression.

On court.

Shigure and Nijimura met each other's eyes with similarly unreadable looks.

Shigure couldn't tell exactly what Nijimura was feeling, but as he caught a glimpse of Nijimura's last defensive stance from the corner of his eye, he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"…Whew."

Good thing he didn't charge in with Kiyota Nobunaga: Posterizing Dunk.

That guy Nijimura never intended to clash head-on. His defense was aimed, deviously, at one particular weakness: Shigure's hand size wasn't quite enough to palm the ball one-handed. The position Nijimura had taken would've slammed directly into the exact spot where Shigure would try to gather the ball.

If he hadn't tossed the ball up for a self-pass and gone for that high bank shot, and instead had chosen to dunk the same way he had on his first drive, Nijimura's anticipation would've read the path perfectly. He would've swiped it mid-gather, right between the lift and the slam.

But now…

Guess that weakness is out in the open.

He'd definitely need to vary his gathering approach from here on out.

Current score: 4–0.

Shigure was in the lead.

Nijimura paused briefly, then coldly spoke with his usual composure, "Ball. My turn."

Shigure passed it over.

The moment the ball touched his fingers, Nijimura's entire presence ignited. In this semi-sci-fi basketball world, Shigure could literally feel the heat radiating from him, burning, tangible pressure.

Nijimura made his move. His offense was, as always, a seamless blend of brute force and refined technique.

Boom, !

A powerful shoulder bump mid-drive locked Shigure in place for a split-second!

Then came a sudden step-back!

Shigure: "!?"

Everyone froze for a moment,

, including Shigure himself.

Just judging by the step-back alone, Nijimura's technique was top-tier. But compared to Shigure, the certified king of step-backs, it was still a little lacking.

However…

Nijimura's game wasn't about flash. It was about completeness.

That step-back wasn't the point, it was just the beginning. The real danger came from what followed.

First came a fake jumper, more specifically, a Shammgod move.

Then a between-the-legs crossover…

And a drop-hip explosion past the defender!

Still recovering from the body-check, Shigure lunged in for the block, and then a figure flashed by the edge of his vision. The next moment, Nijimura was gone from his line of sight!

Shigure: "!"

…Damn!

That was clean. Too clean.

The sequence was buttery smooth, not some pre-planned, rehearsed move, but a spontaneous combination built from endless real-game experience.

But wait a sec,

A first-year middle schooler… Where'd you get all this game-time experience?!

Even if you started seriously playing in grade school, at best you'd have two years of court time. That's enough to be this polished? You came out the womb with double XP buffs or something?!

Fine then.

You've got your experience and craft,

I've got my skills!

Let's see whose cheat code is stronger!

Goda Tomokazu – Full-Power Acceleration!

Whoosh, !

Powered by his 87-speed stat, Shigure shifted into overdrive. Even after getting broken down on defense, he activated a pure stat-based chase-down using his skill boost!

But,

It was like Nijimura had expected the pursuit.

Mid-drive toward the rim, with no defender left ahead, he abruptly stopped, pressing his back into Shigure's chest.

And using that contact

He launched forward, tilted his body, and laid the ball in cleanly with a hand-off motion.

Caught off-guard by the sudden stop, Shigure had no time or space to jump for a block. His Airborne Block skill grayed out instantly.

In fact, he was hit so hard by the stop, he didn't even manage a basic contest.

Swish!

Layup, clean.

Score: 4–2.

Shigure stood there, rubbing his sore chest.

"…That was sick."

The game continued.

Point after point, neither side could pull ahead.

It had entered one of those magical rhythms where neither player could stop the other.

Strangely enough,

They were both getting torched.

Nijimura's game was frighteningly balanced. On offense, he clearly understood that outside of Shigure's blocking skill, Shigure had almost no way to stop him.

So his attacks were all structured around avoiding that skill's trigger.

And it worked beautifully.

With flawless technique, Nijimura demonstrated every trick in the book for not getting blocked.

Shot after shot, they all went in.

But

Shigure wasn't idle either. His offense evolved with every turn, adjusting unpredictably.

[Breakstep Soft Jumper] , During any drive, the player may interrupt with a soft, fluid jump shot.

This move, when added to Shigure's already devastating step-back core, made his drives nearly impossible to read.

Then, most importantly,

Once his ultimate energy gauge refilled,

Kiyota Nobunaga: Reverse Dunk!

He took off from the baseline, gliding through the air.

From one side of the rim, flying across to the other,

BOOM.

A thunderous reverse slam.

Even the ever-stoic Nijimura couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

And that

Was the final point.

Shigure had led 4–2.

That two-point lead gave him match point before his opponent, and it remained just enough to carry him to the finish line.

Final score: 12–10.

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The whistle echoed from the sidelines.

"The match is over."

"Akihito Shigure vs. Nijimura Shuzo…"

"Victory to Akihito Shigure!"