Chapter 153: Moment of Truth

Akashi chuckled unexpectedly in the Rakuzan High seating area when Kuroko returned to the game. Confused, the others turned to him, and Kotaro asked, "...Captain, what's amusing?"

"...Nothing's funny, just finding this game especially interesting," Akashi replied, his eyes lingering on Kuroko.

A sly glint flashed in Akashi's eyes as he pondered, "...Show me, Tetsuya! Your determination!"

Over at Kaijo High, there was a surprise as Kuroko returned to the game.

"...Didn't you say he wouldn't come back without a plan?"

Kasamatsu questioned Kise, who nodded with certainty.

Frowning, Kasamatsu noted how Kuroko utilized his Misdirection Overflow, demonstrating the secret behind his misdirection to Too Academy. He muttered, "So, what exactly is his plan?"

Excitement filled Ogiwara as he pointed at Kuroko, turning to the other Fukuda Sogo players, "See, I told you he'd come back!"

He chuckled heartily, genuinely pleased that Kuroko remained as stubborn as ever, a bright smile adorning his face. "...He's truly the most persistent person I know, huh?"

Nijimura acknowledged Kuroko's resilience but couldn't quite grasp his plan. With a serious expression, he turned to Tsuna, asking, "...What do you think he's planning, Tsuna?"

"...I don't know."

"What?"

The revelation left everyone in Fukuda Sogo staring at Tsuna in shock. His admission of uncertainty was unexpected, given his usual air of knowing everything.

Seeing their expressions, Tsuna shook his head with a sigh before he spoke, "...I'm not all-knowing. And I certainly can't read what's on Tetsuya's mind..."

Tsuna pondered the possibilities, having a few guesses on what Kuroko might be planning but no definite answers.

"Well, I have a feeling Kuroko might pull off his misdirection again this time..." Tsuna mentioned, raising eyebrows around him.

Mochizuki tried to figure it out but couldn't come up with an explanation. He tilted his head, asking, "...How is he going to do that?"

"...Daiki and Taiga's presence was grabbing everyone's attention in the entire stadium. Both of their presence combined was literally a giant beacon of light. And Tetsuya was someone who'd feel more alive under such a bright light as he was a shadow," Tsuna said.

He glanced at Kuroko, who conversed with his teammate as he added.

"Even if he couldn't totally nail his Misdirection, Tetsuya was one sharp guy. I'm sure he could spot even the smallest opening and drilled a hole out of it."

"Welcome back, Kuroko," Hyuga greeted Kuroko and gave a nod.

The others also nodded at him, happy to see Kuroko back.

As the game was gearing up again, and everyone returned to their spots, Kuroko turned to Kagami and silently mouthed a few words.

Kagami's eyes widened in surprise before he nodded.

On Too Academy's side, Imayoshi had this gut feeling that Kuroko was scheming something.

He had signaled the others to go all out against Seirin's defense and grab any chance that might pop up during the duel between their star players.

"I don't know what you're planning, but we've got this game!" he declared, checking the clock. The game was on the brink of ending, and they held the upper hand by taking the offensive stance at such a crucial moment.

Turning towards Kuroko as he approached, Imayoshi dropped his usual polite demeanor, fully alert while keeping a close eye on Kuroko.

Kuroko remained silent as the game continued, with each player on the court intensely focused. The heightened concentration was palpable even in the crowd, and their excited shouts echoed.

The game raged on with the ball passed with precision toward Aomine, and the crowd once again erupted in cheers.

With Kagami still on his mark, Aomine dribbled the ball with breathtaking speed. He burst past Kagami's defense in a split second, leaving the frustrated Kagami to click his tongue in response.

Izuki and Kiyoshi, who had managed to get out of their marker, had positioned themselves to intercept Aomine.

However, Aomine reacted with a quick shift of pace and effortlessly broke through their defensive line, leaving Izuki and Kiyoshi momentarily stunned by the sheer speed of his movement.

"...He's inhuman!"

Yet, their efforts bought precious seconds for Kagami to regroup and attempt another defense.

Still, Aomine was completely unstoppable as he executed a precise crossover to the right, exposing an opening in Kagami's defense.

Imayoshi couldn't believe what he saw and frustratedly shouted, "They knew Aomine wouldn't pass the ball and threw everything to stop him!"

Right at that crucial moment, a figure emerged from Aomine's right side, his hand striking the ball to get it out of Aomine's hand.

Imayoshi's eyes widened in disbelief as he realized Kuroko had slipped out of his marking. He exclaimed, "...Fuck, I was careless! He vanished on me like a ghost!"

Using his subtle presence and misdirection, Kuroko seemed to have seized the opportunity. This only worked because Imayoshi had focused so much on him, and with just a slight distraction, Kuroko exploited that shift in attention.

Aomine seemed to have sensed the incoming threat with his heightened instincts and instinctively stepped back.

Kuroko's outstretched hand was there to steal away the ball.

Seirin seized the momentary pause as they continued their relentless pursuit.

Hyuga's figure appeared next, attempting to steal the ball away. Though Aomine was momentarily delayed, he reacted immediately by rotating his body to the left and burst forward with incredible speed, shattering Seirin's defense.

"Is this guy even real?"

Hyuga couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief as he stared at Aomine's figure.

However, unbeknownst to Aomine, Kagami had already anticipated his movements. With impeccable timing, Kagami appeared in Aomine's path his hand swatting the ball out of Aomine's grasp.

Aomine's eyes widened in disbelief at this as the ball sailed away in Sakurai's direction.

Seeing the ball heading his way, Sakurai's blank expression turned pale as he anxiously pondered, "Should I shoot or pass? Ahh, I'll shoot this! But..."

Seirin players, however, seemed to have different plans. They swiftly moved forward, catching Imayoshi's attention as he quickly scanned the court.

A figure appeared in the direction of the ball, prompting him to shout, "Sakurai! On your left!"

Sakurai's eyes widened in surprise as Kuroko's hand promptly pushed the ball forward with his Ignite pass to Kagami.

Imayoshi felt a rush of urgency as he hurriedly went after Seirin's players. Despite his flustered state, he seemed a bit relieved to notice a figure reacting faster than the rest.

"...That's it, in the end. Our Ace is still the top dog!"

Imayoshi remarked that Aomine had swiftly positioned himself to block Kagami's advance.

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