Chapter 152: Unyielding Persistence

"...They've stepped out of the zone?"

Imayoshi was taken aback as he realized this.

However, he then widened their eyes, noticing their showdown's intensity didn't diminish. Imayoshi could even feel his body having goosebumps all over, feeling such intensity coming out of them as he thought, "...They might have been out of the zone, but to think that they still have such an intense desire to play against each other."

Harasawa on the sideline seemed to notice this as well, as he exchanged a knowing look with Imayoshi as he walked back to Too Academy's bench.

Momoi, who saw this, couldn't help but tilt her head as she asked, "...Have you requested for the timeout already, Coach?"

"...No, it wasn't needed," Harasawa said as he glanced at Aomine and Kagami. Considering their intense focus, he thought it was best if their face-off was uninterrupted.

He looked at Imayoshi, who approached the others as he spoke, "Besides, we have Imayoshi on our side. I trust him. He could react accordingly if anything happened..."

Momoi widened her eyes in surprise before nodding. She glanced at Aomine as she made a fist with her hand and thought, "...I'll trust you on this! I know you're going to win!"

She cheered on Aomine silently.

Kagami, who was dribbling the ball carefully, felt the weight of Aomine's pressure on him. 

In a burst of speed, Kagami executed a crossover move to the right that left Aomine momentarily off-balance. Seizing the opportunity, Kagami skillfully maneuvered past Aomine's defense.

However, Aomine instantly reacted with lightning speed as he adjusted to Kagami's movement and forced Kagami to step back.

Aomine was unyielding in his defense.

However, Kagami remained focused on his mind, racing to think of a way to break through Aomine's guard.

Kagami took a deep breath and with a swift motion, he subtly shifted his form as he executed a powerful stride to the right.

Aomine, who was anticipating a crossover move from these movements by Kagami, adjusted his defensive stance accordingly, ready for the expected maneuver.

To Aomine's surprise, Kagami's move was a clever fake.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kagami veered to the left, leaving Aomine momentarily off-guard. The slight widening of Aomine's eyes captured the surprise at Kagami's unexpected change of direction.

In the blink of an eye, Kagami had broken past the defenses of Too Academy, his powerful strides carrying him toward the basket. Even without the Zone's heightened abilities, Kagami was clearly still a monster at the court.

As his hand was poised to slam the ball through the basket, Kagami couldn't contain the surge of determination and confidence.

"We'll win this! Too!" he exclaimed, the echo of his declaration resounding through the court.

"Not so fast there, buddy!"

However, a familiar voice cut through the momentary triumph. 

Aomine's figure seemed to materialize seemingly out of nowhere. With impeccable timing, Aomine's hand reached out with precision and blocked Kagami's dunk attempt.

The ball sailed towards the backboard and bounced away, making Kagami grit his teeth in frustration as it was very close!

Quickly reacting, Wakamatsu snatched the rebound and swiftly passed it toward Imayoshi, who was ready to transition to the offensive.

With an immediate burst of energy, Aomine surged forward, catching Kagami off guard.

Imayoshi seized the opportunity and passed the ball precisely in Aomine's direction.

With a newfound vigor, Aomine wasted no time. He exploded with even more speed, deftly weaving through Seirin's defense like a walk in the park.

The crowd echoed with the anticipation of another powerful dunk as Aomine leaped toward the basket.

However, in a surprising turn of events, Kagami's figure suddenly appeared in the trajectory of Aomine's dunk.

Aomine clicked his tongue, realizing Kagami was attempting to return the favor.

Kagami's hand was hovering in the air, attempting to block his dunk. Still, Aomine was called the Ace of the Generation of Miracles for a reason, as he made a slight midair adjustment, shooting his iconic formless shot from a seemingly impossible angle.

A grin played on Aomine's face as he witnessed the disbelief in Kagami's expression.

"Got you, Seirin!" he declared with a sense of triumph.

"No! We got you!"

But just as the ball left Aomine's hand, another figure emerged, surprising both Aomine and Kagami.

Kiyoshi had executed a perfectly timed block, intercepting Aomine's seemingly unstoppable shot. Aomine's surprise mirrored Kagami's, and for a brief moment, the court fell into silence before the crowd excitement surged out through the roof, filling up the entire stadium.

Kagami looked at Kiyoshi as he spoke.

"That was a good save! Senior Kiyoshi!"

Kiyoshi shook his head as he spoke, "Thank you, but we need to focus. We are only two points away from securing the game!"

Kagami was taken aback before he nodded with seriousness. 

As the game progressed, the spotlight remained fixed on the intense duel between Aomine and Kagami. Each player could skillfully breach the other's defense, yet they proved equally adept at thwarting each of their finishing moves.

This has led the match into a captivating stalemate!

Tension gripped both teams as the game approached its climax. Too Academy noted the advantage of their narrow lead as they fortified their defense. They knew even just maintaining the stalemate would secure their victory.

Conversely, Seirin found themselves in a predicament.

Aware of the slim scoreline favoring Too Academy (117 - 116), they understood that their only path to triumph lay in relentlessly pursuing points by fortifying their offense.

In another clash between Kagami and Aomine, Kagami was aided by Kiyoshi as they successfully foiled Aomine's attempt to score as the ball sailed out of the court.

Suddenly, the referee signaled for a substitution, which drew the attention of both teams to the figure preparing to enter the game at this crucial moment.

Wakamatsu expressed disbelief, muttering, "...Is he a cockroach or something?"

The Too Academy players shared the sentiment, and Aomine, eyeing the newcomer, thought, "...What are you planning this time, Tetsu?"

It was Kuroko!

Struggling with his physical condition, Kuroko's eyes showed a mix of determination and grit.

Seirin players observed him as excitement light up in their eyes.

With unyielding resolve, Kuroko mentally declared, "Whatever it takes, I don't care. I'll win this, even if it's the slimmest chance!"

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