"It's quite a relief to see they haven't thrown in the towel yet..."
Imayoshi's polite tone resonated through Too Academy's seating. A unanimous nod followed from everyone in acknowledgment of his observation.
"Of course, they have to. Seirin should at least give it their all since they beat us, right?" Wakamatsu grumbled, earning chuckles from those around him.
Imayoshi responded with a light smile, keeping his gaze fixed on the unfolding game.
"He finally cracked it open, huh?" Aomine chuckled.
He was feeling quite amused as he observed the unfolding scene. Kise joined in with laughter, and together, they directed their attention toward Kagami on the court.
"Coach, Kagami's in the zone!" Koganei exclaimed with excitement.
Although maintaining her composure, Aida stood in silent acknowledgment. However, her expression mirrored the collective thrill shared by everyone, witnessing their ace finally shining.
Back on the court, Nijimura swiftly retrieved the ball, passing it to Tsuna. However, before he could react, a figure deftly snatched the ball away and surged forward.
It was Kagami!
Haizaki and Ogiwara's eyes widened in surprise, exchanging a quick glance as they adjusted their positions.
"...Ah, I get it. So, this was your strategy?"
Tsuna mused, shifting his gaze to Kuroko. He then looked at Aida and remarked, "Not a bad plan..."
He understood Seirin's objective. Their aim was to reduce everyone to mere shadows, automatically reinstating Kuroko's misdirection tactic.
Considering Seirin's predicament, Tsuna grasped the reality that even with Kagami entering the zone, it wouldn't necessarily ensure Seirin's success in catching up with Fukuda Sogo's scores.
Continuing at their current pace not only meant a default victory for them but would also completely thwart Seirin's strategy.
However...
...that wasn't his style!
"Not bad. She's familiar with my style by observing how I do things during this game..." Tsuna smiled, finding it quite amusing.
He chuckled, remarking, "Isn't this interesting? She knows I'm not just in it for the win..."
"Alright, Seirin! You want to play with fire? Fine, then. I'll turn you all into charcoal!" Tsuna declared with a trace of amusement in his tone.
A formidable pressure abruptly settled over the court as his eyes sparked with dark streamlines, causing everyone in Seirin to swallow nervously.
Yet, it wasn't just nervousness.
Their gaze carried a mix of hope and excitement.
Sensing this, Kagami accelerated even further. However, Haizaki and Ogiwara, who had reacted a moment earlier, intercepted Kagami's path.
Haizaki fortified his defense, relaxing his body while engaging his instincts at full throttle.
Gritting his teeth, he mumbled to himself, "...Damn it, we barely held our ground, and we were closer to the center line than he was."
Seemingly unsurprised, Kagami subtly halted his steps before executing a swift drive to the right, a move Haizaki struggled to match.
"No wonder he took down Aomine; he's quick too!" Haizaki grumbled in annoyance.
However, a mischievous grin spread across his face as he added, "Let's see how you handle this..."
As Kagami dribbled to the right, when his hand was open wide with the ball, Ogiwara sharply closed in with his hand targeting Kagami's seemingly vulnerable moment.
"We've got it!"
Ogiwara thought excitedly as his hand reached for the ball.
Unexpectedly, Kagami was far from surprised as he forcefully adjusted his footing before he spun his body around to evade the attempted steal.
"Wha!?"
Haizaki and Ogiwara's eyes widened in disbelief as Kagami continued his forward motion, leaving them both stunned.
Just as Haizaki and Ogiwara prepared to chase after Kagami, a figure streaked past them with surprising speed.
"Nice job buying me some time," Tsuna nonchalantly remarked as he closed the gap between himself and Kagami.
Relief washed over Haizaki and Ogiwara as they slowed their steps, spotting their captain's timely arrival.
Seirin players surged forward in support of Kagami, prompting Haizaki and Ogiwara to retreat to their positions.
Meanwhile, Kagami pressed on as he reached the basket with determination. He then leaped for a dunk while an imposing presence loomed from behind, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in anticipation.
As Kagami anticipated, a figure materialized behind him, launching a strike aimed at the ball in his hand.
Yet, Kagami remained unflustered, deftly rotating his body to counter the impending attack.
"Hmm?"
Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise as Kagami's figure sailed past the backboard.
He muttered in disbelief, "...What?"
Emulating Aomine's move, Kagami tossed the ball into the air from behind the board, creating a high lob. Despite the impact of crashing onto the ground and the pain he felt, Kagami's focus remained unwavering as his eyes locked onto the descending ball.
With a satisfying swish as the ball found its mark in the basket, Kagami couldn't contain his excitement, yelling, "Let's go!"
"Seirin went back online!"
"Let's go, Seirin! Keep going!"
The crowd erupted in excitement, accompanied by Kagami's spirited yell. The spectators were thrilled to witness Seirin's resilient fightback.
More notably, the sight of their ace flawlessly executing someone else's move quickened their heartbeats, drawing them even deeper into the intense game.
"...Wait, did he just copy my move and then copy yours?" Kise exclaimed in shock at Kagami's actions.
Aomine retorted, "Wouldn't it be better if he just copied mine right away?"
He shook his head, rendered momentarily speechless by Kise's words.
"It looks like he's picking up new plays..." Midorima silently adjusted his glasses as he observed the ongoing game.
His attention shifted to Tsuna, noting that a smirk was slowly forming on his lips. He thought, "...He's getting excited as well."
Meanwhile, the members of Seirin surrounded Kagami, prompting the referee to reprimand them, creating a slightly awkward moment.
However, their excitement prevailed.
"Whoa! Kagami, what the heck was that!"
"How did you even manage to pull that off!"
Kagami's exhilaration fueled the enthusiasm of everyone in Seirin as they gathered to help him up before strolling back to their positions side by side.
Kagami scratched his head, hesitating as he explained, "Well, I just had this feeling that I could pull it off, and somehow, I actually did..."
"Goddamn, that was actually a gamble?"
Hyuga delivered a sharp smack to Kagami's head, eliciting a wince from the guy.
However, Hyuga followed it up with a smirk and a thumbs up, saying, "That gamble was worth it, Kagami!"
"Exactly..."
Kagami smiled as he looked at his teammates, noticing their backs appearing broader than usual, radiating a sense of reliability.
This strengthened his resolve, and he felt a deeper immersion in the game.
Fiercer sparks streaked across his pupils as he silently uttered, "Let's not leave any regrets, everyone..."
---
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