The fourth quarter kicked off with an immediate clash between Aomine and Kagami, the court once again becoming the stage for their intense battle.
The ball quickly found its way into Aomine's hands, and as he delved even deeper into the Zone, he seemed almost unstoppable.
Aomine effortlessly broke past Kagami's defense, leaving the ground razed with Seirin's defensive formation rendered completely powerless to stop him.
As soon as he reached enough distance from the basket, Aomine soared toward the basket and executed a thunderous dunk, with Kagami incapable of preventing it.
As the clock ticked away, Kagami was undeterred by the previous exchange as he attempted to return the favor.
His eyes were sharp as he forcefully created an opening with his speed and broke past Aomine's defense.
However, just a second after, he felt the looming hand of his formidable opponent almost grazing the ball out of his reach. Still, Kagami was no pushover as he reacted instantly and stepped back before bursting forward with matching speed and changed his direction in a dazzling display of agility.
Just as Kagami leaped for a dunk, Aomine's imposing figure arrived once again.
In a swift and seemingly effortless motion, Aomine blocked Kagami's attempt, leaving the crowd in awe of the spectacle.
The back-and-forth between Kagami and Aomine intensified with each passing second. It was clear that Aomine had taken advantage this time, with Too Academy leading the scoreboard even with such a small margin.
Imayoshi kept a close eye on the scoreboard, noting their narrow lead of 117-116.
"We can't afford to lose focus now," he reminded his team.
The fourth quarter was halfway through, and signs of fatigue were becoming evident after both players entered the zone for such a long time.
"Aomine's improvement is clear. Stamina-wise, he should outlast Kagami," Imayoshi mused, observing the intense battle between their respective aces. If Aomine and Kagami entered the zone simultaneously, Imayoshi was confident that Aomine's stamina would prevail.
However, Imayoshi still couldn't deny that Kagami himself was impressive to enter the zone that long.
"It was our first time knowing he could enter the zone, but he was actually lasting longer than Aomine during our match against Fukuda Sogo..."
Aida watched from the sidelines as her gaze fixed on Kagami, his jersey soaked in sweat.
"Looks like his hard work's paying off," she thought, impressed.
In the weeks leading up to the Winter Cup, Seirin underwent a rigorous training camp in the mountains under Kagetora's guidance.
One unique training exercise involved a modified version of a tag team, with players divided into "police" and "criminals." The twist lay in the mountainous landscape, demanding both agility and endurance as the police aimed to catch the criminals.
As the training kicked off, Kagami's capability and sharp instincts turned the tag game into a one-sided game. Regardless of the team, Kagami seemed to be unstoppable.
What was supposed to be a challenging exercise for Seirin turned into a display of Kagami's dominance.
Observing the match, Kagetora reminisced, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Huh? Why do you want me to stop playing?"
Kagami's perplexed voice echoed at the base of the mountain.
In response, Hyuga delivered a swift smack to the back of Kagami's head, a visible vein throbbing on his temple.
"Because it became one-sided with you on either team, you dummy!" he exclaimed.
Kagami merely twitched his lips in frustration.
"Well, what am I supposed to do while you guys are having fun? Sleep and wait for you all to finish?" Kagami grumbled, earning wry smiles from the other Seirin players.
"Well, don't worry about that..."
Aida chimed in suddenly, capturing everyone's attention.
Beside her, Kagetora playfully patted her head, earning a smack that sent him tumbling to the ground in a comical pose.
"Papa, I'm not a kid anymore. Please don't do that again," Aida huffed, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.
Kagetora nonchalantly picked himself up, the others seemingly unfazed by the familiar sight. He then presented Kagami with a can of beer, saying, "I want you to get a whole box of these cans. I placed them on the other side of the mountain for you."
"Huh? Isn't this training pretty much the same as what I've been through before?" Kagami inquired, his face reflecting confusion as he recognized the familiar setup.
Kagetora casually shrugged, thinking, "Like father, like daughter, I guess..."
"The difference lies in the terrain you'll be training. You have to climb over this mountain and descend the other side to get that box," he explained. Suddenly, his eyes turned sharp, causing others to gulp nervously as he added, "...But you can only take one can at a time."
Kagami sighed at the challenge. However, determination sparked in his eyes. Having benefited from similar training before, he believed this wouldn't be any different.
"Alright, then..." He was confident the payoff would come later.
However, observing the dirt on Kagetora's pants, Kagami couldn't help but ask, "...Hey, did you climb up the mountain to place that box?"
The question surprised everyone, and they turned their curious gazes toward Kagetora.
But Kagetora simply lifted a keychain featuring the infamous donkey logo and smirked, "...Nope, I put it there using my trusty Verrarey."
Kagetora's revelation elicited a chuckle, but Takeuchi just shook his head at Kagetora's eccentricity, refocusing on the ongoing match.
As the game progressed, it became evident that both Aomine and Kagami were approaching their physical limits.
Holding the ball, Kagami couldn't ignore the fatigue creeping in. He thought, "...Entered the zone after him, but why does it feel like I'm already running on fumes?"
Glancing at Aomine, Kagami noticed signs of exhaustion in him as well.
Yet, it was clear Kagami's stamina was depleting faster than Aomine's.
He dribbled the ball carefully before he paused as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the intense spark had totally vanished as his gaze returned to its usual calmness.
Aomine was surprised as he wondered, "...Did he give up?"
But sensing the same intensity from Kagami, he shook his head. After a quick self-analysis, he realized he couldn't last in the zone until the end of the fourth quarter.
Aomine then took a deep breath as well, stepping out of his zone.
Their gazes held a similar determination as both thought, "I want to keep playing against him until the very last!"
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