Aomine remained unfazed, smoothly sinking the shot before immediately getting back on defense next to Midorima. His eyes gleamed with excitement—clearly, he couldn't wait for a one-on-one showdown.
Takao, always one to keep the energy going, wasted no time. As soon as he brought the ball past half-court, he fed it straight to Midorima.
"It's happening!"
"A face-off between the Generation of Miracles!"
The crowd erupted. No one expected the star players to go head-to-head this early in the game! Fans leaned forward in their seats, fully locked in on the intense matchup unfolding on the court.
Midorima caught the ball and immediately squared up in a triple-threat stance, carefully analyzing Aomine's defensive positioning.
Aomine, on the other hand, had a confident smirk. His excitement grew—he was determined to shut Midorima down.
Midorima, as always, remained stone-faced, his composure unshaken.
Just then, Takao suddenly appeared beside Aomine, executing a perfect pick-and-roll!
Aomine's expression shifted as he tried to fight through the screen, but at the exact moment Takao set the pick, Midorima quickly reacted, stepping sideways to create space before rising up for an uncontested shot.
Imayoshi sprinted over in an attempt to contest, but with Midorima's height and absurd shooting arc, there was little he could do to stop it.
Swish!
The score shifted to 6:5.
Aomine frowned. He had expected a one-on-one battle with Midorima, but Takao's involvement threw him off.
Midorima's length and high release already made him a nightmare to guard, and now, with a teammate actively helping him get open, Aomine realized this wasn't going to be an easy game.
Still, he understood better than anyone that basketball wasn't a solo sport. That lesson had hit him hard back in middle school.
Taking the inbound pass from Imayoshi, Aomine wasted no time pushing the pace. His dribble was a blur, his ball-handling so sharp that he left Kimura completely off-balance.
Sensing danger, Midorima quickly rotated over to help. But Aomine, without even looking, whipped a no-look pass straight to Sakurai.
A familiar "S-sorry!" rang through the gym, making the Shūtoku defenders tense up.
And just like that, the ball soared through the air, a perfect arc cutting across the court.
Swish!
Sakurai's three-pointer was dead on.
The game was turning into a shootout—two minutes in, and the score was already 6:8.
"Think you could hang with them?" Shiro turned to Moyun with a teasing grin.
Moyun rubbed his chin thoughtfully before answering with confidence, "Against the Generation of Miracles? No chance. But against that shooting guard from Tōō? I'd say I'd hold my own."
After all, Sakurai was only 175 cm (5'9"), while Moyun stood at 185 cm (6'1")—a clear size advantage. Of course, height wasn't everything, but those extra 10 centimeters mattered.
Not to mention, as a die-hard Kobe fan, Moyun was convinced his skills wouldn't lose to Sakurai's.
He understood the impact of height in basketball, but he also knew that talent and skill mattered just as much. While he wasn't at the level of the Generation of Miracles, he was confident that he could compete at the level of the Uncrowned Kings.
"How'd the talk with your mom go?" Shiro asked.
Moyun nodded, "She agreed, as long as my grades don't slip."
The rest of the group perked up, now curious about the conversation.
"What are you guys talking about?" Nijimura spoke up, voicing the curiosity shared by the others.
Shiro chuckled before explaining, "I was asking Moyun if he wanted to join the basketball team. He had to check with his family first — looks like he got the green light."
Hearing that, Nijimura and the others broke into smiles, their joy genuine, like a ray of sunlight breaking through winter clouds.
Still, there was an underlying curiosity. Shiro wouldn't go out of his way for just any player—there had to be a reason he was so eager for Moyun to join.
"What did you mean when you said he's really good?" Kawamura asked, his tone carrying an eager anticipation.
Shiro smirked and glanced at Moyun before turning back to Kawamura. "Moyun's got serious skills. He's never played in an official tournament, but his game is the real deal."
"Oh? That so?" Nijimura's eyes lit up with interest, as if he had just discovered a hidden gem.
If Shiro was right, then Moyun's addition could be a game-changer for the team.
Moyun scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm not that good, I just really love playing." His voice was humble, without a trace of arrogance.
"Haha, don't sell yourself short. Now that you're in, let's grind together!" Nijimura clapped him on the shoulder.
"Yeah, we all love basketball — let's go all out!" Kawamura and Momoi chimed in, their voices filled with youthful passion.
Feeling their enthusiasm, Moyun couldn't help but smile.
"Thanks, everyone. I'll do my best."
With that settled, their focus shifted back to the court. The game was still in full swing.
Midorima, having just seen Aomine make a selfless pass, was momentarily surprised. To him, Aomine was the last person who would embrace team basketball. Clearly, that fateful middle school match had left its mark.
Shūtoku's offense was back in motion.
Takao hit a few sharp crossovers, creating just enough separation before driving inside.
Imayoshi tried to chase him down, but before he could react, Ōtsubo had already stepped in, setting a perfect screen.