Chapter 58

With Aomine's successful three-point shot, the score now stands at 30-24, with Too Academy leading by six points. The pace of the game slows down compared to the previous quarter, as it turns into a battle between Aomine's offense and Seirin High's defense.

Seirin still manages to score, but their efficiency is not as high as it was in the first quarter. Following their recent turnover, the players from Too Academy become more proactive on defense, especially Aomine. He begins to cooperate more with his teammates, intensifying their defensive efforts.

On the other hand, after his initial turnover, Aomine elevates his offensive performance. He becomes even faster and more agile than in the first quarter. Perhaps his mistake served as a wake-up call. However, this time, Aomine shows greater caution when facing Kuroko's defense.

Despite frequently driving into the paint, Aomine adds a new dimension to his offensive repertoire in the second quarter. Unlike the first quarter, where he primarily attacked the basket, this time he incorporates jump shots into his arsenal. Seirin High tries various defensive strategies, but they struggle to halt his scoring. Even triple-teaming Aomine proves insufficient to contain him. His increased speed and agility compared to their previous encounters make him even more challenging to defend against.

As the second quarter concludes, both teams head back to their respective locker rooms to rest and regroup. The score at the end of the second quarter is 50-36, with Too Academy now holding a double-digit lead. This gives them a significant advantage over Seirin High.

Inside the Seirin High locker room, a sense of gloom permeates the atmosphere. Despite Too Academy's lead not being insurmountable, the main challenge lies in stopping Aomine.

Coach Aida Riko finds herself at a loss for containing Aomine's onslaught. The only solution that comes to her mind is assigning Kagami to guard him. However, she knows that it would be detrimental to their team as Kagami is also their primary rebounder. Fatiguing him with defensive duties would be unwise. If she wants to pit Kagami against Aomine, she must bring Mitobe onto the court to provide additional presence in the paint.

The dilemma arises when deciding who to substitute among the starters. The only viable option seems to be replacing Kuroko with Mitobe. While this change would bolster their defense, it would negatively impact their offense, which is already slowing down. Kuroko's absence would make their offense slower. Additionally, benching Shun is not an option since he is their sole point guard, and Junpei is a significant threat beyond the three-point line. The only remaining choice is Ogiwara, but he plays a crucial role complementing Kagami, and his contributions are highly valuable.

While Aida Riko grapples with the challenge of stopping Aomine, Kuroko approaches her with a surprising request, "Coach, can you take me out for the third quarter? I'm getting tired and want to conserve energy for the final quarter."

Riko is taken aback by Kuroko's request but notices his determined expression. Realizing she cannot change his mind, she agrees and announces the starting lineup for the third quarter to the team.

Gathering her players' attention with a clap of her hands, Riko declares, "I'll be making some adjustments for the third quarter, so listen up."

With all eyes on her, she continues, "For the third quarter, I'll be substituting Kuroko due to fatigue. Mitobe will take his place."

Upon hearing the coach's decision, Kagami and Ogiwara look at Kuroko, although he doesn't appear visibly tired. However, the two players accept his choice without objection.

On the other hand, even though Kuroko is fatigued, it hasn't reached the point where he absolutely needs a break. He made this decision because he noticed that his presence was affecting their defense and that Too Academy was gradually adapting to his misdirection. Despite not wanting to be taken out of the game, he believes this substitution will increase their chances of stopping Aomine. Ogiwara and Kagami also sense that this is the reason Kuroko has opted for the upcoming quarter's substitution.

"I want each and every one of you to give it your all in these last two quarters. This is our final opportunity to win this game. Do you understand?" Coach Riko asked her players.

All of them nodded with determination, especially Kagami and Ogiwara, who vowed to make up for Kuroko. They were determined to do whatever it takes in these last two quarters to stop Aomine. Their aim was to set the stage for Kuroko's return, igniting a spark on the bench and giving them a chance for a comeback victory.

