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

Shigure Akihito's "Kiyota Nobunaga: Skywalker Block" instantly ignited the entire Seiho gymnasium.

Unlike the explosive vertical leap he'd shown earlier with that putback dunk, already impressive in its own right, this time, both the speed and height were on a whole other level thanks to his skill activation. Pure athleticism alone couldn't have achieved this.

The reaction from the crowd said it all. Many Seiho students momentarily forgot whose home court it was, gasping in awe at the sheer spectacle of that block.

"Was that a hallucination? He flew like a bird!"

"Everyone else has to run to get there, but he just jumps?"

"If he hadn't had to cover so much distance, I bet he could've jumped even higher…"

"I can't believe a middle schooler can jump like that. That defies everything I thought I knew. Are you sure he's not in high school?!"

Despite this being Seiho's home court, the crowd erupted with shouts of disbelief and amazement.

On the court.

All the players were stunned speechless.

Then, they saw Shigure Akihito pump his fist in the air!

The cheers around him, excited, hyped, hysterical, seemed to surge straight into his chest, about to burst him open from within.

"Uwahhh!"

That feeling was back again!

That eerie hush right before the explosion of cheers, like the whole world was chanting his name!

Lately, he'd started to realize that while playing with someone as overwhelmingly strong as Nijimura Shuzo was undeniably thrilling...

...making opponents feel powerless and small beneath his own feet gave him an even greater rush.

Ha!

So seriously, what was all that drama from Generation of Miracles about? Especially Aomine Daiki, what's he even sulking for?

Basketball...

Isn't this amazing?!

Just as Shigure Akihito's thoughts began spiraling into strange territory, the rest of Teiko's on-court players rushed toward him while Seiho's team stood frozen in shock. Every single one of his teammates wore pure excitement on their faces.

Meanwhile, Takahama Ryo, the poor guy who just got his shot sent into orbit, stood there in a daze, utterly broken.

What the hell just happened...?

Where did he even come from?!

How was that even physically possible?!

Monster.

That guy's a damn monster!

Questions swirled in his head, but no answers came. It didn't make sense, none of it.

On the sideline.

The Seiho coach was no longer angry, he was terrified.

He had drawn up so many adjustments during the timeout... yet none of them had any effect.

In fact, things had gotten worse. That damned No. 12 had once again crushed his team's confidence.

They still had a 13-point lead, sure, but their momentum was crashing fast. Since the start of the fourth quarter, the tide had completely turned. And with every silent hammer blow from that No. 12, the idea of a comeback seemed more and more inevitable.

That kid... it's like he's hacked reality. One clutch three-pointer after another, dragging Teiko back from the brink, singlehandedly breathing life into their chances. What started as a long shot now felt terrifyingly real.

Looking back, it was unbelievable.

Who would've thought, before this final quarter began, that a single Teiko player, even if he was one of their main starters, could flip the entire game in just a few minutes?

Maybe...

Only that team from Ibaraki last year. The one that won it all, Okayama Junior High.

"..."

No.

If we're talking about the Okayama team that burst onto the scene last year, when their whole starting five hit their stride in their second year, that was when the Okayama Miracle was born. And now that they're all in their third year?

They're probably even scarier.

They haven't trailed once. Not even in nationals.

But for the Seiho coach to mentally compare Teiko's No. 12 to that legendary Okayama team?

That alone meant everything.

He clenched his teeth.

"Double-team him!"

The Seiho players glanced at their coach with surprised expressions. But his voice was firm and resolute.

"Forget the others, just trap him!"

Double-team?

But...

If we do that, someone's going to be left wide open...

Still, faced with the coach's unwavering stare, the players all nodded silently.

If we have to trap, we'll trap.

Teiko's entire comeback is riding on that No. 12. Maybe this'll work.

Because of Shigure Akihito's massive block earlier, the ball had gone out of bounds, so possession still belonged to Seiho. They lined up for a sideline inbounds play.

The point guard caught the ball and initiated a series of passes, eventually finding the power forward just outside the paint.

As soon as he caught it, the power forward rose for a jumper. But in that split second, a flash of the soaring figure from earlier filled his mind, like a great eagle taking flight. His hand trembled ever so slightly.

Clang!

The close-range shot bounced off the rim.

Teiko's second-string center, eyes blazing, boxed out hard and snatched the rebound.

Time to counterattack.

Teiko's point guard pushed the ball across half court, then immediately passed it to Shigure Akihito.

The moment he touched it, Takahama Ryo and Herai Riku pounced to form a trap.

Shigure Akihito: "…"

They're actually doing it? A real double team?

And... they're leaving my teammates that open?

Do they think I'm blind?

Whoosh!

Shigure Akihito fired the ball out.

He even used what he always thought was kind of a useless skill, "Shigekusa Satoshi: Moving Pass."

[Moving Pass: Allows seamless passing without disrupting dribble or movement rhythm.]

He had never really used it much, but once he did...

...he realized it was actually kind of nice.

The pass didn't break his rhythm at all. In one fluid sequence of dribble control, pass, and off-ball movement, the ball left his hand mid-motion, without even a hint of hesitation.

To be continued...