Seeing her players ready and resolute, Riko wasted no more time and led them out to the court. The last one to exit the locker room was Kuroko. However, to his surprise, someone approached him and affectionately patted his head.

When he looked up, he saw Kagami grinning at him with a confident smile. "I'm going to stop Aomine for you. So, I don't want you to remain idle on the bench. Be ready to go in at any time. I promise you, we will win this game."

Kuroko was taken aback by Kagami's words but managed to smile slightly and nodded in response to the encouraging words. They both left the locker room, making their way to the court with renewed determination and a shared goal.

As the entire Seirin High team returned to the court, they noticed that the players from Too Academy were already warming up, preparing for the game to resume.

Too Academy's coach had nothing more to say to his team, as they were still in the lead. His only instruction was for them to intensify their defensive efforts, particularly in guarding Seirin High's passing.

However, it was Momoi, their manager/analyst, who had something to contribute. She showed the team what she had observed in the first half, providing insights on how to contain Seirin High's offense. She also pointed out individual mistakes made during the first half to ensure they wouldn't repeat them.

In addition, Momoi warned her teammates about Kuroko, in case he had more surprises in store for them during the game. Apart from that, she had nothing else to add or change regarding their playing style. They simply needed to elevate their efforts.

Momoi wanted to criticize Aomine, but she didn't get the opportunity as he left the locker room to buy some drinks. She wondered if he did it to avoid hearing what she and the coach had to say.

After offering some words of encouragement to his players, the coach promptly led them toward the court to begin their warm-ups. Shortly after their arrival, Aomine returned to the court. However, unlike his teammates, he didn't engage in warm-up exercises. Instead, he went to the bench and sat there, patiently waiting for the game to commence.

Shortly after Seirin High arrived, the buzzer sounded, signaling the resumption of the game. Too Academy's starting lineup for the third quarter remained the same as the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Seirin High made an adjustment, with Mitobe starting the game in place of Kuroko. This surprised Too Academy since they considered Kuroko to be the most valuable player on Seirin's team during the first half.

Seeing Kuroko on the bench caught them off guard, but they welcomed it with open arms. They believed it would work in their favor since Kuroko's presence on the court had been a significant nuisance for them.

The game resumed, with Too Academy gaining possession at the start. Imayoshi brought the ball down to half court and quickly passed it to Aomine, who was ready to receive it.

Standing in front of Aomine was Kagami. Although this wasn't their first matchup in the game, this time there was no Kuroko. Aomine smirked arrogantly and taunted Kagami, saying, "Oh, it's you once more. I thought you wouldn't dare to defend me again in this game. I'm starting to feel bored."

Kagami simply smirked in response to Aomine's taunts. He confidently replied, "My team believes I can handle guarding you alone. And trust me, we're just getting started."

Aomine smirked upon hearing Kagami's words and retorted, "You're delusional. If three of you and your teammates couldn't stop me, how do you expect to do it alone?"

Kagami didn't waste time with further words. He focused on the task at hand, ready to defend against Aomine. He made a silent promise to himself that he would stop Aomine in this quarter. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to give it his all.

Seeing that Kagami had nothing more to say, Aomine shifted his focus back to the game. He dribbled the ball slowly, skillfully maneuvering it between his legs.

Observing Aomine's movements, Kagami lowered his center of gravity, preparing himself to react if Aomine attempted to blow past him. Suddenly, Aomine abruptly stopped his dribble, as if he were about to take a jump shot. Reacting quickly, Kagami moved in front of him, contesting the shot.

However, it was merely a hesitation move from Aomine. Just as Kagami closed in on him, Aomine explosively burst towards the left, heading toward the baseline, aiming for a dunk in the paint.

Kagami, determined to get back on defense, leaped to block Aomine's dunk. But he was a fraction too late, as Aomine powerfully slammed the ball into the rim, posterizing Kagami in a spectacular display of athleticism.